Advent IV: Love: “God’s Love is With Us”
Krista’s Reflection, Advent IV: Love: “God’s Love is With Us”
Sunday, December 18, 2022
Based on Isaiah 7:10-16 (Sign of the Child Immanuel) and
Matthew 1:18-25 (Joseph’s Dream Foretelling the Birth of Jesus the Messiah)
Scripture Summary: A child named Immanuel “God is with us” offers hope to the remnant of Israel. Joseph listens to the angel and accepts Mary’s child conceived by the Holy Spirit. The Messiah fulfills Isaiah’s prophecy, the child Emmanuel (God with us) named Jesus (God Saves).
Sermon Focus Statement: God is with us (Emmanuel). Jesus is God’s Love in the world.
Sermon Function Statement: Trust that God is with Us (Emmanuel). He gave Jesus as a sign, the incarnation of God’s Love in the world: Receive this love and be God’s Love in the world.
Intro:
Last week we heard about Mary, the mother of Jesus. She sang her beautiful hymn, or song of praise, the Magnificat. This was after she found out she would have a son, miraculously conceived by the Holy Spirit, and he would be the Messiah, the Son of God.
This week we hear the same story but through Joseph’s eyes, Mary’s husband. We also celebrate the final week of Advent, with the theme of Love, as we anticipate the birth of Christ, next week. This is indeed a love story.
Jesus is the long-anticipated Messiah, the one whom the prophet Isaiah said would be called Emmanuel, which means God is with us.
If God is Love, then Jesus is “God’s Love with us” or God’s Love Incarnate. He is the gift that reveals God’s Love for us, and for the whole world.
Let’s see how this is so…
It was a very dark night for Joseph. He heard something too troubling to speak of from his kinspeople in Nazareth. The woman he was betrothed to, Mary, was already with child. This was impossible! They had never lived together. She was much younger than he, and he was still waiting for the time they would be together. People were talking. He was confused, angry and fearful what would happen next. Would they stone her? God forbid. He loved her, but he would have to dismiss her. He could not be with her now. But what would happen to her?
Joseph went to sleep that night and had a dream. An angel of the Lord came to him and told him not to worry, that Mary’s child was conceived by the Holy Spirit. Mary was innocent. Joseph trembled in his sleep. The angel told him he could take her as his wife, and she would bear a son, and he was to name him Jesus. Jesus. God Saves….
Joseph awoke in a sweat. He pushed aside his covers and shivered. The sun had barely risen. He knew he must go to Mary at once and tell her what happened, that he would not turn her away. He would bring her home that day and take her as his wife but would not touch her until the child was born. This was a special child. And he would do anything to protect them.
If you could imagine, Joseph was betrothed to this young woman, scarcely 14 years old. They had been promised to each other since she was a child, as was the custom in his Jewish religion and tradition. He was a pious and righteous man – meaning he followed the law and was blameless in God’s eyes.
Joseph did not want to hurt Mary, even though he had every right to divorce her to protect his family name. However, he had compassion and wanted to do so quietly, without causing her harm or violence.
But Joseph is saved by a dream. God gives him wonderful news – the child to be born was not conceived naturally, but through the power of the Holy Spirit. Like the dove that alights on Jesus at his baptism, God’s power overshadowed Mary and she conceived a son, a special gift from God.
Although it made no sense, Joseph believed. He immediately obeyed the angel and took Mary home as his wife.
Joseph didn’t have to do all of this. He was not the biological father of Jesus, yet he accepted him as his son, and Mary as his wife. Later he would take them to Egypt to escape the wrath of king Herod who wanted to destroy all the infants under 2 years old in Bethlehem, because Herod feared the coming Messiah.
Joseph risked everything, his reputation, his family’s acceptance, and his life, to protect Mary and the baby at all costs.
That is love.
I said this is a love story. But it’s more than Joseph’s love for Mary or the child. It’s about God’s love for us.
It’s how God shows up in our lives in unexpected ways, just when we need it most.
Have you ever felt like Joseph? Like something terrible was about to happen, only to find out it was a great blessing from God.
