“The Christ of Christmas”
(Matthew 1:18-25)
12-19-10
Christmas Message
- Take your Bibles and join me in the Gospel of Matthew, chapter 1.
In light of Christmas this week we are hitting the pause button on our study in Luke and turning to a passage of Scripture that focuses upon our Lord’s birth. I want to talk this morning about “The Christ of Christmas.”
Immediately following the genealogy of Jesus Christ, Matthew begins his Gospel with the significance of Christmas. So chapter 1 tells us why we celebrate this time of year and, specifically, in verses 18-25, we read about the Christ of Christmas. So let me invite you to listen to this time-honored passage as we together fix our minds upon the Lord Jesus Christ and the significance of His coming to us.
- Stand in honor of the reading of the Word of God.
18 Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: After His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Spirit.
19 Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not wanting to make her a public example, was minded to put her away secretly.
20 But while he thought about these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit.
21 “And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name JESUS, for He will save His people from their sins.”
22 So all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying:
23 “Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which is translated, “God with us.”
24 Then Joseph, being aroused from sleep, did as the angel of the Lord commanded him and took to him his wife,
25 and did not know her till she had brought forth her firstborn Son. And he called His name JESUS.
- Pray.
Introduction:
Earlier this year our family was eating at one of our favorite restaurants, Thai Cuisine, in Evansville. My oldest son, Matthew, is a waiter there and you will find him there most Friday and Saturday evenings, recommending curry and phad thai and phad ka prao. Great restaurant if you love spicy food, Thai Cuisine, on Virginia Street near Best Buy. That’s the commercial. Anyway, Michele and Nicholas and I had finished our meal there one evening, Matthew waited on us, and we said our goodbyes to him and then went and got into our car. We all got in the car, Michele and I up front, Nic in the back, shut the doors, and I put the key into the ignition, but it wouldn’t go in the ignition. I tried again and it just wouldn’t go in. About this time, Nic in the back seat says, “What’s all this stuff back here?” And then, at the exact same time, we all realized we had gotten into the wrong car. It looked just like my white, Toyota Camry, but of course, it wasn’t. So we hurried out of the car and got into the right one just as the owner of the other car came out to see what was going on. We waved and—left quickly!
I’ve thought a lot about that evening since then, how easy it is to think you’re doing the right thing or going the right way, but be totally wrong. What looked right seemed right, but was not right at all. And the same thing can happen spiritually. You can go into a church thinking you’re going to the right place. After all, they all look pretty much the same on the inside. There is a big room on the inside. And some churches have pews, some have chairs, but all have seats. Some have loud instruments, some have quiet, but all have music. Some have a pulpit, some have a simple stand or chair, but all have some kind of speaker before the people. And all the people gather together for the space of a half-hour or longer and give their attention to whatever is going on up there on the platform.
But however many variations there are of churches they nearly all break down into one of two categories: they are largely either God-centered or Man-centered. A church that is man-centered focuses on man, the music is more about man than about God, the preaching is more about man than about God, everything is more about man, making him feel good, making him comfortable, meeting his need to be entertained. You know: Tell me jokes, show me a movie clip, and keep it at less than 20 minutes. A church that is God-centered, however, focuses primarily upon God, exalting God through Gospel-rich content in music, God-centered reflection, and God-exalting preaching. Our church must always be God-centered in everything we do.
At no time perhaps is this more important than during the season of Christmas. Of course, I love the party atmosphere that goes along with this season. I enjoy all the secular elements of what is commonly called the Christmas season, the shopping, the hustle and bustle, and mistletoe, the food, Santa, Rudolph, everything. But one of the reasons I enjoy all that stuff and don’t get all worked up about whether people say, “Happy Holidays” or “Merry Christmas” is because I know we live in a fallen world and I don’t expect lost people to act like saved people. And furthermore, I know that when I come here to worship with you that we are not going to confuse what’s going on out there with what God expects of us in here. I know that our worship will be God-centered and that God will challenge us from His Word so that we feel His power and presence and then leave here being the salt and light He has called us to be so as to bring change to our community and to our relationships this week.
And this is our goal this morning. This is where we’re going. If you’re the sort of person who likes to know up front where the family car is headed or when the next stop is and how long the trip is going to last, then this is for you. We are headed on a journey to last about 40 minutes and when we’ve arrived at our final destination we will become, I trust, more God-centered in our focus during this Christmas season.
