O Come, Oh Come, Emmanuel Series

Title: Christmas Playlist: O Come, O Come, Emmanuel

Theme: Remind us that Jesus came so that we don’t have to be lonely.

Text: Matthew 1:18 - 23

Matthew 1:18 Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: After His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Spirit.

“she was found with child of the Holy Spirit” – this was a work of God. He has done this.

Genesis 3:15 And I will put enmity Between you and the woman, And between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, And you shall bruise His heel."

(19) Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not wanting to make her a public example, was minded to put her away secretly. (20) But while he thought about these things,

This is a testament to patience and prayer. We cannot make decisions in our emotions. Decisions should always be made in prayer.

Joseph got alone with God to hear what God had to say. Because of this he made a life changing decision. He was in the process of bringing forth the Messiah. The Messiah was going to come with or with out Joseph. Deliverance, miracles, healing will happen without us. We need to pray that we are in the process. We get to be part of something great.

behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, "Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit.

After much prayer Joseph gets his answer from God. What would happen in our life if we “lingered” more in prayer and seeking God’s will?

(21) And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins."

Paul puts it this way in 1 Timothy 1:15

1 Timothy 1:15 This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief.

In this verse alone I want to make a note of three things. (from Awake My Heart by J. Sidlow Baxter )

1) Most Wonderful kind of Salvation

Salvation for sinners from sin. This is not a salvation from poverty, sickness, war, or bad government. We get focused on the wrong things. God is a deliver, a miracle worker but truly it starts right here.

We not only need to be pardoned from sin but we need to be deliverance from the control of sin in our lives.

2) Most Wonderful kind of Savior – Jesus

Who can save us? Christ Jesus

Christ – the Messiah, the Anointed One. Isaiah 9:6

Jesus – salvation to all people. Salvation to common people.

He “came into the world”

He was already existing, but Jesus came into the world. John 1

John 1:1-4 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. (2) He was in the beginning with God. (3) All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. (4) In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.

John 1:14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.

3) Most Wonderful Message – “worthy of acceptance”

This message. The message of the Messiah. This message the message of God becoming flesh to save a sin sick, wretched, broken, ungrateful, corrupt world from their sins.

This message is “worthy of acceptance”

Hebrews 2:3-4 how shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation, which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed to us by those who heard Him, (4) God also bearing witness both with signs and wonders, with various miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit, according to His own will?

(22) So all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying: (23) "Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel," which is translated, "God with us."

O come, O come, Emmanuel,

And ransom captive Israel;

That mourns in lonely exile here,

Until the Son of God appear.

Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel

Shall come to thee, O Israel

Why?

I. To Cure Loneliness

Jesus understands us.

God’s visit with Adam

Genesis 3:8 God calls to Adam and Eve. Early morning walk

God walked with Enoch

God spoke to Noah

God spoke to Abraham

God spoke to the prophets

God with us