Seek Jesus

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The Magi - who were these visitors from the east?

In our western Christmas tradition they have been referred to as the ‘Three Wise Men’. And every children’s Christmas concert had three children dressed up as three wisemen. 

Matthew simply refers to them as; “…Magi from the east…”. And Magi is from where we get our word magic. Their studies mixed astronomy – that is, the scientific study of stars – with astrology - that is, the practice of divination that claims the position of celestial bodies effect human personalities. Twenty-five hundred years ago there wasn’t much scientific study of the planets and stars.

So I checked out some written and on-line sources to see who they were and where they came from. 

In the Bible Magi are mentioned in the Book of Daniel during the exile of the Jews from Jerusalem to Babylon during the reign of King Nebuchadnezzar. This is the king who had a dream of a giant statue representing the future empires of the western world.

Most of us should know the story of King Nebuchadnezzar’s dreams that; “…troubled (him) and he could not sleep.” He wanted to know what it meant. So in Daniel 2: 2 we read; “So the king summoned the magicians, enchanters, sorcerers and astrologers to tell him what he had dreamed.” Most commentators say that the use of the word magicians is incorrect. These magicians were Magi. They tell the king that no human can interpret the kings dream - and in Daniel 2: 10 this is what they say to the king;  “There is no one on earth who can do what the king asks! No king, however great and mighty, has ever asked such a thing of any magician or enchanter or astrologer. 11 What the king asks is too difficult. No one can reveal it to the king except the gods, and they do not live among humans.”

This group is unable to interpret the king’s dream so the king decides that he will have them all killed. When Daniel hears what the king is going to do – he intercedes and agrees to interpret the dream with the help of God. Daniel says to King Nebuchadnezzar in Daniel 2: 27- 28; “No wise man, enchanter, magician or diviner can explain to the king the mystery he has asked about, 28 but there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries. He has shown King Nebuchadnezzar what will happen in days to come. Your dream and the visions that passed through your mind as you were lying in bed are these:” 

After this Daniel tells the King about the statue of a man whose head was made of gold – the chest and arms made of silver – the legs are made of iron and the feet a mix of iron and clay. We can read the rest of the interaction between king Nebuchadnezzar Daniel and the exiled Jews in the Book of Daniel. 

So the Magi were a very powerful priestly group of the Medes – a group of peoples from what is now southern Iran. Apparently, they were advisers to the kings of the eastern empires. Also – it is likely that Daniel was a member of this group and it also seems likely that he shared the Old Testament prophesies concerning the coming of a king of the Jews. 

For example; The prophesy of Balaam in Numbers 24: 17-19; 

“I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not near.
A star will come out of Jacob; a scepter will rise out of Israel.

A ruler will come out of Jacob…”

Isaiah 9: 2

“The people walking in darkness have seen a great light;
on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned.”

Here is God putting pieces into the time-line of human history – six hundred years before the birth of Jesus. 

As the Magi stop off in Jerusalem and say what they are searching for it triggers an evil king to commit one of the most horrific and tragic events in history. To send his soldiers to Bethlehem to murder all boys two year old and younger. 

A prophesy by Jeremiah who says in 31:15;

This is what the Lord says:

“A voice is heard in Ramah, mourning and great weeping,
Rachel weeping for her children and refusing to be comforted,
because they are no more.”

And an angel tells Joseph to get up and go to Egypt. This we read in Matthew 2: 13;

“When they had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. “Get up,” he said, “take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him.”

This fulfills a prophesy in Hosea 11:; 

“When Israel was a child, I loved him, and out of Egypt I called my son.” 

Herod, like many people who hold positions of power and authority are always concerned about keeping their power and authority. There are politicians today that have the same attitude. And in our reading of Matthew’s gospel this morning Herod shows signs of being paranoid. 

Herod was a very evil - murderous man. History records that that he murdered two wives and three of his sons – believing they were plotting against him. And it is this King Herod who sent soldiers to Bethlehem to kill all boys two years and under because one of them was prophesied to be the new king of the Jews. Paranoid – ruthless and evil. 

Even though he was called King of the Jews it was with the approval and consent of Rome. Furthermore, he was not well liked by the Jewish population because of his tyrannical – ruthless rule – and because he was not a Jew. Herod was an Edomite – that is - from the line of Esau. 

Remember Esau, the first born of Issac. Who sold his birthright to Jacob for a meal of red stew. His stomach and his worldliness was far more important to him than a blessing from God through his father Issac. You can read about Esau in Genesis 25 – 27. 