Now, before I give you a couple main takeaway points, let’s walk back through this passage of Scripture, taking time to discover and uncover some helpful truths along the journey. Verse 18:
18 Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: After His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Spirit.
Matthew does not give us all the detail Luke does in his Gospel. Luke tells us so much more that happens before this verse. Luke tells us how the Angel Gabriel appears first to Mary and announces to her the birth of Christ, but Matthew begins his account with the tension perceived by Mary’s husband, Joseph. Before the two united together in marriage Mary is pregnant. Of course, Mary conceives by way of the Holy Spirit. Of course, every conception is something of a miracle, but this particular conception is unique in that Mary had no intimate relations, but rather is “found with child of the Holy Spirit.” This is the work of God. God the Spirit overshadows Mary as the Son of God takes up residence within her womb.
But Joseph does not know all this. He knows only that Mary is pregnant. Luke tells us how Mary had spent about 3 months with her close relative Elizabeth and now she comes home to Joseph and when she does Joseph immediately notices the obvious: Mary is pregnant, about 3-4 months along. Scandalous! After all, the two had been “betrothed.” The betrothal was on the one hand a bit like our modern engagement, but also very much unlike our modern engagement. To be betrothed was nearly like being married. It was a legally binding agreement. It actually began with the parents of the groom choosing a young girl to be wife of their son. And with two boys myself I have to say I kind of like that idea! The young couple then entered into this union of betrothal, a union that was legally binding, broken only by the formal process of divorce. And sex of any kind during betrothal was grounds for divorce. Verse 19:
19 Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not wanting to make her a public example, was minded to put her away secretly.
Verse 19 tells us two things about Joseph: he is just and he is kind. He is “a just man,” that is, he cannot simply ignore Mary’s perceived immoral behavior. He himself endeavors to walk before the Lord in purity and will not defile himself with a woman he believes to have defiled herself. He seeks to live in accordance with the Holy Scriptures. He is just. But he is also kind. The Bible says that he did “not want to make her a public example.” He does not wish to add to her shame by telling the whole world about her pregnancy, pointing out just how far she had fallen. Other, self-righteous men may have done so, but not Joseph. He is both just and kind. Some men are just, but not kind. Some men are kind, but not just. Joseph is both. Verses 20-21:
20 But while he thought about these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit.
21 “And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name JESUS, for He will save His people from their sins.”
An “angel of the Lord” appears to Joseph in a dream and tells him that Mary’s conception is by way of the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son named Jesus. So “Do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife.”
Before we move on, let’s take a moment to slow our pace and note the first few words of verse 20. It says, “But while he thought about these things.” Don’t read it too quickly. “While he thought about these things.” Joseph will not do as we are often tempted to do. Everything around us tells us to be quick and decisive in our actions. See things in black and white. Mary is wrong. Divorce her. Move on. No, Joseph will make no rash decision. He will “think about these things.” Perhaps he shared his predicament with others. The Bible says in Proverbs 15:22, “In the multitude of counsel there is safety.” I was visiting at the hospital Friday and someone asked about counsel and I shared that verse, Proverbs 15:22, “in the multitude of counsel there is safety.” Before making a decision it is wise to seek counsel from a number of godly people and see how God speaks through them. Perhaps Joseph shared his predicament with others.
And surely Joseph shared his predicament with God; after all, he is “a just man.” He seeks the will of God. Proverbs 3:5-6 says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean upon your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct your steps.” So you see this in verse 20? “While he thought about these things, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream.” I imagine Joseph spent hours if not days thinking of these things and one evening as he lay himself down upon his bed with these thoughts on his mind, an angel of the Lord appears to him in a dream. This was a common way for God to speak in the days before the New Testament was completed. Today God speaks to us primarily through His Word, the Bible. But the point here is that Joseph took time to really think this over. And may we in all our decisions be as careful and thoughtful as Joseph. Verses 22-23:
22 So all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying:
23 “Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which is translated, “God with us.”
Matthew cites the first Old Testament prophecy recorded in the New Testament. He quotes from the Prophet Isaiah who, 700 years before Christ says in Isaiah 7:14, “The Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel.” And Matthew gives us the translation of Immanuel, “God with us.” So this is all in accordance with God’s eternal purpose and plan. Mary’s conception is a fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy. She is carrying in her womb the promised Messiah and Savior. Verses 24-25:
24 Then Joseph, being aroused from sleep, did as the angel of the Lord commanded him and took to him his wife,
25 and did not know her till she had brought forth her firstborn Son. And he called His name JESUS.
