GOSPEL LESSON: Matthew 1:18–25 [How the birth of Jesus Christ came about.]
Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly. But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet:
“Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel” (which means, God with us).
When Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him: he took his wife, but knew her not until she had given birth to a son. And he called his name Jesus.
Isaiah prophesied, “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel”
We say in the Apostles’ Creed: “He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary.”
The angel in a dream said, “Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.”
The Virgin Birth of Jesus Christ is a very important teaching of the Christian Church. We Christians believe in this miracle not only because the Bible clearly teaches it, but also because it is necessary for our salvation!
First, it is clearly stated in the Bible that the Father of Jesus was not Joseph, but was God. “Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit.” And, “When Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him: he took his wife, but knew her not until she had given birth to a son. And he called his name Jesus.”
Now, as the Catechism would ask, what does this mean?
It means, first of all, that the Father of Jesus was God and his mother was Mary. Jesus was both god and man, at the same time both divine and human. We call this the “two natures of Christ.” This is very important for our salvation. For our salvation Jesus took upon himself the sin of the world and then died on the cross. Jesus had to be almighty-god in order to take all that sin upon himself, no human could do that. But since God in immortal and eternal and cannot die, Jesus had to be human. And Jesus also had to be human in order to rise again on the third day. That gives ordinary humans like us the ability to rise again and the faith to believe that we too will rise from the dead.
Because Jesus was human, he knows what human life is like. He understands our prayers, he sympathizes with us in our sufferings, and rejoices with us in our happiness. That is because he too suffered: he was hungry, thirsty, and felt the pain of the lashes and the nails. But he also enjoyed being with his friends, the conversation and the good food. Like us, he worried about the pain of other, he got angry about sin and injustice, and he was concerned about the problems of life. Like us, he spoke about God and the necessity of faith, and like us, he knew the frustration of that. And this is why we love Jesus! He is not some far-off being that does not know us. He knows each one of us personally. In Baptism we are part of his family. He loves us. This is the sort of wonderful God that we personally know!
The Apostles’ Creed says: “He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary.” So, Jesus has the power of the Holy Spirit, and Jesus will also do the work of the Holy Spirit. The first work in the Bible of the Holy Spirit is creation and renewal. And in Jesus there is a new creation, there is a renewal of the bond between God and man. There is love, forgiveness, reconciliation, and peace with God.
Another work of the Holy Spirit is to reveal the Word of God. In the power of the Holy Spirit prophets like Isaiah spoke and wrote the Word of God. We call that inspiration. Jesus Christ spoke the Word of God. He proclaimed that the Kingdom of God had come. He revealed the plan of God. Jesus was not a lawgiver like Moses; rather he was a gospel-giver. He spoke the Good News. The Law demands what we must do, but the Gospel tells what God has done and is still doing for lawbreakers like us. That is why it is “good” news.
And another work of the Holy Spirit is to lead us to faith through the Word and Sacraments. Jesus reveals himself to us in the Word and in the Sacraments; and so our faith is created and renewed.
Jesus is both God and Man. This faith is also revealed and strengthened in our hymns and carols and songs of praise. God’s Son is born the son of Mary. This is the saving-miracle of Christmas. He is our Savior.
At this time of year, the Holy Spirit is very busy. Jesus is reborn in our hearts. He is with us, “Immanuel.” And so we are with Jesus in worship and prayer and in our daily life.
Amen.
Michael Nearhood, Pastor
Okinawa Lutheran Church
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