Then into the kingdom of a tyrannical paranoid ruler arrive the Magi. Church history identifies them as the three Wisemen because they brought three gifts - gold, frankincense and myrrh. 

However, it doesn’t sound like that they arrived in Jerusalem quietly or alone. Typical for the time they probably came in a caravan with an entourage of assistants. There is safety in numbers because there were thieves who prowled the roads looking for easy victims to rob. Further if they were a powerful priestly group the knowledge of who they were would be well know with in the ancient world.

Therefore, when they arrived in Jerusalem their presence and purpose became widely known to the people in the city. They were asking around at v2; “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.” 

To a paranoid king such news would cause real anxiety and fear. As well - the population of the city might have reason to fear a new king. Matthew tells us a v3 that; “When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him.” There are several reasons why a new king would cause concern to Herod and the people of Jerusalem. Herod had ruthlessly killed wives and sons for plotting against him. And we can assume that those associated with the plotters were killed as well. A new round of killing isn’t what the people want to go through. 

Furthermore, even though Herod kept tight control over his kingdom a new threat to his throne might cause the Romans to step in and take over the reigns of his government. The Jews may not have liked Herod but they disliked the Romans more.

This is the world into which our LORD and Saviour was born. A ruthless, paranoid king. Jealous of any threat to his kingship and authority. A population that didn’t want to see anymore trouble from a new contender for the throne. And a larger world controlled by the mighty power of a pagan Rome. These were dangerous times for the birth of Jesus.

So Herod had to eliminate this threat to his kingship. First - he consults with the religious leaders who quote Micah 5:2 which says;

“But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times.” 

One of the many Old Testament prophesies fulfilled by the birth of Jesus. 

And Herod deceitfully enlists the support of the Magi to find out the time of the birth. He tells them that after they find the child report back to him so that he to can worship the child. Matthew hints at Herod’s deceit when he says that he met the Magi in secret.

After their meeting with Jesus Matthew tells us that they did not report back to Herod because they received a dream from God. We read at v. 12 this morning; “And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route.” Herod didn’t need their report. He intended to kill the baby Jesus anyway.

What is obvious to us – is that no dark human or demonic authority can out-wit God. And no dark human or demonic authority can over power God. I’ mean – what a pointless thought. On Christmas day I spoke about the light that comes from Jesus. I called it Jesus-light. And in the gospel of John 1: 5 we read; 

“In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” 

No matter how hard dark authorities try to destroy Jesus or his church they will ultimately fail. The light Jesus brought into the world is greater than the darkness in the world.

Notwithstanding the attempts of the secular world to control religion - in the end it always fails – because as I say in the prayers of the people Jesus wins. Therefore- the opposite is true – secular humanism loses. 

The eyes and minds of such people are veiled. There is no absolute truth – there is no absolute morality and there is no God. What they propose and endorse is what they want to be the truth and what they want to be moral and the only their form of worship – is the worship of their secular humanistic world. 

Such thinking has been around for centuries. Satan acting through humans has tried to curtail or destroy God’s people – Christians and Jews.

Remember the Pharoh at the time of the birth of Moses. He wanted to curtail the population growth of the Israelites. So he proposed that the male babies be killed. 

In Exodus 1; 15-16, 22 we read: 

“The king of Egypt said to the Hebrew midwives, whose names were Shiphrah and Puah, 16 “When you are helping the Hebrew women during childbirth on the delivery stool, if you see that the baby is a boy, kill him; but if it is a girl, let her live.”… Then Pharaoh gave this order to all his people: “Every Hebrew boy that is born you must throw into the Nile, but let every girl live.”

As the Israelites were moving into the promised land they were up to Moab. The King of Moab - Balak summoned Balaam to curse the Israelites. Instead - Balaam blessed them and ended with the same blessing God gave to Abraham. In Numbers 24:9b we read; 

“May those who bless you be blessed and those who curse you be cursed!”

In the Book of Esther during the reign of King Xerxes of Persia – Haman – a court official was jealous of the Jews in general and of Mordecai in particular. Therefore, conspired to have them all killed. Instead - God working through Queen Esther and Mordecai - foiled Haman’s plan. Instead - it was Haman who the king had killed. 

Between 1821 and 1905 the Pogroms in Imperial Russia saw rioting against Jews and restrictive measures to their right to travel. Many of these Russian Jews immigrated to the US and Canada to avoid persecution.

