Over the last 3 Sundays of Advent we have been slowing down to look at just the first chapter of Matthew’s gospel account.  To slow down and focus on the coming of Jesus. 

What we’ve been seeing is some really good news for us.  We’ve seen that God deeply loves each one of us and God has chosen us to come to us - to deal with our sin and to offer us salvation.  God has chosen to be faithful to His promises to us - now and forever.  He’s chosen to be with us in whatever we’re going through.

We saw Mary and Joseph - who are ordinary people like us - saw how Mary and Joseph responded to God.  Mary’s praise and Joseph’s obedience.  God using ordinary people like us to do extra ordinary things through us for His glory and purposes.

This morning we’re coming to Jesus.  We’re again looking at verses 18 to 25.  You all did so well with this last Sunday - so to get these verses rebooted in our minds we’re going to read them out loud together - by groups. 

GROUP 1:  Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way.  When His mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit.  And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly. 

GROUP 2:  But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.  She will bear a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.”

GROUP 3:  All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet:  “Behold, a virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call His name Immanuel” (which means, God with us).

GROUP 4:  When Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him:  he took his wife, but knew her not until she had given birth to a Son.  And he called His name Jesus.  

We’re pretty together on what’s going on here.  Right?

Joseph has found out that the girl he’s engaged to is pregnant with someone else’s child.  Joseph - who would have been in his rights to have Mary stoned - is contemplating what to do about this very difficult situation.  Joseph deeply loves Mary.  He doesn’t want to shame her in the community.  He’s thinking of quietly divorcing her and sending her away until after the baby is born.

In the midst of this gut-wrenching thought process God sends the angel Gabriel to clue Joseph in to what’s really going on.

Coming to verse 21 we want to first look at What Gabriel Tells Joseph.  Gabriel tells Joseph:  She [Mary] will bear a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.”

That an astounding statement.  Isn’t it?

First - Gabriel says:  “She - Mary - will bear a Son”.

Conception is something that happens everyday by natural processes that God has created.  What happens here is a unique work of the Holy Spirit tweaking those natural God created processes so that Jesus is born with Mary being the mother - the child bearer - and God being the conceiver.

Mary will bear a son - emphasis “son.”  We almost blow by the significance of that.

They didn’t have amniocentesis - or ultra sounds - no medical technique to peer into the womb in 3D imagery.  They didn’t have that back then.  What they had was spinning eggs or whatever uncertain attempt at prediction they might have used.  But Gabriel tells Joseph to buy blue cause its a boy.  There’s a prophetic certainty here.

“Joseph, grab this, God is at work here.”

Second, Joseph is told:  “You shall call His name Jesus.”

Jesus means… “Yahweh saves.”  Jesus comes from the Greek form of the Hebrew... “yeshua.”  Which is where we get… Joshua.  Which combines the name of God “Yahweh” with the verb “yasa” - to help - to deliver - to save.

God instructing Joseph on what to call the name of His - God’s conceived by God the Holy Spirit, God’s Son:  “You shall call His name Jesus” -  “Yahweh Saves.”

“Joseph, grab this - the Son is God.”

“Well!  If it isn’t Joseph and Mary…”  “Our Son is an Honor Student”  “Our Son is in Medical School”  “Our Son is God”

In Scripture, the “name” of God is the description of who He is - God’s reputation - His character - His nature.  “Yahweh” describes God as the One who always has been - always is - and always will be.  God who is - absolute - unchangeable - holy.  “Yahweh.”

The name Yahweh is also the personal name of the God of the Covenant - all those promises that God has made - what He will do for His people.  Yahweh - the God who redeems and delivers and saves His people.

Which is the third part of what Gabriel tells Joseph - why its important to name Jesus… Jesus.  Because “He [Jesus - “Yahweh Saves”] will save His people from their sins.”

To many people that offer of salvation is offensive.

To believe that Jesus is “the” Savior isn’t politically correct - it’s not enlightened.  America today is a plurality of religions and beliefs and philosophies.  People say “Happy Holidays” so that no one will be offended.

