Nepaug Bible Church - http://www.nepaugchurch.org - Pastor's Sermon Notes - http://www.nepaugchurch.org/Sermons/zz20031221.htm

CHRISTMAS 2003: GOD'S GIFT IN THE NAMING OF JESUS
Part II: God's Salvation From Relationship Ruining Sins In "Jesus"
(Matthew 1:18-25)

Introduction: (To show the need . . . )

Christmas is such an externally beautiful time of the year: vibrant tree ornaments, gifts under the tree and Christmas cards with horse drawn sleighs riding through plush snow all hint of joyful peace.

However, in the real world, there is often another side to Christmas, one of sorrow caused by what SIN does to relationships:

(1) Often in our morning worship or our prayer meeting services as we approach Thanksgiving and Christmas, we field an increased frequency of prayer requests from the congregation on the need for wisdom in relating well in gatherings of difficult relationships.

(2) Psychologists have long noted the suicide rate often increases during Christmas. People often focus on what they lack of happy relationships, and so choose to end their lives in depression.

(3) Perhaps the best current example of problem relationships this Christmas Season exists in the case of Mr. Saddam Hussein:

(a) Mr. Hussein has made many enemies from brutalizing tens of thousands of people and hoarding his land's wealth to build himself lavish palaces and increase his military might.

(b) Then, this week on an ABC news show, an expert on Iraq claimed the recent violent deaths of Saddam Hussein's two sons had a very negative effect on his psyche. Their loss lessened his hope for a bright future of prolonging his legacy as a ruler.

(b) So with his surrender to American forces without firing a single shot as he called out from a hole in the ground, asking if he could negotiate in contrast to his former boasts that he would die fiercly fighting as a martyr rather than surrender to the Americans, this man who once enjoyed an almost mythical fame in the Middle East now has little honor in his own land let along in the world .

In view of these COLOSSAL problems in his RELATIONSHIPS, what possible "hope" for happiness this Christmas exists for Saddam Hussein or for anyone else with a similar kind of troublesome record in his relationships?



What ANSWER is there to this "other side" of Christmas, the side of difficult relationships? What would GOD say?



(We turn to the sermon "Need" section . . . )

