Sermon in Minneapolis 24.12.2006

In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, let us begin our services with opening prayer and thanksgiving.

Holy and righteous God, our dear Heavenly Father, now, during the darkness of midwinter, we are able to bow our hearts, the knees of our hearts before you, to thank you for this light, which is greater than any natural light, that light which is your Son, the Lord Jesus, our Redeemer and our Savior, who was born into this world on that first Christmas morn. He was despised, overlooked, and rejected by all, but yet He was the King of kings and the Lord of lords. He walked that perfect, innocent, blameless life here on this earth in order that He could prepare that gift of everlasting life and salvation for all who, by faith, would receive it and accept it.

So at this Christmas time, amidst the giving and receiving of gifts and presents and cards, we wish to remember that greatest of gifts, which is our Savior, your Son, the Lord Jesus. And we can own this greatest of gifts by faith here in your kingdom as members, as your children of God. So we ask that you would be with us today and always. Keep us on this narrow way of life and bring us one day to that everlasting Christmas celebration, which will have a beginning but never have an end. So we ask that you would bless our services today and always. In the name of your dear Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.

Amen. Amen. Amen.

We just have watched and observed as the four Advent candles have been lit. Today is the fourth Advent Sunday. And the theme of today is Christmas is near and at hand. And it is so close, it is so near, that it is this evening.

One of the gospel texts set aside for this Sunday according to the Finnish calendar is what we could call the Christmas gospel according to Matthew, which is in the first chapter of Matthew, verses 18 through 25.

Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise, when, as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost. Then Joseph, her husband, being a just man, not willing to make her a public example, was minded to put her away privately.

But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou art the son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife. For that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost. And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name Jesus, for he shall save his people from their sins.

Now all this was done that it might be fulfilled, which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, 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.

Then Joseph, being raised from sleep, did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, and took him unto his wife, and knew her not till she had brought forth her firstborn son, and he called his name Jesus. Amen.

A certain pastor who was a pastoral counselor visited with his colleagues about a certain case he was dealing with. A man, young man, who was engaged to get married came distraught into the pastor's office and asked for advice, for his fiancée was found to be pregnant, and he knew that he was not the father of the child.

And so this counselor was asking his colleagues, what should he do? What kind of advice should he give in this type of situation? Doesn't this give resemblance to the story of our text? Joseph was a just man. He was a righteous man. He was a pious man. And he was now engaged to a young woman.

Scholars have assumed with their studies that perhaps Mary was in her mid-teens. We do not know for sure. But they were engaged.

In the Jewish culture during the Bible times, it was typical that parents would choose the wife for their son already when their son was a little boy. This was the first step called engagement.

And then later on in life, when dowry was paid, began the time of betrothal. And this time of betrothal would last one year. And it was considered legally binding the engagement at this time.

Typically at this time, the man and the woman would not see each other for the year's period of time. There would be no sexual relationships, no physical contact between the two.

Then the third step was the consummation of marriage when the man and the woman would move together and live together as husband and wife.

Mary and Joseph were in the state of betrothal. It was during this period of one year while preparing for the wedding, a time when there would be no physical contact with each other.

And now it was the time of taxation when both Mary and Joseph, if we read the genealogies we will find they are both descendants of David from two different lines. One is from Nathan and the other is from Solomon.

We can see from what the Bible mentions in a few different places about Joseph that he indeed was a just and an obedient man. He paid his taxes to the governments of Rome which was in many ways a very harsh and strict ruling government but yet he wished to be obedient to them.

He was obedient to the call to come to enroll himself in his town of birth Bethlehem and was bringing his spouse his fiance along with him Mary where they would both be enrolled.

We can see later on in his life the Bible mentions in sketchy detail that they would regularly come to Jerusalem to the annual feasts and festivals of the people of Israel and the last time that the name Joseph is mentioned in the Bible when he was with his wife Mary and their son Jesus when Jesus was 12 years old in the city of Jerusalem.

And so now Mary and Joseph are engaged and suddenly Joseph finds out that his spouse wife or the one he is engaged to is pregnant.

We know that unfortunately so in our society today this is a commonplace occurrence and for many people in society it is not even considered a matter of shame.

