“And His Name Shall be Called: JESUS (Matthew 1:18-25)” | 12/25/22
Matthew 1:18-25 | 12/25/22 | Will DuVal
“What’s in a name?”, Shakespeare’s Juliet famously asked.
“That which we call a rose / By any other name would smell [just] as sweet”.
It doesn’t matter what you CALL a thing; it just matters what it IS! Juliet is trying to convince herself that just because her beloved Romeo is a Montague, and she is a Capulet - and despite the fact that their two families have been at war with one another for generations now, as Juliet puts it: “’Tis but thy name that is my enemy; Thou art thyself.” I don’t CARE about your name, Romeo; you are YOU, and I love YOU no matter WHAT!
Well, spoiler alert: they both end up DEAD at the end of the play. Turns out, names ARE important!
And the Bible’s answer to Juliet’s question couldn’t be clearer: “What’s in a name?” A LOT! One scholar writes, “In the Bible… Names were more than just labels. To ancient Hebrews… nothing existed until it had a name. Its name expressed its character.” (Freedman, Christian Science Monitor, https://www.csmonitor.com/2001/0522/p18s1.html#:~:text=Names%20were%20more%20than%20just,the%20child%20to%20be%20graceful.)
So there’s a story in the OT about a guy named Nabal, whose name means “fool”. Indeed, he foolishly insulted King David. But his wise wife Abigail pleaded with David, “Let not my lord regard this worthless fellow, Nabal, for as his name is, so is he. Nabal[c] is his name, and folly is with him.” (1 Sam 25:25)
“As his NAME is, so is HE” - his name expressed his character.
So too Adam’s: “man of the earth”
Abraham: “father of a multitude”
Israel: “he wrestles with God”
Moses: “delivered from the water” - once as a baby, and then a second time to cross the Red Sea.
David: “beloved” by God
Peter: Jesus’ “ROCK”
Names are IMPORTANT. It was important to ME that my son, Elijah, be named “JOHN WILLIAM Elijah DuVal IV”, because I never want him to forget that adopted or not, he BELONGS in this family. And ALSO, that “Yahweh is his GOD” (“Elijah”).
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It’s also why I feel so BAD for those of you named…
Claudia: “lame”
Calvin: “bald”
Courtney: “short nose”
Cameron: “crooked nose”, and my favorite:
Kennedy: “misshapen head”
But of ALL the names out there, there is ONE name that expresses its owner’s character more perfectly than any other. It’s the name that is above EVERY name; the name at which every knee will one day bow, and every tongue confess as Lord: the name of JESUS. As the angel of the Lord announced on the eve of his birth: “you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.”” (Matt 1:21)
And even though we will one day BOW at his name, I invite you now to STAND with me, as you’re able… Matthew 1:18-25:
“Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. 19 And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly. 20 But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21 She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” 22 All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet:
23 “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son,
and they shall call his name Immanuel”
(which means, God with us). 24 When Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him: he took his wife, 25 but knew her not until she had given birth to a son. And he called his name Jesus.”
This is the word of the Lord… Let’s pray…
Throughout this Advent season we’ve studied these 5 different names that the prophet Isaiah gave the coming Messiah: “Wonderful Counselor”, “Mighty God”, “Everlasting Father”, “Prince of Peace”, and last night: “Immanuel”. But this morning, we finally arrive at the Messiah’s most important name of all; his given, personal name: JESUS. Yeshua, in Hebrew; literally “Salvation”. (and thank you to Madelein Allgood for the beautiful painting!)
So as the patriarch Jacob was lying on his deathbed, he prophetically declared: “I wait for your YESHUA [your salvation], O Lord.” (Gen 49:18)
As Moses was standing at the edge of the Red Sea, he proclaimed: ““Fear not, stand firm, and see the YESHUA [salvation] of the Lord, which he will work for you today.” (Ex 14:13)
King David unknowingly uttered this messianic prayer In the Psalms: “Oh, that YESHUA [salvation] for Israel would come out of Zion!” (Ps 14:7)
Truly there could BE no greater name for the Savior. His name makes it all the more HEARTBREAKING, when people ignorantly say things like, “Well I believe Jesus was a good teacher… A great prophet… a good moral example.” Because friends, Jesus - SALVATION incarnate - he has no interest in MERELY being ANY of those other things:
If you want a teacher, go to school.
If you want a prophet, read the OLD Testament.
If you want a moral example, watch Mr. Rogers.
But since what you NEED more than anything ELSE, is a SAVIOR, then you need to come to JESUS this morning. “For there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men[c] by which we must be saved.”” (Acts 4:12)
And there are a LOT of different directions we could take this sermon, but since it’s Christmas and I really just want to CELEBRATE it with you - who Jesus IS, and what He has done for us - I thought we’d spend the REST of our time together this morning answering the question: “HOW SO?”
If you’ve been in the Church, or around the Church, or even just around Christians for any length of time, you’ve probably heard - I HOPE you’ve heard - that “Jesus is SAVIOR”; you’ve probably heard that 1,000 times!
But HOW SO? What does it MEAN to call Jesus “Savior”? In what WAY (or WAYS!) is He our Savior?
