“Immanuel, God with us is the heart of our Christmas hope.”
Sermon Title: IMMANUEL. GOD WITH US
Scripture Text: MATTHEW 1:23
Sermon Notes:
“If we could condense all the truths of Christmas into only three words, these would be the words: “God with us”. We tend to focus our attention at Christmas on the infancy of Christ, but the greater truth of the holiday is His deity. More astonishing than a baby in the manger is the truth that this promised baby is the omnipotent Creator of the heavens and the earth!” — John McArthur
“Immanuel, God with us is the heart of our Christmas hope.”
MATTHEW 1:23 ESV
”Behold,, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel”
(which means, God with us).
“Immanuel, God with us is the heart of our Christmas hope.”
“If you could convince a man that there is no hope, he would curse the day that he was born.”
- The cry of all humanity: Is there any hope?
Immanuel is a Hebrew word that is composed of the 2 words:
1. Immanu which means “with us”;
2. El is for “God”
ISAIAH 7:14 ESV
Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.
Three Significances of Immanuel:
1. Isaiah’s Immanuel
2. Matthew’s Immanuel
3. Our Immanuel
I. Isaiah’s Immanuel
ISAIAH 7:13-14 ESV
13 And he said, “Hear then, O house of David! Is it too little for you to weary men, that you weary my God also?
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.
“Isaiah’s Immanuel was a sign to the Jews that God’s presence remained with them despite their unfaithfulness.”
II. Matthew’s Immanuel
MATTHEW 1:21 ESV
She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.
“Matthew’s Immanuel was Jesus, God Himself, in flesh and blood, who came to deliver His people from their sins.”
III. Our Immanuel
HEBREWS 2:14-15 NLT
14 Because God’s children are human beings—made of flesh and blood—the Son also became flesh and blood. For only as a human being could he die, and only by dying could he break the power of the devil, who had the power of death. 15 Only in this way could he set free all who have lived their lives as slaves to the fear of dying.
HEBREWS 2:17 NLT
Therefore, it was necessary for him to be made in every respect like us, his brothers and sisters, so that he could be our merciful and faithful High Priest before God. Then he could offer a sacrifice that would take away the sins of the people.
HEBREWS 4:15 NLT
This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testing we do, yet he did not sin.
HEBREWS 2:18 NLT
Since he himself has gone through suffering and testing, he is able to help us when we are being tested.
MATTHEW 28:20 NLT
Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.
EPHESIANS 1:13 ESV
In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit
“The Holy Spirit is Christ WITH you to form Christ IN you.”
“Our Immanuel is God, the Holy Spirit in every believer of Jesus, transforming them into the image of Christ.”
“The best of all is this: God is with us” — John Wesley