And then the most infamous in history was Hitler and the Nazis who killed millions of Jews. And a lesser – but significant - number of Christian who soke out against the evil of Nazism – like Dietrick Bonhoffer – a Lutheran Pastor. 

But no matter the pain – the suffering – the persecution and the terror that has been brought against God’s people – there are still millions of Jews in the world and Christianity continues to grow – especially in the Middle east and in Africa. 

What did we learn from the Magi and the evil King Herod. 

Well for me - always seek Jesus - no matter the world’s hostility that might oppose us. Two verses from God’s Holy Word came to mind.

Matthew 7:7-8

“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.” 

Matthew 6: 33-34

“ But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”

Seek Jesus.

Amen Come LORD Jesus

Copyright  © 2025 St. Andrew's Lutheran Church, Kamloops

https://standrewslutheran.ca

View this sermon presented live here: https://youtu.be/3BiSrTBFQuk

Light is energy - a complex form of energy and it is very, very fast. Light waves travel at a speed of 186,202 miles per second. It takes 1.3 seconds for light to travel between the earth and the moon and 8 minutes and 20 seconds to travel between the sun and the earth.

Light can bend as it travels through glass or water and it contains within itself all the colours of God’s beautiful rainbow. And light energy can change into other forms of energy; like heat, motion, electricity and food (through photosynthesis). And if we wonder about how much energy is in light - think about a lightning bolt. The average bolt of lightning can generate heat up to 20,000 degrees C. The surface of the sun is just under 6,000 degrees C. So there is an immense amount of power and energy that comes from light.

And Light is an integral part of God's wonderful creation. God knew that his creation could not exist unless it had light. So he put light into his creation.

In reading the Holy Scriptures some words have symbolic as well as literal meanings: Light is one of those words. 

In our common understanding of light, it means the light we get from the sun – the moon – the stars and a light bulb. This is the kind of light we recognise. And God placed this kind of light into creation.

And God said, “Let there be lights in the vault of the sky to separate the day from the night, and let them serve as signs to mark sacred times, and days and years, 15 and let them be lights in the vault of the sky to give light on the earth.” And it was so. 16 God made two great lights—the greater light to govern the day and the lesser light to govern the night. He also made the stars. 17 God set them in the vault of the sky to give light on the earth, 18 to govern the day and the night, and to separate light from darkness. And God saw that it was good. 19 And there was evening, and there was morning—the fourth day.

But when we say God is light - it's not sun light but it can be light we can see by. This kind of light God also placed into creation.

And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. 4 God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness. 5 God called the light “day,” and the darkness he called “night.” And there was evening, and there was morning—the first day.

And notice the difference in creations time line between God light and the light we get from the sun or a light bulb. God light appeared on the first day – in the beginning. This is the light of Jesus as we read in the gospel this morning.

The Word gave life to everything that was created, and his life brought light to everyone.

This is the kind of light in Revelation when John describes the light in the New Jerusalem – we read:

The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp. (Revelation 21:23)

God-light describes an attribute of God - it is part of his essence - it is an intrinsic part of his character. It is the brilliant glory of God that emanates from him and angels and sometime from us - like how Moses’ face shone after he spoke to God. And how the angle appeared to the shepherds at the birth of Jesus. 

“An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them,.. Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,

14 “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.” (Luke 2:9 & 13)

It seems at that moment that the boundary between heaven and earth was opened. Heavenly angels were seen and spoke with people like us.

But God-light also refers to goodness and truth on one hand and on the other - it illuminates and makes visible or makes know the evil things that people or demons purposely try to hide - usually in dark place. And making evil things visible that were hidden is what some Christians have done over the centuries and are still doing today. 

So in the beginning God put God-light and sun light into his creation.

And God-light is the same as Jesus-light which is the source of all things.

"Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. " (John 1: 3)

And Jesus light is the source of all life.

"In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind." (John 1:4)

Without Jesus-light nothing would exist. And by his power - Jesus sustains all things - things we can see and things we cannot see.

"For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together." (Colossians 1: 16-17)

So the obvious conclusion is that because Jesus is God he is the source of all light and all life. Therefore, all light and all life whether it's son (s-o-n) light or sun (s-u-n) light is God-light.

Now there was something else at the beginning when God put his light into creation - darkness. 

"...darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters. And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness." (Genesis 1: 2b-4)

As I read these verses - they suggest that when God put His light into creation - the darkness is not simply displaced by His light but completely overwhelmed by it. Like those summer mornings when the sun rises over the eastern hills - the sky lights up and pushes the darkness away - in that bright summer sun shine even in the shade there is light. 