Need: "Is there any HOPE for fulfillment as I gather this Christmas with people with whom I have had LONG and very TROUBLED relationships? IF so, WHAT can I DO to HELP in this matter?!"
  1. When God's angel appeared to Joseph to tell him Mary would bear a son, he directed Joseph to call Him "JESUS," Matthew 1:20-21a.
  2. This name is the Greek form of the Hebrew name, "Joshua," which means "the Lord is salvation," Ryrie St. Bib., KJV, ftn. to Mtt. 1:1.
  3. In the CONTEXT of the angel's appearing to Joseph, His NAME means that "Jesus" would be GOD'S GIFT to SAVE us from RELATIONSHIP DESTROYING SINS and their EFFECTS:
    1. Prior to the angel's appearance, Joseph had struggled with an explosive marital crisis caused by what was felt to be sinful adultery:
      1. Joseph was betrothed to Mary according to Matt. 1:18a, so he was living his culture's practice of anticipating marriage to Mary during a one year betrothal term designed to prove the purity of the virgin he would wed, Bible Knowledge Commentary, N. T., p. 20.
      2. Yet, opposite what the betrothal was to prove, Mary was found to be with child, so she appeared to have been immoral, Matt. 1:18b.
      3. Mary's presumed immorality led to a family relationship crisis:
        1. Besides feeling hurt and angry at her presumed unfaithfulness, Joseph knew he should not wed Mary lest he ruin his reputation.
        2. However, Joseph realized refusing to wed Mary meant she and her unborn child would be outcasts in Israel to their great harm.
        3. Thus, Joseph had planned what seemed to be his only sensible option -- that of privately annulling his betrothal to Mary, a step requiring in his culture a writ of divorce, Matthew 1:19; Ibid., Ryrie Study Bible, KJV, ftn. to Matthew 1:19.
    2. As Joseph thought about leaving Mary, the angel told him not fear to take her to be his wife, for Mary's pregnant condition had not come from immorality, but it was a miracle by God, Matthew 1:20b,c.
    3. The angel even highlighted the SEPARATENESS from SIN (like the ruinous sin of adultery) that was associated with Mary's condition:
      1. When the angel said Mary's pregnancy was caused by the Holy Spirit in verse 20, the word, "Holy" was placed last in the sentence to accent the SANCTIFIED , separateness-from-sin of the Spirit Who caused Mary's pregnant condition, cf. UBS Greek N.T., p. 3.
      2. Then, the pronoun "He" that refers to "Jesus" in verse 21 exists in the emphatic position [before the words, "for" and "shall save"] to show that HE , Jesus (of all people) would be the One to SAVE His people from such family-destroying sins as immorality! (Ibid.)
    4. Thus, Joseph believed the angel and protected Mary and her son by immediately taking her to live with him, and he kept her a virgin until she had delivered and named her son, "Jesus," Matthew 1:22-25.
  4. Just HOW "Jesus" SAVES us FROM such RELATIONSHIP DESTROYING SINS is revealed in other Scriptures as follows:
    1. Due to His supernatural conception, Jesus was separate from Adam's sin nature as the spotless Lamb of God, Matthew 1:22-23; John 1:29.
    2. Then, Jesus could qualify as our sinless substitute to satisy God's wrath against our sin when he died on the cross, and God is now free to extend salvation from sin unto us, 1 John 2:2; 2 Corinthians 5:21.
    3. When one then trusts in Christ as Savior from sin, God forgives him all sin and the Holy Spirit comes to indwell him, Col. 1:14; Rom. 8:9.
    4. God then equips people to live victorious over sin and hatred by His Holy Spirit's power so people in marital, family and all other kinds of relationships can see sin-afflicted relationships healed (Gal. 5:16-23 with the life of Saul as seen from Acts 9:1-2 and Gal. 1:21-24).
    5. [Even if a man trusts in Christ but others with whom he had difficulty relating fail to do so, and even if his own parents forsake him, God will still carry on a loving, caring relationship with him, Psa. 27:10!]
Application: If we are anxious about difficult relationships this Christmas, (1) we can PERSONALLY trust in Jesus as our Savior from sin and be forgiven and empowered for victorious living OVER relationship destroying sins, Jn. 3:16; Rom. 8:9b; Gal. 5:16-23. (2) Then, we may rely on the indwelling Holy Spirit for the peace-producing attitude needed for godly actions in relationships and find God nurturing our inner heart even if problem parties reject us, and that to the extent that even our own parents reject us, Gal. 5:16-23; Psa. 27:10. (3) Then, may we share this Gospel and insight with others so ever-widening circles of other relationships can be healed from destruction!

Lesson: As "Jesus" SAVES man from RELATIONSHIP DESTROYING sins, if we TRUST in Him for salvation from sin and LIVE in His power and direction revealed in Scripture, HE will salvage the INDIVIDUAL and then ALL OTHER relationships (where people HEED Him) so that our CURRENT Christmas celebrations can be truly divinely blessed!

Conclusion: (To illustrate the sermon lesson . . . )

 In our last Thanksgiving Eve Service of November 27th, I was moved by the attendance of a woman in our service who had showed up to worship the Lord with us.

Her background history is filled with tragic events and broken relationships due to the devastating effects of sin over which she has often had little if no control, but this woman had a smile on her face!

I spoke with her following the service, and she related to me that "God has healed me!" By that statement, she meant her reliance on Jesus Christ not only as personal Savior from sin, but also as her strength to handle even difficult and unmet expectations in relationships had created real and surmounting victory for her in her life. Though she wouldn't be celebrating Thanksgiving with a family as she did not have one to enjoy due to the extenuating circumstances in her background, she was thrilled to be working as an Emergency Medical Technician on Thanksgiving Day when she would be able to help other people in deep and often relationship shattering crises on that important holiday as she drew from her very deep well of understanding and hope in Christ to give them hope and direction!

I have seen in this woman's life as I have seen in the lives of others what God can do with deeply disappointing and hurtful relationships in family and elsewhere due to the effects of SIN: Jesus Christ is the answer, and faith in Him for salvation as a way of life makes all the difference!



So, THIS Christmas Season, just like Joseph had to do that FIRST Christmas, may we TRUST the message of the angel that Jesus "saves His people from their sin," and the EFFECTS of sin, and trust in Him and live for His glory!

Only then can there be REAL peace and joy WITHIN no matter WHAT goes on in "family" gatherings; only then can we have something to share with needy "family" gatherings that can minister to heal individual lives and broken relationships, be they in family or other realms!