The First Sunday after
Christmas Day.
The Collect.
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LMIGHTY God, who hast given us thy only-begotten Son
to take our nature upon him, and as at this time to be born of a pure virgin;
Grant that we being regenerate, and made thy children by adoption and grace,
may daily be renewed by thy Holy Spirit; through the same our Lord Jesus
Christ, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the same Spirit ever, one God,
world without end. Amen.
The Epistle
Galatians iv. 1.
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ow I say, That the heir, as long as he is a child,
differeth nothing from a servant, though he be lord of all; but is under tutors
and governors until the time appointed of the father. Even so we, when we were
children, were in bondage under the elements of the world: but when the fullness
of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the
law, to redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption
of sons. And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son
into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father. Wherefore thou art no more a servant,
but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.
The Gospel
St. Matthew i. 18.
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he birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as
his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was
found with child of the Holy Ghost. Then Joseph her husband, being a just man,
and not willing to make her a publick example, was minded to put her away
privily. But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord
appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to
take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy
Ghost. And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for
he shall save his people from their sins. Now all this was done, that it might
be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Behold, a
virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call
his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us. Then Joseph being
raised from sleep did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, and took unto
him his wife: and knew her not till she had brought forth her firstborn son:
and he called his name JESUS.
In those dark days before the Coming of Christ, we were under bondage of the
law as the Galatian Epistle intimates. We could not know God in a
personal relationship, but through laws written on Tables of Stone we tried
hopelessly to be perfect and righteous. But as the Prayer of Collect tells us,
Christ came and took OUR nature upon Himself that we might take HIS Nature upon
US. Being made children of God through adoption in Grace, we are kept in His
mercy by the constant inner counsel of the Holy Spirit to obey the Law of Love.
Being privileged children of the Father, we are no longer in bondage to the law
but made members of the very household of God.
Did you believe that the Christmas Season has past? Well, it has not. In fact,
we are merely at the center of the Christmas Season according to our
Lectionary. The larger picture for the Christian is that Christmas is ALWAYS
and unending in its meaning and impact upon our lives. The birth of Christ was
so cataclysmic that all of Eternity, and our own time-scale, has been divided
into the BEFORE and AFTER of that great event. Despite efforts of the
detractors of Christ to change it to Common Era (C.E.), or Before the Common
Era (B.C.E.), the question remains: “What happened 2013 years ago to cause the
Gregorian Calendar to begin our years with reference to that date?” It was, of
course, the birth of Christ. I care not if the world resents this, or cannot
grasp it – it is established and irrefutable historical fact!
We have, in the Gospel of St. Matthew, a matter-of-fact account of the birth of
Jesus. There are no ‘maybe’ or doubtful expressions about it – the Gospel
speaks with the force and effect of complete reality and truth. Before the
birth of Christ, Emmanuel (that is, God with us) was only a prophetic promise.
After the birth of Jesus, it became a steadfast reality. Matthew
addresses the occasion with a focus on Joseph, whereas Luke gives us a parallel
account with a focus on Mary. This is entirely logical in reason and timely
purpose. The royal line of His Kingship, for legal purposes, came through his
presumed father, Joseph. Of course, His true Father was God, but Joseph was the
legally recorded father for purposes of lineage and descent. Christ must first
be absolute Sovereign before He can be Lord of all. His priestly descent came
through Mary, and there never was, or ever shall be, a High Priest after the
Order of Melchizadek as was Jesus!
Matthew clearly informs us that Jesus had no earthly descent, but was the only
Begotten Son of God. “When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph,
before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost.”
Joseph and Mary were espoused to each other, but the marriage relationship had
not yet been consummated when Christ was conceived in Mary’s womb by the Holy
Ghost of God. All claims of new bible versions to the contrary, this is
biblical fact beyond and question.
Let us examine the qualities of Joseph as the caretaker of Jesus. 1) He had a
tender love and consideration for Mary. It would have been ‘unthinkable’ in
that day and time for a man to wed a woman who was pregnant with another man’s
child. So Joseph, unwilling to make a public spectacle of his precious Mary,
was inclined to put her away in some secret or distant place so no one would
slander her name and character. This would have been an unusual emotion in
those days, but Joseph was a “just man.” 2) Once the true
identity of the child Father was revealed to Joseph, he was then willing to
bear the ridicule and shame of his community by marrying Mary. What may seem
dishonor to the world may be immense honor granted by God? It may seem a
disgrace to the world for us to proclaim Merry Christmas instead of so-called
“Happy Holidays” but the least God expects is that we honor His Son by our view
of the event of Christmas.
We know little more about Joseph except that he was a carpenter. Jesus learned
that trade from Joseph, no doubt. The focus now turns to Jesus, and appropriately
so. The same implements of the carpenter’s trade that built houses and tables
were the same used to craft a crude cross for both the manger and the cross of
Christ. All things of His life pointed to Calvary.
