Immanuel the Everlasting Present
Matthew 1:23
I am learning that the best way to communicate to Jared is to get down on his level, eye level and level of understanding. When he gets in the trash I tell him no it is stinky, don’t play in there. I do not tell him “The possibility of cutting yourself on broken glass, contracting food poisoning from germs found on old, spoiled food; or creating a mess that will ruin the floor is very high. Therefore stay out of the trash.” He would never understand at his age what I was talking about. “No it is stinky” is all he needs to hear to understand not to do play in the trash. His age determines his understanding. His age determines his maturity.
Soren Kierkegaard, the great Danish theologian told this story: A prince who wanted to find a maiden suitable to be his queen. One day while running an errand in the local village for his father he passed through a poor section. As he glanced out the windows of the carriage his eyes fell upon a beautiful peasant maiden. During the ensuing days he often passed by the young lady and soon fell in love. But he had a problem. How would he seek her hand? He could order her to marry him. But even a prince wants his bride to marry him freely and voluntarily and not through coercion. He could put on his most splendid uniform and drive up to her front door in a carriage drawn by six horses. But if he did this he would never be certain that the maiden loved him or was simply overwhelmed with all of the splendor. The prince came up with another solution. He would give up his kingly robe. He moved, into the village, entering not with a crown but in the garb of a peasant. He lived among the people, shared their interests and concerns, and talked their language. In time the maiden grew to love him for who he was and because he had first loved her.
God faced the same dilemma. How can He communicate with us where we can understand? How can He make Himself approachable? Look at the text with me today.
Read text and pray.
God with us, what a statement. We hear this each time the Christmas story is told, but what does it mean to us? I asked Melissa what it meant to her and she said “God never leaves us.” What do you think of when you read this statement? This statement shows us His deity and His nearness, His identification with man.
1. GOD with us. Yahweh, Jehovah, Creator, Master of the Universe, First and the Last, Alpha and Omega, all the names you can think of the Bible uses to refer to God, not a god, but the God is with us. Not Allah, the man upstairs, a higher power, the big guy, nothing as ambiguous as that. These are name for something man has created to be god. Allah is not God this is a name for a moody, vengeful, cold false god worshipped in Islam. The man upstairs, the big guy, a higher power are names to trivialize who God is in the eyes of the world. This verse says the creator of the heavens and the earth, the One who was is and is to come, or Everlasting Father is here with us.
Jesus did not become God after His baptism. Jesus was God in the flesh, the moment He was born. You know the song “Mary did you know.” It was created for a Christmas program as a series of questions to lead the viewer from scene to scene, questions asked of Mary. Only later was it put to music to become the timeless classic by Mark Lowry.
Mary Did You Know
Mary did you know that your baby boy would someday walk on water?
Mary did you know that your baby boy would save our sons and daughters?
Did you know that your baby boy has come to make you new?
This child that you've delivered will soon deliver you.
Mary did you know that your baby boy would give sight to a blind man?
Mary did you know that your baby boy would calm a storm with his hand?
Did you know that your baby boy has walked where angels trod?
And when your kiss your little baby, you have kissed the face of God.
Oh Mary did you know---
The blind will see, the deaf will hear, the dead will live again.
The lame will leap, the dumb will speak, the praises of the lamb---.
Mary did you know that your baby boy is Lord of all creation?
Mary did you know that your baby boy would one day rule the nations?
Did you know that your baby boy is heaven's perfect Lamb?
This sleeping child you're holding is the great--I--- AM---.
2. God WITH us. In the Old Testament you see many instances where God was with His people. The classic example of the pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night that lead the Israelites through the dessert out of Egypt. The ARK of the Covenant was an example of God’s presence to the Israelites. When God wanted to meet with Moses the cloud would come and hover over the tent of meeting. These were proof to the people that God was with them, but they could not be in His presence, He was too holy and they too sinful, they would surely die. There was a desire on behalf of God to be close to His people in a personal way, this is why we were created in the first place. How can this happen?
The birth of the baby Jesus is the answer. With this birth God was in the flesh with His people. He removed the inapproachability. He lived, loved, and walked with us.
Is 7:14 How could He be with us? Through the virgin birth. The Hebrew word here is Almah which is translated virgin not young woman. Each time it is used in O.T. it means virgin. This was to be a sign for the people. Is 9:6 (Ahaz a foolish king asked for no sign after instructed by Isaiah to request one.) What kind of sign is it for a young woman to bear a child? Not much of one. What kind of sign is it for a virgin to bear a child? A once in eternity sign.
3. God with US. A timeless message. This was not limited to the past. God is with us now and always. Hebrews 13:5
Chorus to “God with Us” MercyMe 2007
All that is within me cries - For you alone be glorified – Emmanuel - God with us - My heart sings a brand new song - The debt is paid these chains are gone – Emmanuel - God with us
His presence was seen, heard, and felt with the people of the first century and we still feel and hear His presence today. He did not come only to the people of the first century nor to the Jews only, He came to all of us. He came to seek and to save that which is lost.
"Mommy, what does God look like?" asked 5-year-old Timmy. He put down his peanut butter sandwich & took a big swallow of milk.
"Well, God is a Spirit & we can’t see Him in the same way that we see people," his mother began, not knowing quite where to go from there.
"But if we can’t see Him, how do we know what He’s like?" he persisted.
"Well, suppose you were blind," she suggested to Timmy. "Would you be able to see Daddy, for instance?" He shook his head. "But would you know what Daddy is like?" He thought for a moment, then vigorously nodded his head.
"You’d know what Daddy is like by the things he says, wouldn’t you?" He nodded again. "And we know what God is like, too, by the things He says in His Word. And you’d know that Daddy loves you, because he would tell you so & do everything he could for you."
"That’s how we know God loves us, too. He tells us so, & He has given us so much to help us have a wonderful life. But most of all, He gave us Jesus to take away our sins & to show us what God is really like."
"And even though you couldn’t see Daddy - if you were blind - you could hear his voice & feel when he is near. And in the same way, through Jesus we can hear God’s voice & feel Him near, too. That’s why, even though we can’t see God, we can be very certain what He is like."
Little Timmy picked up his sandwich. "I know," he exclaimed, "We don’t see God outside. We see Him inside." Timmy’s right, isn’t he?
If our greatest need was information Jesus would have been an educator; if our greatest need had been technology Jesus would have been a scientist; if our greatest need were money, Jesus would have been an economist. Our greatest need is forgiveness, so Jesus came as a Savior.
