good morning everyone how about if we pray as we launch into this text this morning
gracious god we thank you for your word we thank you for this time this season
we recall the great event of not just the birth of a baby but the of the great god into this world
entered into our world and we ask lord now that you would enter into our hearts we ask it for
your sake amen it's the height of ambition for many five-year-olds at christmas time they're now
too old to play the baby jesus in the nativity play and the very next thing that you want to do
is you want to be mary mary's the other key player here however each one person one girl
to be selected for such dizzying heights of drama to play mary there on the central roles of the
nativity play go in descending order there's the magi there's the angels the shepherds king herod
the sheep the donkeys the cows and somewhere at the back is joseph
he often gets a very passive part in most nativity plays he only plays this often though he says a
very few lines and in fact when i often see nativity set up joseph's the guy right at the back there
somewhere he's the guy looking after the sheep that's his job that's all he does
uh as you know so many husbands at the time of birth um
in most nativity's joseph says virtually none
he has a very small part to play
and the scripts often forget that the angel came to joseph too
and in fact there is something that the angel said to joseph
didn't say to anyone else
in the other appearances in nativity's he never said it to anyone else
the angel tells joseph in a dream that the baby born is a fulfillment of a prophecy from hundreds of years earlier
prophecy promises to dwell with his people
and in this interaction between joseph and the angel
we have the invaluable treasure of a name
emmanuel
and that's our focus this
there are three main things we learn just simply learn from the name emmanuel
firstly that jesus is god
that he's human
and that he is with us
so let's go
jesus is god
there are several ways that matthew drives home the core
christmas message that jesus is not simply
a great teacher
or even angelic being but in fact
that jesus is divine
in verse 20 the angels tell joseph that the human
life that's growing inside of the
Mary has not come from any
human being but from
the heavenly father
and that is jesus has
two fathers if you like
and joseph will be
jesus father only
in a secondary sense
is it my microphone's going on and off
it is isn't it
so maybe
do you want me to get another one for me
i'm not sure what the
microphone is
just dwell on that point for a moment
there we go
how about that
is that working
okay there we go
all right fantastic thank you john
and thank you sound team
um
Mary is is pregnant
by the holy spirit
god is the real father
however
the most direct statement of jesus identity
is in verse 23
matthew quotes from isaiah chapter 7
verse 14
hundreds of years before
the prophet says
the virgin will conceive give birth to a son
and you will call him emmanuel
which means god
with
us
now for centuries
jewish religious leaders and scholars
had known about that prophecy
but they had not thought to ever take it
literally
that god would be with us
literally
matthew is saying this promise is greater
than anyone imagined
jesus christ is god
with us
because the human life
growing in the womb
in of mary
was a miracle
that was performed
by god himself
this child is literally god
the
divine
in the fullest sense
now
what makes this
so remarkable
is that matthew
who's writing this
was a jew
that's what's remarkable here
the jews
distinctive view
of god
made them
the people
on earth
least
open
to the idea
that a human being
could be god
least open
to that idea
you see the eastern religions
at the time
believed that god
was an impersonal force
that
permeated all things
and so in their
sense
god could be everywhere
with us
it wasn't unusual
for them to say
that there might be
a human being
that
particularly had
great
manifestations
of the divine
in the way that they
lived their life
western religions
at the time
believed that gods
would disguise themselves
as human beings
for their own purposes
jews
jews however
believed
distinctly
among all