A friend of mine recalled when he was in grade school in Finland was it in the late 50s or the early 60s and there was one young boy and one young girl who had been walking down the hallway hand in hand.

So the entire school was gathered together in the auditorium. The principal announced before all of the people of the school what this boy and girl had been doing and then expelled them publicly from school for a period of time.

How things have changed in a few decades.

One of my first weddings that I performed in Finland in one locality was a man and a woman. This woman had a believing grandmother who was my closest neighbor in my apartment building one door down.

This woman was already divorced once and now had been living together with another man for a period of time. They asked me to perform the wedding. I performed the wedding and after they said I do we then baptized their child that they had had together.

How things have changed in society in a matter of a few decades.

That it is to say for all of us.

Joseph said I'm sure Joseph when he heard this news he was shocked. How could this be? What should he do?

And so the evangelist Matthew says in this way now the birth of Jesus Christ was in this way when as his mother Mary was espoused or engaged to Joseph before they came together before they had any physical contact before they had any sexual relationships she was found with child which was by the Holy Ghost.

Joseph didn't notice he didn't know how it happened and of course this was a shock to him but also a shame and the law of Moses was so strict regarding such an issue that if a woman became pregnant before she was married or even during the time of betrothal engagement both the man and the woman should be stoned to death.

We can read this from the 22nd chapter in the book of Deuteronomy 22nd chapter of the God.

So Joseph I'm sure didn't want that his dear beloved fiance would have to die in this manner and he didn't want to be shamed publicly himself or he didn't want her to be publicly shamed if such knowledge and information came out into the open.

So I'm sure he was greatly perplexed what should he do in such a grave situation.

Then Joseph her husband or we could say fiance they weren't husband as of yet even though in the society at that time betrothal was considered legally binding and in order to break a betrothal they actually had to get an official divorce that's how it was in the society at that time.

So Joseph her husband being a just man and as we try to recall some of the incidences of his life how he was obedient to the temporal government he was obedient unto the will of God the heavenly father he wished to travel and live the life of a believer being led and guided by the Holy Ghost not wishing to offend and transgress the will of God the heavenly father.

So Joseph her husband being a just man and not willing to make Mary a public example not wishing to shame her openly and publicly as would have happened if this information would have come out into the open in the society of that day and time.

So he wanted to do things quietly and he had the intentions to put her away privately and secretly he wished to discontinue the relationship but there were other plans God had other plans for both Joseph and for Mary.

And so while Joseph was meditating contemplating and thinking on these matters what should he do but while he thought on these matters behold the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream.

We know that angels have been messengers of great news in many occasions in the Bible it was the archangel Gabriel that appeared unto Zachariah and Elizabeth telling them that at their time of high age that they would finally receive a child that they had been hoping waiting for for years and his name should be called John John the Baptist.

The same archangel Gabriel appeared unto Mary telling her that she also would conceive and give birth to a boy child and also the name was given that she should give to the child and angels appeared later both unto Mary and Joseph after the child was born that they should take the child and flee the wrath of King Herod and go to the country of Egypt and after this ruthless King Herod had passed away again the angel appeared unto Mary and Joseph and said that it is now safe to return back to your homeland but don't settle in the city of Bethlehem but go and settle in the city of Nazareth which is in the province of Galilee in the northern part of the country.

So we can see that again an angel appears and appears in a dream it is interesting that that it appeared in a dream and saying Joseph thou son of David as I mentioned earlier there are two genealogies in the New Testament one according to Saint Matthew and one according to Saint Luke the one according to the gospel according to Saint Luke follows the line of Mary back but the one in Matthew just previous to the verses that we read follow the line of Joseph back and there are according to Matthew there are three groups of fourteen generations and always the next generation began that so and so begat so and so but now when we get to the final mention of the last generation it says and Jacob begat Joseph who was the husband of Mary it does not say that Joseph begat Jesus but Joseph was the husband of Mary of whom was born Jesus who is also called Christ.