After God put his light into his creation he says, "...the light was good."  From these words we are drawn to the conclusion that - if the light is good -and God says it is good - then the opposite must apply to darkness - it is not good? Darkness implies something chaotic or evil or bad or unnatural or just not right. The implication that darkness represents something bad or evil fits into our own experience as well. I'm sure that we all have a healthy sense of concern about the darkness at night or that dark basement when we were kids. The Psalmist infers our fear of night when he says:

"You will not fear the terror of night,..." (Psalm 90: 5a)

Sometime we may refer to someone or something as being dark. I recall reading some historical newspaper headlines from WW 1 and 2 that stated, "A Dark Shadow has Descended over Europe". Something bad was happening.

In my previous life in the Surrey R.C.M.P. The type and number of bad things that happened at night was far greater than the bad things that happened during the day. I could go through an entire day shift and part of an afternoon any calls to deal with serious criminal activity. But once it was dark - I could be so busy that I might not get a break until 4 or 5 in the morning - when people started to head off to work.

Darkness seems to bring out the evil and the ungodliness of people. Hear what God says about darkness through the writer of Proverbs'

Wisdom will save you from the ways of wicked men,
from men whose words are perverse,
who have left the straight paths
to walk in dark ways,
who delight in doing wrong
and rejoice in the perverseness of evil, (Proverbs 2:12-14)

But - when there is God-light there is no darkness. 

God is sovereign over the entire universe - there is nothing that can be equally compared to God. Since all the power and authority in the universe resides in God then God-light is immeasurably more powerful than darkness. I refer to this at the end of the Prayers of the People when I say – ‘He who is in us is exceedingly greater that he who is in the world.’ Therefore, because God is sovereign over all things - He is also sovereign over darkness and all that comes from it or resides in it. Nothing is outside of His domain or control. And where there is God-light there is no darkness because darkness cannot exist in God-light. John's first letter tells us so;

"God is light; in him there is no darkness at all." (1 John 1:5b)

So when God-light shines - darkness and the things of darkness cannot hide inside it. God-light illuminates the darkness as if it were a bright sunny day and makes all things visible - nothing is hidden. It would be like watching a brightly lit night time Football game from every possible angle - nothing is missed. 

But what about us and the millions of Christians in the world? What are we to this all consuming, ever present light that God put into the world? Well - we have that light within us. This is what Jesus says to us.

In the Gospel of John;

"When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life." (John 8:12)

In the Gospel of Matthew;

"You are the light of the world.... In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven." (Matthew 14a & 16)

And as the Holy Spirit worked through Paul he says:

"For God, who said, 'Let light shine out of darkness,' made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ." (2 Corinthians 4:6)

And again Paul says:

"You are all children of the light and children of the day. We do not belong to the night or to the darkness." (1 Thessalonians 5:5) 

The amazing thing about light is that it illuminates things, things that are hidden from view. How do we illuminate things that are hidden? Well – we must expose them regardless of the opposition from those dark authorities.

Paul advises the Ephesians about how they are to live as children of the light:

"For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) and find out what pleases the Lord. Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. It is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret. But everything exposed by the light becomes visible—and everything that is illuminated becomes a light. (Ephesians 5: 8-13)

So as children of light we are to have nothing to do with darkness. Back in the beginning of Genesis - God separated the light from the darkness - which suggests that we also should separate ourselves from the those who live by and/or encourage the fruitless deeds of darkness. This doesn't mean that we are going to live in communes like some did back in the 1960's. But it does mean that we should live decent and godly lives. Lives governed by the Fruits of the Spirit, "...love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,gentleness and self-control..." (Galatians 5: 22-23a)

And we should not go along with certain social views and trends. For example, new age, eastern or middle eastern religions because they do not have God-light and those who follow them will perish. Contrary to the wishes of certain authorities – we must never alter – change or abandon what we have come to know to be true and believe after 2000 years of Christian teaching. Nor should we accept the secular-humanistic world view about gender issues and social engineering (wokeism) that contradict God's Word.

To "Live as children of the light..."!!! Praise God because he has bestowed such a precious gift into us.

Live lives that are pleasing to God in all goodness, righteousness and truth. The unfortunate reality is that we can never live our lives and be completely pleasing to God. However, that should not preclude us from proclaiming what is right and true according to God' Word. The secular-humanistic world and all other religions do not want to hear us tell them what is true and they will probably shun us for it. 