other nations
and people
groups in the world
they believed
in a god
who was both
personal
and
infinite
god was not
a being
within the universe
but was instead
the ground
of the universe
existence
and infinitely
transcendent
above the universe
everything in the
human world
view was against
the idea
that god would
be close
personal
and certainly
not human
he was far
too transcendent
in fact jews
would not even
pronounce the covenant
name of their god
yahweh
they would not
even spell it
because it was
too familiar
and yet
jesus christ
by his life
by his claims
by his resurrection
convinced
his
closest
circle
of jewish
followers
that he was
not just a prophet
telling them
how to find god
but that he was
in fact
god
himself
come
to find
us
now
matthew's not
the only
biblical
author
to teach
this
john
the apostle
paul
a jew
and a pharisee
the apostle
peter
another jewish
man
they all
declared it
the opinion
of these
authors
would not
mean much
however
if jesus
himself
hadn't declared
that he was
in fact
divine
all through
his
biographical
accounts
jesus is
constantly
forgiving sin
which they
identified
that's only
what god
can do
he also
claims
i am going
to come
back to
judge the
world
they knew
that that
was god's
job
to do
that
at many
times
and in a
whole heap
of various
ways
jesus christ
a jewish
man
said
i am
god
the only
one
in fact
of world
religious
leaders
that have
actually
declared
i am
god
and
thousands
upon
thousands
believed
him
and came
to worship
him
and now
across the
globe
millions
upon
millions
christmas
many
know
this
claim
and give
the claim
lip
service
at christmas
without
actually
thinking
about
the
implications
of what
it is
that we
sing
in the
christmas
carols
if jesus
really
is
god
what does
it mean
for us
practically
well first
of all
it means
an intellectual
turning point
for us
this is a
massive
intellectual
shift
that has
to take
place
some
have argued
that the
supreme
miracle
of
christianity
is not
the resurrection
of christ
from the
dead
but the
coming
of god
into the
world
as a
human
being
that's
the
supreme
miracle
of
christianity
what we
celebrate
at christmas
time
of all
the things
that christianity
proclaims
this one
is the
most
staggering
the late
canadian
theologian
jr packard
puts it
like this
god
became
man
the
divine
son
became
a jew
the almighty
appeared
on earth
as a
helpless
human
baby
unable
to do
more
than
lie
there
and
stare
and wriggle
and make
noises
needing to
be fed
and changed
and taught
to talk
like any
other
child
it's
staggering
when you
think about
it
how an
infinite
god
created
all things
stands
outside of
his
created
order
became
so
dependent
upon
the people
who he
gives
his
very
breath
of
life
too
nothing
in
fiction
is as
staggering
as that
as
fantastic
as that
the claim
that jesus
is god
is an
intellectual
turning
point
but
it also
causes
a
personal
crisis
a
crisis
is a
fork
in
the
road
the
assertion
that
jesus
christ
is
god
is
exactly
that
fork
in
a
road
whenever
you
see
jesus
acting
in
the
gospels
you
see
him
consistently
putting
people
into
motion
that's
what
he
does
like
a
bowling
ball
to
to the
pins
providing
you
get
it
to
the
pins
at
the
bowling
alley
it
sets
them
in
motion
makes
them
move
and
he's
like
this
giant
bowling
ball
wherever
he
goes
he
breaks
up
old
patterns
he
sends
people
off
in
new
directions
jesus
evokes
extreme
responses
from
people
some
are
so
furious
with
him
that
they
try
to
grab
him
and
throw
him
off
a
cliff
to
kill
him
others
are
so
terrified
by
him
they
fall
to
the
ground
and
they
say
depart
from
me
get
away
from
me
others
fall
down
and
worship
why
the
extreme
reactions
it's
because
of who
he
claims
to
be
that's
why
if
he
is
who
he
says
he
is
then
it
is
essential
that
you
center
your
life
on
him
all
of
your
life
on
him
he
claims
to
be
the
God
who
creates
all
things
the
source
of
all
life
and
the
one
who
defines
all
reality
for
all
of
humanity
and
so
if
he
is
not
who
he
says
he
is
then
he
is
someone
to
be
hated
he
is
someone
to run
from
because
he
is
the
greatest
fraud
in
history
no
other
response
makes sense
to
Jesus
paying
some
kind of
benign
reference
to him
at
Christmas
time
makes
no
sense
at
all
intellectual
historical
sense
to the
