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Advent 4 2025
Immanuel Lutheran Church, Hamilton, Ohio
Pastor Kevin Jud
December 21, 2025
Isaiah 7:10-17, Romans 1:1-7, Matthew 1:18-25

Sermons online: 
Text and Audio:         immanuelhamiltonchurch.com   click “sermons”
Text:                           pastorjud.org   
Audio:                         pastorjud.podbean.com 
itunes:                         bit.ly/pastorjud
Full Service Audio:    bit.ly/ImmanuelWorship

            Life is constantly changing.  To thrive or even just to survive, you have to be able to adjust to changing circumstances.  You need situational awareness and the ability, as U.S. Marines like to say, to improvise, adapt and overcome. 

            There is a young man who works in the trades and has life planned out.  He is aware of his situation.  He has a lovely young bride-to-be and he is working hard to get ready for their upcoming wedding.  He is finishing a place for them to live and trying to save a little money for a rainy day. Life is good.

            But then the situation changes dramatically. Joseph finds out his young bride, Mary, is pregnant and Joseph’s head is spinning.  The only thing that Joseph is sure about is that the baby is not his.  All his careful plans have vaporized with the news of Mary’s pregnancy.  Joseph has situational awareness.  Things have changed, he needs to improvise, adapt and overcome.  He could get super angry with Mary and call her out in front of friends and family and neighbors and expose her for what kind of person she is — messing around with another man.  Mary did not seem like she was that kind of girl, but now she has brought shame on herself and her family and her friends and her community and — on Joseph.  Maybe Joseph did not know her as well as he thought. He could get some guys together to grab Mary and drag her into the center of the village and stone her to death.  He could do that — but he is not going to do that.  Joseph is a good man and despite how much Mary has hurt him he will not seek revenge against her.  He is not going to hurt her.  He is just going to break it off, release her; divorce her.  It is a bad situation, but Joseph understands what is happening and he has come up with a solution.  Joseph is devastated and miserable, but there is nothing more he can do, so Joseph goes to bed. 

            Matthew 1:20–21 (ESV) 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.” 

            What kind of situational awareness do you have when you are asleep and an angel of God comes to you in a dream?  I don’t know.  But the situation certainly has changed.  How can Joseph, a nobody, from the nowhere village of Nazareth, be involved with fulfilling prophecy from Isaiah, Matthew 1:23 (ESV) 

23 “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel” (which means, God with us).”  This situation has really changed.  God…is with us… inside Mary — and Joseph is to call the baby Jesus — Ihsous in Greek — Yeshua in Hebrew.  Jesus means YHWH saves.  Mary has YHWH in her womb.  This is the one who spoke with Moses in the desert and revealed His name; YHWH — I AM. God is in flesh.  This has never happened before in all the history of the world.  What does Joseph do now? 

            Joseph had his own plan as to what to do with Mary but now the situation has changed.  Joseph has been told what to do by God Himself through His messenger.  Marines know how to improvise, adapt and overcome — they also know how to follow orders.  In a different life Joseph might have made a good marine because he does what he is told to do.  God certainly has authority and…  Matthew 1:24 (ESV) 24 When Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him…”

            Joseph took Mary as his wife but did not know her, in a Biblical sense, until after she had given birth to a son.  And he called his name Jesus. 

            The shame that is being heaped on Mary for getting pregnant out of wedlock will now go onto Joseph.  Everyone in the small village of Nazareth will assume they know what has happened and Joseph will take the false accusations and the gossip and he will shield Mary.  Joseph’s job is to protect and provide for Mary during her pregnancy and for Mary and Jesus afterwards.  Joseph will need to stay aware of changing situations.  He has yet no idea how far this will take him.  Caesar, accomplishing God’s will, will order Joseph to take Mary and the unborn baby to Bethlehem, and then God will order him to take Mary and baby Jesus to Egypt to protect the infant King from Herod the Great’s sword. 

            I am not aware that an angel has ever appeared to me in person or in a dream, but you never know as we learn in… Hebrews 13:2 (ESV) 2 Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.”  An angel has never brought me orders from the Lord, but God does give me directions and commands.  God speaks through His word.  2 Timothy 3:16–17 (ESV) 16 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.”  God could send an angel to you in person or in a dream, but even if that never happens, God still speaks to you through His Word.

