WEBVTT 00:00:00.239 --> 00:00:02.879 Well, it is the fourth week of Advent. 00:00:03.040 --> 00:00:07.599 Advent are these four Sundays leading up to Christmas. 00:00:07.759 --> 00:00:11.359 And so each week we've taken a different passage preparing us for Christmas. 00:00:11.519 --> 00:00:12.960 And so we're in Advent for. 00:00:13.279 --> 00:00:15.039 I thought we'd begin with a little game. 00:00:15.119 --> 00:00:21.440 And so I'm gonna give you two names and pretend that both of these names, pretend that both of these people are your first cousin. 00:00:21.519 --> 00:00:30.160 And you are at a Christmas party, and like we do at Christmas parties, we love to drop a name to impress somebody, you know, just a little bit. 00:00:30.239 --> 00:00:31.679 You know, we do that just a little bit. 00:00:31.839 --> 00:00:41.520 And so let's pretend when I give you two names, both of these people are your first cousin, and then think about which one you would be more likely to name drop at the Christmas party. 00:00:41.759 --> 00:00:42.079 Okay? 00:00:42.719 --> 00:00:44.079 Here's number one. 00:00:44.560 --> 00:00:48.960 Warren Buffett, self-made billionaire, financial guru. 00:00:49.200 --> 00:00:54.240 I mean, perhaps what most of us would think the smartest financial whiz of the past century. 00:00:54.399 --> 00:00:56.320 Warren Buffett or Bernie Madoff. 00:00:56.399 --> 00:01:01.920 I mean, which one are you more like Bernie Madoff stole$65 billion? 00:01:03.439 --> 00:01:06.799 Which would you be more likely to mention to impress people? 00:01:07.040 --> 00:01:07.439 Go ahead. 00:01:09.120 --> 00:01:13.519 Okay, probably, probably Warren, but we're worrying about you if you say Bernie Madoff. 00:01:13.599 --> 00:01:15.680 All right, uh, second one, we're just gonna do two. 00:01:15.840 --> 00:01:17.760 We could do these forever, but we'll just do two of these. 00:01:17.840 --> 00:01:20.560 Uh second one, Harvey Weinstein. 00:01:24.719 --> 00:01:27.120 Or Julia Roberts, right? 00:01:27.359 --> 00:01:28.879 America's sweetheart. 00:01:29.040 --> 00:01:30.400 She's from Smyrna, right? 00:01:30.480 --> 00:01:33.359 Like she's like she's ours, and she's America's sweetheart. 00:01:33.519 --> 00:01:37.599 Or you know, Harvey Weinstein on trial for sexual harassment. 00:01:38.000 --> 00:01:38.719 Well, which one? 00:01:38.799 --> 00:01:41.359 I mean, you're at the Christmas party, you're sipping eggnog. 00:01:41.599 --> 00:01:43.120 I mean, it's your first cousin. 00:01:43.280 --> 00:01:44.239 This is your first cousin. 00:01:44.319 --> 00:01:51.680 You get a chance to kind of, the subject comes up about the movies and acting, and which one would you be more likely to mention? 00:01:52.000 --> 00:01:53.519 Julie Roberts, of course. 00:01:53.599 --> 00:01:54.319 And here's my point. 00:01:54.480 --> 00:01:55.359 Here's my point. 00:01:55.920 --> 00:02:05.599 We tend not to mention our first cousin who got kicked out of Harvard because they were selling meth. 00:02:05.920 --> 00:02:10.639 We don't, we just, we that's not, it's just not, we just don't tend to do that, right? 00:02:10.960 --> 00:02:18.560 No, we tend to mention the person's name that's gonna make us look even better and stronger and more glorious. 00:02:18.719 --> 00:02:26.319 But what we get in these preceding verses in Matthew 1, so preceding what Audrey read to us, 18 through the end of the chapter, is verses 1 through 17. 00:02:26.400 --> 00:02:32.000 If you look at that, it's just name after name after name after name, and I will save you from me reading it. 00:02:32.080 --> 00:02:38.639 But what's interesting in that genealogy is there's five names of women listed. 00:02:38.960 --> 00:02:40.960 And this long list of names. 00:02:41.199 --> 00:02:42.000 Now, a couple things. 00:02:42.159 --> 00:02:43.199 First is Bible trivia. 