Thursday, December 5, 2013

December 5, 2013

"All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”). When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. But he did not consummate their marriage until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus."  Matthew 1:22-25

Immanuel, “God with us”, is a BIG deal!

It is a big deal because the birth of Jesus served as a reminder that God, though silent for centuries, was not absent, not disinterested or disengaged. The Sovereign, omniscient, omnipotent, and omnipresent God was wisely and patiently using His power to execute His plan as Paul proclaimed to the Galatians, But when the fullness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law, so that He might redeem those who were under the Law, that we might receive the adoption as sons.…” Galatians 4:4-5

So, the birth of Jesus, is a vivid and conclusive reminder that God is with us. That is a BIG deal!

Immanuel is a BIG deal because the birth of Jesus served to reveal God to a dark and desperate world!

The coming of Immanuel, “God with us”, revealed that God was indeed, through the birth of His Son, with us!

It revealed that God wanted to introduce Himself to a dark world. John expressed it this way, In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind ……..The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.John 1:1-4; 14

Through Immanuel, God introduced Himself as a personal God. That is a BIG deal!

The coming of Jesus, Immanuel, revealed that God is interested in you and me. Again, John writes, Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him.” For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.” John 3:14-18

In Immanuel, God revealed that He is personally interested in you and me! That is a BIG deal!

And, the coming of Jesus revealed God was involved in our lives! The writer of Hebrews states this truth with these words, For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are--yet he did not sin.Hebrews 4:15

Our Jesus, Immanuel, proved that God was involved in your life so He understands your pain. That is a BIG deal!

The angel declared the coming of Immanuel – “God with us”!  And as Romans 8:31 declares, What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?