“Immanuel”

Matthew 1:18-25

Key Verse:  1:23 “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”).

Merry Christmas! I have a question. “What do Americans trust the most?” When we examine American bills or coins, we will find the inscription “In God we trust.” Although it may appear that they trust in God, in reality, many put their trust in money. It is easy for people to be led away from God when fixated on money, as it holds allure and power. However, we must remember that God is with us even when dealing with money. Let’s confess, “God is with us,” raising both hands. “God is with us,” we can say while placing one hand on our head. As we exchange Christmas greetings to the neighbors, let’s say, “God be with you,” while shaking hands.

This passage is Matthew’s Christmas message. In verse 18a, it mentions “This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about:” The title of today’s message is “Immanuel.” Immanuel means ‘God with us.” God was with Jesus’ parents, Joseph and Mary. Thus, God sent his son, Jesus into this world through this house church. God saved his people from their sins through Jesus. As we welcome Christmas, we desire the grace of Immanuel to be with us.

1. God was with Mary and Joseph (19-21).

Joseph, a countryman residing in the town of Nazareth. He was not only a carpenter, but also a descendant of King David (20). Mary, Jesus’ mother,  was pledged to be married to Joseph. And they were filled with expectations and hopes of establishing a beautiful house church. This joy can be likened to the joy of Missionary Emmanuel before marrying shepherdess Angela, as seen in the photo- their smiles speak volumes about their happiness. About 10 years ago, Missionary Joseph Jr. and Mary experienced a similar joy. Following their engagement ceremony, Missionary Joseph joyfully went to stores in the middle of the night to purchase a gift for his fiancée. His fiancée Mary had to leave at dawn the next day. For missionary Joseph, that dark night must have felt incredibly bright. The engagement period for Joseph and Mary must have been the happiest time of their lives. However, an unexpected event unfolded. Even before they lived together, Mary became pregnant. In their society, Mary’s pregnancy during the betrothal period was viewed as adultery. It was a serious offense punishable by stoning to death according to the law. Mary’s pregnancy became a crisis shattering the hope of establishing a beautiful house church.

So what does Mary’s conception mean? It signifies that Jesus came to this world as a human being. Jesus was born as a baby in Mary’s womb and became a perfect man. As a result, Jesus could fully understand and help people. Simultaneously, the baby Jesus was conceived by the Holy Spirit, not through a relationship with Joseph. Because of this divine conception, Jesus is without sin. As a holy God without sin, Jesus can help sinful persons. Thus, Jesus became the sole mediator between God and man (1 Tim. 2:5). We praise Jesus who came to the world for us as both a perfect man and a perfect God.

However, the news of Mary’s pregnancy was a great shock to Joseph. Upon discovering her condition, Joseph was troubled, grappling with questions such as, “How could Mary have another man’s child? How could she commit such a terrible sin of adultery?” Given her conception, Joseph must have been deeply upset and angry. Yet, Joseph, being a righteous man, sought to address this issue before God. In other words, despite Mary’s apparent wrongdoing, Joseph chose not to report it to others. He recognized that if her pregnancy were discovered, she could be stoned to death. Joseph endeavored to protect her, expressing genuine love and compassion. Therefore, he attempted to quietly break off his relationship with Mary without disclosing this fact (19).

In this narrative, the righteous character of Joseph is unveiled. Joseph’s ‘righteousness’ differs from the Jewish understanding of the term. For the Jews, ‘righteousness’ primarily meant strict observance to the law. Consequently, had they found themselves in Joseph’s situation, they have been obligated to publicly accuse Mary of adultery in accordance with Deuteronomy (22:23-24). This would have led to the formal declaration of the engagement’s termination. And Mary would be stoned to death. However, Joseph’s response was different from this approach. Joseph sought to quietly break off the engagement with Mary. Despite her unfaithfulness, Joseph loved and protected Mary’s life.

In this context, we learn valuable lessons on how to prepare for Christmas. Like Joseph, we should cultivate a character of righteousness, encompassing mercy. Even when our spouse does something shocking or hurtful, we must respond with mercy and love. Rather than complaining or condemning others, we should extend our love to brothers and sisters who may commit sins we don’t understand. Of course, we must maintain our holiness as well as mercy. During such times, God will be with us, and we will experience the mercy and love of Jesus in our hearts. This positions us to participate in the salvation ministry of Jesus. Merry Christmas!

While Joseph was grappling with the news of Mary’s pregnancy, an angel appeared in a dream, reassuring him, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.” (20) The angel proceeded to reveal the name of Mary’s son, emphasizing its significance. Let’s read verse 21. “She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus because he will save his people from their sins.” In the name of ‘Jesus,’ we discover the purpose of His life – to save people from their sins.

At that time, the Jews expected Christ to bring political salvation, envisioning liberation from Roman oppression. They expected political liberation as a pathway to freedom and happiness. However, this is not true. True freedom and happiness can only be given through salvation from sin. History attests to this truth. Consider their liberation from slavery in Egypt and entry into the land of Canaan. Despite these apparent victories, their sins led to destruction and captivity by powerful nations. Even after returning from captivity, they repetitively fall under the rule of mighty nations. It demonstrated that political salvation did not bring lasting joy. True happiness and freedom come from salvation from sin.

So, what is sin, and how can we be saved from it? Sin begins with the absence of God within a person. It is a state of ignoring God and having a broken relationship with Him. When people distance themselves from God, they lose the image of God. As a result, they lead to the destruction of character and humanity. Consequently, various sins such as hatred, envy, jealousy, pride and inferiority, lust and selfishness dominate the mind. Ultimately, sin leads to death. And after death, individuals are subject to God’s eternal judgment. However, personal sin doesn’t only affect the individual; it also contributes to unhappiness in the family. Unhappiness in the family, in turn, extends to society and the nation. For example, the wars between Ukraine and Russia and between Israel and Hamas are fundamentally caused by sin. The root cause of individual and communal misfortune is sin. Therefore, escaping misfortune requires salvation from sin. However, humans cannot solve sin on their own.

