2025年12月21日 / グレース・トロント日本語教会
ルカの福音書 1章 31-33節
31 見なさい。あなたは身ごもって、男の子を産みます。その名をイエスとつけなさい。
32 その子は大いなる者となり、いと高き方の子と呼ばれます。また神である主は、彼にその父ダビデの王位をお与えになります。
33 彼はとこしえにヤコブの家を治め、その支配に終わりはありません。
December 21, 2025 / Grace Toronto Japanese Church
Luke 1:31-33
31 And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, 33 and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.
When Adam and Eve were being kicked out of the Garden of Eden, God declared the first gospel to the snake (Satan).
わたしは敵意を、おまえと女の間に、おまえの子孫と女の子孫の間に置く。彼はおまえの頭を打ち、おまえは彼のかかとを打つ。 創世記 3章15節 / Gen 3:15 I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.
God declared his rescue plan to Satan. And this plan was something unheard of: (1) God will send someone as the woman’s offspring (a human being) and (2) he will destroy your head. And many centuries later, there was a king named David. God sent the prophet Nathan to David and gave his covenant (promise) to him:
サムエル記 第二 7章12～13節. あなたの日数が満ち、あなたが先祖とともに眠りにつくとき、わたしは、あなたの身から出る世継ぎの子をあなたの後に起こし、彼の王国を確立させる。 彼はわたしの名のために一つの家を建て、わたしは彼の王国の王座をとこしえまでも堅く立てる。2 Sam 7:12–13 When your days are fulfilled and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring after you, who shall come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. 13 He shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.
When David heard this, he wasn’t really sure what God was going to do. But what was clear was: God will do something amazing through David’s family line: (1) God will raise up a king in David’s dynasty; (2) that king will build an eternal house for God’s name; and (3) his kingdom will be forever.
That was God’s promise to David.
But later, David’s kingdom was divided into Israel and Judah. And both kingdoms collapsed: Israel by Assyria and Judah by Babylon—because the kings and the people served idols and committed sins.
In the middle of those calamities, however, God sent prophets and reminded them of the promise:
Around 800 BC, the prophet Isaiah said:
イザヤ書 7章14節: それゆえ、主は自ら、あなたがたに一つのしるしを与えられる。見よ、処女が身ごもっている。そして男の子を産み、その名をインマヌエルと呼ぶ。/ Isaiah 7:14 Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel
イザヤ書 9章6節: ひとりのみどりごが私たちのために生まれる。ひとりの男の子が私たちに与えられる。主権はその肩にあり、その名は「不思議な助言者、力ある神、永遠の父、平和の君」と呼ばれる。/ Isaiah 9:6 For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
What Isaiah proclaimed were:
- God will still keep his promise to send someone as a child.
- Shockingly, this child will be born through a virgin.
- And this child will be called Immanuel (God is with us)
- The child will govern God’s kingdom.
- His name will be: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, and Prince of Peace.
And as we saw last week, the prophet Jeremiah received the same promise:
エレミヤ書 23章5節. 見よ、その時代が来る。──主のことば──そのとき、わたしはダビデに一つの正しい若枝を起こす。彼は王となって治め、栄えて、この地に公正と義を行う。/ Jer 23:5 Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, and he shall reign as king and deal wisely, and shall execute justice and righteousness in the land.
God kept his promise. And almost 600 years later in Galilee, there was a girl named Mary engaged to a man named Joseph (a descendant of David). They were only engaged; they were not married yet.
And God sent the angel named Gabriel to Mary. And Gabriel said to Mary:
- 30 Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God
- 31 Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son,
- and you shall call his name Jesus.
- 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High.
- And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David,
- 33 he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and
- of his kingdom there will be no end.
Mary said to Gabriel in faith, “I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” And Jesus was born:
ルカの福音書 2章4～7節: ヨセフも、ダビデの家に属し、その血筋であったので、ガリラヤの町ナザレから、ユダヤのベツレヘムというダビデの町へ上って行った。 身重になっていた、いいなずけの妻マリアとともに登録するためであった。 ところが、彼らがそこにいる間に、マリアは月が満ちて、 男子の初子を産んだ。そして、その子を布にくるんで飼葉桶に寝かせた。宿屋には彼らのいる場所がなかったからである。/ Luke 2:4 And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, 5 to be registered with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. 6 And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. 7 And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.
Who is this child born 2,000 years ago in Bethlehem? His name was Jesus, son of Joseph and Mary. But he was the Son of the Most High, the Son of God, Immanuel.
Why did God have to become a man?
The Son of God became like one of us to pay the price of our sins.
He became a man to live a perfect and sinless life before God and yet be punished by God to pay the price of my sins and your sins.
The Son of God became a man and lived a human life—this gives me tremendous comfort and strength. He was hungry. He was tempted. Jesus was thirsty. Jesus had to sleep. Jesus felt cold in winter. Jesus was weak. Jesus was God. But he was fully human.
Please remember today’s catechism: Q15: What kind of mediator and deliverer should we look for then? / A. One who is a true and righteous human, yet more powerful than all creatures, that is, one who is also true God.
Thinking about the fact that Jesus has experienced a human life and thus knows human sufferings gives me tremendous comfort and encouragement. Hear what Hebrews has to say:
ヘブル人への手紙4章14～16節: さて、私たちには、もろもろの天を通られた、神の子イエスという偉大な大祭司がおられるのですから、信仰の告白を堅く保とうではありませんか。私たちの大祭司は、私たちの弱さに同情できない方ではありません。罪は犯しませんでしたが、すべての点において、私たちと同じように試みにあわれたのです。ですから私たちは、あわれみを受け、また恵みをいただいて、折にかなった助けを受けるために、大胆に恵みの御座に近づこうではありませんか。 Heb 4: 14 Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. 15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. 16 Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
Brothers and sisters,
Really, on Christmas, we need to think about this Incarnation—the Son of God became like one of us, lived a perfect and sinless life, and yet was punished in my place to save us.
Really, on Christmas, we need to think about God’s covenant faithfulness. God is faithful (he kept his promise).
Really, on Christmas, you should see yourselves from this perspective: God kept his promise by sending his own Son to save you.