Matthew 1:18-21 A Christmas Story

Matthew 1:18-21  “Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: when His mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child by the Holy Spirit.  And Joseph her husband, being a righteous man and not wanting to disgrace her, planned to send her away secretly.  But when he had considered this, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, ‘Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife; for the Child who has been conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit.  She will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.’" (NASB)

It is Christmas Eve and the family is all at home, the football game is on and Sharon is in the kitchen preparing the soup we will share with family later this evening.  It has become a tradition that following the evening candlelight service at church that we return here to a simple meal consisting of some kind of soup and various treats we and other family members provide.  We’ll all remark how wonderful the soup is – and truthfully so because Sharon truly is a remarkable cook.  Then we’ll settle in and watch “A Christmas Story” and hear those famous words, “You’ll shoot your eye out with that thing”.  Great tradition; great memories.  In the morning we’ll drag the kids out of bed (didn’t use to be that way) to see what “Santa” brought and eventually end up over at Sharon’s Mom’s to meet up with family again and have lunch.  This is our Christmas routine, our tradition and it is both comfortable and satisfying after all these years.

But if that were the beginning and end of Christmas as I’m afraid it is for many it would be hollow indeed.  In addition to the traditions of Christmas which look very similar to many in this country we put a focus on the essence and quite literally the essentials of the day.  While there are many passages from Scripture that predict, depict and explain the event of Jesus’ birth, I have chosen to share this passage from Matthew’s gospel.  In it we actually have an event that takes place prior to the arrival of Jesus so it is a prophecy of arrival albeit an immediate one.

Matthew records that, “Mary had been betrothed to Joseph”.  In that day the betrothal was a sort of point of no return much more than an engagement today.  To back out of the relationship before the actual marriage would have required a “Divorce”.  That is significant when weighed against the news that was revealed to Joseph.  Scriptures says that, “Before they came together she was found to be with child …”  Now Joseph when presented with the news of his betrothed coming up pregnant would have certainly been within his rights to, “Divorce” her for the act of infidelity.  But Joseph loved Mary and although deeply hurt by this news of her situation did not want to bring her shame by publicly divorcing her.  “Being a righteous man and not wanting to disgrace her, (he) planned to send her away secretly.”

What a standup guy Joseph was.  He didn’t know what had happened.  He just knew Mary had a baby in her womb and it wasn’t his.

As he was mulling all of this over the Lord sent a messenger to give him a clue.  “Behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, ‘Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife”.  I’ll be honest, “Afraid” is not the emotion I might be feeling.  Well, I suppose some fear might be involved because if he were to take Mary as his wife and claim the child as his own he would essentially be saying,  "We didn’t wait; we jumped the gun during our engagement and did not wait until we were properly wed to consummate our marriage".  So, fear could well have been an emotion on Joseph’s mind.  But the angel went on, “For the Child who has been conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit”.  WHAT?

Okay – so this reassurance from this messenger angel in Joseph’s dream tells him to chill out and not be afraid then gives the reason that the child has been conceived by the Holy Spirit.  Wow!  Would that calm you down?  I’m not thinking I would be more calm after receiving this news.  I’d be – freaking out!

So it is with that preamble that we come to the conclusion of the passage.  With Joseph in a slumber being addressed by a messenger from heaven and presented with this incredible news about his betrothed the final and most significant information is shared.  Stay with me here.  Joseph is asleep, Scripture says he was approached in a dream by the angel and it is in this state that the communication of this news takes place.  Asleep or not his heart had to be racing by the time this news of the Holy Spirit conceiving the child in Mary’s womb.  Then and only then does the angel share, “She will bear a Son”.  Okay Joseph might have stayed with him for this but then, “And you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.”  Well, we know Joseph remembered the name part because he got that right.  But did he catch, “He will save His people from their sins”?  Did he?

That is the significance of Christmas.  I’m afraid with all the shock of the moment Joseph may have missed that essential part of the message delivered by the angel that night in his dream.  In his shoes I’m convinced I would have.  I’m equally convinced that many miss the significance of Christmas today.  All blended in with the traditions with friends and family which are all wonderful things there is one and only one essential meaning of Christmas.  “And you shall call his name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins”.  AMEN!

Luke 1:26-37 Christmas part 5: Mary, Did You Know?

