Emmanuel, God With Us, Part 2 Series

Emmanuel, God with us

Text: Matt. 1:18-25

Opening….

1. Read God came near, Max Lucado- Attached paper #1

2. We get passionate and misty eyed that Jesus was born in a stable / manger

John got all misty eyed and passionate that God became a man….

A. God had now become… breakable

Touchable- And the Word was made flesh…. And our hands have handled, the Word of Life. John 1

Vulnerable- Crucify Him!

Breakable- this is my body which is broken for you

He who had been spirit – now became flesh

He who was larger than the universal, became an embryo

And he who had sustained the worlds with his word, was now dependant upon a poor teenage girl.

For thirty years, he would feel everything you feel.

He would come to know life’s greatest joys, its deepest sorrows.

And while he was completely divine, he was also just a man

- God came near by Max Lucado.

B.. God had now become… one of us.

1. Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same Heb. 2:14

2. "For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin." (Hebrews 4:15, KJV)

a. Touched with the feelings- 4834, [sumpatheo /soom•path•eh•o/] Literally, to enter into with

He has sympathy, not empathy for us- he does not feel for us…. But with us.

God before, could feel sorry for us… but not sorry with us.

b. He feels with us, the daily frustrations we feel

Death of is step dad, Joseph

Lazareth, his close friend

Folks misunderstanding him

Not believing him

Hating him

The feelings of his own family being frustrated with him.

c. He has truly felt and lived it all.