Dear Christian friends:

We know that many people feel afraid and alone at Christmas time even when they are with family and friends. Although they are celebrating, eating and drinking and exchanging gifts, they feel sad and depressed. Although they have flown far to be home for Christmas, they really do not feel at home and at peace. Why? They have not discovered the secret of Christmas. What is the secret of Christmas? Our text tells us about that secret.


The first part of the Christmas secret is that God has come to live with us in the Baby Jesus. In our text Matthew writes what Isaiah the prophet had prophesied about Jesus' birth: "A virgin will conceive and bear a son, and they will name him Emmanuel, which means 'God with us!" (verse 23) God has come to live with us in the Baby Jesus. That is part of the Christmas secret.

God has come to live with us in the Baby Jesus, because Jesus is really God hiding in a man! His conception in the Virgin Mary proves that the Baby Jesus is really God. In our text we read about how the Baby Jesus was conceived in Mary's womb: "This is how Jesus Christ was born. His mother, Mary, was engaged to Joseph, but before they lived together Mary conceived through the Holy Spirit. (verse 18) Mary did not conceive through a man, but through God the Holy Spirit. That is the wonderful secret!

Joseph did not know this wonderful secret. When Joseph learned that Mary was pregnant, he planned to get a divorce from her. (verse 19) It seems that Mary had told this secret to Joseph. She told him how the angel Gabriel had appeared to her and had told her that she will be the mother of God's Son by the power of the Holy Spirit. (Luke 1:26-38) But it seems that Joseph did not believe Mary when she told him her secret. Joseph thought that Mary had done adultery, that she became pregnant with another man. Joseph could not believe Mary's secret, that her Baby is God.

Then God showed great love and mercy to Joseph and sent His angel to appear to him in a dream. The angel said to him, “Joseph, son of David, fear not to accept Mary for your wife, because the baby in her is from the Holy Spirit." (verse 20) Now Joseph believed Mary's secret, the secret of Christmas.

However, we must not misunderstand this Christmas secret. Mary's Baby is God, but He is Mary's baby. He is a real baby. After Jesus was conceived in Mary's womb He grew and developed the same as any other baby. And when the nine months ended He was born. (verse 25) Mary's baby was born normally, the same as any other baby. He was a real baby. He ate and drank, slept, became hungry, cried and laughed the same as any other baby. And when He grew up, He was the same as any other man, except He was not a sinner like all other men and women. The secret of Christmas is that Mary's Baby is both God and Man in one small Baby!

There is more to the Christmas secret. Why did God do such a strange thing? Why did God humble Himself and limit Himself, even becoming a helpless infant dependent on man? Because He loves us! (John 3:16) When you realize the Christmas secret that the Almighty, Limitless God is hid in a helpless, limited Baby, you begin to appreciate God's amazing, fantastic love!

God is with us in the Baby to save us. This is the full Christmas secret.

God came to us and is with us to save us from sin. The angel said to Joseph, "Mary will bear a son, and you will name Him Jesus, because He will save His people from their sins." (verse 21)

Sin is a terrible thing. We all are experiencing the terrible results of sin daily. Sin and evil is not a secret. We know it in ourselves and we see it in others and in nature.

Only Jesus, Son of God and Son of Mary can save us from sin! Peter said about Jesus, "Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved." (Acts 4:12) Only Jesus can save us because our Savior must be both God and Man.

Our Savior must be a real man. Why? So that He can take our place under the Law and perfectly keep the Law for us as our Substitute. (Galatians 4:4-5) Our Savior must be a real man also so that He can suffer and die for us, suffer the terrible punishment of sin in our place. (Hebrews 2:4)

Our Savior must also be God. Why? Our Savior must be God, because only God can keep the Law perfectly for all people. (Romans 5:19) Our Savior must also be God, because only God's death is payment enough for all people's redemption. (Mark 10:45)

Only Jesus, Son of God and Son of Mary can save us! This is the Christmas secret! Now you know it! Believe it and rejoice in it! And tell this Christmas secret to others!

If we believe in Jesus for our Savior, He is with us! We are not alone! We are not afraid of anything. (Psalm 27:1) This Christmas many people are feeling alone and afraid. Even when they are with family and friends they feel alone and afraid, because they do not have Jesus with them. They do not believe in Jesus, Emmanuel, God with us. Don't you be alone this Christmas! Don't you be afraid of anyone or anything, not even death. Believe in Jesus! Kneel down and accept the Baby Jesus for your Savior! Then you can say with David, “Even though I walk through the dark valley of death I will fear no evil." (Psalm 23:4)

Amen.