person
of
Jesus
at
all
you
either
have
to
despise
and
reject
him
or
you
have
to
surrender
to
him
there's
no
middle
ground
there's
no
niceness
about
Christmas
carols
either
he
is
God
or
he
isn't
he's
absolutely
crazy
and
dangerous
or
he's
infinitely
wonderful
there's
no
middle
ground
but
thirdly
the
claim
that
Jesus
is
God
also
gives
us
the
greatest
possible
hope
the
one
who
creates
determines
defines
all
things
all
reality
says
that
our
world
is
not
all
that
there
is
he
says
that
there
is
in
fact
life
and
love
and
hope
and
joy
after
death
and
that
the
evil
and
suffering
that
we
experience
in
this
world
will
one
day
end
and
that's
not
just
hope
for
this
world
despite
all
its
unending
problems
but
it's
hope
for
you
and
me
despite
all
our
unending
failings
a
God
who
was
only
a
God
who
was
only
perfectly
good
for
instance
would
not
have
come
down
in
the
person
of
Jesus
Christ
a
God
who
was
just
good
kind
of
God
if
that's
he
would
not
have
come
down
in
the
person
of
Jesus
Christ
he
would
have
just
simply
demanded
that
we
pull
ourselves
socks
up
that
we
be
moral
that
we
be
good
and
that
we
would
earn
enough
merit
in
order
to
have
his
favour
dwell
on
us
if
he
was
just
good
on
the
other
hand
a
God
who
was
just
all
accepting
God
of
love
and
you
know
let
bygones
be
guy
gone
kind
of
a
God
just
let's
cruise
go
easy
he
would
also
not
have
come
down
of
the
modern
imagination
a
God
whose
job
is
purely
to
overlook
me
ignoring
him
in
life
that's
what
he
does
he's
just
this
great
moral
jellyfish
he's
like
a
big
marshmallow
that
you
cuddle
occasionally
at
Christmas
time
and
Easter
time
the
modern
imagination
that
God
just
overlooks
sin
just
overlooks
evil
he
just
embraces
us
for
who
we
are
and
just
leaves
us
to
get
on
with
life
our
way
and
in
the
end
he
will
just
say
well
you
did
your
best
neither
of
those
gods
would
have
bothered
with
Christmas
the
biblical
God
however
is
infinitely
good
and
perfect
and
so
our
sin
cannot
be
shrugged
off
our
rejection
of
him
cannot
be
ignored
it
must
be
dealt
with
but
he's
also
infinitely
loving
he
knows
we
can
never
climb
up
to
him
he
knows
that
our
socks
can
never
be
pulled
up
far
enough
and
so
he
comes
to
us
he
has
come
God
himself
has
come
to
us
to
do
what
we
couldn't
do
and
that
means
Christmas
is
hope
it's
a
light
shining
in
darkness
man
he
is
human
the
interaction
between
Joseph
and
the
angel
reveals
that
Jesus
is
God
but
also
that
Jesus
is
one
of
us
he
is
human
Christmas
tells
us
that
Jesus
was
truly
and
fully
God
and
truly
and
fully
human
but
what
difference
does
that
make
to
the
way
that
we
actually
live
that
God
has
become
fully
human
well
I
would
suggest
the
New
Testament
would
suggest
the
difference
it
makes
to
us
now
is
it
results
in a
life
of
service
as
we
have
been
served
by
him
it
results
in a
life
of
service
the
humanity
of
Jesus
results
in a
life
of
service
Philippians
2
5
to
11
in
the
New
Testament
we
read
it
out
last
week
teaches
us
that
when
the
Son
of
God
became
human
he
did
not
lay
aside
his
deity
he
was
still
God
but
he
emptied
himself
of
his
glory
of
his
divine
rights
he
became
vulnerable
and
ordinary
in
order
to
serve
us
quoting
J.R.
Packer
again
for
the
Son
of
God
to
empty
himself
become
poor
meant
a
laying
aside
of
glory
a
voluntary
restraint
of
power
an
acceptance
of
hardship
isolation
ill
treatment
malice
and
misunderstanding
and
finally
a
death
that
involves
such
agony
spiritual
even more
than
physical
all
that
his
mind
nearly
broke
under
the
prospect
of
it
meant
love
to
the
utmost
for
unlovely
people
and
here
he
goes
on
about
Christmas
I love
this
the
Christmas
spirit
does
not
shine
out
in
the
Christian
snob
for
the
Christmas
spirit
is
the
spirit
of
those
who
like
their
master
live
their
whole
lives
on
the
principle
of
making
themselves
poor
spending
and
being
spent
to
enrich
their
fellow
human
beings
giving
time
trouble
care
and
concern
to
do
good
to
others
and
not
just
their
own
friends
in
whatever
way
there
seems
to be
a
need
what a
rebuke
at a
time
where
we
take
Christmas
as a
moment
of
self
indulgence
the
fact
that
God
became
human
and
emptied
himself
of
his
glory
means
that
you
should
not
want
to
hang
out
only
with
people
who
are
people
of
power
and
glitz
who
are
networked
