WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:03.000 We come to the service of the Word now. We've 00:00:03.000 --> 00:00:06.440 heard a lot of the Word, but we'll continue now 00:00:06.440 --> 00:00:10.060 with the preaching of God's Word. And so I would 00:00:10.060 --> 00:00:13.460 invite you now to take your Bibles and open up 00:00:13.460 --> 00:00:19.719 to Matthew chapter 1, verse 23. I'm actually 00:00:19.719 --> 00:00:23.219 going to read a bit of the surrounding context. 00:00:23.280 --> 00:00:27.179 Your bulletin says Matthew 1, 23. I'm going to 00:00:27.179 --> 00:00:36.030 read 18 through 25. Now the birth of Jesus Christ 00:00:36.030 --> 00:00:40.390 took place in this way. When his mother Mary 00:00:40.390 --> 00:00:43.530 had been betrothed to Joseph before they came 00:00:43.530 --> 00:00:46.950 together, she was found to be with child from 00:00:46.950 --> 00:00:50.229 the Holy Spirit. And her husband Joseph being 00:00:50.229 --> 00:00:52.710 a just man and unwilling to put her to shame 00:00:52.710 --> 00:00:56.460 resolved to divorce her quietly. but he's as 00:00:56.460 --> 00:00:59.240 he considered these things behold an angel of 00:00:59.240 --> 00:01:01.939 the Lord appeared to him in a dream saying Joseph 00:01:01.939 --> 00:01:06.079 son of David do not fear to take Mary as your 00:01:06.079 --> 00:01:09.700 wife for that which is conceived in her is from 00:01:09.700 --> 00:01:14.219 the Holy Spirit she will bear a son and you shall 00:01:14.219 --> 00:01:18.260 call his name Jesus for he will save his people 00:01:18.260 --> 00:01:22.500 from their sins all this took place to fulfill 00:01:22.500 --> 00:01:25.079 what the Lord had spoken by the prophet behold 00:01:25.079 --> 00:01:29.439 the virgin shall conceive and bear a son and 00:01:29.439 --> 00:01:33.700 they shall call his name Immanuel which means 00:01:33.700 --> 00:01:38.500 God with us when Joseph woke from sleep he did 00:01:38.500 --> 00:01:41.920 as the angel of the Lord commanded him he took 00:01:41.920 --> 00:01:45.620 his wife but knew her not until she had given 00:01:45.620 --> 00:01:51.620 birth to a son and he called his name Jesus Let 00:01:51.620 --> 00:01:55.239 us pray again Father we thank you for the message 00:01:55.239 --> 00:01:58.239 of the word and now as we study it we ask that 00:01:58.239 --> 00:02:01.260 you would grant us Understanding that we would 00:02:01.260 --> 00:02:04.400 know Jesus more and that we would always live 00:02:04.400 --> 00:02:11.500 for him this we ask in his name amen Why do you 00:02:11.500 --> 00:02:15.199 have the name that you have do you ever think 00:02:15.199 --> 00:02:17.620 about the meaning of your name or how you got 00:02:17.620 --> 00:02:21.259 it Maybe you were named after somebody. You were 00:02:21.259 --> 00:02:24.960 named after a relative, keeping a good name alive. 00:02:26.240 --> 00:02:29.300 Maybe you were named after a biblical individual. 00:02:29.580 --> 00:02:33.639 Maybe you're a Sarah or you're a David. You're 00:02:33.639 --> 00:02:36.599 a Matthew. You're an Elizabeth. Maybe you're 00:02:36.599 --> 00:02:40.080 a Jehoshaphat. I can only hope to be as cool 00:02:40.080 --> 00:02:43.280 as someone with the name Jehoshaphat. Maybe you're 00:02:43.280 --> 00:02:47.979 named after a celebrity. I'm named after a celebrity. 