So through the lineage of Joseph as it says that Joseph the son of David we can see that this is the lineage of the royal heritage and already back in the Old Testament it was prophesied unto King Samuel which is known I mean it was prophesied unto David which is known as the Davidic covenant that from you I will raise a kingdom and a kingship which shall be in everlasting kingship and kingdom and we know that this couldn't have been the son Solomon David's son Solomon because Solomon was a mortal human being and we also know that he was a sin fallen human being of whom there is no testimony in the Bible that his soul would have been accepted unto God the heavenly father.

So in this so called Davidic covenant the covenant of David that God was giving to David and through David of this everlasting kingdom kingdom and kingdom and kingship it is looking in time and it is if we follow this genealogy it is coming all the way down to this time of our text to Joseph who is of the lineage of David and so of the lineage of David of Joseph from David would be born the king of kings and the lord of lords as Jesus said the night before he was crucified when questioned by king Herod are you a king demonstrate and show me your kingdom do a miracle for me say something at one point in time Jesus was silent but another point in time Jesus said my kingdom and my kingship is not of this world it is a spiritual kingdom and kingship it is an everlasting kingdom.

And so even though David I mean Joseph was not the physical father of Jesus he was the father who adopted Jesus and thus continues that royal lineage all the way down from David.

And so while Joseph was thinking about this news that he had heard that his fiance Mary was pregnant and burdened with child knowing that he is not the father of this child wondering what he should do in a dream an angel appears unto him to comfort him to give him assurance and to give him advice.

So while Joseph thought on these things behold that the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream saying Joseph you who are the son of David you who are of that royal lineage fear not to take Mary as your wife don't break the engagement but continue it to the consummation of marriage have no fear for that which is conceived in her is conceived by the Holy Ghost.

So why then is this such an important matter and issue? We know as we confess in the Creed in the second article of the Creed that Jesus was conceived of the Holy Ghost and he was born of the Virgin Mary.

So why is this such an important fact and if I recall correctly this is perhaps the only part in the New Testament where it mentions that Jesus was conceived by the Holy Ghost and born of a virgin.

This is something which is incomprehensible to our carnal and human mind it is something as Jesus said it is hidden from the wise and from the prudent and it is amazing even though biblical scholars would examine and study the Bible night and day in its original tongue it is something that they cannot understand and find proof according to biology and natural science things.

But this we must say that nothing is impossible to God God the omnipotent one God the almighty God the all powerful one.

So why then is this such an important theological fact and issue that Jesus would be conceived by the Holy Ghost and be born of a virgin something that science and biology cannot explain?

Why was it necessary that Jesus was to be born as a human being born in the flesh as we say to be incarnated?

This goes back all the way to the first book of the Bible the first chapters of the Bible in the book of Genesis when Adam and Eve the first human pair the first human beings on this earth were disobedient being beguiled by the serpent they ate of that the fruit of that forbidden tree and they fell into sin.

This was the result of the disobedience of we say the first Adam including Adam and Eve and the wages of sin are death and were death at that moment all the pathways to heaven were shut were closed.

Adam and Eve lost their original righteousness at that point and moment in time there was no hope of reaching the everlasting glory of heaven.

But God did not wish to leave mankind in this condition but at that time already he gave the promise of a second Adam the first Adam was sin fallen a mortal human being after the fall and lost his original righteousness.

So then God promised to send a second Adam who would be a human being just like you and I and this fall this error this great fall into sin needed to be corrected and God established that it would be corrected by another human being as the writer to the Hebrews says of him the second Adam that he was tempted he was tried in every way in every point just like you and I but there was one exception he never erred he never fell into sin he was perfect he was blameless he was so perfect and he was so blameless he was not even tainted by original sin original sin that has come all the way down from Adam and Eve from generation and generation via our parents onto us and will continue from us as parents onto our next generation.

But when it happened so in this incomprehensible way that science and biology cannot explain when Mary a virgin untouched by any male was conceived by the Holy Ghost in a supernatural way not by the will of man but by the will of God the Almighty the Omnipotent One and so he was conceived by the Holy Ghost and he was then born of the Virgin Mary it was necessary this was part of God's plan of salvation so he would be that perfect that blameless that innocent lamb who comes to take away the sins of the world and would not even be tainted by original or inherited sin.