who
can
open
doors
for
you
need
to be
willing
to go
to the
people
without
power
without
the
beauty
without
the
money
without
the
networks
that's
the
Christmas
spirit
because
God
became
one
of
us
God
becoming
one
of
us
also
means
infinite
comfort
in
our
suffering
as
we
surrender
our
rights
for the
sake
of
others
as
we
serve
others
Hebrews
2
17
says
that
Jesus
was
made
like
us
fully
human
in
every
way
and
the
very
next
verse
tells
us
what
this
actually
means
because
he
himself
suffered
when
he
was
tried
and
tested
he
is
able
to
help
those
who
are
being
tried
and
tested
when
something
bad
happens
and
real
suffering
comes
to
you
it
feels
so
lonely
people
around
you
may
express
sympathy
but
sometimes
the
sympathy
doesn't
help
sometimes
it just
doesn't
help
and
then
you
meet
someone
who's
been
through
what
you
have
been
through
they
know
what
it's
like
you
pour
out
your
heart
to
them
there's
an
empathy
there
you
listen
to
them
and
their
opinions
because
they've
been
through
what
you've
been
through
and
when
they
comfort
you
when
they
give
you
perspective
you
have
comfort
and
you
have
perspective
the
coming
of
God
into
this
world
on
the
first
Christmas
ultimately
means
that
God
suffered
and
that
Jesus
triumphed
through
the
suffering
and
Jesus
therefore
now
has
infinite
power
to
comfort
in
the
suffering
your
suffering
Christmas
shows
you
a
God
unlike
the
God
of
any
other
faith
in
this
world
have
you
been
betrayed
are
you
lonely
have
you
been
destitute
have
you
faced
death
so
has
he
so
has
he
Christianity
says
God
has
been
all
the
places
that
you
have
been
or
are
right
now
he
has
been
in
the
darkness
you
are
right
now
and
more
you
can
trust
him
you
can
rely
on
him
he
knows
suffering
and
has
the
power
to
comfort
strengthen
and
bring
you
through
it
that's
because
lastly
he
is
with
us
it
would
have
been
astonishing
enough
if
the
son
of
God
had
become
human
and
simply
lived
temporarily
amongst
us
and
left
leaving
a
set
of
teachings
for
us
to
abide
by
that
would
have
been
impressive
his
plan
however
was
infinitely
greater
than
that
his
plan
was
always
to
be
with
us
Jesus
chose
12
apostles
and
appointed
them
so
that
they
would
be
with
him
ever
notice
that
you
would
be
with
me
when
he
calls
his
12
apostles
what
does
that
mean
with
him
it
means
being
in
his
presence
conversing
with
him
learning
from
him
having
his
comfort
and
his
presence
day
by
day
the
purpose
of
God
coming
into
this
world
is
that
we
would
have
a
relation
with
him
we
would
walk
with
him
commune
with
him
in
Jesus
the
unapproachable
God
becomes a
human
being
who can
be known
and loved
related to
spoken to
with
and through
faith we can
know that
love right
now every
single day
this does
not
let me just
pause between
that
that should
stun us
it should
stun
our
existence
you should
have
something
in your
gut
that gets
churned
when I
say that
the infinite
God of
the universe
is with
us
in the
Old
Testament
anytime
anyone
drew near
to God
it was
completely
terrifying
God
appears to
Abraham
as a
smoking
furnace
to
Israel
as a
pillar
of
fire
to
Job
as a
hurricane
and a
tornado
and when
Moses
asked to
see God
face to
face
he was
told
it would
kill you
so great
so high
and so
unapproachable
of this
God
and yet
the
message
of
Christmas
means
that
through
Jesus
Christ
you
come
face
to
face
with
God
you
can
know
him
personally
without
terror
when
this
God
showed
up
in
the
person
of
Jesus
he
was
not
a
pillar
of
fire
he
wasn't
a
tornado
he
was
a
baby
a
baby
why
would
God
come
this
time
in
the
form
of
a
baby
rather
than
as
a
fire
storm
or
a
tornado
this
time
he
has
come
not
to
bring
judgment
but
to
bear
it
to
pay
the
penalty
for
our
sin
of
rejecting
God
to
take
away
the
barrier
between
humanity
and
God
so
that
we
can
be
together
the
purpose
of
his
creation
Jesus
is
with
us
every
Christmas
millions
upon
millions
of
people
sing
if
they
don't
sing
it
they
certainly
hear
it
heard
it
yesterday
in
the
shopping
centres
Jesus
our
Emmanuel
world
and
yet
I'm
thinking
as
I
walk
through
the
shops
are
you
really
with
him
are
you
really
with
him
do
you
know
him
Jesus
literally
moved
heaven
and
earth
to
get
near
us
what
should
we
be
doing
now
to
truly
be
with
him
there's
one
crucial
trait
that's