00:02:48.400 --> 00:02:52.800 Kenny Rogers. And as a boy, I thought that was 00:02:52.800 --> 00:02:54.860 pretty great because there was a pitcher for 00:02:54.860 --> 00:02:57.840 the Texas Rangers who in 1994 threw a perfect 00:02:57.840 --> 00:03:01.500 game and his name was Kenny Rogers. My parents 00:03:01.500 --> 00:03:06.419 told me, not that Kenny Rogers. But what's in 00:03:06.419 --> 00:03:11.000 a name? Last Sunday, we looked at Gabriel's words 00:03:11.000 --> 00:03:14.360 announcing to Mary that she would have a child. 00:03:14.719 --> 00:03:17.879 Conceived by the Holy Spirit and the child's 00:03:17.879 --> 00:03:21.340 name would be Jesus We have the same here in 00:03:21.340 --> 00:03:25.120 our text today from verse 21 And if the name 00:03:25.120 --> 00:03:28.120 of Jesus isn't clear enough the angel provides 00:03:28.120 --> 00:03:32.819 the reason for the name Jesus will save his people 00:03:32.819 --> 00:03:36.569 from their sins I mentioned last Sunday how I 00:03:36.569 --> 00:03:39.310 wanted every single person in the sanctuary to 00:03:39.310 --> 00:03:42.810 be able to exit the sanctuary knowing Jesus and 00:03:42.810 --> 00:03:45.409 knowing what the name of Jesus means. And that's 00:03:45.409 --> 00:03:47.669 what I want for you today as well. Know this, 00:03:48.090 --> 00:03:54.050 the name of Jesus means Yahweh saves. You see, 00:03:54.310 --> 00:03:56.669 friends, we are all sinners in need of grace. 00:03:56.830 --> 00:03:59.689 We have all fallen short of the glory of God, 00:03:59.969 --> 00:04:02.990 but the very name of Jesus tells his mission. 00:04:03.180 --> 00:04:07.259 Just like your name means something, Jesus's 00:04:07.259 --> 00:04:12.340 name means something, and it's full of significance. 00:04:13.580 --> 00:04:18.660 Jesus does what his name means. But Jesus in 00:04:18.660 --> 00:04:21.399 the Scriptures, he's referred to by many names. 00:04:21.839 --> 00:04:25.259 Jesus is called the Christ. He's called the Messiah. 00:04:25.759 --> 00:04:28.300 He's called the Savior. He's called the Son of 00:04:28.300 --> 00:04:31.680 God and the Son of Man. Jesus is called Redeemer. 00:04:32.220 --> 00:04:36.720 Jesus is called friend. But what this text does 00:04:36.720 --> 00:04:40.100 is reaches far back, all the way back to the 00:04:40.100 --> 00:04:45.100 time of Isaiah, 700 years in the past, to Isaiah 00:04:45.100 --> 00:04:51.480 714, to show us yet another name, that of Immanuel. 00:04:52.339 --> 00:04:56.639 You see, ever since, ever since God created man, 00:04:57.319 --> 00:05:00.420 he has made promises to mankind, specifically, 00:05:00.829 --> 00:05:04.850 After Adam and Eve sinned and all of humankind 00:05:04.850 --> 00:05:08.610 is brought under a curse, God promised a redeemer. 00:05:09.250 --> 00:05:11.189 And along the way throughout the scriptures, 00:05:11.290 --> 00:05:15.350 God continued to remind his people of the promise 00:05:15.350 --> 00:05:20.269 of Immanuel. And so we get to Isaiah and we read 00:05:20.269 --> 00:05:23.050 this clear version of the promise, behold, the 00:05:23.050 --> 00:05:27.170 virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they 00:05:27.170 --> 00:05:31.790 shall call his name Immanuel. And so the Christmas 00:05:31.790 --> 00:05:35.569 story comes to life. The Virgin Mary gives birth 00:05:35.569 --> 00:05:39.850 to Immanuel, just as Jesus's name has significance. 