00:02:43.280 --> 00:02:52.240 The first is this is that the genealogy of Jesus, the genealogy of Jesus mentioned in Matthew is through Joseph's line, okay? 00:02:52.400 --> 00:02:57.599 And then the genealogy of Jesus in the book of Luke is through Mary's line. 00:02:57.680 --> 00:02:58.560 So that's why they're different. 00:02:58.639 --> 00:03:00.159 That's just a little Bible trivia for you. 00:03:00.319 --> 00:03:06.080 And the second is this in Jewish genealogies, they didn't tend to mention women. 00:03:06.479 --> 00:03:13.919 And so right away, you go, like, why is Matthew putting in five names of women? 00:03:14.080 --> 00:03:15.280 Well, this was on purpose. 00:03:15.439 --> 00:03:16.960 It was to draw attention to something. 00:03:17.039 --> 00:03:38.960 And what we do, if we dig into these five stories of these women and the people around them and their stories, we see stories of widowhood, second and third marriages, economic hardship, foreign exclusion, prostitution, adultery, and even murder. 00:03:40.719 --> 00:03:50.159 So if we grab just one of those five names, those five women, just one of them, there's this lady named Rahab, and it comes from Joshua chapter 2 in the Old Testament. 00:03:50.240 --> 00:03:57.840 There's this story, and Israel's moving from slavery in Egypt, they're moving into the promised land, God's promised them this land, and they're moving into it. 00:03:57.919 --> 00:04:05.840 They come upon this city, and they send some spies into this city to try to figure out how they can get into the city, and they want some provision and they want to go into this city. 00:04:06.000 --> 00:04:09.759 And so they send spies into the city, scout it out. 00:04:09.840 --> 00:04:16.560 And there's this woman, Rahab, and she's a prostitute by profession, and she protects them. 00:04:16.800 --> 00:04:18.959 And she trusts in the Lord. 00:04:19.199 --> 00:04:29.040 And it actually says in Joshua 2, verse 11, this Gentile prostitute encourages them, the people of God, encourages them to trust in their God. 00:04:29.199 --> 00:04:35.439 She says, For the Lord your God is the supreme God of the heavens above and the earth below. 00:04:35.680 --> 00:04:37.439 So what a conviction. 00:04:37.839 --> 00:04:45.439 What a conviction to us who sit in any moralistic judgment or arrogance over anybody. 00:04:46.480 --> 00:04:51.120 See, this lineage of Jesus is a way to say, I come for all people. 00:04:53.839 --> 00:04:55.439 No one's outside of my love. 00:04:58.319 --> 00:04:59.360 Not even you. 00:05:00.879 --> 00:05:04.639 Not even you with what's going on in your heart, your mind, and your life. 00:05:05.040 --> 00:05:06.079 Not even me. 00:05:07.279 --> 00:05:11.839 And how glorious that we don't have to get any better to be loved by God. 00:05:11.920 --> 00:05:15.199 There's nothing we can do to be more loved by God. 00:05:15.279 --> 00:05:19.040 There's nothing we can do to cause God to love us less. 00:05:19.759 --> 00:05:23.120 Because it's not based in what we do, it's based in what he did for us. 00:05:23.199 --> 00:05:25.680 That's the gift of Jesus the Christ. 00:05:26.319 --> 00:05:30.319 And this brings us into our verse this morning, Matthew 1.21. 00:05:32.000 --> 00:05:33.600 She will bear a son. 00:05:34.399 --> 00:05:37.120 And you shall call his name Jesus. 00:05:37.519 --> 00:05:42.000 For he will save his people from their sins. 00:05:42.959 --> 00:05:46.959 Now, point number one is this: you don't have to be your own savior. 00:05:47.120 --> 00:05:48.399 You don't have to be your own savior. 00:05:48.480 --> 00:05:49.839 Now, we say that all the time here. 00:05:50.000 --> 00:05:50.720 We say it all the time. 00:05:50.800 --> 00:05:53.120 We almost say it every week in different words. 00:05:53.360 --> 00:05:54.639 And we do that on purpose. 