In this context, God sent Jesus to this world to save those who are unfortunate and have fallen into sin. Jesus sacrificed himself as a lamb of God to solve the sins of the people worldwide. John the Baptist testified. “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world” (John1:29) Jesus died on the cross to save us from sin. Hebrews also says: “So Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people;” (Heb . 9:28) Then Acts says: “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved.” (Acts 16:31) Thus, anyone who believes in Jesus will be free from sin and can enjoy eternal peace and joy (Rom 5:1,2). Families and societies who believe in Jesus will be saved from sins. They will experience peace and happiness in the kingdom of God. Merry Christmas!

Let’s consider the example of David. He was a remarkable figure as a  general, musician, poet, and king. At first glance, he should be leading a joyous life. However, examining his confession, we see that the pain caused by his sin was beyond expression. He groaned all day long, so his bones wasted away. He became like dry skin in the summer drought. (Psalm 32:3,4) Conversely, he confessed the essence of true happiness; “Blessed are they whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord will never count against him.” (Romans 4:7,8) David’s confession underscores that sin brings unhappiness to humans and that true happiness lies in salvation from sin. Moreover, the nation where King David ruled became a model for the most blessed nation.

As we prepare for Christmas, let’s welcome Jesus, who came to save us from sin. We hope that we believe in Jesus, be saved from sin, and enjoy true happiness. At that time, our church will be transformed into a holy and lovely community. Merry Christmas!

2. God is with us (22-25).

The angel emphasized that the events surrounding the birth of Jesus did not happen by chance. In other words, they were the fulfillment of what God foretold to the prophet Isaiah. Let’s read verse 23 together. “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”).

Allow me to provide a brief background of Isaiah’s prophecy. The King of Judah faced imminent danger from enemies. Judas was in danger like a candle flickering in the wind. Despite this peril, God promised to protect Judah. Regrettably, the King of Judah lacked faith in God’s promise. Despite his unfaithfulness, God was with Judah and promised not to destroy Judah. As a sign of this commitment, Isaiah prophesied the birth of a baby named Immanuel into the royal family. During that era, this prophecy of ‘Immanuel’ signified the imminent restoration of Israel. However, later Jews came to understand it as the fulfillment of Immanuel, signifying ‘God is with us’. Matthew, the author, was convinced that this prophecy found fulfillment through the birth of Jesus. In other words, Jesus, who is God, came to be with us.

Here we discover the key to saving individuals from sin. It is togetherness. Jesus consistently stood by sinful and sorrowful people. Jesus was always with helpless, and fatalistic people. His purpose was to rescue them from their sins and restore them to His glorious kingdom. In particular, Jesus lived with the twelve disciples, despite their sins and faults. Jesus never gave up on them, staying with them. Jesus humbly washed their dirty feet and cleansed away their sins. Through this, not only were they saved from their sins, but they also experienced inner transformation, becoming more like Jesus.

Consider the example of Jesus being with Matthew. He was a tax collector, he was very selfish. At the time, people condemned and hated Matthew as a notorious sinner. He lived in loneliness despite his wealth, even contemplating death. However, Jesus chose to be with him. Through Jesus’ companionship, Matthew was saved from sin and transformed into a saint. He later went to Ethiopia to preach about Jesus, and God’s presence extended to the Ethiopian people. Consequently, Ethiopia stands as the only North African country that has not become Muslim and remains a Christian-centered country.

Even now, Jesus is present with us through the Holy Spirit and the Word of God. Because Jesus is with us, we are saved from sin. In his presence, we become holy and filled with love. Reflecting on my youth, I once dreamed of happiness in college. However, I discovered that college life alone couldn’t fill the emptiness. Feelings of inferiority and lust deepened my emptiness. Yet, Jesus, the Rising Sun mentioned in Luke 1:77-78, was with me. His presence brightened my heart, leading me to accept the living God. I accepted Jesus on the cross who died to save me from my sins through Romans. I was saved from my sin and participated in the grace of God’s kingdom. But even now, my sinful nature remains within me. The power of sin tempts and attacks me. There are times when I despair because of my sins. I have absolutely no strength to escape the power of sin. But the reason I am not afraid is because Jesus is with me forever. When Jesus is with me, the sin within me disappears. Because Jesus is with me, I can be happy in any situation.

Furthermore I am happy to have my grandchildren with me these days. But if I stay with them for more than an hour, I get tired. So sometimes I wish they would go to their mom or go to sleep. The only person who gives me eternal peace and joy is Jesus, who is always with me. I am happy when I am with delicious food. However, when I am full, I am no longer happy with delicious food. Like this nothing in this world can make me happy forever. Only having Jesus with me is my true joy, happiness, and hope forever.

Jesus is with us, not just me. This truth extends beyond me; Missionary Rebekah was wandering with sin in the past. But Jesus was with her through Romans 6:4,5 in the Bible. Then her old self was crucified with Jesus. And she began to live a new life. Also, missionary Mary was a wandering sinner. But Jesus was with her through the words of God, John 4. Then she discovered her sin and repented. Thus, she has lived a life filled with living water with Jesus. Like this, Jesus is with everyone in NJ UBF. Jesus is with Joshua and Joe In*namorato. Jesus is with our children, Dream team, and Vision team coworkers. With Jesus, each of us is saved from sin and lives a new life. And we will resemble the image of Jesus. Furthermore, Jesus will lead our community away from sin and shape us into a holy and priestly community in this world. For this, we praise Jesus, the baby who came to this world. Merry Christmas.