00:05:40.569 --> 00:05:44.949 So the term Immanuel does too. And it doesn't 00:05:44.949 --> 00:05:48.750 so much describe what Jesus does, as much as 00:05:48.750 --> 00:05:54.209 it describes who Jesus is. Jesus is God with 00:05:54.209 --> 00:06:00.939 us. Now it is true that God is a spirit. God 00:06:00.939 --> 00:06:04.019 is omnipresent which means God is always with 00:06:04.019 --> 00:06:06.500 us. This is communicated throughout the scriptures. 00:06:07.139 --> 00:06:10.240 Isaiah 41 10, do not fear for I am with you. 00:06:10.560 --> 00:06:14.420 Joshua 1 9, have I not commanded you be strong 00:06:14.420 --> 00:06:17.360 and courageous. Do not be frightened and do not 00:06:17.360 --> 00:06:20.180 be dismayed. Why? For the Lord your God is with 00:06:20.180 --> 00:06:23.639 you wherever you go. Psalm 23, even though I 00:06:23.639 --> 00:06:25.959 walk through the valley of the shadow of death 00:06:25.959 --> 00:06:30.779 I will fear no evil. Why? For you are with me 00:06:30.779 --> 00:06:34.879 your rod and your staff they comfort me So God 00:06:34.879 --> 00:06:38.319 is always with us, but something special happens 00:06:38.319 --> 00:06:42.980 with Jesus With Immanuel Jesus moves into the 00:06:42.980 --> 00:06:45.800 neighborhood if you will and tabernacles among 00:06:45.800 --> 00:06:50.660 us Jesus fully God born of a woman takes on human 00:06:50.660 --> 00:06:56.370 nature Jesus is the God man and his arrival is 00:06:56.370 --> 00:07:00.350 what the whole world had waited for. Matthew 00:07:00.350 --> 00:07:03.430 shows us this. Matthew shows us that the Immanuel 00:07:03.430 --> 00:07:07.449 Isaiah is talking about is none other than Jesus, 00:07:07.970 --> 00:07:13.550 the embodiment of Immanuel. And because Jesus 00:07:13.550 --> 00:07:17.189 has come in the flesh, he knows exactly what 00:07:17.189 --> 00:07:21.009 you're going through. Jesus knows exactly what 00:07:21.009 --> 00:07:23.470 each and every one of you is going through because 00:07:23.470 --> 00:07:27.230 Jesus came into the miseries of this life. Jesus 00:07:27.230 --> 00:07:30.930 was tempted in every single way as we are, yet 00:07:30.930 --> 00:07:35.329 without sin. And so you can trust Jesus, friends. 00:07:35.389 --> 00:07:39.610 You must trust Jesus. He has come, he lived a 00:07:39.610 --> 00:07:42.629 perfect life, and he died a sacrificial death 00:07:42.629 --> 00:07:49.110 for you. And so today, recognizing the wonder 00:07:49.110 --> 00:07:54.089 of Immanuel, I want us to behold him. I want 00:07:54.089 --> 00:07:56.990 us to behold Immanuel. You might say, what does 00:07:56.990 --> 00:08:00.750 it mean to behold Immanuel? Friends, when you 00:08:00.750 --> 00:08:04.589 see the words behold in scripture, something 00:08:04.589 --> 00:08:08.129 noteworthy is about to happen. It's an interjection. 00:08:08.290 --> 00:08:11.189 It's an exclamation. It's like God is saying, 00:08:11.310 --> 00:08:16.560 look, pay attention. In this text, God is fulfilling 00:08:16.560 --> 00:08:20.620 the promises of old, that Jesus comes in the 00:08:20.620 --> 00:08:23.439 flesh to save us from our sins. And this text 00:08:23.439 --> 00:08:28.180 is saying, look to Jesus, the author and perfecter 00:08:28.180 --> 00:08:31.939 of your faith. Friends, at this time of year, 00:08:31.939 --> 00:08:35.940 there's a lot to behold. There's beautiful decorations. 