Joseph awakes from his sleep and does as God says. He does not divorce Mary, but takes her as his wife and does not “know her,” verse 25, till she brings forth her Son. This “knowing her” has to do with knowledge in the fullest sense: sexual union in marriage. The two were not intimate until after the birth of Jesus. After the birth of Christ, Joseph and Mary assumed normal intimate relations and had a number of other children, brothers and sisters of Jesus. With the recurring debate over how our culture should define “family,” it is not insignificant that God sees that His Son is born in a home with both a mother and a father.
Celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ this month offers Christians a special opportunity to bring a laser focus to the significance of Christmas. While the Bible nowhere teaches to celebrate the birth of Christ, there is wisdom in contemplating the wonder and joy of Christ’s birth and the theological significance of God’s becoming man.
Some are quick to dismiss theological reflection as too hard or difficult. You may have heard about the schoolteacher after Christmas break who asked her students how they spent their vacations. One little boy said, “We visited my grandmother in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania.” His teacher said, “Well, that sounds like an excellent vocabulary word. Can you tell the class how you spell ‘Punxsutawney?’” The little boy said, “You know, come to think of it, we went to Ohio!”
While I appreciate the little boy’s avoiding the discipline of spelling, Christians should welcome the opportunity to think deeply about the person and work of Christ. Doing so aids our worshiping the Christ of Christmas in a deeper, more meaningful way. With all of our insisting upon “Keeping Christ in Christmas,” proper theological reflection will help us to that end. So let’s consider these two reasons we should praise Jesus this Christmastime. Number one:
I. Praise Jesus for Who He Is (His Person)
It is helpful in our Christology, our study of Christ, to think in two broad categories: His Person and His Work, or “Who” Christ is and “What” Christ has done, His Person and His Work. So first we consider Christ’s Person, or Who He is. Who is Christ? This is the question we have been asking in recent weeks in our study of Luke’s Gospel. Jesus asks, “Who do men say that I am?” Peter will give the right answer: “The Christ of God (Luke 9:20).” That is, the Messiah, the promised Coming One, the Eternal Son of God become man.
John begins his Gospel by stressing the eternal nature of the Son of God. He writes in John 1:1, “In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God.” This “Word” is John’s way of referring to Jesus Christ, the Messiah. That is especially clear later in John 1:14 where John writes, “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.” And this is what the title, “Immanuel,” means as Matthew explains in verse 23, “They shall call His name Immanuel which is translated, ‘God with us.’” Who is Jesus? He is Immanuel, God with us.
This truth about Christ is one of the things what makes Christianity different from any other major world religion. All other religions are about our reaching up to God. Man works his way up to God for salvation. In Islam, in Hinduism, and in Judaism, man must live strictly in accordance to set laws in the hopes of entering a heavenly state. Salvation, then, is largely accomplished by human effort; man works his way up to God. In Christianity, however, God comes down to man. In the Person of Christ Jesus God is Immanuel, God with us. It is a beautiful doctrine, the Person of Christ! It enlarges our understanding of God with respect to His powerful activity in our lives.
It is unfortunate that there is so much poor reflection upon God. Many thoughts about God are unbiblical and wrong. God is so small in the thoughts of many persons today and this leads to small god churches; big man, small god. This past week I was reading a good book entitled, What is the Gospel?, a book recommended to me by Brother Matt, our student minister. Listen to how the author describes the way so many people erroneously think of God. He writes:
Let me introduce you to god (Note the lowercase g). You might want to lower your voice a little before you go in. He might be sleeping now. He’s old, you know, and doesn’t much understand or like this “newfangled” modern world. His golden days—the ones he talks about when you really get him going—were a long time ago, before most of us were even born. That was back when people cared what he thought about things, and considered him pretty important in their lives.
