Emmanuel, "God With Us"

Emmanuel “God with us”

Matt 1:18-25

1. GOD WITH US IN THE FLESH

1 Tim. 3:16 And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness, far exceeding our understanding

1. He appeared in a human body.

2. Was approved by the Spirit.

3. Was seen by angels.

4. He was proclaimed among all kinds of peoples.

5. Was believed in all over the world.

6. Was received up into glory.

7. The Word became flesh and blood, and lived among us.

8. We saw the glory with our own eyes.

9. It was the glory that the Father shares with his only Son, a glory full of kindness and truth.

10. It is certain that death ruled because of one person’s failure.

11. It’s even more certain that those who receive God’s overflowing kindness and the gift of his approval will rule in life because of one person, Jesus Christ.

12. For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous.

A story about what Christmas really is:

The "W" in Christmas

Each December, I vowed to make Christmas a calm and peaceful experience. I had cut back on nonessential obligations: extensive card writing, endless baking, decorating, and even overspending. Yet still, I found myself exhausted, unable to appreciate the precious family moments, and of course, the true meaning of Christmas.

My son, Nicholas, was in kindergarten that year. It was an exciting season for a six-year-old. For weeks, he’d been memorizing songs for his school’s winter Pageant. I didn’t have the heart to tell him I’d be working the night of the production. Unwilling to miss his shining moment, I spoke with his teacher. She assured me there’d be a dress rehearsal the morning of the presentation. All parents unable to attend that evening were welcome to come then. Fortunately, Nicholas seemed happy with the compromise.

So, the morning of the dress rehearsal, I filed in ten minutes early, found a spot on the cafeteria floor and sat down. Around the room, I saw several other parents quietly scampering to their seats. As I waited, the students were led into the room. Each class, accompanied by their teacher, sat cross-legged on the floor. Then, each group, one by one, rose to perform their song.

Because the public school system had long stopped referring to the holiday as "Christmas," I didn’t expect anything other than fun, commercial entertainment--songs of reindeer, Santa Claus, snowflakes and good cheer. So, when my son’s class rose to sing, "Christmas Love," I was slightly taken aback by its bold title.

Nicholas was aglow, as were all of his classmates, adorned in fuzzy mittens, red sweaters, and bright snowcaps upon their heads. Those in the front row/center stage held up large letters, one by one, to spell out the title of the song. As the class would sing "C is for Christmas," a child would hold up the letter C. Then, "H is for Happy," and on and on, until each child holding up his portion had presented the complete message: Christmas Love.

The performance was going smoothly, until suddenly, we noticed her--a small, quiet, girl in the front row holding the letter "M" upside down - totally unaware her letter "M" appeared as a "W." The audience of 1st through 6th graders snickered at this little one’s mistake. But she had no idea they were laughing at her, so she stood tall, proudly holding her "W." Although many teachers tried to shush the children, the laughter continued until the last letter was raised, and then we all saw it together. A hush came over the audience and eyes began to widen. In that instant, we understood the reason we were there, why we celebrated the holiday in the first place, why even in the chaos, there was a purpose for our festivities. For when the last letter was held high, the message read loud and clear: "CHRISTWAS LOVE" And, I believe, He still is.

May we keep this first and foremost during this busy holiday season?

2. GOD WITH US AS A REDEEMER.

Acts 20:28

a. Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock.

b. Over the The Holy Spirit has put you in charge of these people.

c. To feed the church of God.

d. To guard and protect them for God’s church which he acquired with his own blood, e. God himself thought they were worth dying for. Which he bought with his own blood.

f. Realize that you weren’t set free from the worthless life handed down to you from your ancestors by a payment of silver or gold which can be destroyed. Rather, the payment that freed you was the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect.