Behold Immanuel (Matthew 1:23)- Pastor Kenneth Collins Maple

We come to the service of the Word now. We've

heard a lot of the Word, but we'll continue now

with the preaching of God's Word. And so I would

invite you now to take your Bibles and open up

to Matthew chapter 1, verse 23. I'm actually

Matthew 1:23

going to read a bit of the surrounding context.

Your bulletin says Matthew 1, 23. I'm going to

read 18 through 25. 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 he's 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 Let

us pray again Father we thank you for the message

of the word and now as we study it we ask that

you would grant us Understanding that we would

know Jesus more and that we would always live

for him this we ask in his name amen Why do you

have the name that you have do you ever think

about the meaning of your name or how you got

it Maybe you were named after somebody. You were

named after a relative, keeping a good name alive.

Maybe you were named after a biblical individual.

Maybe you're a Sarah or you're a David. You're

a Matthew. You're an Elizabeth. Maybe you're

a Jehoshaphat. I can only hope to be as cool

as someone with the name Jehoshaphat. Maybe you're

named after a celebrity. I'm named after a celebrity.

Kenny Rogers. And as a boy, I thought that was

pretty great because there was a pitcher for

the Texas Rangers who in 1994 threw a perfect

game and his name was Kenny Rogers. My parents

told me, not that Kenny Rogers. But what's in

a name? Last Sunday, we looked at Gabriel's words

announcing to Mary that she would have a child.

Conceived by the Holy Spirit and the child's

name would be Jesus We have the same here in

our text today from verse 21 And if the name

of Jesus isn't clear enough the angel provides

the reason for the name Jesus will save his people

from their sins I mentioned last Sunday how I

wanted every single person in the sanctuary to

be able to exit the sanctuary knowing Jesus and

knowing what the name of Jesus means. And that's

what I want for you today as well. Know this,

the name of Jesus means Yahweh saves. You see,

friends, we are all sinners in need of grace.

We have all fallen short of the glory of God,

but the very name of Jesus tells his mission.

Just like your name means something, Jesus's

name means something, and it's full of significance.

Jesus does what his name means. But Jesus in

the Scriptures, he's referred to by many names.

Jesus is called the Christ. He's called the Messiah.

He's called the Savior. He's called the Son of

God and the Son of Man. Jesus is called Redeemer.

Jesus is called friend. But what this text does

is reaches far back, all the way back to the

time of Isaiah, 700 years in the past, to Isaiah

714, to show us yet another name, that of Immanuel.

You see, ever since, ever since God created man,

he has made promises to mankind, specifically,

After Adam and Eve sinned and all of humankind

is brought under a curse, God promised a redeemer.

And along the way throughout the scriptures,

God continued to remind his people of the promise

of Immanuel. And so we get to Isaiah and we read

this clear version of the promise, behold, the

virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they

shall call his name Immanuel. And so the Christmas

story comes to life. The Virgin Mary gives birth

to Immanuel, just as Jesus's name has significance.

So the term Immanuel does too. And it doesn't

so much describe what Jesus does, as much as

it describes who Jesus is. Jesus is God with

us. Now it is true that God is a spirit. God

is omnipresent which means God is always with

us. This is communicated throughout the scriptures.

Isaiah 41 10, do not fear for I am with you.

Joshua 1 9, have I not commanded you be strong

and courageous. Do not be frightened and do not

be dismayed. Why? For the Lord your God is with

you wherever you go. Psalm 23, even though I

walk through the valley of the shadow of death

I will fear no evil. Why? For you are with me

your rod and your staff they comfort me So God

is always with us, but something special happens

with Jesus With Immanuel Jesus moves into the

neighborhood if you will and tabernacles among

us Jesus fully God born of a woman takes on human

nature Jesus is the God man and his arrival is

what the whole world had waited for. Matthew

shows us this. Matthew shows us that the Immanuel

Isaiah is talking about is none other than Jesus,

the embodiment of Immanuel. And because Jesus

has come in the flesh, he knows exactly what

you're going through. Jesus knows exactly what

each and every one of you is going through because

Jesus came into the miseries of this life. Jesus

was tempted in every single way as we are, yet

without sin. And so you can trust Jesus, friends.

