St. Matthew 1:18-25 Dearly beloved,
One can only imagine what it must have been like to be Joseph. What is more, one can hardly fathom what must have been going through the mind of the virgin Mary as she was told all these things about being the mother of God. Pondering all these things in her heart, we can do no better. We ponder these miraculous realities in our hearts. We behold a mystery....incarnate by the Holy Ghost, born of the virgin Mary.....these things are deep, indeed. Joseph, a carpenter, desired to live a good life, a holy life. Joseph no doubt wanted to do his work well, make enough to live decently, and he planned to take this young woman, Mary, to be his wife. Centuries of people had waited for the Messiah, the anointed One, to come. With so many years of expectation, who would ever expect it to happen all of a sudden like it did. Joseph and Mary, both, were of the line of David. They knew about the Messiah. They knew the Old Testament scriptures, and they knew that someday the Messiah would come. But in their time? But in their midst? Hardly fathomable that such a thing would actually come to pass. We can sympathize with Joseph. He sees that Mary is pregnant and he thinks what anyone would think. She was unfaithful. She is no longer a virgin. She committed the horrible sin of adultery. This is how we think in the world. We see things and we draw conclusions, and are we any different? How easy is it for us to think of heavenly things? When we are told that God loves us do we believe it? When the Divine voice tells us to live holy lives, do we take as if it were really coming from the Lord’s mouth? Or do we take it as coming from the mouths of men? Do we leave the church and live lives that bear the fruits of repentance and faith? Or do we live like the world? We all know that we are going to leave church, and we will say and do things that go contrary to Holy Scripture--Divine speaking. We all know that we would rightly hang our heads in shame if our sins were exposed for everyone to see. But on this night we smile. On this night, amidst candlelight, we find a different atmosphere. There is joy in the air. We can almost feel it. There may be many reasons for this joy in the world, but in the church we know from what this joy springs. It is not unlike the joy that David exhibits when the ark of the covenant is brought in his midst. The ark of the covenant was like a covering and a location for God’s presence to dwell among His people. When the ark was brought into the house of Obed Edom all of Obed Edom’s family was blessed. God’s dwelling among His people even in the ark brought abundant blessings and good fruit. David’s joy was scorned upon by the world, but David understood the implications of God’s presence in their midst. God, therefore tabernacled in another ark, which was the flesh. God was born through a virgin. There in space and time, in the body of a baby was the eternal, magnificent, radiant God. This miraculous birth from a virgin brings joy to us, but why? Perhaps it is because of all that follows in the records of the evangelists: Jesus is tempted and conquers the tempter and is served by angels. Jesus heals every sickness and infirmity, and gives life to the dead, such as Lazarus. Jesus drives out demons, and, with a few loaves of bread and some fish, feeds thousands. Jesus walks on the sea and commands the wind and the waves to obey Him. While being the omnipotent God, Jesus is betrayed, arrested, crucified, and buried as humans are buried, but rises from the dead, demonstrating His Godhead. Jesus ascends into heaven, seated at the right hand of the heavenly Father in glory. What amazing things we have told to us by the Divine voice that proclaims for us unsearchable mysteries, and they have one intention for us all--our perfection, our completion in Christ. The life of Christ, from incarnation, to birth, to death, to resurrection are concerned with restoring us into the condition of Adam before the fall. This is about your holiness and salvation. This is about the Father’s business of having fellowship with His creation. So, the name Immanuel carries with it deep meaning for our lives. God is with us. It doesn’t mean that God “was” with us. He is with us. Jesus lives and dwells among you in the mouth of the pastor as He preaches the gospel. Jesus is in your midst and among you as you are washed through the waters of holy baptism, and Jesus is in your midst in the cup that we drink....is it not a participation in the blood of Christ. The pastor holds up the cup for all to see because you see in the cup “God with us,” our holy Immanuel. And so you drink Christ because your redemption draws near. The holy things that seem so far away from you and so difficult to grasp are placed in your midst. Just as God humbles Himself to be made man, in like reversal men are made to be like God in His image once again as they rest in the forgiveness and mercy of Christ by the gospel. So on this night let us light our candles. In the holiness of Christ’s forgiveness for your sins, you rest in His love. He heals you of your illness of sin. He declares you as holy as we await the redemption promised and fulfilled in Jesus. Our candles flicker reminding us that in darkness a light doth shine. Jesus comes and resides with you....in a child, in a Savior, in a gospel preached, in a baptism that washes, and in a cup that we drink. Jesus is your Immanuel--for God is with you even now. Amen. -- Rev. Chad Kendall Trinity Lutheran Church Lowell, Indiana www.trinitylowell.org
