THE NAMES OF CHRISTMAS
"Immanuel"
Matthew 1:19-23
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.”
What a guy Joseph was. We don't know much about Joseph - likely he had already passed on by the time Jesus was baptized and began His ministry. There is no mention of him in Scripture after Mary and Joseph found Jesus in the Temple asking the scholars questions and then demanding answers.
In this passage we discover Joseph's true heart. No doubt he was a pious Jew but he didn't want Mary to suffer any more shame than was necessary. Thinking that she was with child by another man Joseph was more wounded than outraged. He wanted to do the right thing but he didn't want Mary to suffer. This is the kind of man God can use.
God set Joseph right by sending Gabriel to tell him the truth. This wasn't to be just any child. Joseph would have the privilege of raising the Son of God.
Look with me this morning at this wonderful name: "Immanuel."
1. THE MEANING OF THE NAME
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.”
Too often we read this story - this encounter with God's angel - and completely miss the importance of what Gabriel said to Joseph. For the first time God would be with us. Before this supernatural event God had always been somewhere else. He could be with us anytime He wanted to but He chose to be somewhere else. Finally, in Jesus God would come to us and never leave again even when the Lord went back to heaven from the Mount of Olives.
For the first time we would know how God felt about things and us. We've always known what God thought about things - we have His Word for that - but we never knew how he felt - what was in His heart. Now we know and because we do passages like John 3:16 make a lot more sense to us.
2. THE APPLICATION OF THE NAME
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.”
Jesus' name would not actually be "Immanuel." His given name would be Jesus. Jesus means Savior and is the New Testament translation of the Old Testament name Joshua. Joshua was one of the great heroes of the Old Testament and a lot of Jewish parents named their sons after him. Jesus was not named Immanuel - He was acclaimed by many who saw and heard Him to be Immanuel.
When people saw what Jesus did and heard what He said the fact that He must be God seemed to be the only rational explanation.
Luke 5:22-26
22 But when Jesus perceived their thoughts, He answered and said to them, “Why are you reasoning in your hearts?
23 Which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Rise up and walk’?
24 But that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins”—He said to the man who was paralyzed, “I say to you, arise, take up your bed, and go to your house.”
25 Immediately he rose up before them, took up what he had been lying on, and departed to his own house, glorifying God.
26 And they were all amazed, and they glorified God and were filled with fear, saying, “We have seen strange things today!”
Immanuel is not what they named Him - it's what they said about Him. What do you say? There is a lot riding on your answer.
3. THE MIRACLE OF THE NAME
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.”
"The virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son." What is a true miracle? It is something that requires the "dunamis" - the creative power of God and is a power that only God possesses. When God's power is displayed things happen that absolutely defy any rational explanation - such as the brith of Jesus.
Christianity is not true for some and not for others. It's either true for everyone or it's true for none of us. If it's not true then somehow you've got to explain away Jesus. How would one do that? His whole life - including His birth - was shrouded in the miraculous. Jesus was a walking and talking miracle and as such He could make us into one also.
Every born again person is a creation that required the miraculous power of God. Are you a miracle of God? If not, this Christmas season would be a great time to let God perform a miracle of grace in your life as you trust Jesus to be your personal Savior.
