Immanuel: The Promise Fulfilled

Immanuel: The Promise Fulfilled

Advent 4 T Matthew 1:18-25

INI

I think we often take for granted just how amazing it is that Jesus is the fulfillment of the Old Testament Scriptures. This teaching is something we repeat over and over again – that the whole Bible, even the Old Testament – is written about Jesus. But how unlikely was it that someone in history could fulfill these Messianic Old Testament prophecies?

         There was a professor by the name of Peter Stoner who once tried to calculate the probability of one man fulfilling just 8 of the messianic prophecies. The number he came up with was 1 in 10 to the 17^th power. That’s incredibly low! You’re more likely to win the powerball lottery twice in a row! But that’s just for 8 messianic prophecies. To fulfill 48 messianic prophecies, the number skyrockets to 1 in 10 to the 157^th power! That would be like winning the Powerball 20 times in a row! This study was backed up, but whether we can calculate the precise number isn’t the point. Point is, God wasn’t guessing. He was promising.

         He was promising the Messiah. The Savior of the World. We hear about Jesus fulfilling the Scriptures all the time, so we tend to forget or become numb to the power and work of God throughout time and history.  We tend to downplay his role in history, when He brought about the single greatest thing this world has known – the incarnation of His Son into the flesh of Jesus of Nazareth. The Son of Mary and Joseph.

         Yet, this one was prophesied to curb Satan’s power and might in Genesis 3:15. Moses foretold in Deuteronomy 18:15 that there’d be a prophet to rise up that would be even greater than him! Jesus was foretold of in our Old Testament reading from Isaiah 7:14 – that he’d be born of a virgin – which we see accomplished in the Gospel reading.

         Our Gospel reading shows God’s plan of redemption for mankind that’s been coming to an apex for over 4000 years. Because of course, through the sin of Adam, everyone since has been inflicted with the curse of physical and spiritual death. And since Adam and Eve’s fall, it’s been God’s plan to send His Son to die on the cross and save us from our sins. That’s what the angel told Joseph in verse 21 in the Gospel – “She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.”

         What a holy mystery for us to ponder! The truth of Jesus was always God’s plan. It was always promised through the Holy Scriptures. And the gift of this Savior was just given to us – even in our ignorance. This gift is something only given to us by grace through faith, just as it was for Joseph.

         Now, Joseph is the often-forgotten character of the Bible. We talk much of Mary, the Angels, John the Baptist, and even Elizabeth gets airtime. But Joseph? What can we learn from him? Interestingly enough, we don’t hear Joseph say anything in the Gospels. He has no words to ponder or cling to – only bold actions of faith made in a time of intense decision making. Matthew tells us of Joseph’s mercy and compassion to Mary, and by extension, the baby Jesus.

Joseph’s mercy was on full display despite a difficult situation. You see, Joseph was engaged to Mary. When couples were engaged back then, that was as good as being married. But they couldn’t consummate the marriage sexually until they were officially married and blessed by God – as God’s law declares. If the couple were to split up before being married, they’d have to go through an official divorce.

So, when it became evident that Mary was with child, Joseph faced a tough decision. Mary’s life was in his hands. As a just man—one who obeyed God’s Law, kept the Sabbath, and sought to do good—Joseph had to decide what justice would look like. Should he take, what appeared to be a harlot, as his wife and go against his convictions? Should he expose her to punishment by stoning for adultery? Or could he selfishly seek infanticide and eliminate the problem altogether? Yet out of mercy and compassion toward Mary and her child, Joseph resolved to divorce her quietly, not involving the community. Despite everything, he loved her, and a quiet divorce seemed to him the most merciful and lawful path.

Still, we can imagine how afraid Joseph was. Taking Mary as his wife meant public shame—a pregnant woman to whom he was not yet married—and the possible loss of his reputation, status, and place in the community. In a sense, Joseph could lose his life as he knew it. And that fear stood in the way of receiving his pregnant fiancée.

But in the midst of Joseph’s deliberation, the angel of the Lord appeared to him and said – “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.” From the angel, Joseph learned that his wife wasn’t a harlot. She was the mother of the Messiah! Mary hadn’t been unfaithful to him. Rather, she conceived the Savior of the World from the giver of life, from the Holy Spirit! Through Mary, God was to be born into the world! His name was to be called Jesus! He was the promised one who was to come and save God’s people from their sins! This fulfilled the Old Testament prophecy from Isaiah, “the virgin shall conceive and bear a son and call His name Immanuel”. Joseph knew the Scriptures. This was foretold long ago! And God had chosen Joseph to be faithful to God, to listen to His word, to not fear, and to take Mary as his wife. He sacrificed his life – his reputation, status, well-being – to bring the Christ child into the world, so that Jesus may give up His life for the life of the world. In this way, Joseph showed what true love was – for through giving up his life to protect the life of Mary, and the life of Jesus – He gave safety to the woman pregnant with God. He obeyed the voice of the Lord over the reputation of men. He was faithful to God, despite what the outside world thought of him. And through Joseph’s faithfulness, God came to be with us. As you could imagine, this announcement from the angel in his dream changed everything for Joseph!

So, Joseph took Mary as His wife. Because He trusted in God – even if that meant suffering the disgrace of society.

In this way, Joseph is a good example for us. Especially in today’s world. We can learn this from Joseph’s faith – obedience to God and what He commands takes precedence over what others may think about us. Whether that’s confessing God’s Law and order of creation in a world that wants to reject God’s ordering. Or if that means spreading the Gospel without the fear of what others may think of us – even if that comes with the label of being “too religious.”

Like He did for Joseph, God invites us to be faithful to Him. That’s why He came in flesh – to put to death the dark idols of our hearts and turn us toward His light. In a world increasingly hostile to anyone who follows God’s law like Joseph did, and is a righteous man like Joseph was, that person’s fidelity to God is being tested. And the world seeks to snuff out that light of Christ.

Faith is tested – not only for the strong in faith, but even for the weak. We all have family and friends we think of this time of year. We pray that they’d be faithful to God and find joy in remembering the things of God this time of year, rather than the vain things– like gift giving, and cheery, cheesy music. We wish they’d come to church, reject hardening their hearts to Jesus, and dust off an apathetic faith that rejects the sanctified Christian life. But to receive Jesus, one must admit the ever-unpopular notion that we’re all damned before the Lord. And that’s why we need Jesus, our Immanuel who’s come to save us from our sins.

That’s why this Christmas season, we don’t need to marvel at anything this time of year offers, or marvel at Joseph and His faithfulness. Rather, we marvel at God’s faithfulness. For He has kept every promise He’s ever made by sending His Son to save us from our sins. Jesus, born of the virgin Mary, protected by Joseph, and promised from the beginning, now comes to you as Immanuel, meaning God is with you. May God grant us faith to cling to Christ alone, who forgives and saves sinners, and gives His life for ours.

INI