00:08:37.080 --> 00:08:40.179 There's lights. There's incredible sounds, sounds 00:08:40.179 --> 00:08:44.320 of worship. There's gifts that are given. So 00:08:44.320 --> 00:08:48.080 many things to behold, but above all of these 00:08:48.080 --> 00:08:52.259 things is the reason for the things. It's Immanuel. 00:08:52.980 --> 00:08:55.820 And so look to him in faith, friends. He's the 00:08:55.820 --> 00:08:59.259 only one. He's the only way that we can be saved 00:08:59.259 --> 00:09:02.500 from our sins. But I also want you to know this 00:09:02.500 --> 00:09:07.100 today, that as Immanuel came once, so he will 00:09:07.100 --> 00:09:09.200 come again. As a matter of fact, many, several 00:09:09.200 --> 00:09:11.960 of the carols that we sing, Christmas carols, 00:09:14.110 --> 00:09:17.190 have an understanding of the second coming of 00:09:17.190 --> 00:09:20.429 Christ, too. Think about O come, O come, Emmanuel. 00:09:21.389 --> 00:09:25.230 PCA Pastor Joe Holland says this of that hymn. 00:09:25.809 --> 00:09:29.409 This hymn is expectant and forward -looking in 00:09:29.409 --> 00:09:32.509 its composition. It declares the first advent 00:09:32.509 --> 00:09:36.210 of Jesus even as it stokes our desire for the 00:09:36.210 --> 00:09:39.950 second coming of Jesus. We live in the inaugurated 00:09:39.950 --> 00:09:42.649 kingdom of God that is hurtling towards its great 00:09:42.649 --> 00:09:46.590 consummation at the end of all things when Jesus 00:09:46.590 --> 00:09:49.950 will come again to judge the living and the dead. 00:09:50.370 --> 00:09:53.570 This is why I argue, he says, that we should 00:09:53.570 --> 00:09:59.009 sing this hymn all year long. It is indeed said 00:09:59.009 --> 00:10:02.590 in the first coming of Jesus, but its real power 00:10:02.590 --> 00:10:08.159 is in the repeated emotive call, O come. O come, 00:10:08.419 --> 00:10:12.919 that places on our lips the longing of our souls, 00:10:13.399 --> 00:10:15.919 a hope we share with the saints in the Old Testament, 00:10:16.500 --> 00:10:19.919 our expectant wish that Jesus will come quickly 00:10:19.919 --> 00:10:23.759 and wipe away every tear from our eyes and make 00:10:23.759 --> 00:10:28.559 all things right. You see, when Jesus comes back 00:10:28.559 --> 00:10:31.960 or when we go to him, our faith shall be turned 00:10:31.960 --> 00:10:37.639 to sight. That we who we behold in faith We will 00:10:37.639 --> 00:10:43.039 see, friends, Christians, you will see Jesus. 00:10:43.679 --> 00:10:47.759 Just like Mary, and just like Joseph, and just 00:10:47.759 --> 00:10:52.740 like the shepherds, we will see Jesus. Somebody 00:10:52.740 --> 00:10:56.840 asked me recently, is Jesus still a man? Does 00:10:56.840 --> 00:10:59.700 Jesus still have a body? And the answer is a 00:10:59.700 --> 00:11:03.480 resounding yes, absolutely, as Jesus came once. 00:11:03.799 --> 00:11:08.740 his first Advent so he will come again. Jesus 00:11:08.740 --> 00:11:12.179 has not left us. Emmanuel has not ceased being 00:11:12.179 --> 00:11:15.179 Emmanuel, for you remember, you remember what 00:11:15.179 --> 00:11:19.320 Jesus told his disciples after his resurrection 00:11:19.320 --> 00:11:23.639 but before his ascension. He said behold, and 00:11:23.639 --> 00:11:27.220 there's that word again, behold I am with you 00:11:27.220 --> 00:11:32.519 always, even to the end. of the age, Jesus reminds 00:11:32.519 --> 00:11:39.480 us that he is Immanuel. Church, continue to behold 00:11:39.480 --> 00:11:42.960 Immanuel, God with us, and trust the promises 00:11:42.960 --> 00:11:46.120 of God because they all find their yes and amen 00:11:46.120 --> 00:11:50.259 in Christ. And as Christ came once, his first 00:11:50.259 --> 00:11:58.039 advent, so he will come again. Let us pray. O 00:11:58.039 --> 00:12:02.389 come, O come, Emmanuel, come quickly, Lord Jesus. 