00:05:54.720 --> 00:06:06.560 We do it because we need to hear it not only every week, we need to hear it every morning because we wake up to prove ourselves, to justify ourselves, that we're worthy enough, righteous enough, beloved enough. 00:06:06.800 --> 00:06:09.279 If I just do enough, then God will love me. 00:06:09.360 --> 00:06:12.720 If I just do enough in the world, I'll be worthy as a human being. 00:06:13.920 --> 00:06:16.399 Maybe I'll finally be forgiven of that thing. 00:06:16.560 --> 00:06:17.519 I'll be absolved. 00:06:17.600 --> 00:06:19.439 Maybe finally I'll be righteous. 00:06:19.519 --> 00:06:24.720 This line of thinking of enoughness, self-justification, self-saving. 00:06:25.360 --> 00:06:33.120 And what a relief that Jesus came to relieve you of the endless cycle of self-saving. 00:06:35.120 --> 00:06:44.399 That sin, that mistake, that that behavioral mistake, that that that the thinking, the heart thing, the motive, you just figured it out what the motive was about that thing a long time ago. 00:06:44.800 --> 00:06:46.560 Oh my gosh, I can't believe that's what that was. 00:06:46.800 --> 00:06:49.199 I can't believe I did that or I caused that. 00:06:50.319 --> 00:06:57.519 And the absolution from God to fully forgive you is not based on you digging back out of that hole or working back out of that hole. 00:06:57.600 --> 00:06:59.920 It's based on what Jesus did for you. 00:07:01.839 --> 00:07:04.560 Jesus wasn't just a teacher, he was a savior. 00:07:05.519 --> 00:07:07.519 Now let's make more sense of that. 00:07:08.399 --> 00:07:10.000 Point number two is this. 00:07:10.399 --> 00:07:12.240 And we see it there in the verse 21. 00:07:12.319 --> 00:07:14.480 You shall call his name Jesus. 00:07:14.720 --> 00:07:17.600 And point number two is this there's power in the name of Jesus. 00:07:17.680 --> 00:07:21.040 Now that's something we say, that's something we sing, but what does it mean? 00:07:21.199 --> 00:07:21.680 What does it mean? 00:07:22.160 --> 00:07:23.279 Oh, there's power in the name of Jesus. 00:07:23.439 --> 00:07:29.199 Like, does it mean if you say it enough in prayer, like you get it said seven times in prayer, all of a sudden you'll get the prayer, right? 00:07:29.279 --> 00:07:31.680 Like you've been praying with people in the name of Jesus, in the name of Jesus. 00:07:31.759 --> 00:07:37.199 Like if you say it enough at the end of every sentence, all of a sudden, then God answered, well, it hadn't worked for me. 00:07:37.519 --> 00:07:40.959 If it works for you, great, I'm gonna start giving you my prayer requests. 00:07:42.079 --> 00:07:44.399 But there's something deeper, more profound about that. 00:07:44.800 --> 00:07:46.560 It's not formulaic. 00:07:47.279 --> 00:07:49.839 This name was actually really, really common. 00:07:51.439 --> 00:08:03.360 This past week I nerded out on the Social Security website because if you go to the Social Security website, there's actually this page that reports the most popular names in the last 100 years. 00:08:03.680 --> 00:08:05.920 Most popular names in the last 100 years. 00:08:06.399 --> 00:08:07.199 Here they are. 00:08:07.439 --> 00:08:10.560 These are the most popular names in the United States in the last 100 years. 00:08:10.720 --> 00:08:13.680 At first I thought, is there that many more males being born than females? 00:08:13.839 --> 00:08:16.879 It's actually we're more creative and we vary our names with the females. 00:08:16.959 --> 00:08:20.079 And so as you go down the list, uh the names, the numbers start to even out. 00:08:20.160 --> 00:08:27.040 But you know, so you got James at 4.7, you got Mary at 3.3, you got John, Patricia, Robert, Jennifer, maybe read your name. 00:08:27.120 --> 00:08:29.040 Oh my gosh, I mean, that's so common. 00:08:29.279 --> 00:08:34.080 But you already knew it because you you weren't Patricia, you were Patricia T, right? 