That we even need the Savior is offensive.  It rubs against to our pride - our self sufficiency.  We’re moral people - good Christians - reasonably successful in life.  There’s nothing really wrong with who we are.  Nothing really major anyway.  We’re all a little rough around the edges.  Everyone is.

But, our need for the Savior has nothing to do with who we are outside.  Its inside - who we are before God - in sin - that separates us from Him.  Sin is the ultimate selfie of self-destructive behavior.  In our sin we just go on wounding ourselves and rejecting the God we desperately need to turn to.

Jesus saves - meaning not just deliverance from physical danger - or disease - or physical death.  Jesus saves - meaning that Jesus offers to us  salvation that can only come from God - forgiveness of our sins - freedom from guilt - restored purposeful life - the eternal relationship with God that begins the moment we receive Jesus as the Savior.

What Gabriel tells Joseph is all about God using Joseph to reveal who Jesus is:  God Himself.  And why He’s come:  Because we desperately need His salvation.

Coming to verses 22 and 23 we want to look at What Matthew Tells Us. 

Verses 22 and 23:  All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet:  “Behold, a virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call His name Immanuel” (which means, God with us).

Matthew is quoting Isaiah 7:14 - which here in Matthew is a kind of marginal note.  Something Matthew does to clue in his readers - us - as to what’s going on here.  Its exciting to realize that God used Matthew to put this marginal note here for us to read.  God preserved that note so we can understand what’s going on here.  Cool.  Yes?

To get where Matthew is going with this we need to first go back and understand what was going on with Isaiah.  Where Isaiah 7:14 fits in to what God was doing back in Isaiah’s day.

Isaiah 7:14 as Isaiah wrote Isaiah 7:14 says this:  “Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign:  Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.”

“Therefore” is the real time of history.

In 735 to 734 B.C. - meaning at the time of Isaiah’s prophecy - Ahaz was the king of Judah.  Do you all remember Ahaz?  Ahaz was the father of who?  Hezekiah.  Remember him?  Hezekiah was a good king or a bad king?  Good. 

Ahaz - Hezekiah’s father was a good king or a bad king?  Bad.

2 Kings 16:2 - is God’s summary statement about Ahaz:  Ahaz was twenty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem.  And he did not do what was right in the eyes of the Lord his God, as his father David had done.

Which is putting it mildly.  Reading on in 2 Kings 16 - we’re told that Ahaz walked in the way of the kings of Israel.  Which meant a long list of ungodly perversity.  On the top of that list was Baal worship - which meant whatever kind of perverse immorality a person could dream up.  They did it.  Looking around today that’s not hard to imagine.

We’re told that Ahaz made his son pass through the fire.  Which means that Ahaz takes his son - places him on the altar of the god Molech - has him burned - alive - a living sacrifice to this pagan god.  In 2 Chronicles were told that Ahaz did that to his sons - plural - roasted alive several of his sons in pagan worship.  How evil is a father who would do that?

Which may be a stretch to think about for today.  But, when our society condones the murder of unborn children on the altar of our own selfishness - maybe that’s not too much of a stretch.

2 Kings 16 tells us that Ahaz offered sacrifices and burned incense on the high places - on the hills of Judah - under every green tree.  Meaning that on the hills people set up carved phallic stones.  More perversity.  Gross sexual perversity.  Which again is not too much of a stretch from today.

Immoral rites - taking place all over the hills of Judah - perversity in direct opposition to God’s law given through Moses.  Perversity led by Ahaz.

We’re tracking?  Yes?  Ahaz is one wicked king - a godless leadership - leading a society far from God - focused on perverse sexuality.  And sadly - there’s a part of all that that we can relate to.

In the days of Ahaz there were two world powers - Assyria and Egypt.  Assyria in the northeast.  Think present day Iraq.  And Egypt in the south west.  Think present day… Egypt.  In between were a number of smaller nations - like Judah and Israel - that were trying to stay alive while being pawns in the geo-politics of Assyria and Egypt.