So Jesus was incarnated took upon himself the form of a human being when he was born there in the city of Bethlehem that first Christmas night there was no room for him in the inn so they went and found a stable intended for animals and he was laid on the straw of the manger intended to be a feeding trough for the animals in that lowly place of abode.

And so Jesus began his journey leaving all the way from the glory of heaven and began when he was then conceived by the Holy Ghost there in the womb of the Virgin Mary.

And so Jesus our Lord and Savior brings a message message unto us and all mankind especially all those children those thousands hundreds of thousands and millions of fetuses who are mercilessly condemned and aborted each year he began his journey all the way from the womb of his mother Mary and also to those who are condemned as unsaved when they die before they are baptized Jesus also wishes to bring a message for them and about them as well that they are God's heritage they are the fruit of the womb they are members of God's kingdom acceptable unto God the heavenly father and heirs of the glory of heaven.

But already there while lying in the manger as a little tiny baby and infant he began his journey with the shadow of the cross already hanging over his head in but a few weeks after he was born mother Mary and father Joseph being prompted by the announcement of the angel took the baby Jesus and fled the wrath of king Herod fleeing to the neighboring country of Egypt.

And that cross the shadow of the cross began to grow bigger darker and greater until that moment when he was nailed himself physically to the middle cross of Golgotha there in the city of Jerusalem.

But then our text here says that and she Mary your fiance your spouse wife shall bring forth a son and you shall call his name Jesus they didn't even have to meditate or contemplate what the name of their child would be but the name was given just as it was given to Zechariah and Elizabeth the angel said to Zechariah his name shall be John.

Now all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet saying Matthew the evangelist Matthew is very remarkable in this when he is addressing the Jewish people some of the other evangelists address other audiences and so that is why there are some peculiarities and differences in some of the other gospels of the New Testament but Matthew is especially addressing the nation of Israel the people of the nation of Israel and he is amazing in this fact that time and time again he is showing how Old Testament prophecies are fulfilled.

Some have counted that perhaps there is as many as 14 different places where Matthew says and thus it is fulfilled it is a fulfillment of an Old Testament prophecy.

And so Matthew says that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet saying behold a virgin shall be with child and shall bring forth a son and they shall call his name Emmanuel.

This brings us way back into the Old Testament times when both the northern nation of Judah and the southern or the northern nation of Israel and the southern nation of Judah were still existing and Assyria the superpower was attacking the northern nation of Israel and the king of the southern nation of Judah at that time was Ahaz and the northern nation of Israel was asking them to join an alliance with them along with Egypt and other smaller neighboring countries so they could somehow fend off and ward off the superpower of Syria.

And God says to this unfaithful king disobedient king sinful king that don't join that alliance don't join up with that alliance with Israel Egypt and Syria to try fight against the superpower Assyria.

King Ahaz asked that well it seems impossible otherwise we will never remain will be completely defeated and annihilated.

God says I will save you I will spare you.

King Ahaz says well prove it to me give me a sign.

God says okay king Ahaz I will give you a sign and this is what now Matthew the New Testament evangelist quotes that original sign that was given by God to king Ahaz and the sign that was given to king Ahaz hundreds of years earlier was this a virgin shall conceive and give birth to a boy child and his name shall be called Emmanuel.

This is a very highly disputed verse in the Old Testament because in the Old Testament in the original language in Hebrew the Hebrew word that we use and call virgin is alamah and the meaning for this word in the Hebrew language is young woman.

And so biblical scholars like this as proof for them that it is impossible that a virgin could conceive without the will of man to give birth to a child.

Two friends of mine were walking one day down the streets of the city of Helsinki and they came by a Jewish synagogue which is in the city and a rabbi was out in the yard of the synagogue and they struck up a conversation with that rabbi and somehow they began to discuss about this portion from Isaiah 7 is it verse 12 that a virgin shall conceive and give birth to a son and his name shall be Emmanuel.

The rabbi became so angry that he spat he spit on the ground he says that is improperly translated it is young woman but it's interesting another rabbi was asked about this same portion and being young woman and the rabbi says well if I had three daughters two were married and one was not married and if you would insinuate in any way that my young woman unmarried woman is is is pregnant I would be highly offended because it is my wish my hope and desire that she would be a virgin until she is married.