The Gospel, or Good News, was summed up in the name JESUS! That name is ÅIhsou'ß Iesous, in the Greek which means Salvation of
God, or Jehovah is salvation. Though Jesus has many names, another profound name for Christ is
Emmanuel, or “God with Us.” What a comfort to know that we can enjoy the very
presence of God in Christ! He is not a God that is far away and uncaring, When
we walk with Christ, we bring the Kingdom of God near us. “The kingdom of God is come nigh unto you.”
(Luke 10:9) These two names – Jesus and Emmanuel – are of great
importance to us. The first, Jesus, describes His Office and purpose; the
second, Emmanuel, describes His nature – that is, WHO He was.
The name, JESUS, was not given to the babe by man, but by God the Father. “. .
. thou shalt call his name JESUS (Jehovah is Salvation) :
for he shall save his people from their sins.” The Old
Testament rendering of this name in Hebrew would have been the commonly known
‘JOSHUA’ of the same meaning. You will note that Joshua led the people of
Israel into the Promise Land, and Jesus, the greater Joshua, will lead His
people into a greater Kingdom of Promise.
In what way would Jesus “save us’ from our sins? “. . . for he shall save
his people from their sins.” He would first save us from the GUILT of
our sins. The wages of sin is death. We have ALL sinned. Therefore, we justly
deserve death. “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God
is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” (Romans 6:23)
Yes, we ALL have sinned: “For all have sinned, and come short of the
glory of God.” (Romans 3:23) You can see by this that, under the terms
of the law, there can be no hope for our salvation. But the terms of the law
were satisfied by His perfect submission to that law in paying the price for
our redemption. He took our place on the cross. Therefore, claiming that blood
of Christ as remission for our sins, we are made free of guilt. “But God
commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died
for us. Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be
saved from wrath through him.” (Romans 5:8-9)
Secondly, Jesus saves us from the POWER of Sin! Sin has no power over the
believer unless we deliberately open the door to the devil. “There is
therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not
after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life
in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death…… Therefore,
brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh. For if ye
live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the
deeds of the body, ye shall live.” (Romans 8:1-2,12-13)
Thirdly, Jesus saves us from the CONSEQUENCE of sin: “Much more then,
being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.”
(Romans 5:9) “For they themselves shew of us what manner of
entering in we had unto you, and how ye turned to God from idols to serve the
living and true God; And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised
from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come.” (1 Thess 1:9-10)
Fourthly, Jesus saves us from the PRESENCE of sin: “And one of the elders
answered, saying unto me, What are these which are arrayed in white robes? and
whence came they? And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to
me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their
robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Therefore are they
before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple: and he
that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them. They shall hunger no
more, neither thirst any more; neither shall the sun light on them, nor any
heat. For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them,
and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away
all tears from their eyes.” (Rev 7:13-17)
Jesus is a name filled with glorious comfort and inviting satisfaction: “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and
I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am
meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. 30 For my
yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” (Matt 11:28-30) When we surrender our futile works to
Christ, and accept His works of righteousness, how simple and easy do our
burdens become, for it is Jesus who carries them.
What of His name, EMMANUEL that informs us of the nature of Jesus? Seven
hundred years passed between the prophecy of Isaiah and the fulfillment of that
prophecy. The weak human faith may have given up the expectation, but with God,
all things are sure and certain. “Therefore the Lord himself shall give
you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his
name Immanuel.” (Isaiah 7:14) Please do
not tell me that a “young woman shall conceive and bear a son” for it was
spoken of god that the young woman was a VIRGIN. Here is how the NRSV corrupts
Isaiah’s prophecy: “Look, the young woman is with child and shall bear a
son, and shall name him Immanuel.” (Isaiah 7:14 NRSV) Are you so
literarily challenged that you cannot distinguish the great errors being
propagated by these apostate bibles? The VIRGIN conceives a Son whose
name is EMMANUEL! How does the name EMMANUEL describe the nature of Jesus?
First of all, it identifies Jesus as God for it means “GOD with us!” Jesus is
the central figure of the Trinity. He is God! In Isaiah 9:6, Jesus is described
as the “Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace.” Can any
demean the name of Jesus? Can the new versions demote Him to simply ‘a son of
God’ like unto us, or is He what the Bible claims – The only BEGOTTEN Son of
God?
Jesus is also named the great “I AM” revealing the Eternity of His existence.
He has existed from Eternity Past with the Father. “In the beginning was
the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the
beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not
any thing made that was made. In him was life; and the life was the light of
men.” (John 1:1-4) Further, “And the Word was made flesh, and
dwelt among us (EMMANUEL), (and we beheld his glory, the glory as
of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.” (John 1:14)
If we would have strength for the journey of our daily cross-bearing, we must
be ever mindful of the hope of EMMANUEL. He is WITH us – even unto the end of
the world. If you are weak and weary, grasp hold of the name, JESUS – Savior.
He is our Advocate to defend us in our moments of weakness and trial. “My
little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man
sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: And
he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the
sins of the whole world.” (1 John 2:1-2)
How
will you observe this great event – will it be by a nebulous term such as Happy
Holidays, or Merry Xmas; or will it be by its true identity of Merry Christmas?
Will it simply become one day out of 365, or 365 days of a single day?
Since Anno Domini, the Year of our Lord, it has been Christmas and it
always will be Christmas.