In the midst of this geo-politices - Rezin - King of Aram - think Syria today - one of these pawn states - and Pekah - King of Israel - form and alliance against Ahaz.  Rezin and the Arameans take over a whole section of Judah - clearing out the Judeans.  120,000 Judeans are killed in one day.  Maaseiah - one of Ahaz’s sons is killed.  200,000 Judeans are led off into slavery.  Eventually Rezin and Pekah come up against Ahaz at Jerusalem.

So Ahaz repents and turns to God for help.  Not really.  Just making sure we’re still together.  A lot of history.

In the midst of all that’s going on in the world today - in the Middle East - or our government - is America turning to God?  The more things change…  the more they stay the same.

Ahaz takes the silver and gold from God’s Temple - takes the silver and gold from king’s treasury - basically robs Fort Knox - sends the wealth of Judah - spiritually and economically - sends all that to Tiglath-pileser - King of Assyria - think Iraq today - as a bribe.  Turns to the Assyrians for help - not God.

At that time God sends the prophet Isaiah to plead with Ahaz to trust God.  God - through Isaiah - gives to Ahaz words of comfort and reassurance.  “Your enemies - Israel and Syria - they’re weaker than you think.  I’ve got it covered.  Trust me.”

In the verses just before Isaiah 7:14 God tells Ahaz, “I know you have trouble trusting Me.  So, ask me for a sign.  Something really impossible.  Something only I, God, could do.  As deep as hell and as high as heaven.  There’s no limits on what you can ask for.  I’ll do it.  So you’ll know that you can trust Me.  I really really will deliver you.  Just ask.”

Ahaz tells Isaiah - the prophet of God.  “I don’t need no stinkin help from God.  I’ve already hired the Assyrian army to save us."

At that point - God chooses - despite Ahaz’s refusal to trust God - God chooses to give this faithless - wicked - king - a sign that goes beyond anything Ahaz could have imagined.  A unique sign to demonstrate that God is in sovereign control of what will happen to Ahaz and Judah - of what will happen to Syria and Israel and the Assyrians.

A sign with world shaking significance that clearly demonstrates that God is in control of all history - past - present - and future.  A sign that all the peoples of the world for all time - even us today - all peoples will know about - that - even in the midst of the destruction of the kingdom and the exile of God’s people - in the midst of the worst of what can happen to us in life - it will remain a sign of hope and reassurance for God’s people.

“Therefore - even when you refuse to trust Me - I’m still in control and Ahaz - and everyone else - you all need to know this - therefore, the Lord Himself will give you a sign:  Behold - meaning pay attention to this - the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.”

Some 700 years after this promise is given - the angel Gabriel comes to a young Jewish girl named Mary - of the line of David - the virgin - engaged to Joseph - the angel Gabriel speaks to Mary these words:  “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 call His name Jesus.  He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High.”  (Luke 1:30-32)

Years ago someone wrote about Mary’s Son.  Maybe you’ve heard this.  Its and oldie.  But goodie.  Worth being reminded of.

He was born in an obscure village, the child of a peasant woman.  He grew up in another obscure village, where He worked in a carpenter shop until He was thirty.  Then for three years He was an itinerant preacher.

He never had a family or owned a home.  He never traveled more than two hundred miles from the place He was born.  He never wrote a book, or held an office.  He did none of the things that usually accompany greatness.

While He was still a young man, the tide of popular opinion turned against Him.  His friends deserted Him.  He was turned over to His enemies, and went through the mockery of a trial.  He was nailed to a cross between two thieves.  While He was dying, His executioners gambled for the only piece of property He had - His coat.

When He was dead, He was taken down and laid in a borrowed grave.

Nineteen centuries have come and gone, and today He is the central figure for much of the human race.  All the armies that ever marched, and all the navies that ever sailed, and all the parliaments that ever sat, and all the kings that ever reigned, put together, have not affected the life of man upon this earth as powerfully as this one solitary life.  (1)

We sing these words, “The hopes and fears of all the years are met in Thee tonight.”  (2)

In the centuries leading to His coming - people longed - cried out - for what He would bring.  The misery of human history is constant.  The wearing of evil.  Today - in the midst of all that’s occurring around us - we celebrate - longing for the realization of what He has brought - true love - real hope - lasting peace - God’s salvation from sin.