And I’ll be the first to confess this morning that MOST of the time when I talk about Jesus’s salvation, it’s pretty one-dimensional. But the way the BIBLE talks about Jesus’s salvation, it’s actually THREE-dimensional; there are THREE ways in which Jesus is our Savior. And each ONE of these glorious truths is worthy of our unending WORSHIP. But as it is Christmas, and my kids STILL haven’t gotten to open their presents, I promise to keep this sermon shorter than usual so we can all keep the celebration going at HOME with our family and friends. (And if you don’t have family & friends to spend Christmas with, please let me know after the service; NO ONE should be alone on Christmas!)
But here are the THREE ways in which Jesus is our “salvation” (and BTW, for those of you for whom this sermon is just TOO short, and you want to spend some EXTRA time this afternoon reveling in Jesus’s salvation: there’s a whole branch of Christian theology called “soteriology”, that literally means “the study of the doctrine of SALVATION”; and there are whole LIBRARIES filled with great books on this topic. So go knock yourself out! But I’m just gonna give you the 15 min Cliff’s Notes this morning):
#1 - JUSTIFICATION: Jesus HAS saved us from the PENALTY of sin.
98% of the time that I, and most of YOU probably, talk about “Jesus SAVING us”, we’re referring to JUSTIFICATION; the fact - the GLORIOUS truth! - that Jesus HAS saved us (past tense) from the penalty that our sins rightfully deserve. So let me just give you - with EACH of these 3 forms of salvation - the “Who?” “What?” “FROM What?” “When?” “Why?” and “How?” of Justification (and with each, I’m just gonna let the BIBLE answer in its own words, so as to minimize MY voice and MAXIMIZE God’s voice this morning. Let’s hear from HIM, about what He has done for us in Jesus):
First, “WHAT?” What IS justification?
A: Justification is our Being “declared righteous” by God.
Gal 3:6,11 “Abraham “believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness”… [and then Paul gives that saving work of God a NAME…] Now it is evident that no one is justified before God by the law, for “The righteous shall live by faith.”” - So that’s what justification IS: our being “counted as righteous” before God?
Otherwise, apart from being DECLARED righteous, left on our own, we are UN-righteous. We are SINFUL. Which leads us to the SECOND facet of justification…
FROM What, does justification save us?
A: From the PENALTY of sin.
Rom 6:7,23 “We know that our old self was crucified with [Christ] … For one who has died has been JUSTIFIED from sin… For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” - The payment our sins rightfully DESERVE is DEATH. Separation from God. But by God’s grace - his undeserved gift - we receive the free gift of eternal life by being “JUSTIFIED from sin”; acquitted of our guilt, before a holy, perfect God.
Third: By WHOM? Who justifies us?
A: JESUS!
Rom 5:18-19 “as one trespass [ADAM’S] led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness[JESUS’S] leads to justification and life for all men. For as by the one man's disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man's obedience the many will be made righteous.” - We are MADE righteous, “COUNTED as righteous”, because of JESUS’ obedience.
Fourth: How? How does Jesus justify us?
A: By dying in our place. His sacrificial, atoning death for us.
Rom 3:23-25 “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood” - A propitiation is a sacrifice that appeases divine wrath; God is rightly, justly OPPOSED to, OFFENDED by our sin. And He is so holy, He can’t even be NEAR sin. But praise God, he graciously provided for us the only cleansing solvent strong enough to remove ALL our sins - past, present, and future - the perfect, spotless, omnipotent blood of His son JESUS.
2 Cor 5:21 “For our sake [God] made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” → we call this “IMPUTED RIGHTEOUSNESS”; it is righteousness “ascribed to us, as derived from another.” From Jesus.
Phil 3:9 Paul says, I want to “be found in him [in CHRIST], not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith” - nothing less than the PERFECT righteousness of CHRIST is good enough to get us into Heaven; and praise God, that’s exactly what He’s provided FOR us!
Fifth: When did He do this?
A: On the cross; 2,000 years ago.
1 Pet 2:24 “He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed.” - PAST TENSE.
That’s why in John 19:30, When “Jesus said, “It is finished,” and bowed his head and gave up his spirit,” he was speaking in the PAST tense about our justification - all who would trust in him and be saved, even millennia later!
Sixth: Why did He do it?
A: Eph 2:4-5 “God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, He made us alive together with Christ—by grace you HAVE been… [WHAT??] saved”
Lastly: “FOR WHOM did Jesus die, as our salvation, our justification?”
A: For all who would TRUST IN HIM BY FAITH!
Rom 4:5 “to the one who does not work but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness” → there’s “imputed righteousness again, but imputed specifically, to those who believe in JESUS!
Jn 3:36 “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.”
Now, you can see how that news - the news of our past justification, our HAVING BEEN saved from the PENALTY of our sins - is SO good, that we could easily just camp out there all day long, without even BROACHING the other two ways Jesus saves us. And to be fair, this IS where the Bible puts most of its emphasis; the Greek verb for “save”, sozo, is used 110x in the NT. And of those 110x, 12x it’s used in the present tense, and 30x it’s used in the past tense; which means 68 of the times sozo is found in the NT (⅔ of its uses!), are in the PAST tense. Like…
2 Tim 1:9 “[God] saved us and called us to[a] a holy calling… which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began”!
