Sermon
delivered on December 20th, 2015
By: Pastor Greg Hocson
Scripture Reading: Matthew 1:18-25
Introduction
One of my favorite Christmas carols
is ...
Hark the herald angels sing
"Glory to the newborn king
Peace on earth and mercy mild
God and sinners reconciled"
This is clearly taken from the
Scriptures ...
Luke 2:13 And suddenly
there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and
saying, 14: Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward
men.
Isn't that what the Christmas story
is about. Christmas is about God's glory and man's good. So many people are
afraid to come to God and they are reluctant to believe in God, because they
have wrong ideas about God. They think that God is a mean and angry God. They
have this wrong notion that God is hard to please. They picture God as this
Being who is up in Heaven watching and waiting for someone to make mistakes so
that He could hit him or her with judgment. Not true! God is a good God. And because
He is good He desires nothing but good for us.
Jeremiah 29:11 For I
know the thoughts (plans) that I think toward you, saith
the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.
The Lord knows and committed to the
plans He has for us and He declares it here in this verse - plans for welfare
and not for evil, to give you and I, a future and a hope. He wants to give us
peace and to give us a future filled with hope.
Consider the names given to our Lord
As soon as the parents find out that
there is a baby in the womb, they begin the process of selecting name for the
baby, which is by the way, a great privilege and responsibility given to
parents.
In the case of Joseph and Mary, when
they were told that Mary would conceive and and bear
a son, they were also told what name they are to give the child. And the names
given to our Lord affirm the goodness and faithfulness of God.
Matthew 1:21 And she
shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name
JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.
Matthew 1:23 Behold, a
virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call
his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.
In Bible times, names were more than
what you called a person. A name had meaning. It indicated a person's character and purpose or mission in life.
Let us consider the two names given
to our Lord.
1. JESUS
Matthew 1:21 And she
shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name
JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.
The eighth day after His birth, He
was formally given the name Jesus at His circumcision.
Luke 2:21 And when
eight days were accomplished for the circumcising of the child, his name was
called JESUS, which was so named of the angel before he was conceived in the
womb.
Jesus is the Greek form of the Hebrew
name Joshua (Jehoshua or Yehoshua),
and it means "Jehovah
saves" or
"God is salvation."
The angel told Joseph to name the
child Jesus because "He saves His people from their sins."
Jesus is an encouraging name!
Jesus is good news to the weary and
burdened sinners. It is a very encouraging name to guilt-ridden sinners. Though
He is the King of kings and the Lord of lords, and could have taken a more majestic name, the Son of God
is content to call Himself Saviour.
Luke 2:11 For unto you
is born this day in the city of David a Saviour,
which is Christ the Lord.
Jesus is a revealing name!
His very name, Jesus, implies that sin is our problem, that we need a Saviour. The Son of God was named Jesus because He came to
solve our problem with sin. His mission was to save us from sin.
Mark 2:15 And it came to pass, that, as Jesus sat at meat in his (Levi)
house, many publicans and sinners sat also together with Jesus and his
disciples: for there were many, and they followed him. 16: And when the scribes and Pharisees saw him eat with
publicans and sinners, they said unto his disciples, How is it that he eateth and drinketh with
publicans and sinners? 17: When Jesus heard it, he saith
unto them, They that are whole have no need of the physician, but they that are
sick: I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.
Those seeking salvation may draw near
to the Father with boldness, and have access with confidence through Christ. He
delights to show mercy.
John 3:17 For God sent
not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him
might be saved.
Threefold
salvation
The salvation He brings is a
threefold salvation. The salvation He brings is past, present, and future
salvation. He saves from the penalty of sin, from the power of sin and from the
presence of sin.
Matthew 1:21 And she
shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name
JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.
I love it. He came to save His people
from their sins. Notice the word used is not "IN" but "FROM."
When God saves, He does not only delivers the sinner from the penalty of sin,
but He also delivers the sinner from the power of sin. And praise God,
ultimately from the presence of sin.
Great price and a great cost
He will save sinners from their sins
at a great price, at a great cost, not to us but to Him. He will save sinners,
by coming as a human baby and by living a sinless life, by dying in our place
on the cross, and rising again to a victorious resurrection never to die again.