But it's interesting when the first Old Testament was translated into another language which is known as the Septuagint which was translated into the Greek language for the Greek speaking population which is somewhat 200 years before the birth of Christ when they translated this portion from Hebrew into Greek they translated and a virgin they didn't translate it as young woman but they translated that a virgin shall conceive give birth to a child and his name shall be called Emmanuel.

Well this sign was fulfilled for this for this disobedient king King Ahaz and he did name his child Emmanuel but this disobedient king was killed and had no testimony that he would be heaven acceptable.

But now here we see in the narrative of the Christmas gospel according to Saint Matthew how the angel says and behold a virgin shall be with child and shall bring forth a son and they shall call his name Emmanuel.

Well the word the ending of this word Emmanuel is God coming from the word Elohim and this word is translated for us into the English language which means is interpreted that God be with us.

And so not only was Jesus reincarnated once when the time was fulfilled then Jesus was born into this world according as Paul even says in the epistle to the Galatians and he came under the law so he could redeem those who were under the law.

But it was not sufficient that Jesus would only be here upon this earth once with mankind with humankind time the word was in the beginning was the word the word was with God God was the word and the word became flesh and it dwelled in our midst.

Jesus was here as a human being in the form of a human being for 30 some years traveling among his people in the nation of Israel.

But it is not sufficient that he was once here upon this earth among in the midst of mankind back some 2000 years ago but as John on the Isle of Patmos hears that wonderful announcement that I John saw that new Jerusalem coming down from heaven adorned as a bride for her bridegroom and behold I heard behold the tabernacle of God which is in the midst of men.

And so God's tabernacle the kingdom of God is here upon this earth as Luther says and Augustine says that outside of this tabernacle the kingdom of God there is no Christ there is no hope and there is no salvation.

But as Jesus said in his farewell words to his disciples behold I am with you always even unto the end of the world.

So his name was given Emmanuel that is God be with you but then Jesus was also given this baby boy was also given another name which is Jesus and actually Jesus we could say is a very common name it was a very common name in the society of that time and I'm sure there were many other boy children who received that same name perhaps on the same day as Jesus himself.

And it's interesting that Jesus comes the name Jesus comes from the same root or the same name as Joshua Joshua who was the one who continued the work of Moses Moses led the people up to the borders of the promised land but it was Joshua who was the savior who released them and saved them from their enemies and led the people of Israel over the river Jordan into the promised land.

But Jesus is much more than Joshua the leader of the people of Israel at that time and he is the one who saves people from their sins for God so loved the world that he sent his only beloved and begotten son into the world so that whosoever would believe upon him would not need to perish but they would be able to have by faith through faith the gift of everlasting life.

So as Peter says in the Acts of the Apostle there is only one name under heaven in which and by which a person shall become saved and that is the name of Jesus Christ.

The psalm writer says he referring to the promised Messiah Christ Jesus he shall redeem Israel not only Israel but his people those who believe upon him from their iniquities.

So at this Christmas time again we wish to quieten and pause and remember these events that took place and happened on the first Christmas night and Christmas day when the gift of all gifts our Savior Redeemer that Christ child the Son of God who is both God and man at the same time was born into this world in a very lowly way but it was part of God's plan of salvation that innocent one eventually was nailed on the middle cross of Golgotha shedding his blood to the last drop and giving his life so that he could prepare this gift of everlasting life in the hope of salvation opening the pathway onto the glory of heaven and knitting that cloak of righteousness which is that wedding garment in which wedding garment we are heaven acceptable.

So even this morning we can be happy and free when we can own this greatest of gifts which money gold or silver no work or effort can purchase or merit but is alone by faith alone by grace alone through the merits of Christ Jesus.

For his name shall be Jesus for he shall save his people from their sins even even now believe sins forgiven in Jesus name in blood.

And I also wish to extend unto you a Christmas greeting wishing you to have a very merry and blessed Christmas and a happy new year in Jesus name amen.

The Lord bless us and keep us the Lord make his face shine upon us and be gracious unto us the Lord lift up his countenance upon us and give us peace in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Ghost amen Amen Amen