00:12:02.970 --> 00:12:05.950 But in the meantime, help us to behold you, bind 00:12:05.950 --> 00:12:11.149 our hearts to yours, cheer our spirits, and fill 00:12:11.149 --> 00:12:14.870 us even now with heaven's praise. This we pray 00:12:14.870 --> 00:12:23.509 in Christ's name. Amen. Amen. Our fifth lesson 00:12:23.509 --> 00:12:33.200 comes from John chapter one. John chapter 1 verses 00:12:33.200 --> 00:12:39.980 1 through 5 to begin. In the beginning was the 00:12:39.980 --> 00:12:44.320 Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word 00:12:44.320 --> 00:12:48.220 was God. He was in the beginning with God. All 00:12:48.220 --> 00:12:51.200 things were made through Him, and without Him 00:12:51.200 --> 00:12:55.500 was not anything made that was made. In Him was 00:12:55.500 --> 00:12:58.360 life, and the life was the light of men, the 00:12:58.360 --> 00:13:01.210 light shines in the darkness. and the darkness 00:13:01.210 --> 00:13:07.350 has not overcome it. 9 through 15. The true light 00:13:07.350 --> 00:13:09.909 which gives light to everyone was coming into 00:13:09.909 --> 00:13:12.570 the world. He was in the world and the world 00:13:12.570 --> 00:13:15.470 was made through him, yet the world did not know 00:13:15.470 --> 00:13:19.149 him. He came to his own and to his own people, 00:13:19.370 --> 00:13:22.350 did not receive him, but to all who did receive 00:13:22.350 --> 00:13:25.429 him, who believed in his name, he gave the right 00:13:25.429 --> 00:13:30.039 to become children of God who were born not of 00:13:30.039 --> 00:13:32.860 blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the 00:13:32.860 --> 00:13:35.000 will of man, but of God. And the Word became 00:13:35.000 --> 00:13:38.500 flesh and dwelt among us. And we have seen His 00:13:38.500 --> 00:13:42.220 glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, 00:13:42.379 --> 00:13:45.620 full of grace and truth. John bore witness about 00:13:45.620 --> 00:13:48.379 this and cried out, This was He of whom I said, 00:13:48.960 --> 00:13:51.879 He who comes after me ranks before me, because 00:13:51.879 --> 00:13:57.220 He was before me. Verse 19. And this is the testimony 00:13:57.220 --> 00:14:00.559 of John. When the Jews sent priests and Levites 00:14:00.559 --> 00:14:04.039 from Jerusalem to ask him, who are you? He confessed 00:14:04.039 --> 00:14:06.539 and did not deny, but confessed, I am not the 00:14:06.539 --> 00:14:08.960 Christ. And they asked him, what then? Are you 00:14:08.960 --> 00:14:12.259 Elijah? He said, no, I'm not. Are you the prophet? 00:14:12.299 --> 00:14:14.960 And he answered, no. So they said to him, who 00:14:14.960 --> 00:14:18.620 are you? We need to give an answer to those who 00:14:18.620 --> 00:14:21.840 sent us. What do you say about yourself? He said, 00:14:21.980 --> 00:14:26.159 I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness. 00:14:26.570 --> 00:14:30.970 Make straight the way of the Lord, as the prophet 00:14:30.970 --> 00:14:32.549 of Isaiah said.