Luke 1:26-37  “Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city in Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the descendants of David; and the virgin's name was Mary.  And coming in, he said to her, ‘Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you.’  But she was very perplexed at this statement, and kept pondering what kind of salutation this was.  The angel said to her, ‘Do not be afraid, Mary; for you have found favor with God.  ‘And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name Him Jesus.  ‘He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David; and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and His kingdom will have no end.’  Mary said to the angel, ‘How can this be, since I am a virgin?’  The angel answered and said to her, ‘The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; and for that reason the holy Child shall be called the Son of God.  ‘And behold, even your relative Elizabeth has also conceived a son in her old age; and she who was called barren is now in her sixth month.  ‘For nothing will be impossible with God.’” (NASB)

Today’s passage, longer than normal, is the story of Mary being approached by the angel Gabriel who told her all that was about to happen to her.  It is from Mary’s perspective then that I’d like to consider this news.

The passage tells us Mary was engaged or betrothed to Joseph when this happens.  Nelson’s Manners and Customs discusses the normal situation leading to marriage in that day.  It says normally a betrothal took place when a girl was twelve years old.  This period of betrothal would last up to a year so even stretching things Mary would have been a very young girl.  Perhaps she was a teenager but maybe younger.  That alone is worth a WOW!

Can you imagine?  This young girl is approached by one of the most powerful of God’s angels, Gabriel.  Although Gabriel says, “Do not be afraid, Mary”.  The only recorded reaction of Mary is her perplexity.  What Gabriel was telling her didn’t make sense, why should she be greeted as, “Favored one”!   Why would he say, “The Lord is with you”?

Gabriel goes on to share with Mary various significant attributes and accomplishments this Child will accomplish.  “He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High”.  He will be given, “The throne of His father David”.  “He will reign over the house of Jacob”, of Israel and the term of his reign will be, “Forever”.  “His kingdom will have no end”.  What? How?  That’s a lot of powerful stuff Gabriel just dumped on little Mary.  Now she has to really be wondering “What’s going on”?

The clarification of those early mysteries was answered by an explanation that still baffles us today.  Gabriel tells Mary, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you; and for that reason the holy Child shall be called the Son of God”.  WOW!

So not only will the virgin be with Child, that Child will be the Son of God?  Can you imagine?

It is my opinion that some make too much of a deal about Mary, elevating her to something beyond human I think.  None-the-less, Mary was special.  This woman, a child herself would be pregnant with not just any child, but the Child, the Son of God, Jesus.  And what did Mary do when she learned of this news?  She obediently followed the instructions given to her as did Joseph.

Jesus was born to this humble family in little Bethlehem, the Son of God.  This gift of the Christ Child, Savior, and King we celebrate at Christmas was delivered by a young scared teen mom in a strange town.  What a gift she gave us!  AMEN!

Colossians 2:8-10 Christmas part 4: Completely God

Colossians 2:8-10  “See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary principles of the world, rather than according to Christ.  For in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form, and in Him you have been made complete, and He is the head over all rule and authority;” (NASB)

Charlie Brown asks a valid question, “What is the true meaning of Christmas”?  If you give it a thought you can understand the validity of his inquiry.  Christmas in the year 2010 is full of traditions, adornments, activities and yes, beliefs that may blur the true meaning of Christmas.  Christmas is not about trees and decorations.  Christmas is not about shopping and gift giving.  Christmas is not even about gathering family together for that big dinner.  Scripture in fact, never uses the word Christmas.  The word Christmas is actually two words, Christ and mass and indicates the worship of Christ, the Son of God as part of a religious service.  It is of particular importance to Christians as we celebrate the coming of Christ to the earth; as we celebrate his birthday.

What does Scripture say?  Our passage today, written by Paul to the church in Colossai, the letter to the Colossians refers to the significance of Christmas.  “For in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form”.  When you think of baby Jesus in the manger do you remember, “The fullness of Deity”?  Yes, although Jesus came to earth having emptied himself (Philippians 2:7), he remains fully God.  He took the form of that helpless baby but He was and is fully God.

The passage goes on to remind us of the work of Jesus, “In Him you have been made complete”.  This refers to the work of salvation and redemption and sanctification of the believer.  It is through the work of the Deity that became flesh, Jesus, that we are completed.  We believe that each believer is on a growth path, a spiritual growth path.  Growing up then is a result of the work of Christ in us, completing us.  All that made possible by His time with us, Immanuel.

Finally, the passage reminds us of just who Jesus is.  “He is the head over all rule and authority”.  In other words, nothing happens without Jesus knowing about it and agreeing that it should happen.  Jesus is sovereign.   Jesus, “… upholds all things by the word of His power…”. Hebrews 1:3  The buck stops with Jesus.

