2013년 12월 15일 주일 영어예배 설교
마태복음 1:21-23

(Matthew 1:21~23)

         History itself is the redemptive story of Jesus Christ. Concerning Jesus Christ, the Old Testament directly prophesied 456 times. When including suggestions about Jesus Christ, it will be much more times than that. Among these many prophecies about Jesus Christ, today’s text was the one that was prophesied right before the fulfillment of Christ’s birth. These today’s expressions explain why Jesus Christ came to us, and the reason why Jesus Christ came to earth was to fulfill God’s elaborate plan. Today, I want us to appreciate the true meaning of Christ’s birth and truly enjoy the Christmas season.

First, Jesus came to earth to save only his own people. In verse 21, “She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” The angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph, Mary’s fiancé, in a dream, and the angel relieved his mind explaining about Mary’s pregnancy. The angel just told him everything as it is, ‘the virgin Mary conceived from the Holy Spirit’. Moreover, the angel gave a name ‘Jesus’, which means ‘Jehovah (God) is the salvation’. Then the angel told him clearly and simply the reason why Jesus will be born through the human body. The angel’s statement is this, “he will save his people from their sins.”

Whenever we think about Jesus’ Incarnation or his coming to earth through the human body, we must not lose the purpose of God. The purpose of his coming is the salvation, salvation of his chosen people. Christ’s birth has the elaborate and specific purpose. Christ’s birth is not the result of the fact that God just so loved all of mankind that God sent His only-begotten son. A few people believe that as a result of it, or the universal love of God, now the way to be saved is opened and whether to be saved through believing it or not is entirely depending on human beings’ decision. But this is misunderstanding of the Bible’s teaching. Christ’s birth aims for only his chosen people, only for their salvations from their sins. Among many phrases that indicate about God’s election, Ephesians 1:4-5 tells us directly about this point, “For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love hepredestined us for adoption to sonshipthrough Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will.” Jesus Christ’s birth is not for the salvation of the universe, but for the salvation of his people. It was planned, aimed, and elaborated. This is what today’s text tells us, “He will save his people from their sins.” From where are they saved? Yes, from their sins. Sins mean death. In Romans 6:23, “For the wages of sin is death”. This death does not mean a biological death, but means an eternal punishment. The people of Christ are saved from the sins or death. This is because Jesus Christ came to save the people from the sins.

God’s love is expressed not through the fact that God loves all the people on earth in history, but through the fact that God loves only the people who He chose. Whenever the Bible shows us God’s love, we can find concepts such as jealousy, anger, and longing as ways God loves His people. Let us listen to God’s statement about Himself in the book of Exodus, “I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God” If you love your fiancés, spouses, parents, and siblings or best friends, do you love them as equally as you love others? “A jealous God” means that certain people, His chosen people, have a special place in God’s heart. Then what about the remaining people or the unelected people? This is not God’s responsibility. Their reprobation is only due to their hardened hearts and their sins from not believing God. That is not God’s responsibility. We can find “the unutterable, amazing, and graceful love” of God in “The Election”, but we cannot find “the unfairness, mercilessness, or irresponsibleness” of God in “The Reprobation”.

Our Jesus Christ came to earth through a human body for his people’s salvation. Let’s look at today’s text again: “He will save his people from their sins.” This is one of the important meanings of Christmas. If someone says that God loves all of mankind, this God may be from some fairy tale or other philosophy or different religions, or coming from certain warmed hearted people who don’t believe in Jesus Christ. Such a God is not the God of Christianity at all. The God of Christianity loves only His own chosen people, and leaves the others in their sinful conditions. Through this fact, God wants to express His love. Jesus Christ, our Lord came here for His people’s salvation from their sins. This is the meaning of Christmas.

If we are the chosen people, then we must react to this Christmas differently from the unbelievers. Christ’s birth is not for the peace of mankind or showing the world the model of love and self-sacrifice, but for His people’s salvation. Of course, Christ’s coming to earth has made the world peaceful, and has set the model of love, and has had an effect on many people, so it made them nice people, but that is not the point of Christ’s birth. I light the Christmas tree in my living room and listen to Christmas carols when driving and share this joy with the people around me in the Christmas season, but I don’t find the true meaning of Christmas in these things. What makes us shed tears with joy and makes us sing cheerfully is this, “He will save his people from their sins.” I really hope you will deeply contemplate our Savior Jesus Christ in this Christmas season.

The second point that we need to know concerning Christmas, Jesus Christ came to earth to fulfill the prophecies. This Christ’s birth for the salvation of his own people had been prophesied through many of God’s prophets. In verse 22-23, “All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet: “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son and they shall call his name Immanuel.” Thins verse 23 is a quotation from Isaiah’s prophecy in the book of Isaiah 7:14. This is one of the representative prophecies about Jesus Christ in the Old Testament. This prophecy was about 700 years before Christ’s birth.

This Christ’s birth was perfectly planned by God, and exactly performed, and the effect of the birth fully has worked according to the God’s intention. Concerning Christ’s birth, it itself has the unique meaning and function, and we can find it only through the Bible. Christ’s birth is not a final solution after several failures of God in saving people. Some people believe mistakenly like this, ‘God continually has loved all people as His creatures. So God had tried to persuade and save people through many means. God made Noah make the ark. God sent Abraham and Moses. God set judges for them. God used to set someone such as David, Solomon on the throne for people. God used to send His prophets to make people turn to Himself. God really had done all that He was able to do that for people. Finally, inevitably, the God of boundless love decided to send His son as a sacrifice to earth for people. This is Christ’s birth.’ This is misunderstanding of the Bible’s teaching.

The God of Christianity, the God who the Bible says to us is not a God who changes his mind or plan according to situations or human’s reactions. Christ’s birth is not the final decision or hidden card of God after several attempts to save people in failures. Christ’s birth is the steadfast and firm plan of God from the beginning of the world. This Christ’s birth is the very fulfillment of God’s plan and the prophecies. For his people’s atonements, this great Incarnation was planned and accomplished only for the salvation of his people like you and me. This is Christ’s birth. If it has not been fulfilled, you and I are doomed; it is simply the end.

Christ’s birth means salvation from our sins. It means we were moved from the eternal curse under the death to eternal life. In this Christmas season, let’s thank God for His perfect plan of Christ’s birth, His exact fulfillment of Christ’s birth, and the effect of Christ’s birth on us. And as today’s phrases declare, ‘the God of Immanuel’ will be with us eternally.