Tag: Emmanuel

21St December 2025

Reflection with reading below.

Today’s gospel gives us the Christmas narrative from the view point of Matthew’s gospel. Here the story of the virgin birth and Mary’s marriage, comes to as revelations that Joseph received. In someways this is positive as the traditional Christmas story tends to relegate Joseph to a bit part where as I am sure he was a key player in ensuring that Mary safely gave birth to Jesus and in ensuring Jesus’s own safe childhood. Indeed there is some suggestion here that Joseph may have faced some public discrimination or judgement about his marriage. This is also a birth that takes place within the safety of Joseph’s home – no stable or manger here.

At the same time, one might argue that Matthew’s narrative presents a very patriarchal standpoint. 

But most surprising is how very low key Jesus’s birth! What seems more important are the names given to Jesus. These are the key part of the story because they tell us who Jesus is and what his role is to be.  Matthew highlights two names: Yehosua (or Joshua of which Jesus is the latinised version) and means ‘Yahweh saves/ is salvation’; and Emmanuel meaning ‘God is with us.’ 

In Jesus God is uniquely with us in human form, and it is by entering our human state, that God is giving us salvation – or in the words of the Psalmist, restoration. Or as St Paul writes, this is the Gospel of God. We celebrate Christmas to celebrate this good news: that God is with us, that God does indeed embrace and experience our humanity in all its messiness and failings, and that God desires the restoration of humanity – the salvation of the world! Christmas celebrates what it is to be a family – the different roles that family members play, the relationships we share, our ongoing relationship with God – for this is the endorsement that God is with us: Emmanuel

. Christmas also recognises our need for healing and salvation. It prompts us to care more deeply about those in need, those we have hurt – and what we have hurt and destroyed – those we have failed and those we continue to fail. It prompts us to be alert to God’s will, to do what God is asking of each of us. It reminds us that what God desires for all of humanity – repentance and restoration. And it reminds us that the work of the kingdom begins now here on Earth with us, with our Emmanuel. 

Isaiah 7:10-16

Again the Lord spoke to Ahaz, saying, Ask a sign of the Lord your God; let it be deep as Sheol or high as heaven. But Ahaz said, I will not ask, and I will not put the Lord to the test. Then Isaiah said: “Hear then, O house of David! Is it too little for you to weary mortals, that you weary my God also? Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Look, the young woman is with child and shall bear a son, and shall name him Immanuel. He shall eat curds and honey by the time he knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good. For before the child knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good, the land before whose two kings you are in dread will be deserted.” 

Psalm 80:1-7, 16-18

1 Hear, O Shepherd of Israel, leading Joseph like a flock; *
shine forth, you that are enthroned upon the cherubim.

2 In the presence of Ephraim, Benjamin, and Manasseh, *
stir up your strength and come to help us.3 Restore us, O God of hosts; *
show the light of your countenance, and we shall be saved.

4 O Lord God of hosts, *
how long will you be angered
despite the prayers of your people?

5 You have fed them with the bread of tears; *
you have given them bowls of tears to drink.

6 You have made us the derision of our neighbours, *
and our enemies laugh us to scorn.

7 Restore us, O God of hosts; *
show the light of your countenance, and we shall be saved.

16 Let your hand be upon the man of your right hand, *
the son of man you have made so strong for yourself.

17 And so will we never turn away from you; *
give us life, that we may call upon your Name.

18 Restore us, O Lord God of hosts; *
show the light of your countenance, and we shall be saved.

Romans 1:1-7

Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God, which he promised beforehand through his prophets in the holy scriptures, the gospel concerning his Son, who was descended from David according to the flesh and was declared to be Son of God with power according to the spirit of holiness by resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord, through whom we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith among all the Gentiles for the sake of his name, including yourselves who are called to belong to Jesus Christ,

To all God’s beloved in Rome, who are called to be saints:

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Matthew 1:18-25

Now the birth of Jesus the Messiah took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been engaged to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. Her husband Joseph, being a righteous man and unwilling to expose her to public disgrace, planned to dismiss her quietly. But just when he had resolved to do this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” All this took place to fulfil what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet:

“Look, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son,
and they shall name him Emmanuel,”

which means, “God is with us.” When Joseph awoke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him; he took her as his wife, but had no marital relations with her until she had borne a son; and he named him Jesus.