Sermon - Jesus; There's Just Something About That Name.
Scripture Lessons: Luke 1:26-33 “In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a village in Galilee, to a virgin named Mary. She was engaged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of King David. Gabriel appeared to her and said, “Greetings, favored woman! The Lord is with you!” Confused and disturbed, Mary tried to think what the angel could mean. “Don’t be afraid, Mary,” the angel told her, “for you have found favor with God! You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus. He will be very great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David. And he will reign over Israel forever; his Kingdom will never end!”
Matthew 1:18-23 “This is how Jesus the Messiah was born. His mother, Mary, was engaged to be married to Joseph. But before the marriage took place, while she was still a virgin, she became pregnant through the power of the Holy Spirit. Joseph, to whom she was engaged, was a righteous man and did not want to disgrace her publicly, so he decided to break the engagement quietly. As he considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream. “Joseph, son of David,” the angel said, “do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife. For the child within her was conceived by the Holy Spirit. And she will have a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” All of this occurred to fulfill the Lord’s message through his prophet: “Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel, which means ‘God is with us.’”
Introduction: His Name Shall be Called Jesus! Bill and Gloria Gaither penned it this way, “Jesus, Jesus, Jesus; there's just something about that name. Master, Savior, Jesus, like the fragrance after the rain; Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, let all Heaven and earth proclaim, Kings and kingdoms will all pass away, But there's something about that name. Kings and kingdoms will all pass away.”
There is something about that name. That name is the Christmas story in one word. The prophecy concerning the kingdom of God and the house of David were confirmed in the angelic message to Mary and Joseph. Truly, the virgin will bring forth her son and this son shall be called Jesus, who is Immanuel, God with us. Moses, Isaiah, and Matthew all perfectly aligned to confirm that God’s word is true. The wisdom and providence of God is in full display throughout the Christmas story. His birthplace, His birth parent and His birth name were all foretold. Isaiah calls His Name Immanuel, God with us so all would know that Jesus is God incarnate. In what sense, then, is Jesus Christ God with us? Jesus is called Immanuel, or God with us, in his incarnation. God united to our human nature. God with man and within man. God with us, by his continual protection. God with us, by the influences of his Holy Spirit, in the holy sacrament we receive, in the preaching of his word we proclaim, in our private and public worship and prayers. And God with us, through every action of our life, that we begin, continue, and end in his name. I want to share the Christmas message in two words, Emmanual, and Jesus! Of all the names, God could have chosen, He chose these two. Let’s consider Emmanual.
First, The Christmas message reminds us of His name is Emmanual. He is God with us, to comfort, enlighten, protect, and defend us in every time of temptation and trial, in the hour of death, in the day of judgment; and God with us, and in us, and we with and in him, to all eternity. During the Exodus story, Israel’s greatest trouble came while Moses was on the mountain with God. Feeling afraid, alone, abandon, they influenced Aaron to build an idol God. When people feel afraid, alone, abandoned, they start searching for some source of comfort. Where do you go for comfort? God called his name Emmanual to give us the assurance that He is God with us, to comfort, enlighten, protect, and defend us in every time of temptation and trial, in the hour of death and in the day of judgment. Never again will we need to make our own God. God is with us, and in us, now and forever. In Him we live, move, and have our being. God is with Us and in us for all eternity. He will never leave us, nor forsake us. The Christmas message says we are not alone and never will be again. The Old Testament Name for God’s Messiah was Emmanual, God with us, our greatest need. If first impressions count for anything, then the personal name God gave His Messiah was vital. God alone selected that name. In the New Testament, neither Mary nor Joseph chose the name of His son. In fact, both Mary and Joseph received the same instructions.
Secondly, The Christmas Message reminds us that His Name is Jesus which means Savior. After Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, the angel Gabriel appeared to her and told her she will conceive a son by the Holy Spirit and that she shall “name him Jesus” (Luke 1:31). Then, when Joseph learned his bride-to-be was with child, he decided to break the engagement quietly. But an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife. For the child within her was conceived by the Holy Spirit. And she will have a son, and you are to name him Jesus” (Matthew 1:20–21). Of all the famous names God could have chosen from the accounts of Israel’s history, God chose the name Jesus—a shortened form of Joshua—which means: Savior or to save.
That Jesus came to save is the essence of His message. His first impression! The word of salvation is God’s first word to us through the personal name of His Son. Christ’s first step toward us is not as our Creator and King. There are hundreds of names of God in Israel’s history: Yahweh meaning Lord, Jehovah, Adonai meaning Lord, Master, El Qanna meaning Jealous God, El Elyon meaning The Most High God, El Shaddai meaning Lord God Almighty, Jehovah El Roi meaning The God Who Sees Me, Jehovah Jireh, The Lord Will Provide, Jehovah Rapha, The Lord Who Heals You, Jehovah Nissi, The Lord Is My Banner, Jehovah Shalom, The Lord Is Peace and many others. Yet God calls His Name Jesus, our loyal, merciful, gracious, and loving Savior. That name meets our greatest need and fulfils our greatest desires. No other name was sufficient.
We need saving from many things—demons, depression, distress, deceit, death—but the angel specified why Joseph must name Him Jesus, “for he will save his people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21). Receiving God’s forgiveness and having God’s favor is the solution of all solutions. Without God, no other solution truly lasts. With God, all other problems eventually fade. Jesus came to save us, first and foremost, from our sin and separation from God. Yet, in saving us from our biggest problem, He satisfies our deepest longings—transferring to us “every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms.”
Ephesians 1:3, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:”
Colossians 1:12-14 “Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light: Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son: In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins:”
That’s why we celebrate Christmas. The Advent Season reminds us that Divine love descended. Eternal hope arrived. Peace on Earth and goodwill towards men is given. Endless joy awaits. Why? All because God took action because of His great love, and heaven erupted with a new song. Luke 2:13-14 says, “And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.” No wonder we sing, “Joy to the world, the Lord has come, Let earth receive her king.”
I have enjoyed celebrating the significance of the Christmas season with you. Because of this joyous holiday, many choose to give generously, plan for festive parties and eat delicious food, all to help spread the joy of Christmas. Make sure you also share the good news that God is with us and Jesus still saves. It’s such a privilege to be partakers of the good news and to work with you in sharing it with others. Day in, day out, we proclaim and teach the name of Jesus. There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved. These are words of Peter addressed to the Jewish leaders as recorded in Acts 4:12. Because of Jesus, we can shout with Mary, “How my spirit rejoices in God my Savior! . . . The Mighty One is holy, and he has done great things for me” (Luke 1:47, 49). May you find fresh joy in your salvation this season. Rejoicing in our wonderful, merciful Savior.
It is our joy and honor to walk with you along this journey to show and share the love of Jesus to all peoples. Burdens become lighter when we all come together to lift the name of Jesus. The burdens you carried maybe heavy, yet by coming to Jesus and accepting Him as Savior, you and I can make it through the difficulties of this life and enjoy eternal life with Him!
This work of sharing the good news cannot be done alone. Because of believers like you, all sharing the good news, soon the world will no Him as Savior too! That’s what Christmas is all about; that’s the reason for the light, music, gifts, and the celebration! Christ followers around the world are using every means to share the message, through the digital options, social platforms, Zoom capabilities, podcasts, and thousands of helpful websites, all to let the world know His name is Emmanual, God with us! His Name shall be called Jesus, for he will save His people from their sin. Make sure you do your part this Christmas. Amen.