You must trust Jesus. He has come, he lived a

perfect life, and he died a sacrificial death

for you. And so today, recognizing the wonder

of Immanuel, I want us to behold him. I want

us to behold Immanuel. You might say, what does

it mean to behold Immanuel? Friends, when you

see the words behold in scripture, something

noteworthy is about to happen. It's an interjection.

It's an exclamation. It's like God is saying,

look, pay attention. In this text, God is fulfilling

the promises of old, that Jesus comes in the

flesh to save us from our sins. And this text

is saying, look to Jesus, the author and perfecter

of your faith. Friends, at this time of year,

there's a lot to behold. There's beautiful decorations.

There's lights. There's incredible sounds, sounds

of worship. There's gifts that are given. So

many things to behold, but above all of these

things is the reason for the things. It's Immanuel.

And so look to him in faith, friends. He's the

only one. He's the only way that we can be saved

from our sins. But I also want you to know this

today, that as Immanuel came once, so he will

come again. As a matter of fact, many, several

of the carols that we sing, Christmas carols,

have an understanding of the second coming of

Christ, too. Think about O come, O come, Emmanuel.

PCA Pastor Joe Holland says this of that hymn.

This hymn is expectant and forward -looking in

its composition. It declares the first advent

of Jesus even as it stokes our desire for the

second coming of Jesus. We live in the inaugurated

kingdom of God that is hurtling towards its great

consummation at the end of all things when Jesus

will come again to judge the living and the dead.

This is why I argue, he says, that we should

sing this hymn all year long. It is indeed said

in the first coming of Jesus, but its real power

is in the repeated emotive call, O come. O come,

that places on our lips the longing of our souls,

a hope we share with the saints in the Old Testament,

our expectant wish that Jesus will come quickly

and wipe away every tear from our eyes and make

all things right. You see, when Jesus comes back

or when we go to him, our faith shall be turned

to sight. That we who we behold in faith We will

see, friends, Christians, you will see Jesus.

Just like Mary, and just like Joseph, and just

like the shepherds, we will see Jesus. Somebody

asked me recently, is Jesus still a man? Does

Jesus still have a body? And the answer is a

resounding yes, absolutely, as Jesus came once.

his first Advent so he will come again. Jesus

has not left us. Emmanuel has not ceased being

Emmanuel, for you remember, you remember what

Jesus told his disciples after his resurrection

but before his ascension. He said behold, and

there's that word again, behold I am with you

always, even to the end. of the age, Jesus reminds

us that he is Immanuel. Church, continue to behold

Immanuel, God with us, and trust the promises

of God because they all find their yes and amen

in Christ. And as Christ came once, his first

advent, so he will come again. Let us pray. O

come, O come, Emmanuel, come quickly, Lord Jesus.

But in the meantime, help us to behold you, bind

our hearts to yours, cheer our spirits, and fill

us even now with heaven's praise. This we pray

in Christ's name. Amen. Amen. Our fifth lesson

comes from John chapter one. John chapter 1 verses

John 1:1–5

1 through 5 to begin. In the beginning was the

Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word

was God. He was in the beginning with God. All

things were made through Him, and without Him

was not anything made that was made. In Him was

life, and the life was the light of men, the

light shines in the darkness. and the darkness

has not overcome it. 9 through 15. The true light

which gives light to everyone was coming into

the world. He was in the world and the world

was made through him, yet the world did not know

him. He came to his own and to his own people,

did not receive him, but to all who did receive

him, who believed in his name, he gave the right

to become children of God who were born not of

blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the

will of man, but of God. And the Word became

flesh and dwelt among us. And we have seen His

glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father,

full of grace and truth. John bore witness about

this and cried out, This was He of whom I said,

He who comes after me ranks before me, because

He was before me. Verse 19. And this is the testimony

of John. When the Jews sent priests and Levites

from Jerusalem to ask him, who are you? He confessed

and did not deny, but confessed, I am not the

Christ. And they asked him, what then? Are you

Elijah? He said, no, I'm not. Are you the prophet?

And he answered, no. So they said to him, who

are you? We need to give an answer to those who

sent us. What do you say about yourself? He said,

I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness.

Make straight the way of the Lord, as the prophet

of Isaiah said.