Immanuel: God with Us
Isaiah 7:14
As we gather this morning for worship, an excitement is in the air that is reserved for this time of year. I can remember the excitement I felt as a child, looking forward to Christmas. As we grow older the excitement changes, but there is always something very special about the Christmas season. Most continue to look forward to Christmas day with great anticipation.
For the believer, Christmas stands as the reminder of the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. The gracious gift of God was sent to this earth, robed in a body of flesh, to redeem mankind from sin and provide for our salvation. Of all the gifts we have received, none compare to the gift of salvation by grace.
Our text today comes from the prophet Isaiah. These words were spoken some 700 years prior to the birth of Christ, and yet they were fulfilled according to the divine plan of God. As Joseph contemplated the unexpected pregnancy of his espoused wife Mary, the angel of the Lord spoke to him in a dream, relieving the fear he had regarding the unborn child. The Bible declares all of this was done so that the words of Isaiah might be fulfilled. Matt.1:23 – Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.
As we examine the prophecy of Isaiah, I want to discuss the details of his prophetic promise. As we do, I trust you will be encouraged and drawn closer to the Lord. I want to preach on the thought – Immanuel: God with Us.
I. The Communication of the Promise – Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. Isaiah reminded king Ahaz that God would fulfill His promise to send the Messiah. King Uzziah had died and the nation stood at a crossroads. Ahaz did not follow the righteous path of Uzziah, but lived a life of wicked rebellion before the Lord. Isaiah declared that God’s promise to send the Redeemer through the line of David would be fulfilled just as He had ordained. The people of God, or the royal bloodline would not be destroyed.
When the time had come for God’s promise to be fulfilled, Israel again stood in a moment of national calamity. They were suffering under Roman rule; the majority had grown complacent, and were not looking for Messiah. Like God had given the word 700 years before, He came to Joseph revealing the time had come for Christ to be born. Many were not looking for Christ, and the world did not expect Him, but He would soon be born, Savior of the world.
I think about the condition of our world today and I see many similarities. Christmas will be celebrated by millions, but few will take the time to genuinely consider the reason for our celebration. Like generations before, people are wondering about their future and the state of affairs around the world. Humanity is gripped with fear due to hatred, violence, and the threat of war. In the midst of all this calamity, there is hope. The prophecy of Isaiah was fulfilled. Christ came to earth in the form of a man. God kept the promise He made in the Garden of Eden. Gen.3:15 – And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel. Christ came, just as the Word promised.
II. The Stipulation in the Promise – Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. Isaiah offered a significant detail regarding the birth of Christ. A virgin would conceive a child, none other than the Son of the living God. No doubt many in Isaiah’s day wondered how such a thing could happen, but God’s promise would be fulfilled.
As we move forward some 700 years, we discover a couple espoused to be married. A man named Joseph had proposed to a young virgin. Plans for the wedding ceremony were being made; and in the midst of the preparations, a startling discovery was made – Mary was with child. Joseph was perplexed and wondered what to do. Being a just man, he decided to annul the engagement and put Mary away privately. Matt.1:18 – Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost. [25] And knew her not till she had brought forth her firstborn son: and he called his name JESUS. Luke 1:34-35 – Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man? [35] And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.
Many continue to argue the virginity of Mary regarding the birth of Christ. They declare it is physically impossible for a virgin to conceive and give birth. I agree that it is physically impossible, but with God all things are possible. There could be no other plan to provide for our salvation. Had Jesus not been virgin born, we would not have a sinless Savior. He would have been born part of the fallen race of Adam like all men. God in His sovereignty devised a plan to provide us with one born without sin, conceived in the womb of a young virgin by the Holy Spirit. Jesus Christ was born of a virgin, the Son of God the Father. If you deny the virgin birth, you deny the very essence and deity of Christ. While I can’t explain it, I rejoice for a virgin born, sinless Savior.
III. The Incarnation of the Promise – Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. God’s eternal plan was fulfilled according to His Word. The virgin Mary conceived in her womb, and bore a Son, the Son of God. Thousands of years of prophecy were fulfilled on that faithful night in Bethlehem. God condescended to this earth in the form of a man. He laid aside the glory He had in heaven, veiled His deity in a body of flesh, and came to earth as a humble babe.
As I consider the grace and glory of the incarnation, I am always reminded of the shepherds’ encounter with the angel of the Lord and the heavenly host. Luke 2:10-11 – And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. [11] For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. On this day the promise of the ages had been fulfilled and they were told the good news of Christ’s birth. The Savior had come, born in the form of a man.
It is impossible to overemphasize the enormity of the incarnation of Christ. The eternal sovereign God humbled Himself, willingly adorning a body of flesh to come and dwell among men. Phil.2:6-8 – Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: [7] But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: [8] And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. While He never lost His deity, it was veiled in a robe of flesh. Christ willingly emptied Himself of many of the divine rights and privileges He possessed as God. He laid aside His glory to be made in the likeness of men. Christ did all of that so you and I could be saved.
IV. The Redemption through the Promise – Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. Remember that Matthew’s gospel revealed that Immanuel means “God with us.” Christ came to earth in the form of a man, to dwell among us. The eternal God humbled Himself to become a man. John 1:14 – And the Word was made 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.
This too is very significant. I do not have the time nor the wisdom to describe all the incarnation of Christ meant for humanity. However, we do know that Christ came to earth with purpose. He came to dwell among men in order to fulfill the plan of redemption; Christ came to die for our sin. He came to offer Himself the atoning sacrifice for sin, willingly laying His life down on the cross as He died in our place. Christ became our substitute, bearing our sin and enduring the righteous wrath of God we all deserved because of sin.
I am convinced the majority of the Jews missed a significant part of Christ coming to earth as a man. For centuries the glory of God was hidden behind the veil within the Temple. The high priest was the only one permitted to go behind the veil and enter the Holy of Holies. As Christ came in the form of a man, the glory of God was revealed in Him. Humanity could see the glory of God in human form. He was the embodiment of God for the world to see.
Christ perfectly fulfilled the plan of God for our redemption. He lived a perfect, sinless life. When the fullness of time had come, He willingly submitted to the death of the cross. This was not done because Christ deserved to die. He died so we might live. He embraced the cross, drinking the cup of God’s wrath to redeem us from sin. As Christ died, the veil of the Temple was torn in two, removing the barrier between God and man. We now can approach God through Christ the Son. He secured salvation for all who come to Him in repentance and faith. Where sin abounded, grace did much more abound.
Some may feel as if I have finished with a portion of the message that sounds more like one we would hear at Easter. Actually that is unavoidable. One cannot accurately discuss the birth of Christ and fail to consider His death on the cross for our sin. I rejoice that Immanuel came to earth to provide for our salvation.
Conclusion: We have considered the birth of Christ and much of the significance of His birth. As we conclude, I want to remind us that He fulfilled every prophecy regarding His first advent. He died on the cross, securing salvation for all who come to Him by faith. They buried Him in a borrowed tomb, but the grave couldn’t hold Him. He rose triumphant over sin, death, and hell. He ascended back to the Father where He is seated today making intercession for us. He left with the promise to come again. His second coming will be much different than the first. He came the first time as a humble babe, preparing to become the sacrificial Lamb for sin. He will return in power and great glory as the reigning King and Lion of Judah.
As we look toward Christmas, I must ask if you know Christ as your personal Savior. He came to redeem humanity from sin. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord. If you are yet unsaved, respond to the gracious offer of salvation. Come to Christ in repentance and faith. If you have received Christ, rejoice in the wonderful provision of salvation!