This Christmas as we celebrate the birth of baby Jesus, as we decorate, give gifts and fulfill our traditions, let’s remember that little helpless child in the manger is completely God”.  AMEN!

Luke 2:8-11 Christmas part 2: As Shepherds Watched

Luke 2:8-11  “In the same region there were some shepherds staying out in the fields and keeping watch over their flock by night.  And an angel of the Lord suddenly stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them; and they were terribly frightened.  But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people; for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord”. (NASB)

In Luke’s gospel he recounts the Christmas story and immediately following the birth of Jesus in the narrative he shares the announcement of His birth.  There are several interesting aspects of that announcement to consider.

First, notice the audience of the announcement.  The passage says there were some shepherds out doing their job at night watching over their flock.  It is this group of shepherds to whom the Lord directs the announcement.  Why these guys?  Although herding sheep was and is an honorable profession this was not the upper crust of society.  God chose a lowly group of shepherds out in the country to first announce the birth of the Messiah.  I think the significance is great; God’s deliverer was sent for “All” men not just a slice of the important aristocracy or religious leadership of the day.  That is still true, position bears no influence on His call to believe.

Second, notice the way the announcement is made.  God sends one of his messengers, “An angel of the Lord” to share this revelation.  And this angelic display wasn’t like the Clarence figure from “It’s a Good Life”.  This angel appeared in full splendor, “And the glory of the Lord shone around them”.  It was such a display that it scared the Bejeebers out of them.  The angel had to calm them down saying, “Do not be afraid”.

Finally, comes the meat of the message.  The angel proclaims the birth of Jesus saying, “Behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people; for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord”.  The message to these lowly shepherds is that it is “Good news”.  Many times in the history of divine revelation the news was not good, many times the news was of judgment against a stubborn and stiff necked people.  This news though is positive.  The message is also said to be one of “Great joy”.  Not only is this a positive thing but the result is going to produce much joy.  Looking back we can clearly say it is true.  It is a very joyful thing to realize that Jesus came that night to the earth with his ministry and ultimate sacrifice in mind.  His coming is a source indeed of great joy for many many people.  The reason for that great joy is also revealed.  The angel says this baby Jesus is “Born for you” and is a “Savior, who is Christ the Lord”.

Obviously the story didn’t stop there.  Scripture says they went immediately into town to find Mary and Joseph and baby Jesus just as the angel had said.  Once there they shared all that had been told to them.  To what degree others paid attention to this lot of lowly shepherds we do not know but one response is recorded.  “But Mary treasured all these things, pondering them in her heart.” Luke 2:19 

Isaiah 7:14 Christmas part 1: O Come, O Come Emanuel

Isaiah 7:14  "Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, a virgin will be with child and bear a son, and she will call His name Immanuel.”  (NASB)

Emmanuel is what we sing in various Christmas carols; O come, O come Emmanuel etc.  Although we get the idea as we sing that this “Emmanuel” is Jesus, what gives us that idea?

The first clue is within the prophesy of Isaiah concerning a son born of a virgin.  Looking back we can say, “That’s only happened once” so it is absolutely a reference to Jesus.  When the prophesy says, “Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign…” we know that He made good on that promise.  We know it speaks of Jesus because of the virgin birth.

Why Emmanuel?  Someone else can better explain why we sing Emmanel when the Scripture uses Immanuel.  Maybe a Biblical scholar can clear that up for us with a comment below, but the meaning of the name is where I’d like to go next.  Immanuel is a compound name which has the meaning, “God with us”.  In Barnes’ commentary to which I referred it says that it was not unusual to combine a name of God with another word in Hebrew names.  Isaiah means “Salvation of Yahweh”.  Eliab means, “God my father”.  In the name Elijah the two names of God are combined meaning, “God the Yahweh”.

So Immanuel, “God with us” is the name credited to this child of the virgin.  It is the meaning of the name then not the actual name itself that holds significance.  Jesus is Immanuel, “God with us”.  It was true when He came into this world as the baby Jesus whose birth we are all preparing to celebrate.  Imagine!  God, the author of creation, with us.  The birth of Jesus was that point in time when God put on flesh and became fully man while remaining fully God and lived 33 years on this earth.  He grew up, worked, ate, prayed and had friends and family as we do.

Romans 8:3 says Jesus took on, “the likeness of sinful flesh”.  Hebrews goes on to reveal what Immanuel did or more correctly what He didn’t do, “… One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin”. Hebrews 4:15  Jesus has been there and done that, He understands our struggles because He has literally walked among us.

When we celebrate this Christmas let’s remember Immanuel, "God with us”.  AMEN!