SERMON NOTES, January 4, 2004 EPIPHANY
Fr. John R. Spencer What’s
In A Name? In Matthew’s account of the birth of Jesus, we are given two
names. The angel appeared to
Joseph in a dream and told him, “You are to give him the name Jesus.” (Matt. 1:21).
Then Matthew quotes the prophet Isaiah, “they will call him Immanuel”
(Matt. 1:23, Isa. 7:10-14). In the Hebrew tradition, names have meaning. The names in the Bible mark the
working of God in the lives of His people. When God sealed His covenant with Abraham with the rite of
circumcision, He changed his name from Abram (meaning “exalted
father”) to Abraham (meaning “father of many”) – Genesis 17:5.
Adam called his wife “woman” because she was taken out of man (Gen. 2:23).
God changed Jacob’s name from Jacob (Gen. 25:26) to Israel (Gen. 32:22-32) – from “he deceives” to “he struggles with
God.” Place names were a
reminder of God’s blessing or God’s judgment. Names constantly recall something that God has done or
something that God is doing.
Every time the name was pronounced, it was telling the story of God’s
relationship with His people. I have a son named Christopher. His name means Christ bearer. When I call Christopher, I am really
saying “Christ bearer, come here.”
I go out to eat with Christ bearer, or I talk with Christ bearer on
the phone. The name Jesus means “God saves.” How does God save? God saves through Immanuel,
God with us. Jesus is, in a new
and unique way, God with us. The truth that God is with us is not new. It wasn’t new in New Testament
times. God was with Adam and Eve
in the Garden of Eden; He walked with them and communed with them in the cool
of the day (Gen. 3:8).
When Moses led the children of Israel through the wilderness, God’s
presence was visible in the pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by
night (Exodus 13:20-22).
The Israelites had a constant physical reminder that God was with
them. The people of Israel tried to get away from the idea of God
with them. They “put Him in a
box” – literally, the Ark of the Covenant, a wooden box covered with gold,
and they put the Ark of the Covenant in the Tabernacle. It’s uncomfortable to have a God who
is always with us. We want to
put him in a box, or a house, or a tent, so we can leave Him there and go off
on our own. King David wanted to build a suitable temple for God. He did not think it was fitting for
God to live in a tent, while he had a palace of cedar wood for himself. God told David not to build Him a
temple (II Sam. 7:4-7). However, King
David prepared the materials for the building of a temple for God and his son,
Solomon, built the temple (II Chronicles 3-5).
When the Babylonians conquered Jerusalem, they destroyed Solomon’s
temple (II
Chronicles 36:15-22). Later,
under the leadership of Ezra and Nehemiah, it was re-built (Ezra 6:13-18).
This second temple was also destroyed. In his speech to the Sanhedrin, Stephen said, “the most high
does not live in houses made by men” (Acts
7:44-51). If God doesn’t live in a tent or a temple or a house, where
does He dwell? If I were to ask,
“Where does God dwell?” most people would answer, “In heaven.” If I were then to ask, “Where do we
go on earth to find God?” most people would say, “To church.” God doesn’t live in a house, however; He dwells in a
household. Yes, you can find Him
in church – in the people, not the building. God does not live in a home made by human hands, but in a
temple made by His own hands.
Paul, in his first letter to the church in Corinth, tells us, “your
body is the temple of the Holy Spirit” (I Cor. 6:19).
The household of God is His home. In fact, we are His “mobile homes.” This is the meaning of the word Immanuel. This is the mystery of the
Incarnation, that God chose the birth of this baby, Jesus, to drive home the
point that God is with us. As it
says in the Revelation of John, “the dwelling of God is with men.” (Rev. 21:1-3).
God now makes himself known in His people. If we really understood the meaning of Immanuel,
how would it change our lives?
How would it affect our conversations with our spouse, our children,
our neighbors, our employer, and our co-workers? If we woke in the morning knowing that God is with us, and
carried that thought with us throughout the day, how would we behave? If we really understood that we are
the temple of God, would it make a difference? There is a popular concept that we are pursuing God. ( eg. The God Chasers by Tommy Tenney). S. Lewis tells us
to STOP! chasing God and come to His table, to that place where He is
pursuing us. He invites us to
feel the full weight of the presence of God with us. The dwelling place of God is with men. God does not live in a house made by
human hands; He lives in a temple made with His own hands. Jesus ascended into heaven, not to
“go away” and leave us, but in order to “fill (us and) all things.” (Eph. 4:7-10). The Incarnation was not a one-time
event – it is an on-going event, God becoming man and dwelling in His
people. This is the meaning of
Christian conversion – finally understanding that God is with us! “O come, O come, Immanuel And ransom captive Israel, That mourns in lonely exile here, Until the Son of God appear. REJOICE! REJOICE! Immanuel (has come) to thee, O Israel! |
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