Christ, Emmanuel

12-13-20Sermon Notes“Christ Emmanuel”
Matt. 1: 22-25
The story is told of a little boy who was afraid of the dark. Every night, he would wake up at some point and cry, “Mom! Help!” His mother would get up and go in and sit on his bed and hug him, and sit there with him until he went back to sleep. One night, the mother decided to try something different. Her son’s cry came in the middle of the night as usual, and she went to him as usual, but this time as she hugged him…she said, “Now, son, do you remember when your father and I told you that God is always with you, no matter what?” “Yes,” the little boy said. “So,” his mom continued, “I’m not going to sit on your bed tonight until you go back to sleep. If you get scared, just remember…God is always with you.” “OK, Mom,” the boy said bravely.
An hour or so later, the mom heard her son cry again. “Mom! Help!” The mother stood outside her son’s room and called from the hallway, “Don’t you remember that I told you that God is always with you?” He said, “Yes, ma’am, but I need somebody with skin on!”
“Somebody with skin on” is a pretty good explanation of our theme for Advent…Incarnation. The word, “incarnation,” has the Latin root carne, which means “meat” or “flesh.” Incarnation means something like to “become flesh.” When Jesus was born, God became flesh and dwelt among us. Remember the angel’s message to Joseph?
22 All this took place to fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet:
23 “Look, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son,
and they shall name him Emmanuel,”
which means, “God is with us.” 24 When Joseph awoke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him; he took her as his wife, 25 but had no marital relations with her until she had borne a son; and he named him Jesus. (Matt. 1: 22-25 NRSV)
Matthew opens his gospel with the promise that Jesus will be Emmanuel, “God with us.” He ends his gospel with Jesus saying, “And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (Matt. 28: 20) Like the mother told her son who was afraid of the dark… “God is always with you, no matter what!”
Celebrate God’s presence with us this Sunday online or in-person. I’ll be preaching in the 9:00 service but not in the 11:00, since the Chancel Choir will be presenting “The Thrill of Hope” Christmas musical.
Grace and peace,
Pastor Sam