Has God ever put your love to the test or made you doubt God is with you?
Maybe you’ve been through a divorce, or lost a child or loved one, or faced a health crisis or illness, or had to move far away from all that you have known and loved? But God was right there with you. That is the promise we hear about today.
We can learn from today’s Scriptures that God always keeps his promises. In Isaiah, God answered the ancient Israelites with a promise of a child called Immanuel – meaning God is with us, that God would be there for them in their trials. In Matthew’s gospel, God comes to Joseph’s rescue by telling him to accept the child conceived by the Holy Spirit, and name him Jesus – the one who saves his people from their sins.
Has God ever rescued you from a terrible dilemma or situation you couldn’t get out of? Or blessed you beyond what you felt you deserved?
Maybe you made some terrible mistakes, or people were talking about you, or you were fearful of losing your job, or your family turning against you, like Joseph and Mary feared. It might have felt like you had no way out.
But God is good. God delivers on his promises. God is with us.
God answered Joseph’s prayer for a way out of his situation.
And God answered the Israelites prayers with a child who would be God with us, Emmanuel, the Messiah, who would take away the sins of the world.
Jesus is Emmanuel. He shows up in our darkest hour. He loves us unconditionally. He represents God’s Love in action.
I experienced this most profound feeling of God’s Love when visiting Christmas for Kids in action last week. This project meets the needs of families in our area who are experiencing dark times. I helped pack a few bags for the kids, but over 400 bags lined the floors! It was truly overwhelming.
And it was clear how much love went into this project. The organizer knew and cared about each child as if they were her own. She didn’t have to do all of this. These were not her children. Yet, like Joseph, she took it on and would stop at nothing to make sure each child was loved and cared for as a beloved son or daughter.
The team went above and beyond the call of duty, from communicating with the families, finding out each child’s needs, picking gifts, collecting, shopping, sorting, packing food, getting sponsorship, raising funds, not to mention organizing all the dedicated volunteers required to do all of this!
It was truly humbling to see God’s Love in Action.
I told you this was a love story.
Here are some thoughts to ponder this week as we prepare for the birth of Christ. Krista’s Three Things:
- What if we could experience God’s Love with Us every day?
What might that look like?
- What if we trusted that God is with us, even in our darkest hour? That Jesus knew each one of us by name and cared about our needs?
- What if, like Joseph, we believed and showed up as God’s Love in our family and community, as compassion and kindness to others in their greatest time of need? What would that feel like? Maybe consider volunteering next year for Christmas for Kids! Or some other great cause.
Finally, let’s take a moment to receive God’s Love. Hear these words from Christ, given in the Spirit as God’s Love with Us. (Perhaps you want to close your eyes and contemplate them in your heart)…
Imagine Jesus speaking directly to you.
I love you with a mother’s love
With no conditions or anomalies.
God is waiting for you.
Will you accept the invitation?
Will you accept his love without reservation?
He is coming.
Will you receive him? Will you be ready and available?
Will you let go of your old way of living and enter a new path with me?
Will you rely on me and not on yourself so much?
Will you let me have a say? In all your fears and in all of life’s complications?
I will give you rest; I will turn you in a new direction.
Don’t worry about anything, just wait for me.
And I will be there when you need me.
Don’t go it alone anymore, reach for me. Hold my hand and speak to me.
I will listen, I hear your words, now will you hear mine?
Believe in me, trust in me, and you will have life. And life abundantly.
Nothing ever gets in the way, only you.
I love you with everything that I have: all that I have is yours.
I have nothing to gain but your heart. Your imagination. Your trust. Your love. That is all that I want from you.
I love you with all that I Am, and that is a lot.
I invite you to gently come back.
BLESSING:
May we all know and accept God’s Love
as the amazing and unexpected gift that it is.
Like Joseph, may be willing and open to allow
God’s Love in times of darkness and uncertainty,
a very present help in times of need.
May we also be willing to be that Light for others
who need us to show up as God’s Love in Action.
May God’s Love be with you, and all whom you love,
this day and always.
Amen.