Titus 3:4-5 “when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us…”
And most famous of all: Eph 2:8 “by grace you have been saved through faith.”
And if that was ALL the good news there was of Jesus’s salvation for us, it would be MORE than enough and INFINITELY MORE than we deserve! But friends: the good news of the gospel gets even better. Because not only HAS Jesus SAVED us from the PENALTY of sin, but now…
#2 - through SANCTIFICATION, Jesus IS saving us from the POWER of sin. Jesus IS saving us from the POWER of sin - that’s sanctification.
What IS sanctification?
A: Our being “made holy” by God.
2 Tim 2:21 “ if anyone cleanses himself from what is dishonorable, he will be a vessel for honorable use, set apart as holy, useful to the master of the house, ready for every good work.” - See, Jesus SAVES us to SERVE Him. And we serve him by making His glory known here on earth as it is in Heaven. That’s why God MADE us - way back In Genesis 1, God created us “in his image”, lit., to REFLECT his glory, like little walking mirrors. Sin BREAKS the mirror, mars the image of God. Sanctification is God putting the pieces back together, so we can once again do what we’ve been MADE to do - reflect His glory, as HOLY image-bearers.
Hence, FROM What, does sanctification save us?
A: From the POWER of sin.
Rom 6:6,22 “our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin… now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the fruit you get leads to sanctification and its end, eternal life.” Jesus SANCTIFIES us “so that we will no longer be enslaved to sin”. The power of sin: progressively BROKEN in our hearts; the strangle-hold it used to have on us gets progressively LOOSENED, as the chains fall.
Who sanctifies us?
A: JESUS!
1 Cor 1:30 ““You are in Christ Jesus, who became to us… sanctification and redemption”
Heb 10:10 “we have been sanctified through [God’s] offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.”
Heb 13:12 “Jesus suffered… in order to sanctify the people through his own blood.”
How does Jesus sanctify us?
A: By his WORD and his SPIRIT.
Jn 17:17 “Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth.”
2 Cor 3:18 “[we] are being transformed into the same image [of CHRIST] from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.”
So Paul instructs us in Phil 2:12-13 to “work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you” - our role… GOD’S role…
When does Jesus sanctify us?
A: All our lives!
Phil 1:6 “he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.” - Our sanctification won’t be done til He returns or calls us home - whichever comes first.
Why does He sanctify us?
A: for God’s own GLORY!
2 Pet 3:18 exhorts us to “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. [But then Peter encourages us WHY:] To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity.”
Lastly: “FOR WHOM does Jesus work sanctification?”
A: Just as with justification, it is for all who TRUST IN JESUS BY FAITH!
Heb 10:14 “by a single offering [Christ] has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified.”
1 Cor 1:2 “To the church of God… those sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints… who call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ”
Acts 26:18 “turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God… [and] receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.’”
I mentioned the NT using the word “sozo” specifically some 12x in the present tense:
1 Cor 1:18 “the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.”
1 Cor 15:2 “By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you.”
2 Cor 2:15 “we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved…”
Lastly: Jesus HAS SAVED us from the PENALTY of sin (Justification)...
He IS SAVING us from the POWER of sin (Sanctification)...
And finally, #3 - Jesus WILL SAVE us from the very PRESENCE of sin: GLORIFICATION. VERY quickly now…
Some 30 future tense uses of “sozo”:
Rom 5:9 “Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God.”
Rom 13:11 “salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed. ”
Heb 9:28 “Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him.”
So What is GLORIFICATION?
A: Our being “made PERFECT” by God.
Phil 3:20-21 “our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself.”
1 Thess 5:23 “Now may God… sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
1 Jn 3:2 “Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is.” - we’re gonna be LIKE God!
FROM What, does glorification save us?
A: From the very PRESENCE of sin.
Rev 21:27 says of the New Heaven: “nothing unclean will ever enter it” - freed from even the PRESENCE of sin
Who glorifies us?
A: JESUS!
Col 3:4 “When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.”
Rom 8:16-17 “we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ…. that we may also be glorified with him.”
How does Jesus glorify us?
A: By supernaturally CHANGING us!
1 Cor 15:51-52 “Behold! I tell you a mystery. …we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed.”
When does Jesus glorify us?
A: When He RETURNS.
Titus 2:12-13 “in the present age, [we wait] for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ”
Rom 8:18 “the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.”
Why does He glorify us?
A: Cuz he wants us WITH him for eternity in HEAVEN.
Jn 17:24 - Jesus prayed “Father, I desire that they also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to see my glory…”
Lastly: “WHO does Jesus glorify?”
A: All who belong to HIM!
Rom 8:30 “those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.”
CONCLUSION:
*show summary graphic
*Rom 8:30: From God’s vantage point, EVERY dimension of salvation is already as good as done!
*And Friends: in LIGHT of Jesus’s great work of SALVATION on our behalf, how should we now respond?
Ps 35:9 “my soul shall rejoice in the Lord;
It shall exult in His salvation”... in his YESHUA… in JESUS.