"A Scandolous Rescue!" Matthew 1:18-25

Christmas Eve, The Nativity of our Lord
Sermon Text: Matthew 1:18-25
Sermon Theme: A Scandalous Rescue.

I.N.R.I. Tonight we celebrate our Creator’s infant cry. His tiny lungs draw in the atmosphere that He created on the 2nd day of history and breathe out an infant cry of life. Every mother waits to hear her newborn cry. It signals to her that all is well. Her child is healthy, filled with life, longing for its mother’s embrace and nurture. The baby Boy born to the Virgin Mary and her husband Joseph was no different. Baby Jesus cried often as all infants do. Does this seem scandalous to you? We sing, “The cattle are lowing, the Baby awakes, but little Lord Jesus no crying He makes.” This hymn’s author was taking poetic license to paint a peaceful picture of the rest found in the flesh of Jesus alone, not to make mute His cries.
    Jesus wept. Forsaken by God for our sin. Struggling with bearing our burden to death in Gethsemane. As Jerusalem refused to know the things that made for its peace. At the grave side of His dear friend Lazarus. As the crowds wandered like sheep without a shepherd. He wept many a night in prayer to His Father. He wept as an Infant in the arms of His mother Mary. Scandalous that the source of all Joy weeps.
    This was a scandalous rescue indeed. St. Matthew records, Mat 1:18 Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: After His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Spirit. “ Jesus’ conception causes a scandal. His Virgin Mother is pledged to be married to Joseph. Their marriage wasn’t yet made fully official. She still lived in her parent’s house. Joseph in his own house. Then she is found pregnant with a child she claims is of the Holy Spirit.
    Joseph isn’t ignorant of biology, but he doesn’t want Mary to suffer the punishment of an adulterer. Mat 1:19 Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not wanting to make her a public example, was minded to put her away secretly.” He would divorce her secretly - so that she wasn’t taken out to be stoned to death as a public warning against abusing God’s gift of sex outside of the protection of marriage.
      The Lord intervenes. He sends His preacher. Mat 1:20 But while he thought about these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, "Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit.” Joseph is a son of David - a man of royal blood. The Child conceived in Mary’s Virgin womb has divine blood. In His veins flows the very blood of the Father’s only begotten Son coming to rescue sinful mankind. God becomes One with us in the womb of the Virgin. C.S. Lewis rightly portrays this as scandalous to Satan and his demonic hosts in “The Screwtape Letters.” The fallen angels look down upon humanity with disdain. After all angels are created spirit beings, while mankind is a half breed. Made up of the dust of the earth and spirit. It is an utter scandal to the demons that the Creator would stoop so low as to become a fully human zygote in Mary’s womb, to grow as a fetus for nine months, then to be born in a natural way.
      You want to know another scandal! All these young boys and girls who dressed up as angels tonight - will never ever become angels. This scandalizes spiritual people who imagine salvation is escaping from our human bodies to float away as spirit beings. Listen to the Truth preached by God’s Holy Angel! Mat 1:21 And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name JESUS, for He will save His people from their sins." The Virgin Mary will birth a Son. His name is “Jesus” - “The Lord Saves”. He comes to save His people from their sins. He doesn’t come to rescue the fallen angels. He only takes our human nature into His divinity to rescue us from Satan’s false spirituality, to redeem our skin, bones, blood, brains, soul, and spirit from sin and all its effects. Jesus saves people. His people - real sinners - from their real sins. He comes for the brokenhearted sinners, who know that they cannot save themselves. He comes for those whose spirit is broken, crushed, by God’s holy Law justly condemning them. He comes for sinners who have nothing to bring Him, but their sins, their shattered lives and hopes of self-rescue. He comes for the exhausted sinners trying to make things right with God. He says to them, Mat 11:28 Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
      He comes to sinful infants and washes them saints in the waters of Holy Baptism. He knits them into His own flesh and with Him they die on Good Friday to all sin. He breathes into them the Lord and Giver of Life and with Him they rise on Easter to life eternal in these bodies. This is His scandalous rescue - it is pure gift - paid for in full with His own holy precious blood and innocent suffering and death upon the cross. Eph 2:4-7 But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, (5) even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), (6) and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, (7) that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.
      Behold the scandalous rescue! God becomes Man, so that Man might live with His Creator forever in bodies freed from sin, Satan, and death. Joseph doesn’t trust in dreams, but in God’s written Word. Mat 1:22-23 So all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying: (23) "BEHOLD, THE VIRGIN SHALL BE WITH CHILD, AND BEAR A SON, AND THEY SHALL CALL HIS NAME IMMANUEL," which is translated, "God with us."   Tonight you see the wondrous mystery that the prophets and angels never tire of investigating. 1Pe 1:10-12 Of this salvation the prophets have inquired and searched carefully, who prophesied of the grace that would come to you, (11) searching what, or what manner of time, the Spirit of Christ who was in them was indicating when He testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would follow. (12) To them it was revealed that, not to themselves, but to us they were ministering the things which now have been reported to you through those who have preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven—things which angels desire to look into. God’s holy angels desire to look into the mystery of God becoming Man to suffer for our sins - to win us back to Himself by His wounds.   He is Immanuel - God with us!
      Hear this reality of our scandalous rescue - where is Jesus? He is with us! He is here among His people - broken sinners - as He has promised - in His Church as they gather around Him in His Word. He is present with us in Holy Baptism even unto the end of the world. He is not far away locked up at the right hand of the Father. He fills all things as True Man and True God to shepherd us through this death filled valley to the life of the world to come. He speaks His Word filling us with His forgiveness, His life, and His salvation by grace through trusting in His cross. He is present in humanity around us - we serve Him as we care for the least of His brethren pouring ourselves out in love to serve them. Where? Mat 1:24-25 Then Joseph, being aroused from sleep, did as the angel of the Lord commanded him and took to him his wife, (25) and did not know her till she had brought forth her firstborn Son. And he called His name JESUS. Joseph gifts himself to his Virgin wife. He serves Christ by caring for and protecting his wife and child in marriage. Tonight receive the scandalous gift - salvation found totally outside of yourself - in the flesh and blood of Jesus alone. Faith found outside of yourself - implanted by the Holy Spirit through Christ’s living Word bringing you home to your Heavenly Father. Tonight gift yourself to those outside of you - pour yourself out in loving service to your husband, wife, child, parents, grandparents, neighbor, stranger, and enemies. Hear Jesus’ infant cry in them, embrace them and wipe away their tears. Comfort them in their sorrow. Reconcile yourself to those who’ve sinned against you - and those you’ve sinned against. For Christ the Savior is born FOR YOU! Amen.