00:08:34.159 --> 00:08:37.279 Like in grade school, you're Patricia M. 00:08:37.519 --> 00:08:41.759 You weren't just James, you were you were James G or James O or James. 00:08:42.559 --> 00:08:44.320 It's a common name. 00:08:45.519 --> 00:08:46.639 Good news. 00:08:47.519 --> 00:08:51.200 Jesus' name, this powerful name, was common. 00:08:53.039 --> 00:08:54.559 It was just a name. 00:08:56.240 --> 00:08:58.639 But there was a reason for the name. 00:08:59.120 --> 00:09:01.440 And now that reason tells us something. 00:09:01.679 --> 00:09:05.919 Jesus is the Jewish name for the Hebrew name Joshua. 00:09:07.039 --> 00:09:09.039 Now that would have been pronounced Yeshua. 00:09:09.120 --> 00:09:11.279 Now Joshua means to save. 00:09:11.600 --> 00:09:13.919 Joshua comes from Yahshua. 00:09:14.320 --> 00:09:15.120 Yahshua. 00:09:15.279 --> 00:09:18.320 And Yah comes from Yahweh, which was the name for God. 00:09:18.399 --> 00:09:23.120 So you have Yah, God, Shuah meaning saved, so it means God saved. 00:09:23.360 --> 00:09:27.679 So when we say there's power in the name of Jesus, what we're saying is God saves. 00:09:28.080 --> 00:09:28.879 God saves you. 00:09:29.360 --> 00:09:30.720 You don't save yourself. 00:09:31.360 --> 00:09:44.399 When we say Jesus, is us saying, in this manifestation and incarnation of God's pursuit of us into human history and his life and his work on the cross, his resurrection, this is God saving us. 00:09:45.519 --> 00:09:46.480 Oh, what good news. 00:09:47.120 --> 00:09:49.279 Oh, what a glorious name. 00:09:50.799 --> 00:09:52.240 Then we have that word save. 00:09:52.399 --> 00:09:53.039 God saves. 00:09:53.120 --> 00:09:55.840 That word saved comes from the Greek word sozo. 00:09:56.399 --> 00:09:58.159 That's the Greek word for save. 00:09:58.240 --> 00:10:03.360 And it not only means saved, it means healed. 00:10:04.879 --> 00:10:06.159 Made whole. 00:10:06.480 --> 00:10:07.360 Don't you love that? 00:10:07.519 --> 00:10:08.480 I love that. 00:10:09.200 --> 00:10:16.000 That in God's limitless love and absolution, righteousness for us, it begins to make us whole. 00:10:16.240 --> 00:10:17.519 And we're delivered. 00:10:17.679 --> 00:10:27.519 We're delivered out of any sort of penalty or sin or separation from God into right, loving relationship with our Heavenly Father. 00:10:27.600 --> 00:10:30.559 And it's not based on what we do, it's based on what God did for us. 00:10:30.639 --> 00:10:33.279 It's Jesus as God saves. 00:10:34.480 --> 00:10:42.000 What relieving and glorious and good news for us, that we're in this loving relationship with God because of God for us. 00:10:42.639 --> 00:10:47.519 So we're free in Jesus and still not even as free as God intends for us to be. 00:10:48.399 --> 00:10:54.240 We're declared whole and we're not even as whole as God wants for us to be. 00:10:57.440 --> 00:11:05.200 Matthew 1, 23 says, Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel. 00:11:06.000 --> 00:11:10.080 So Matthew lays it on a little bit thicker here as he tells the story. 00:11:10.159 --> 00:11:13.600 He says, not only is his name Jesus, his name is Emmanuel. 00:11:13.840 --> 00:11:16.480 Now Emmanuel means God is with us. 00:11:17.519 --> 00:11:18.399 God is with us. 00:11:18.559 --> 00:11:30.080 So point number three is this in Jesus, in Jesus, as you surrender your heart and life, soul, the core of who you are, in to Jesus the Christ, to be your Savior, not yourself. 00:11:30.159 --> 00:11:35.440 So in Jesus, God has already decided to never leave you. 00:11:38.159 --> 00:11:41.440 Last week we were watching the movie The Christmas Calendar on Netflix. 00:11:41.519 --> 00:11:44.559 Has anybody watched the Christmas calendar on Netflix? 00:11:44.720 --> 00:11:46.080 You can raise your hand proudly. 00:11:46.159 --> 00:11:47.360 If you haven't, it's still there. 00:11:47.440 --> 00:11:48.639 You can watch it tonight. 00:11:49.440 --> 00:11:50.240 Watch it tonight. 