Jesus as Emmanuel
Matthew 1:18-25
Betrothal vs. Engagement
Ketubah- a Jewish marriage contract
Mary and Joseph are legally bound as they would be in marriage, but they have not joined households.
Matthew 1:18-25
18 The birth of Jesus Christ came about this way: After his mother Mary had been engaged to Joseph, it was discovered before they came together that she was pregnant from the Holy Spirit. 19 So her husband, Joseph, being a righteous man, and not wanting to disgrace her publicly, decided to divorce her secretly.
20 But after he had considered these things, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, don’t be afraid to take Mary as your wife, because what has been conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21 She will give birth to a son, and you are to name him Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”
22 Now all this took place to fulfill what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet:
23 See, the virgin will become pregnant
and give birth to a son,
and they will name him Immanuel,
which is translated “God is with us.”
24 When Joseph woke up, he did as the Lord’s angel had commanded him. He married her 25 but did not have sexual relations with her until she gave birth to a son. And he named him Jesus.
Jesus- "the One who saves"
Immanuel- "God with us."
In Jesus, these promises are fulfilled. Jesus is the One who saves and is the fulfillment of God's continuing promise to be with us (Matthew 28:20)
How many sticky/awkward situations do you deal with?
God enters the human situation, even the situations and relationships that don't look so good.
Emmanuel, God with us, is a promise that God enters the messiness where we live.
God opens up a way to see the promise that calls us through it.