Stay aware of your situation.  The situation is that you are in a battle against darkness and evil.  The situation is, in this battle, you have the high ground.  On Christ, the solid rock you stand, all other ground is sinking sand. You all are the Church and Jesus builds His Church on the rock of Peter’s confession to Jesus, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”  This was revealed to Peter by God.  It was revealed to Joseph by a messenger from God.  It was revealed to you through the Holy Spirit and the Word of God.

The devil, the world and your own sinful nature want to lure you away from Jesus and His Church because you are safe in Jesus.  Jesus made a promise to you in your baptism.  You are safe and secure in the Holy Ark of the Christian Church, being separated from the multitude of unbelievers and serving God’s name at all times with a fervent spirit and a joyful hope, so that with all believers in God’s promise you will be declared worthy of eternal life.  There is a battle, but you are safe in Christ and in His Church.  A mighty fortress is our God, a trusty shield and weapon.

            You have the high ground and you wear the full armor of God.  You are protected by the Lord Jesus and you use the Word of God as a weapon against darkness.  Be shrewd as serpents and as innocent as doves.  Learn from Joseph to obey God’s commands and stay aware of your situation. Life is a struggle with many difficulties and challenges.  Following God’s commands you improvise, adapt and overcome various situations to speak the truth in love, 1 Peter 3:15 (ESV) 15 … always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect…”  You are given the gift of your intellect to be used in service to the Lord in love for your neighbor. 

            How do you share the Gospel with those who do not believe in Jesus in such a way that they hear instead of immediately putting up barriers?  There are lots of people much better at this than I am.  What questions can you ask to create an opening for a spiritual discussion? And when there is an opening how can you gently get people to talk about where they are with God?  What they believe about Jesus?  If someone says, “I’m spiritual but not religious,” perhaps say, “Tell me more about that.  What does that mean for you?”  Share with each other ideas for gentle conversation starters because everyone you meet is in the same situation as you.  They are a sinner who needs Jesus. 

            You are under the command to follow God’s law, but you find that you struggle.  You are vexed by certain sins.  You repent, but then you do it again.  Maybe you struggle with losing your temper and fighting with your spouse.  Improvise, adapt and overcome.  When you feel the anger building, take steps to control your emotions.  Be patient, call a timeout, take a break, pray, and then come back to discuss the issue without anger.  Give your spouse a hug and apologize for losing your temper.

If you find yourself screaming at your children, pause… improvise, adapt and overcome.  Maybe bring your child close, get down on a knee to look him in the eye, put a hand on his shoulder and whisper your words of correction in a calm, controlled way. 

            Do you have an established regular time for prayer, for Bible reading, for study?  It is easy to keep putting it off.  As a follower of Jesus stay aware of your situation in your many aspects of life, and improvise, adapt and overcome as you follow God’s commands.

Together, as the Church, we face difficulties as we try to delight in God’s will and walk in His ways and at the same time negotiate challenges and struggles. We have been given the task to make disciples of all nations baptizing and teaching.  The Church is to distribute God’s gifts of His Word and His sacraments.  We teach the convicting truth of God’s law and the sweet healing truth of God’s Gospel. As the Church we improvise, adapt and overcome in order to continue to teach and preach the unchangeable truth of God in changing times.  How can we use new opportunities to bring the Good News to our community and to the world? How can we speak the truth in love so that people hear, repent and follow Jesus?

We have a second campus now.  How do we use this resource to enhance our current ministry and expand to serve others in the community to bring the Good News of forgiveness in Jesus to more people? How do we decide what projects to complete first to best meet the needs and desires of our mission of worship, study, fellowship, witness and mercy?  How do we work together in patience and love so that growing pains do not result in division and dissension?   

As a church and as individuals we remain aware of our situation and react in a God pleasing way to continue to do what He has given us to do. 

In this crazy world, Joseph is a good example for us.  Joseph hears from God and he listens and he obeys.  Joseph knows who Jesus is and what He has come to do. You know who Jesus is and what He has come to do.  In all the changing circumstances of life, you are safe in Christ.  Amen.