00:11:50.320 --> 00:11:59.759 It's an extremely poorly rated, warm, fuzzy, Hallmarkish Netflix Christmas movie. 00:12:00.399 --> 00:12:09.440 And I can guarantee you, you'll have a very moderate experience, and at the end of it, you'll feel very warm and very fuzzy. 00:12:09.679 --> 00:12:20.639 And I didn't even know this until I started to kind of hear a little bit about this Hallmart, you know, just Hallmark's dominating, by the way, from like the end of October through New Year's, just all Hallmart movies. 00:12:20.720 --> 00:12:25.519 I mean, they and they dominate the number one cable channel during this season. 00:12:26.240 --> 00:12:28.320 Anyone into the Hallmark Christmas movies? 00:12:28.399 --> 00:12:33.039 You're just way in, you're just super deep, like it's just on all the time, right? 00:12:33.840 --> 00:12:34.799 I understand that. 00:12:34.879 --> 00:12:35.279 I mean, what? 00:12:35.759 --> 00:12:39.039 Because maybe you went to Target in the last two days. 00:12:39.360 --> 00:12:41.679 I'm sorry if you did that. 00:12:42.080 --> 00:12:45.919 I went to Ulta in the last two days. 00:12:49.440 --> 00:12:51.679 It's a women's makeup store. 00:12:53.120 --> 00:12:55.279 I went in to buy my wife some lotion. 00:12:55.679 --> 00:12:58.879 It is it's the opposite of an Apple store. 00:12:58.960 --> 00:12:59.279 Okay? 00:12:59.440 --> 00:13:02.639 So you walk into an Apple store and it's peaceful. 00:13:02.720 --> 00:13:06.480 There's you know these wide aisles, you can just kind of like roam around. 00:13:06.960 --> 00:13:09.679 And like an old test, I mean you could barely walk. 00:13:10.080 --> 00:13:24.799 I mean, I was I was getting literally, I'm not kidding, I was having a little bit of like I was feeling that anxiety attack building up as I waited in the line, and everybody's bumping into each other, and then certain products have the little beeper on it as soon as they like pulled it off. 00:13:24.879 --> 00:13:30.240 Like you weren't even trying to steal it, you're just walking around the store and it starts beeping, and then the employee chases you down. 00:13:30.879 --> 00:13:34.320 And I'm I'm just I'm like, breathe, you know, breathe, breathe. 00:13:34.399 --> 00:13:38.639 I'm practicing my meditative breathing to calm my heart rate down. 00:13:38.799 --> 00:13:45.840 Maybe you did, you were to Target yesterday, like, oh my god, and then you got out of Target and you're in the parking lot, you made the wrong turn in the parking lot. 00:13:46.080 --> 00:13:53.759 You didn't realize that's how you usually exit, but then there's the Christmas Chick-fil-a traffic, and that's much worse than normal Chick-fil-a traffic. 00:13:54.000 --> 00:14:06.399 And you're just sitting there, you're like, oh my gosh, I made the wrong turn, and you just think, if I can only get home, if I can only get home, I'm gonna have a glass of red wine and turn on a Hallmark movie. 00:14:06.639 --> 00:14:07.840 That's what you're thinking. 00:14:08.000 --> 00:14:09.840 And you did that, and it worked. 00:14:10.080 --> 00:14:11.440 It was wonderful. 00:14:13.679 --> 00:14:15.840 Because they're reliable, right? 00:14:16.080 --> 00:14:24.000 They're reliable in a season that can feel so hectic, and by the end of the movie, you feel happy, you feel fuzzy, and maybe it was the wine, maybe it was the movie, I don't know, the combination. 00:14:25.840 --> 00:14:34.159 But for a moment, like the fear and the anxiety, even the loneliness we can feel in the season, and by the way, those are real things in the season if you're feeling those. 00:14:35.279 --> 00:14:39.200 Anxiety and loneliness in the season, it scales up. 00:14:40.480 --> 00:14:42.240 I mean, if you're feeling those, those are real. 00:14:42.320 --> 00:14:51.039 But one thing I can say that you don't have to worry about God already decided he'll never leave you. 00:14:52.000 --> 00:14:54.080 Now your emotions may go up and down. 00:14:54.320 --> 00:14:56.320 I mean, mine go up and down. 00:14:57.519 --> 00:15:00.080 But it's so good to hear from Matthew. 