December 22, 2019 Snow Baby Dreams

December 22 2019 Matthew 1.18-25 “Snow-Baby Dreams”  Pastor Jacqueline Hines

Snow babies can be collectible figurines of babies wearing snow suits [slide #  1 snow babies]. A German candy maker began making them in the 1890’s as reusable cake toppers.

Snow babies also refers to babies born in the winter. Girls may be named Alaska, North, Noelle, Christmas, Crystal – as in sparkling ice crystals, January, Demetria – the Greek goddess of winter, Elsa – from the Disney movie Frozen, Bianca and Blanche  - both - meaning “white,” Holly, Ivy, and even the names Snow and Ember – call to mind thoughts of winter. Boy’s names for snow babies are Jack as in frost, Nicholas as in saint, Rudolf, Robin – the winter bird, Doug – said to be a Chinese name meaning “winter,” Gabriel – after the archangel that brought the news of Jesus birth to Mary - often pictured as cold and wintery, some snow babies are named Christian for obvious reasons and Jasper which means “bringer of treasure.”

How many of you are snow babies, whether or not you have a typical snow baby name?

In verse 23, an angel of the Lord – we know that Satan has angels, or messengers, too – but it was an angel of the Lord that appeared to Joseph in a dream and told him that his fiancé Mary was going to have a baby  [slide  #  2 Joseph sleeping]  and they will call him Emmanuel which means “God with US.” In verse, 25 however, the text reads, “He” meaning Joseph – named the baby “Jesus.” They would call him Emmanuel, [slide # 3  Emmanuel] but Joseph named him Jesus. What does Jesus mean? Jesus is from the Hebrew root word Yeshua, translated as Joshua, meaning rescuer, one who saves. In other words, Jesus means “Saviour.” [slide #  4 Jesus Saviour]

I need to be saved once in a while. [slide #  5  boat]  How about you? I need to be saved from myself sometime. How about you? [slide #  6 woman in ocean] I need to be saved from my enemies sometime. How about you? I need to be saved from fear, dread, worry, anxiety, stress, nervousness, tension, ill health, and poverty of one sort or another sometime. How about you? [slide #  7  Jesus saving man in ocean]

The angel declared that they would call him Emmanuel, but Joseph named him Jesus, because Joseph knew he needed to be saved. He also knew he was not the only one who needed saving. Joseph also knew it’s not what they, the people say, it’s what God says. [slide #  8  You say/God says]

Joseph was a righteous man according to verse 19. In spite of the drama, which by the way, was initiated by the Holy Spirit, in spite of his confusion about what God was doing in his life and the life of his family, Joseph was unwilling to humiliate his woman. What a man! What a man! What a man!

How many of you know that the number one global health problem for women is domestic violence, and men, like Joseph have the solution. Just say “no” to abuse. [slide #  9  Tony Porter] Get out of the “man box” as Tony Porter teaches the NFL and guys on college campuses. [ slide #   10  teaching boys…]  Boys - and girls can be taught at an early age, to respect and affirm the value of women. Joseph was UNWILLING to disgrace Mary.

Last week I mentioned that I was with a woman on her way to a witch’s conference in New Orleans and I wondered if she was one of those witches who put a hex on Christians. [slide # 11 snowflake] I was relating the idea of how snowflakes are six sided hexagons and the world sometimes uses six sided symbols in evil ways. A kind member of Bethel shared the perspective that women have been so abused throughout history that when they called upon God to save them, they needed a God with a female face. If you have ever been abused or mistreated, you know how seeing the right face matters.

If you have ever needed saving like Joseph and Mary who were oppressed by the harsh rulings of the Roman government, who ran for their lives, crossing the border to a foreign country, if you have ever needed saving, you’d call his name – too. Jesus. They were snow babies of sorts, snowed in, snowed under, victims of a governmental snow job, but God had a plan for their rescue. The plan was revealed in a dream to a righteous man.

We sing praises that God is with us, Emmanuel, but those when we need saving, we call him Saviour, Jesus. [slide # 12  call him Jesus ] Amen. [slide # 13  Thank you Jesus]