Nevertheless, we should persevere where we can because we have God-light in us. Just like the Psalmist says;

"The Lord is my light and my salvation—whom shall I fear?

The Lord is the stronghold of my life—of whom shall I be afraid? (Psalm 27:1)

And use God's Word because his Word has more authority and power than anything that hides in the darkness:

“The unfolding of your Words gives light;

It gives understanding to the simple.” (Psalm119:130)

And don't forget to pray. Ask the Holy Spirit for guidance and help to see things as they really are - illuminated by God-light.

Without God-light we have no way of knowing the truth from a lie or a right from a wrong or what is holy from what is evil. God-light enables us to see a lie when it is said - a wrong when it is done and evil for what is.

If we live in God-light - this is our hope and joy - eternity in the light of the LORD - the author , the perfector and the pioneer of our faith in Jesus Christ so graciously given to us by the God of Creation.

The Holy Spirit prophesying through Isaiah gave us a glimpse of the hope and the joy of that eternity:

The sun will no more be your light by day,
nor will the brightness of the moon shine on you,
for the Lord will be your everlasting light,
and your God will be your glory.
Your sun will never set again,
and your moon will wane no more;
the Lord will be your everlasting light and your days of sorrow will end.

(Isaiah 60:19)

AMEN 

COME LORD JESUS

Copyright © 2025 St. Andrew's Lutheran Church, Kamloops

https://standrewslutheran.ca

View this sermon presented live here:  https://youtu.be/0TUd-xaz7B0

From the book of the prophet Isaiah, the ninth chapter, we read these words:

The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned... For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David's throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the LORD Almighty will accomplish this. This is God's Word.

It had been quite a year. During the previous 12 months I had retired from full-time pastoral ministry and my father had passed on to glory. As executor of his estate, I had made numerous trips to the U.S. to deal with everything that needs to be dealt with when a loved one dies.

And with those responsibilities finally behind us, Charlene and I boarded an airplane in Kamloops and flew to the east coast of the U.S. in celebration of our 30th wedding anniversary. We had a wonderful time - having a mini-reunion with my two brothers and their wives, visiting places such as Williamsburg, Gettysburg, and Manassas, driving the ridge route in Shenandoah National Park, and spending time in various Smithsonian museums in the Washington, D.C. area. We even experienced what it was like to be brushed by the edges of Hurricane Matthew which dropped enough rain to float Noah's Ark.

But Hurricane Matthew wasn't the only thing in the news at the time, for our neighbour to the south was in the midst of pre-election hysteria with charges and counter-charges leveled against both major candidates. Their verbal brawlings and bullyings included attacks on character and personalities, insults, and words used to incite fear in an attempt to discredit their opponents. Name-calling had been taken to a whole new level. When we think of name-calling, we usually think of it negatively - in a pejorative, derogatory sense.

But there is another way that name-calling can be done. And we see that epitomized with the Hebrew people. Names, to the Hebrews, were a vital element of life and culture. A person's name was more like a bio-sheet than an ID, more a resume than a moniker. Therefore, the naming of a child was a serious matter. The Jews prided themselves in attaching special significance to the naming process and choosing each name for a specific reason.

And, to make the occasion even more memorable, a party was often held to announce the newborn's name. The crowning moment came with the words: "He shall be called..." "Unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given..." proclaims the prophet Isaiah. And then he tells us the names of this One who will be born nearly 700 years later. He shall be called Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, and Prince of Peace.

Wonderful Counselor - No question perplexed Him. No riddle could stump Him. And his perfect counsel included more than mere words. It offered compassion that was felt and muscle that could act.

Everlasting Father, or Father of Eternity - The perfect Father figure for our lives. His reign has no end. His sovereignty is unlimited.

Prince of Peace - The One who comes bringing reconciliation between God and man through time and eternity. He is not only the Prince of Peace, but He is "our peace."

Of the four names that would be given to this wonder-child, the name "Mighty God" is the most amazing. In fact, it is so mind boggling that some scholars have attempted to reduce the words "Mighty God" to the words "god-like hero." And yet, when the exact same words are used in the following chapter (10:21), they are translated by those same scholars as "Mighty God." And so, as amazing as it seems, this child would be the "Mighty God." But in what way? In what way would He be the Mighty God?