Of course all that’s changed now, though, and god—poor fellow—just never adjusted very well. Life’s moved on and passed him by. Now, he spends most of his time just hanging in the garden out back. I go there sometimes to see him, and there we tarry, walking and talking softly and tenderly among the roses…Anyway, a lot of people still like him, it seems—or at least he manages to keep his poll numbers pretty high. And you’d be surprised how many people even drop by to visit and ask for things every once in a while. But of course that’s alright with him. He’s here to help. Thank goodness, all the crankiness you read about sometimes in his old books—you know, having the earth swallow people up, raining fire down on cities, that sort of thing—all that seems to have faded in his old age. Now he’s just a good-natured, low-maintenance friend who’s really easy to talk to—especially since he almost never talks back, and when he does, it’s usually to tell me through some slightly weird “sign” that what I want to do regardless is alright by him. That really is the best kind of friend, isn’t it?
You know the best thing about him, though? He doesn’t judge me. Ever, for anything. Oh sure, I know that deep down he wishes I’d be better—more loving, less selfish, and all that—but he’s realistic. He knows I’m human and nobody’s perfect. And I’m totally sure he’s fine with that. Besides, forgiving people is his job. It’s what he does. After all, he’s love, right? and I like to think of love as “never judging, only forgiving.” That’s the god I know. And I wouldn’t have him any other way. Alright, hold on a second…Okay, we can go in now. And don’t worry, we don’t have to stay long. Really. He’s grateful for any time he can get. [Greg Gilbert, What is the Gospel (9 Marks, 2010)]
I’m afraid this may be the way a significant number of professing Christians think of God, just some grandfatherly sort of figure who is nearly powerless and to be pitied; some kind of lonely god who just sits around waiting for us to come and lift his spirits. What blasphemy to the Person of Christ! He is Immanuel, God with us. This almighty, holy, powerful God comes to us in the flesh that He might save us from our sin.
And if we have surrendered to His Lordship then we have the assurance that He remains with us as the God who promises to never leave us nor forsake us (Hebrews 13:5) and the God who says, “I am with you always, even to the end of the age (Matthew 28:19-20).” So He is with us this week whatever we face. He is with us in sickness, with us in sorrow, with us in our suffering. When you are going through a difficult time you want someone who has been what you’ve been through, someone who can sympathize with you, someone who can come alongside you and say, “It’s okay. You’re going to make it. I’ve been through this, too, and you’re going to be okay.” Immanuel, God with us, means we have someone—Hebrews 4:15—who can “sympathize with our weaknesses.” He says to us this week, “It’s okay. You’re going to make it. I am with you.” He is Immanuel, God with us. Praise Jesus for Who He is (His Person). Secondly:
II. Praise Jesus for What He Does (His Work)
In verse 21 the angel of the Lord says, “You shall call His name ‘Jesus,’ for He will save His people from their sins.” The word “Jesus” means, “God saves.” Yeshua, Yahweh saves. This refers to His work. He will “save people from their sins.” So Praise Jesus for Who He Is (His Person) and Praise Jesus for What He Does (His Work). He is Immanuel, God with us, that He might be Savior, the God who saves us. This is why we have these two names of the Son of God: Immanuel and Jesus. They go together. One name describes Who He is—Immanuel—and the other name describes What He Does—Jesus—Savior.
And the names are interdependent. You can’t have Savior without first having Immanuel. You can’t have Jesus, God saves, without first having Immanuel, God with us. God in His perfect, pure, spotless, holiness, condescends, comes down to us to take on flesh, to join His divine nature with human flesh, deity taking on humanity, as we sing in the Christmas carol: “Word of the Father now in flesh appearing.” Immanuel—God with us—Jesus—God saves.
Hebrews 2:9 says, “But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, for the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, that He, by the grace of God, might taste death for everyone.”
This is why God comes to us in the Person of Christ, that he “might taste death for everyone.” Jesus Christ is conceived by the Spirit in the womb of Mary so that “he might taste death for everyone,” so that He might die a redemptive death for the sins of all humanity. I cannot die a redemptive death for everyone, much less for myself. But God can! This is why He comes to us and takes on flesh. God is Spirit, but a Spirit cannot be nailed to the cross so God takes on flesh, humanity, in order that He might die. But this death is no ordinary death, it is a substitutionary death. As perfect God, He dies for us. He dies in our place. He takes the punishment we deserve for our sin on the cross at Calvary and saves us from the penalty of sin.
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Mild He lays His glory by
Born that man no more may die
Born to raise the sons of earth
Born to give them second birth
Have you experienced the “second birth?” Are you, in the words of Jesus, “Born again?”
- Stand for prayer.
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