❖ Video
❖ Audio (Message)
The Most Wonderful Gift in the World
(Matthew 1:18-25・The Second Week of the Advent)
Mari Ikeda
Today is the second Sunday of Advent. Today let’s quickly start by reading Matthew 1:18-25.
18 This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit. 19 Because Joseph her husband was faithful to the law, and yet did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly. 20 But 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. 21 She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” 22 All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: 23 “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”). 24 When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. 25 But he did not consummate their marriage until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus.
A. The meaning of Jesus’ birth = Immanuel
Christmas is a time of year when children look forward to receiving gifts from Santa Claus. Unfortunately, Santa Claus may not come to adults, but many people give gifts to each other.
I had always thought that the culture and customs of Christmas originated from the fact that Jesus’ birth was the most wonderful gift in the world from God, as the title of today’s message suggests, but apparently there are actually many theories. Some say it is based on an episode in the Bible where the Magi from the East offered gifts to Jesus, while others say it has its origins in the festival celebrating the sun that the Romans celebrated in December. Santa Claus, as you may have heard, is said to have originated with a saint named St. Nicholas. Perhaps it is the combination of the Christian culture celebrating the birth of Jesus and the desire of adults to please children, which is not necessarily based on the Bible, but is common to all cultures, that has led to the form of Christmas as we know it today.
But what I want to share with you today is the story of the most wonderful Christmas gift in the world that God has given to all people of the world throughout the ages. In Joseph’s dream, an angel told him:
21 She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” 22 All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: 23 “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”).
In the Old Testament, we read that even after God created this world, He has been trying to guide people to the right path through prophets. But people kept rebelling against God, fighting and hurting each other. God knew that people are like that, but He never gave up on them and never gave up on saving them. Until then, God had spoken only through prophets, but 2,000 years ago, He came to this world as a human being. That is Jesus.
Jesus was not only God Himself, the omniscient and omnipotent Creator of the world, but also a flesh-and-blood human being just like us. He was born to a woman named Mary, raised by His parents, and raised in a small village called Nazareth with His younger brothers and sisters. Eventually, as an adult, Jesus left home and set out on a journey to fulfill the purpose for which he was born into this world. It was a journey to teach people how God wanted society to be and to share God’s love with others. His ultimate goal was to accept the fate of being executed as a substitute for sinners in order to prove that God’s love is poured out to all people.
Jesus’ existence is God’s love itself and God’s forgiveness itself. It is amazing that God appeared in the world in the flesh, but it is hard to understand that He was executed as a sinner. But that is who God is, and that is Jesus. God gave up His own status as God. The name “Jesus,” which in Hebrew is Joshua and means “the Lord is salvation,” was a common name. As the one man Jesus, God chose to spend a finite amount of time with people, to spend time traveling with his disciples, to break His heart for those suffering from illness and discrimination, to be outraged at the injustices of society at times, and to be literally within reach of anyone who would reach out to Him. And because we were drowning in each other’s sins, doing so much that was contrary to God’s love, He bore all of our sins and died on the cross. The One who was in a position to judge us became the One who would be judged. It was the only way that God’s justice and God’s love and forgiveness could be compatible.
Therefore, Jesus was the Messiah, the “Immanuel” (God is with us), the Savior, just as the Old Testament prophesied. While God was deeply saddened by our sinfulness, Jesus proved that He is with us no matter how sinful we are.
The greatest gift in the world is the gift that God has given to all people of all time only once in history. It is offered to us even today. It is Jesus, the Messiah, who desires to be with us. It is up to us to receive that gift.
But how do we know that the gift is being offered to us as well? That is what I would like to talk more about. There are two ways. They are two in one. One is in solitude and the other is through people. First, let us consider receiving the gift in solitude.
B. Immanuel to be known in solitude
1. The case of Joseph (Mary)
Joseph, Jesus’ father-in-law, was one of the first to receive the gift of Immanuel. Before him, his fiancée, Mary, had also received it. For them, the gift was at first only an embarrassment and even a danger to their position in society. For Mary, it was a pregnancy she did not remember, and for Joseph, it was the pregnancy of his fiancée, which he also did not remember. Both of them had to decide on their own whether it was really by God’s power or not, whether what the angel told them was true or not, and whether they would believe it or not. It was not the kind of decision that could be made by consulting someone else; it was a choice of whether or not each of them would trust God.