The very name "God" forces us to consider the fact that Jesus existed before His birth in Bethlehem. It was the Apostle John, writing in his gospel, who speaks of Jesus in these terms: "In the beginning was the Word (that's the "code word" that John uses for Jesus), and the Word was with God, and the Word was God" (John 1:1). John also speaks of Jesus as being present at creation. "Through him (that is, Jesus) all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made" (John 1:3).

If we look at Jesus' life, we see Him claiming the titles of divinity for himself. The council of elders asked Jesus, "Are you then the Son of God?" Jesus replies, "You are right in saying I AM" (Luke 22:70). John reports that the Jews tried all the harder to kill Jesus, not only because he was breaking the Sabbath, but because he was even calling God his own Father, "making himself equal with God" (John 5:18). Jesus accepts not only Thomas' testimony when he says, "My Lord and my God" (John 20:28), but He - as God - accepts Thomas' worship.

The glorified, Risen Christ, speaking to John once again on the isle of Patmos, states: "I am the First and the Last. I am the Living One..." (Revelation 1:17). As "the First and the Last," Christ is using the title belonging to God as found in Isaiah 44:6.

But there is probably no word that more fittingly describes this child to be born than the word "Emmanuel" which means "God with us." The birth of Jesus took place, says Matthew, "to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet [Isaiah]: 'The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Emmanuel' - which means, 'God with us'" (Matthew 1:23).

In the person of Jesus, God willingly entered our humanity and our history. No longer could God be accused of the unfair accusation of "winding up the world" and letting it go. No longer could God be accused of being a disinterested party in the affairs of humanity. For in Jesus, God became present to us.

Of course, God does this in such a way as to confound the wise and the influential and the noble. If we had been in charge of orchestrating the birth of Jesus, I'm sure we would not have done it in the manner that God chose. We would have had Jesus born to a regal family after a fairy-tale romance and an appropriate number of months after the wedding. We would have had a great fuss made over him by a royal entourage. We would have written the news of Jesus' birth in giant letters in the sky! Or at the very least, we would have had the news proclaimed empire-wide by the best publicity people around.

But God's ways are not our ways. There is no empire-wide fanfare and hoopla concerning this birth. And it's not to a regal family, but to a young teenage couple who have to face slanderous accusations regarding parenthood. There is no royal entourage, unless that is what you want to call a bunch of shepherds who smell worse than their sheep! And for publicity we have a choir of angels who belt out a heavenly anthem, and then disappear! No, Phillips Brooks was correct when he wrote: "How silently, how silently, the wondrous gift is given!"

And Jesus - "God with us" - lives his life in the same manner as he was born. He doesn't come bullying people. "A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out" proclaimed the prophet (Isaiah 42:3). And he comes to the door of our lives, not with a battering ram in hand, but with a simple knock. "Behold, I stand at the door and knock..." (Revelation 3:20) says Jesus. O, He does miracles all right, but they are miracles that can be misunderstood by those who choose not to believe. It was the Apostle Paul, in his letter to the Philippians, who wrote this about Jesus: "Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness" (2:5-7). No, Jesus doesn't flaunt who He is, but instead reveals himself to those who humbly turn in faith to him.

Yes, Jesus is Emmanuel. Yes, Jesus is "God with us." But in what way is he the "Mighty God"?

That question would not be answered for 33 years. It is only as he willingly gives his life upon the cross to die for your sin and my sin that we begin to understand just how mighty He is! It is only then - as Saviour - that we see His wondrous might! It is only as He rises from the dead and leaves an empty grave in his wake that we see the tremendous power invested in Him. And yet, He even does all this without the fanfare worthy of such events.

And so, even today there are those who are not willing to bow the head and bend the knee to Jesus. They may have 100 excuses ... they may have only one excuse as to why they are not willing to accept Jesus as their Mighty God. But the day will come when Jesus shall once again appear - not as the helpless Babe of Bethlehem, not as the God who comes incognito - but as the God who comes in clouds of glory with all his angels. Then, every knee will bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. Everyone will know the power invested in Emmanuel - God with us. Everyone will confess that Jesus Christ truly is the Mighty God.

What is to be our response to this news? I believe that Phillip Brooks sums it up well with the words of his hymn:

"O holy Child of Bethlehem! Descend to us, we pray;

Cast out our sin and enter in, be born in us today.

We hear the Christmas angels, the great glad tidings tell;

O come to us, abide with us, our Lord Emmanuel!"

Our Lord Emmanuel. God with us. "And he will be called... the Mighty God." 

May that be your response in faith this evening. 

AMEN.

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View this sermon presented live here:  https://youtu.be/ayvlx-__Y2g