necessary
for
having
such
a
relationship
with
Jesus
and
it is
more
and I
think
that it's
one
step
it's
one of
these
traits
I
think
that
Christians
in
Western
society
especially
are
most
likely
to
overlook
an
intimate
relationship
with
Jesus
always
requires
courage
always
requires
courage
and
that's
hard for
us
particularly
in the
West
because
mostly
we are
fearful
we're not
courageous
we're
scared
we're
cautious
rather than
courageous
and it's
wonderful to
look out
and see a
room full
of people
with face
masks on
because it
just proves
the point
we can't
know Jesus
personally
that's not a
criticism
I had mine
on a moment
ago
we can't
know Jesus
personally
unless we
have the
courage
to admit
that we
are in
fact
a sinner
we are
flawed
we are
failed
we are
deserving
of God's
judgment
admit that
we choose
day by day
to reject
our creator
and to
live life
our way
Jesus
entire
mission
is summed
up in
verse 21
he will
save his
people from
their sins
so first
and foremost
Jesus came
into this
world
to forgive
us
every other
blessing that
we have
from him
flows from
that forgiveness
of sin
and so
are you
willing to
say
this Christmas
and can I
say this
especially
for those
of you
who
have
gathered
many many
times at
Christmas
times
maybe
even
time
and you've
heard this
again and
you sing
Emmanuel
God with
us
are you
willing to
say
to have
the courage
maybe for
the first
time ever
this Christmas
I am a
moral failure
look at
the carnage
around my
life
look at
the broken
relationships
everywhere
I'm a
moral failure
I don't
love God
with all of
my heart
with all of
my soul
with all of
my strength
with all of
my mind
I don't
love my
neighbour
as myself
and therefore
I'm guilty
I need
forgiveness
and I need
pardon from
God before
I need
anything else
this Christmas
that's the
gift I
need
it takes
enormous
courage
to admit
these things
and in fact
I would say
for you
who are
Christian
gathering
the whole
Christian
journey
is a life
of realising
how much
of a failure
you are
it means
it's courage
because it
means throwing
your old
self image
that you
built up
over all
of these
years
out
and getting
a brand
new one
from Jesus
Christ
and yet
that is
the foundation
for all
other things
that Jesus
wants to
bring to
your life
all the
comfort
all the
hope
all the
joyful
humility
and everything
else
so how do
you get
the strength
to be
courageous
like that
there's only
one way
and that's
by looking
to Jesus
at Christmas
time
looking to
him
because if
you think
it takes
courage to
be with
Jesus
consider
the
infinite
courage
it took
him
in order
to be
with us
only
Christianity
says
one of the
attributes
of God
is courage
Christianity
is the
only faith
in the
whole
world
that says
one of the
attributes
of God
is courage
no other
religion
who has
a God
a deity
that needs
courage
Jesus
could only
save us
by facing
an agonising
death
that has
him wrestling
with tears
of sweat
and blood
in the
garden of
Gethsemane
he became
mortal and
vulnerable
so that he
could suffer
be betrayed
be killed
he faced
all these
things
for you
and for me
and he
thought it
was worth
it
just look
at him
facing your
darkness
so that you
can have
light
and that
will enable
you to
face any
darkness
in life
and still
have the
light of
hope
you've
heard the
phrase
sung
every
Christmas
potentially
hark the
herald angels
sing
and then it
goes on to
say
mild
he lays
his glory
by
what on
earth does
that mean
mild
he lays
his glory
by
what it
means is
he did
it
voluntarily
he laid
his glory
voluntarily
lovingly
willingly
no one
forced him
to do it
it wasn't a
duty that he
had to do
he faced
unimaginable
pain and
death and
darkness
happiness
and he
chose to
do it
voluntary
out of
love for
you and
for me
and for
all of
humanity
why did
Jesus
have the
courage to
do what
he did
love
how do
we get
the courage
to admit
that we're
a sinner
and need
his forgiveness
and his
relationship
with him
the exact
same way
we see
him doing
everything that
he's done
for us
out of love
for us
and it will
draw out
our love
for him
and then we
will have the
courage to put
him in the
centre of our
life and
then we
will be
he will be
with you
and you
with him
Emmanuel
Jesus is
God
he's human
and he's
with us
now