When Matthew writes about prophecies being fulfilled and quoting Isaiah - God dealing with Ahaz - all that is putting Jesus’ birth into the framework of all of what God is doing in human history since the fall of Adam until today and into eternity.  All of that fulfillment is about God - Jesus - coming to you and me in the real time of where we do life.

Matthew’s quote of Isaiah is interesting.  Look at what Isaiah writes and how Matthew - under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit - applies that prophecy to us.  Do you see how Matthew changes who calls Immanuel… Immanuel?

In Isaiah it’s the virgin.  Which was probably true.  Mary understanding who Jesus is probably called Him Immanuel.

But in Matthew its… “they” - and ultimately “us.”  In the real time fulfillment of prophecy in where we live our lives who’s “they”?  “They” is “us.”  We’re right here in Matthew 1.  Immanuel means God with us.  You and me.

It is so crucial that we understand for ourselves what God - through Matthew - is telling us about Jesus - Yahweh Saves.

First:  God With Us - emphasis on God

We sing the words of Charles Wesley:  “Hail the incarnate Deity, Pleased as man with men to dwell, Jesus our Immanuel.” (3)

“Incarnation” is not just a word that theologians use to impress people with their august intellect.  “Incarnation” describes a “getting knocked off our feet” astounding truth.

Jesus wasn’t “born” in Bethlehem in the sense that His existence began at conception and 9 months later out He comes.  Mary is not the mother of God.  She’s the chosen vessel through whom God enters into our world. 

“Incarnation” means… in the flesh.  Jesus - Yahweh Saves - has come “incarne” - into the flesh and blood of humanity.  Immanuel.  God taking on humanity.  Jesus is fully God and fully human.

Walk with me through Colossians 1:15-17.  Let’s be refreshed on who Jesus is.

Colossians 1:15:  “He - Jesus - Immanuel - is the image of the invisible God...”

Famous quote of Lord Byron:  “If God is not like Jesus Christ, then God ought to be like Jesus Christ.”  To see Jesus is to see God.  Jesus is the visible expression - the very image - of the invisible God.

Going on - Colossians 1:15:  Jesus is “the firstborn of all creation” - meaning not by physical birth - but by rank and privilege.  He’s first - before all of creation.

Verse 16 - for by Him all things were created - meaning that Jesus is the architect and the builder of everything that is - everything - in heaven and on earth, visible - the material universe:  stars, galaxies, planets, solar systems, trees, grass, mountains, seas - mosquitoes - and invisible - electricity - radiation - magnetism - concepts and attitudes:  grace, mercy, truth, love, the essence of life itself.

All that exists - has come into being because Jesus was motivated to create it - all of it - whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities - and in case that doesn’t cover everything - all things were created through Him and for Him. 

Meaning that creation originated within Jesus - and converges again towards Him.  He is the reason why all things have been made.  Eventually all of the cosmos and all the events of history will find their place in the great purpose of the Father to honor and glorify Jesus - God the Son.

Then in verse 17 Paul nails it - no doubts.  “He is before all things - Jesus existed before creation - and in Him all things hold together.”  Jesus is the one God who is the originator - preserver - sustainer - of His creation.

That’s Jesus - the Son born to Mary.  God with us.

Second God With Us - emphasis on “with us.”

God’s plan of salvation - His plan of giving us life with Him - all that didn’t start in the manger in Bethlehem - or in the womb in Nazareth.  The virgin birth of Jesus was not some last minute  “Let’s see if this’ll work” idea.  It was planned by God - conceived - pun intended - conceived in the mind of God - Jesus - before the beginning of creation.

The Apostle Paul writes in Ephesians 1:4:  “He chose us in Him - Jesus - before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before Him.”

God has chosen to be with you.

