Chuck Foreman – Teaching Pastor

Jesus not only changed the life of Levi, the tax collector, he changed his name so he’d remember it (Matthew 9:9-13). Levi now called himself Matthew—which means “Gift of God”, his new identity, given him by Jesus.  Matthew’s quest became discovering and revealing the identity of this young life changing, name changing rabbi. What Matthew discovered was incredible.  This Jesus fulfilled all the predictions in the Hebrew scriptures about the Jewish Messiah!  Even the most obscure ones.  Matthew found at least 4 Old Testament prophecies about the Messiah which were fulfilled in the story of Jesus birth.  Obviously, these were not events that Jesus orchestrated.  They just happened to him.  Come join us on this journey of amazement.  Watch as Matthew tells us the story.  It begins with Immanuel—God with us—the sign of the pregnant virgin.  Just as God showed up during the reign of Ahaz, King of Judah, and gave his people an sign that he would not abandon them to their enemies (Isaiah 7), so had he shown up in Matthew’s day, up close and in person.  Matthew knew the only explanation of his own life changing experience was that God had shown up—and Jesus was his name.