2. Let’s have time for just you and Jesus.
We all have times when we need to check if God is really with us in our loneliness. When we are unexpectedly ill, or when someone we love becomes ill, each of us must confirm for ourselves whether God is still loving us and whether God is with us or not. In those difficult times, some people may say, “God has abandoned you. Or, God was never with you in the first place.” Others may say, “God is still with you. Don’t give up!” It is up to each of us to decide which is true.
At the same time, we find that we have a rich interaction with God that can only be experienced in solitude. When we have to join a crowd of people we don’t know because of going to school, getting a job, or moving to a new place, we feel lonely and anxious. However, such times are also opportunities for us to feel more strongly that God is still with us even if no one knows us. Even when we feel uncomfortable in a crowd of strangers, we can regain our composure and be ourselves when we can think, “I am never here alone, but Jesus is with me.” Such experiences also make our relationship with Jesus stronger and deeper.
Thus, receiving God’s gift of Immanuel means, first, to have time alone with just you and Jesus. It is a one-on-one relationship between us and Jesus, focusing our hearts on God. We can call it prayer or we can call it worship. In the hectic pace of our daily lives, I urge you to remember the richness of spending time alone with Jesus.
Nevertheless, as I said before, I would like to tell you next that the gift of Immanuel is not something that can be received only in solitude, but through others, that is, by being among people.
C. Immanuel to be known among people
1. The case of Joseph and Mary
Joseph and Mary each trusted God and believed that the insane and terrible thing that had happened to them was by God’s power. But the next thing they had to do was trust each other. Joseph had to believe that Mary had not been unfaithful, and Mary had to expect Joseph to accept it. They trusted each other in this way, and seeing the other trusting God helped them trust each other even more. The angel’s news was initially terrifying for both of them, but it turned into deep joy because they had someone with whom they could accept it and rejoice.
2. Let’s love and trust people.
We, too, know the joy of Immanuel through each other’s presence. When we see our church family and friends living their lives trusting in Jesus, we can have the courage and hope to walk in the same way. Each of us is only a weak human being. The struggles that these weak people encounter when they look up to Jesus and try to walk through life can be shared because we are the same people. Sometimes we want to trust God, but we are so sad or confused that we just can’t help it or don’t know what to do with ourselves. In those times, we all need someone who is just there for us or just listens to us. These people are certainly taking God’s place at that time. They are there for us in God’s place, comforting and encouraging us. They do for God what the invisible God cannot do.
And, strange as it may seem, the joy of Immanuel becomes greater in us when we are willing to share it with others. There are so many people who need Immanuel, but so many of them spend their time not knowing that the gift is being offered to them. There is little we can do, but we can give ourselves unexpected joy by loving and trusting someone else on Jesus’ behalf. We are given the grace to witness the moment when Jesus’ love reaches someone’s heart. It may be something as small as a crying person smiling, or a person who has lost confidence regaining it. But it is a great encouragement to those of us who witness it. It is not our power, but Immanuel’s power.
How real is it for you, Immanuel, that God is with you? Please confirm it in solitude. And know the joy of knowing it through someone else. And experience more and more how your joy grows as you bring that joy to someone else. Please receive the gift from God.
(Prayer) Let us pray. God who made this world, we praise you once again now that you came to this world as Jesus 2,000 years ago. Thank You that You are with us, whether we are alone or with someone else. We often forget that and try to walk on our own, or we are discouraged and lose confidence. Please remind us daily that the joy of walking through life with you is a joy like no other. And give us friends to share it with. Jesus, Lord of Immanuel, we praise your name. We pray in your precious name. Amen.
Summary
There are many stories about the origin of Christmas gifts, but two thousand years ago, God gave the most wonderful gift in the world to all people throughout the ages. It is “Immanuel” (God is with us). God came to this world as Jesus and gave us His time, His labor, His heart, and His life. God has given Himself to us. If we believe this and receive Jesus into our hearts, we can have peace that God is with us even in our loneliness. God also comes among those who believe in Him, and through each other’s presence we can know that God is with us and have the grace to rejoice together. Please accept this most wonderful gift in the world.
For Discussion
1. Do you actually feel that God is with you?
2. Having received this gift, what should we do next?