Man of sorrows what a name
For the Son of God, who came
Ruined sinners to reclaim:
Hallelujah, what a Savior!
2. EMMANUEL
Matthew 1:23 Behold, a
virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call
his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.
Emmanuel, I love that name. We do not
usually refer to Jesus Christ as Emmanuel and the only time we hear that name
is during Christmas season. But this is a very precious name. The name teaches
us important truths about Jesus Christ and the way He cares for His people.
First, the name Emmanuel teaches us
that Jesus is both God and man, divine and human. It is not simply that a "man of God"
or a "godly man" would be with us but the God Himself. The perfect Son of
God manifest in human flesh is with us. What a glorious truth! We needed a
perfect, infinite Being to offer a perfect, infinite atonement for our sins. We
needed Emmanuel, God is with us.
Secondly, the
name Emmanuel reminds us that God is always with us. We are always before the
presence of God, whether we are aware of it or not. Even in times we feel
alone. Even in times we feel forsaken. God is there with us.
Jesus has promised ...
Hebrews 13:5 Let your
conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye
have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor
forsake thee.
He is with each of His people
constantly and available to them to meet their needs. When we serve Him, He is
working with us. When we are in difficult places, He is with us to help us.
When we are struggling and battling with sin, He is with us to help us overcome
sin and temptation. When we fall into sin, He is with us to forgive and to
cleanse and to restore. Even in the hour of death, He is with us.
Psalm 23:4 Yea, though
I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear
no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
He will be with us for all eternity
Revelation 21:1 And I
saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were
passed away; and there was no more sea. 2: And I John saw the holy city, new
Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for
her husband. 3: And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the
tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be
his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.
God with us all the days of our lives,
forever!
"O my LORD, if I am to be
forever with Thee, I have a destiny incomparable. I will not envy an archangel.
To be forever with the LORD is my idea of heaven at its best. Not the harps of
gold, nor the crowns unfading, nor the light unclouded is glory to me; but
Jesus, Jesus Himself, and myself forever with Him in nearest and dearest
fellowship." - C. H. Spurgeon
Closing Appeals
To those who are still unsaved
Friends, that is the Jesus who came
into the world. He did not come so that we could decorate our homes, have
Christmas parties, give and receive gifts. He came to save sinners. If you are
a sinner, that is good news.
Luke 2:11 For unto you
is born this day in the city of David a Saviour,
which is Christ the Lord.
"Unto
you" is
born a Saviorunto
you personally. Is He your Saviour? Do you know Him
as the Emmanuel?
Receive Him. Believe on Him. Trust in
Him. Entrust your soul to Christ. And you will find Him as your Saviour and your Emmanuel!
There is no other name
Acts 4:10 Be it known
unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ
of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth
this man stand here before you whole. 11: This is the stone
which was set at nought of you builders, which is
become the head of the corner. 12: Neither is there salvation in any other:
for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be
saved.
There is power in His name
Romans 10:11 For the scripture saith,
Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. 12: For there is no
difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich
unto all that call upon him. 13: For whosoever shall call upon the name of
the Lord shall be saved.
1 John 2:12 I write
unto you, little children, because your sins are forgiven you for his name's
sake.
1 John 5:13 These
things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that
ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of
the Son of God.
To those who are saved
Brothers and sisters in Christ, what
is this to us? What is the most honoring thing we could do to the One who came
and saved us and to be with us.
Exalt that name which is above every
name
Philippians 2:5 Let
this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: 6: Who, being in the form
of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: 7: But made himself of no
reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness
of men: 8: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became
obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. 9: Wherefore God also hath
highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: 10: That at
the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in
earth, and things under the earth; 11: And that every tongue should confess
that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
There is a coming a day when every
knee shall bow and every tongue shall confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the
glory of God the Father. Glory to God in the Highest!
What's the most honoring, exalting,
glorifying thing I could do for Him this coming year?
I believe the LORD's response would
be, "Love Me with all my heart! And then prove it by your
obedience!"
Amen!