00:15:01.039 --> 00:15:02.799 His name's also Emmanuel. 00:15:03.039 --> 00:15:07.200 And in Jesus, he already decided that he's never gonna leave you. 00:15:08.879 --> 00:15:11.120 And Matthew says, hey, behold this. 00:15:11.360 --> 00:15:12.240 Behold it. 00:15:12.480 --> 00:15:13.200 There's our word. 00:15:13.360 --> 00:15:15.200 Remember back in 1 John this fall? 00:15:15.759 --> 00:15:19.440 I mean, I was nailing this word over and over again, and then this popped up this week. 00:15:19.519 --> 00:15:21.120 I'm like, oh my gosh, here's this word again. 00:15:21.200 --> 00:15:23.919 We're gonna be looking at it today, and then also on Tuesday. 00:15:24.159 --> 00:15:28.320 Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel. 00:15:28.480 --> 00:15:29.440 That's our favorite word. 00:15:29.519 --> 00:15:30.320 Here it is again. 00:15:30.480 --> 00:15:32.879 Behold, don't move on. 00:15:34.559 --> 00:15:35.919 Don't move on. 00:15:36.480 --> 00:15:39.840 Sit and rest in this good news of what I'm telling you. 00:15:40.080 --> 00:15:41.279 That's what Matthew's saying. 00:15:41.919 --> 00:15:43.360 Maybe you have a favorite Christmas food. 00:15:43.440 --> 00:15:44.159 We can think about it this way. 00:15:44.240 --> 00:15:45.440 Maybe you have a favorite Christmas food. 00:15:46.080 --> 00:15:49.120 Your mom makes it, your granddaddy, your grandma, I don't know. 00:15:49.279 --> 00:15:50.159 Somebody. 00:15:50.480 --> 00:15:52.399 Alright, mine's chocolate delight. 00:15:52.559 --> 00:15:54.159 In our family, we just call it the dessert. 00:15:54.240 --> 00:15:55.519 We don't call it chocolate delight. 00:15:55.600 --> 00:15:56.960 You probably know this dessert. 00:15:57.039 --> 00:16:03.200 So it's the graham cracker crust, and then it's the cream cheese, and it's the chocolate pudding, and then it's the whipped cream. 00:16:03.600 --> 00:16:05.679 It's so simple and it's perfect, right? 00:16:05.840 --> 00:16:07.120 It's perfect. 00:16:07.440 --> 00:16:08.559 And it is so good. 00:16:08.639 --> 00:16:13.519 And maybe you're looking forward to that food that your grandma brings over, and you know it. 00:16:13.600 --> 00:16:30.000 And so what happens for us on Christmas Eve is after we eat the dessert comes out of the fridge, you pull the aluminum foil off, as my mom always puts aluminum foil on top, and the aluminum foil, and it's been smushed down, and so you get, you know, you can get your finger and get all that whipped cream off the aluminum foil. 00:16:30.080 --> 00:16:30.960 That's the bonus. 00:16:31.039 --> 00:16:34.240 And behold, there it is, and it's so good. 00:16:35.360 --> 00:16:35.679 Right? 00:16:35.759 --> 00:16:39.600 And I cut out a you cut out a little piece, maybe a little, maybe a big piece, little piece. 00:16:39.679 --> 00:16:42.159 I don't know, no judgment how big the piece is, right? 00:16:42.240 --> 00:16:44.879 Like you could get a big piece, I don't care. 00:16:45.120 --> 00:17:00.240 And then all of a sudden, the phone call you got earlier that day that your aunt, she's not saying one night, she's saying three nights, and that was new for you to process, and you got some anxiety about that, like all of that, all of the anxiety, all that. 00:17:00.399 --> 00:17:08.160 Something is so overarchingly good that you get that piece of chocolate delight. 00:17:08.319 --> 00:17:12.480 Here's what I do I make sure my children are doing something. 00:17:12.559 --> 00:17:14.400 I don't want to be disturbed. 00:17:15.359 --> 00:17:17.440 They have to have something going on. 00:17:17.759 --> 00:17:18.880 Make sure they're good. 00:17:18.960 --> 00:17:20.799 Because I want to I want the whole experience. 