St. Luke's Evangelical Lutheran Church -- Watertown, WI

Pastor Mark Gartner

Sermon for Advent 4  – Dec. 23^rd, 2007

Matthew 1:18-25

¹⁸This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit. ¹⁹Because Joseph her husband was a righteous man and did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly.

²⁰But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. ²¹She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”

²²All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: ²³“The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel”—which means, “God with us.”

²⁴When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. ²⁵But he had no union with her until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus.

Dear followers of Jesus our true God.  Amen

Last year a man named Larry Stewart died.  While his name may not ring a bell, I think what he was famous for might.  Larry Stewart was the original Secret Santa who anonymously walked the city streets of Kansas City each December handing out $100 bills to anyone who looked like they might need a lift. Over 25 years Larry Stewart quietly gave out more than $1.5 million to people in laundromats, diners, bus stations, shelters and thrift stores. He said it was his way of giving back at Christmas for all the wealth he'd had and the generosity he'd known. He did not want his name known, he did not want thanks or applause. Last December as he ws nearing his death, though, Stewart acknowledged who he was, and used his last few months while he battled cancer to pass on the Secret Santa to someone else. He also trained some friends in the ways of Secret Santa. This Christmas, a friend who like Stewart prefers to remain anonymous, is out on the streets handing out $100 bills, each one stamped "Larry Stewart, Secret Santa".  Between Kansas City and several other cities this Christmas, the new Secret Santa will give away $88,000 of his own money.  Wouldn’t it be neat to have that kind of money and be able to hand out $100 bills to anyone who looked in need of it, and even better wouldn’t it be great to receive one of those free $100 bills?.

While most of us have not been blessed with the means to hand out money to people, we all have been blessed with the message of a Savior who was born in Bethlehem 2000 years ago.  And better than giving away $100 bills to people, God has given each of us the wonderful opportunity to hand out the priceless message of the gift of God’s Son being born to die for the sins of all people.  And while many people might think that receiving a $100 bill would be the greatest present we could ever receive, we know that what God has put into our hearts is the best gift of all.  Today we will focus on a few of the things that we will want to remember as we go in to the world and boldly and loudly proclaim:

Sermon Theme: Immanuel Is Coming!

1.         By a miracle.

2.         With a purpose.

As we look at the coming of Savior into this world, it was a miracle in more ways than one.  It was a miracle as we think about a baby being born of a virgin.  It was a miracle as we think of Jesus being conceived by the Holy Spirit.  It is a miracle that God’s plan to save sinful mankind included sending his one and only Son to live perfectly on this earth and then give his innocent life for the payment of our sins.  But for all of this to happen, we needed to have a Savior that was in every way God.  This might seem like a small point as we look at the baby born in Bethlehem, but it is so important for us as sinners.

            I know we are a few days before our celebration of Christmas, but I want you to take yourself back to the stable where Jesus was born.  I want you to get yourself close to that manger which was his first bed.  I want you to get down on your knees and pull back the soft cloths that were keeping him warm and snug.  As you are doing this, what do you see?  Yes, you most certainly saw a small, helpless baby.  Yes, you saw the miracle by which God brings children into this world.  But what do you really see?  How we answer this question gives the real answer to how sure we are of our salvation.

            Our text for today gives each of us a very good clue as to what we see when we look into that manger.  The clue is found in one of the names that God gives us for his Son.  It is the word, Immanuel.  We just sang a song about our desire for Emmanuel to come and save us from our sin.  We hear the name Immanuel often, especially around the Christmas Season.  But what does the word Immanuel mean for us as Christians?  Our text begins to give us some clues.  The word Immanuel means, “God with us.”  As we think about this meaning we can see very clearly who the baby is lying in that baby in Bethlehem.

That baby Jesus is more than just another baby born into this world.  It is God himself.  That baby is more than just another baby with the name Jesus.  It was the one and only Son of God.  This is very important to us as we think about our sinfulness.  God sent his Son to take the punishment for our sins.  As God Jesus was able and willing to take this punishment in our place.  There is no person who could die to take away his sins or die for the sins of another person.  It is impossible.  All that we are able to accomplish is to inherit eternal damnation for our sins.  All we can accomplish is to daily and willingly disobey God and his ways.  All we are able to accomplish on our own is to separate ourselves forever from God’s presence.

            Just think of what it means to look into that manger in Bethlehem and see God.  Think of the joy and assurance this brings to each and every one of us.  We are not willing or capable of saving ourselves, but our Savior-God, Jesus is able to accomplish this perfectly.  As God he was able to live the perfect life that our heavenly Father required.  As true God, Jesus was able to battle the devil and carry our sins to the cross perfectly.  As true God he was able to conquer sin and death so that we are guaranteed of an eternal home in heaven.

            But how many people look into that manger in Bethlehem and see just a baby?  How many people look into that manger and see a man who would one day be a great prophet or a man who would serve as a great example for people to follow?  How many people just simply ignore completely who that baby was in the manger?  The problem in this world is that too many people celebrate Christmas and miss completely who that baby was.  The sad thing about people who think this way is that they have missed the true point about Christmas.  The have taken Jesus and lowered him down to our standards so that we can understand him better.  It is a whole lot easier for people to relate to a common person so let’s make Jesus just a common person.

            As we hear the Christmas story each and every year, it is such a joy to have the chance to hear over and over again how great our Savior truly was.  As we look at his name there is no mistaking who he was.  Isaiah spoke these same words as a sign to one of the kings of Judah to let them know that Jesus would most certainly come from the line of Judah, even if Judah was overcome by another nation.  God is in control and God’s plan of salvation is perfect.  The key to his plan is the fact that our great Immanuel came into this world for you and for me.  As we hear this name of Jesus we are not mistaken as to what this name  means about our Savior.  It fills in all the gaps as to what kind of Savior we have.  We have the perfect Savior.

            I encourage all of us here today to take a very close look at ourselves.  As we look at ourselves make sure that we do not overlook any stain or any blemish, and no I am not talking about your outward appearance.  I am talking about the stains and blemishes of our sin.  I encourage all of us to look at all those stains and blemishes of sin and realize how deep those stains and blemishes run.  I encourage all of us to look at these stains and blemish and realize what all these stains and blemishes have done to me.  As we do this examination of ourselves, we always need to remember that there is no earthly cure for the blemish and stain of sin.  As we look at these things we call sin ever so closely, the sins of our thoughts, and words and actions, we can see all too clearly that we don’t have anything to offer our God. 

            It is only after we have looked ever so closely at our own stains and blemishes of sin that we can then go and take a good look into that manger in Bethlehem, and see what God has given as the cure for our sins.  And as we all draw near to that manger knowing full well who is in that manger, our God and our Savior, we can draw closer to that manger to find the comfort that only our true God could offer.  In that manger we find the salve that cleanses all of the stains and blemishes of sin. In that manger we find the strength and assurance which God has offered to his forgiven children. 

            Today I as we have looked at the name Immanuel, we have see this name is very fitting for our Savior.  I pray that our Immanuel will be ever so clear this Christmas Season and throughout the year as we remember what our Savior-God has done for us.  May we this year draw near to the manger in Bethlehem and look with joy and thanks in our hearts at the Savior of all our sins, who is God’s own Son.  Immanuel:  what a perfect name to remind us and assure us that our sins are completely forgiven through the life and death of our Immanuel.  Amen.