Matthew 1:18-25

God With Us, Closer Than We Imagine

This sermon invites us to slow down and face the staggering claim at the heart of Christmas: God has come near. From Joseph’s quiet turmoil to the angel’s announcement, we are led into the mystery of the incarnation, where Jesus is fully God and fully human, not as an idea to admire but as a Savior to trust. The message shows how belief in the incarnation reshapes everything, giving meaning to miracles, grounding the hope of salvation, and assuring us that God truly understands human life from the inside. Jesus enters the world not because we were looking for Him, but because we were lost and needed saving. To receive Him is to accept both comfort and challenge, comfort in knowing God is with us and understands us, and challenge in surrendering our right to define Him on our own terms. Christmas, then, is more than warmth and nostalgia. It is an invitation to believe the impossible, to follow Christ as Lord, and to let the God who came near transform every part of our lives.