00:17:20.880 --> 00:17:23.839 I don't want to just eat it, sit, you know, standing at the kitchen counter. 00:17:24.000 --> 00:17:25.599 I want to get in my chair. 00:17:25.759 --> 00:17:26.480 I want it. 00:17:26.640 --> 00:17:30.319 I want my children, you know, because this is this is an entire experience. 00:17:30.480 --> 00:17:33.599 I want to behold this chocolate light. 00:17:34.319 --> 00:17:34.799 Right? 00:17:34.960 --> 00:17:36.480 Look and see and taste. 00:17:36.640 --> 00:17:38.000 So that's so good. 00:17:38.319 --> 00:17:39.759 This is what Matthew is saying. 00:17:39.839 --> 00:17:41.839 This is what John was saying in 1 John. 00:17:42.000 --> 00:17:47.920 Whenever we see this word behold, it means stop, don't move on, stop and rest and see, don't move on. 00:17:49.599 --> 00:17:53.920 What Matthew is saying is his name's Jesus. 00:17:54.400 --> 00:17:55.200 God saves. 00:17:55.359 --> 00:17:56.880 His name is Emmanuel. 00:17:58.640 --> 00:17:59.599 So don't move on. 00:17:59.680 --> 00:18:01.440 And what we see in these two names, right? 00:18:01.599 --> 00:18:04.799 In Jesus, we learn that we don't have to save ourselves. 00:18:04.880 --> 00:18:06.720 We don't have to make ourselves whole. 00:18:06.960 --> 00:18:08.960 It's by God's grace to us. 00:18:10.400 --> 00:18:11.759 So relieving. 00:18:12.160 --> 00:18:23.200 And in Emmanuel, we learn no matter how difficult we are, how imperfect or broken or wounded or sinful we are, or how hard life gets? 00:18:23.839 --> 00:18:28.880 God's already promised us in Jesus that He will not leave us. 00:18:32.000 --> 00:18:36.400 So here's what I'm wondering in terms of application, gracious application. 00:18:36.720 --> 00:18:38.960 Two questions came to my heart and mind this week. 00:18:39.119 --> 00:18:40.319 Here's the first one. 00:18:40.799 --> 00:18:51.359 What would it mean for you to behold the names Jesus and Emmanuel in the full weight of their meaning in greater ways this season? 00:18:52.319 --> 00:18:57.440 What would it mean for you to behold the names Jesus and Emmanuel in greater ways this season? 00:18:57.599 --> 00:19:02.160 That's not to put you to work, that's to place you in greater rest. 00:19:04.160 --> 00:19:05.599 Second question. 00:19:06.799 --> 00:19:14.799 What would it mean for you to surrender the toxic names you have heard and even accepted about yourself? 00:19:15.759 --> 00:19:22.640 As to receive the name of God's beloved that Jesus gives to you. 00:19:23.440 --> 00:19:33.599 My brothers and sisters, may your hearts be taken captive by this great redeeming love that is powerful for your hearts. 00:19:33.759 --> 00:19:35.279 Let's pray together. 00:19:35.920 --> 00:19:55.279 God, we thank you for your incarnation for us to see in history, for us to know that Jesus is the glimpse of who you are in fullness for us to know, and that your work on the cross is for us to know and be secured by your grace for us. 00:19:56.000 --> 00:19:59.440 Our sin forgiven, righteousness given to us. 00:20:00.319 --> 00:20:04.079 We are in loving relationship because of the Christ. 00:20:05.599 --> 00:20:08.960 Help us to know in greater ways God saves. 00:20:09.200 --> 00:20:11.359 We don't, God saves. 00:20:12.720 --> 00:20:18.319 Help us to know in greater ways that you've already decided you will not leave us. 00:20:20.079 --> 00:20:23.039 May this minister in great ways to our hearts. 00:20:23.279 --> 00:20:28.559 Holy Spirit, would you bury this in deeper ways in our hearts in the places we need it? 00:20:30.880 --> 00:20:36.960 We thank you for this season that we get to ponder the greatness and the richness of your love and behold it. 00:20:40.000 --> 00:20:40.880 Help us. 00:20:41.200 --> 00:20:43.440 Help us, God, not to move on. 00:20:44.319 --> 00:20:49.359 But to behold the power of the name of Jesus. 00:20:49.680 --> 00:20:50.319 Amen.