Athanasius - one of the early defenders and explainers of our faith - Anthanasius once said, “Our Lord took a body like ours and lived as a man in order that those who had refused to recognize Him in His superintendence and captaincy of the whole universe might come to recognize from the works He did here below in the body, that what dwelt in this body was the Word of God.”

Processing “superintendence and captaincy of the whole universe” is a tad tough.  Hard even to say.  But it is amazing to contemplate that God Himself is so in love with us - His creatures who reject Him - living in sin - that God Himself has chosen before creation was creation to come to be with us - to reveal Himself to us - to call us into a relationship with Him.

Isaiah 9:2:  The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in the land of deep darkness, on them has light shined.

Isn’t that where we live our lives?  The only light at the end of the tunnel is what?  The light of an oncoming train.  In the confusion around us - the darkness of people struggling with the stuff of life - without hope.  As we struggle with life.  We need light - God’s light.  All of us.  His illumination - His wisdom and direction - His truth.

Verse 3:  You [God] have multiplied the nation, You have increased its joy; they rejoice before You as with joy at the harvest…  In contrast to darkness there’s harvest:  Abundance, blessing, hope, promise - increased joy.

How?  Verse 6:  For to us a child - who’s the child? - Immanuel - Jesus - a child will be born to us, a Son - buy blue - Jesus - is given; and the government shall be upon His shoulders; and His name shall be called Wonderful Counselor - Jesus who gives perfect divine counsel - wisdom - applying it lovingly to our circumstances.

Jesus the “Mighty God” - the immovable fortress into which we can run and be safe.  Jesus the “Everlasting Father” - who is tender, faithful, wise, loving us forever with a fatherly love.  The example of fatherhood.  If our father’s messed up.  Jesus never will.  Jesus the “Prince of Peace” - the only means of peace that this world is groaning for - true lasting peace in our hearts - minds - and souls. 

Verse 7:  There will be no end to the increase of His government or of peace, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness from then on and forevermore - it just keeps getting better forever and ever and ever and ever.

The zeal - the uncompromising intense passionate devotion - of the Lord of hosts - the commander of heaven’s armies of angels - will accomplish this.  Meaning that the King of kings and Lord of lords - Jesus - has the commitment and authority and power to accomplish this.  And He will.  True eternal justice and righteousness.  Forever.

All of that and more that we can’t even begin to process this side of eternity.  All of that is what it means for God to be with us - that relationship going on forever and ever and ever with God.

God is not like a “Secret Santa.”  How’s that for a transition?  God does give to us what is an unexpected unimaginable drop-to-our-knees astounding gift.  What He offers to us by His coming and Jesus’ work on the cross - salvation and life forever with Him.

But God is way out in the open about what He’s been doing in human history.  God wants us to “get this” - to recognize and come to Jesus.  Gabriel told Mary how she was a part of what God is doing - who Jesus is.  Joseph was told to call Jesus… Yahweh Saves.  All that was preserved for us.  Even the prophecy given to Ahaz and applied by Matthew - Immanuel - God with us.

Ahaz knew about God.  He had the prophet Isaiah speaking God’s word to him.  Ahaz chose to trust the Assyrians - and his kingdom was left desolate.  Joseph and Mary heard the words of God through Gabriel and chose to trust God.  And we see the results.

So we have a choice.  We hear these words, “a virgin shall conceive” and we know the fulfillment - Immanuel - God is with us.  But we need to chose to respond - to chose to allow God to work in our lives.  Regardless of that may mean, will we trust God?  Will we surrender ourselves to the work of God in our lives?

If you remember nothing else this morning remember this:  Trust God.  No matter what circumstance of life you’re in.  Trust the God who has come to be with you - who loves you - and He will be with you now and forever - and He will transform your life beyond anything you can presently imagine.

________________

1. One Solitary Life - author unknown

2. O Little Town of Bethlehem - Phillips Brooks & Lewis Redner

3. Hark! the Herald Angels Sing - Charles Wesley & Felix Mendelssohn

Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®  (ESV®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.  Used by permission.  All rights reserved.