The Hope of Presence
Isaiah 7:7-14
Today we will meditate on one of the most famous and loved messianic prophecies from the book of Isaiah. Isaiah the prophet prophesied to us about the coming Messiah. Isaiah 7:14 “Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: Behold the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son and shall call His name Immanuel.” During the time of Isaiah, the people of Israel were awaiting their prince of peace, their Messiah, who would come to save them. Therefore, Isaiah writes, the Lord himself will give you a sign. Look, the young woman is with child and shall bear a son and shall name him Immanuel.
Isaiah made this declaration on God's behalf during a time of international tension. King Ahaz had feared an invasion from the north. His response was to ally with Assyria, one of Judea's most powerful enemies. But Isaiah advised king Ahaz not to put his trust in international alliances. He should trust in God instead, for a messiah was coming to deliver God’s people from their enemies and darkness.
Eight hundred years later, an angel spoke to a carpenter named Joseph. The angel said, "Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins. (Matthew 1:20)" All this took place to fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet: "Look, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall name him.
Emmanuel," which means, "God is with us." Emmanuel--God is with us.
The last two weeks, we meditated on the hope of light and singing. Today’s sermon is the hope of God’s presence in our midst. We are not alone this Christmas. We might be far away from our families this year, or we might have to social distance because of safety. But we are not alone. God’s presence is in our midst this Christmas Season. He was, He is, and will always be with us. Let us meditate on these thoughts: God came to dwell with us, God came to dwell in us, and God came for all mankind.
God came to dwell with us
“They will call him Immanuel”: God with us. God is with us as a people, just as God was with the people of Israel. But many of us need to know more than ever in our personal lives that God is with us as well. Joshua 1:9 “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”
The magazine, The Week, wrote a story about a city named Newark, New Jersey. More than a quarter of Newark’s population lives below the poverty line. In the 1960s, wealthy citizens began to flee the city. In 1967, there were terrible riots, which burned hundreds of businesses. Eight years later, Harper’s magazine called Newark; America’s “worst city.”
In 2007, Cory Booker was elected mayor. He was a Stanford, Yale Law School graduate. He was able to attract more than $100 million in donations from large programs and gained approval from the Gates Foundation to fund charter schools and raised millions of dollars to renovate and expand 20 city parks. He began to remove the stench of corruption that consumed Newark for decades.
Understand, Cory Booker graduated from Stanford, Yale, however He chose to voluntarily move into one of America’s worst cities. Why? Maybe it was because of tender love and compassion for people who have been lost in their corruption.
Here’s the good news for you: The apostle Paul said about Jesus, “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake He became poor, so that you through His poverty might become rich.” (II Cor. 8:9)
Jesus didn’t leave Stanford, Yale or Oxford. God left the throne of glory to become the babe of Bethlehem, born in a stable because there was no room in the inn. Why did he do it? Because the world sat in darkness. Christmas is not simply the celebration of the birthday of a good man, but a celebration of light penetrating darkness, hope penetrating despair, life overcoming death, and salvation delivering us from death. “They will call him Immanuel” which means, “God with us.”
God came to dwell in us
Isaiah 41:10 says, “Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”
Understand that, this is what Christmas is all about. It’s more than the birth of a special baby, it is more than an angels’ song. It is God coming into our world, stripping himself of all His power and dignity, that he might die on a cross in our behalf. This is what Christmas is all about. God comes into our world, comforts us and draws us into the light.
Now, Jesus came into the world physically within the days of old Jerusalem. Heaven came down to the people of Israel. But God’s story does not end there. Jesus says in John 15:26, “But when the Helper comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify of Me.” God came to dwell with us, as He was born as a babe. But now, God wants to dwell IN us, as the Holy Spirit.
When we set up our Christmas trees and decorations, we are always full of cheer. When we sing carols and gather together, our hearts are merry. But be careful who dwells in our hearts during Christmas season. Jesus is the reason for the season. Not Santa Claus or other make believe stories.
Kierkegaard, Danish Philosopher, and theologian tells an old story of a king who fell in love with a maid. When he asked, "How shall I declare my love?" his counselors answered, "Your majesty just has to appear in all your royal glory before the maid's humble dwelling, and she will instantly fall at your feet and be yours."
But this was what troubled the king. He wanted her glorification, not his. In return for his love, he wanted her love, freely given. Finally, the king realized love's truth, that honest love demanded equality with the beloved. So late one night, after everyone in the palace had left, he left the castle and appeared before the maid's cottage dressed as a servant.
This old story. in some ways, mirrors with the Christmas story. We are called to obey not God's power, but God's love. God wants not submission to His power, but in return for His love, He wants our honest love.
When God came down to the earth, He set His newly bed on straw, in a stable, under a star. The cry from that infant's throat pierced the silence of centuries. God's voice could actually be heard coming from human vocal cords.
That's the joy of it. God has come to be with us! "Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, for his compassion never fail. 23 They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. 24 I say to myself, “The LORD is my portion; therefore I will wait for him.” 25 The LORD is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him." (Lamentation 3:22-25).
And because of His love, He sent the Holy Spirit to dwell in our hearts, so His presence will be with us. God is in us. He is in our hearts. That is the good news of salvation. That is the good tidings of Christmas.
God came for All Mankind
John 15:26-27 says “But when the Helper comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify of Me. 27 And you also will bear witness, because you have been with Me from the beginning.
Our response is not to be a matter of simply passive receiving. We are also to pass the Christmas spirit of Jesus onto others. What has been given to us must also be passed on to others. Understand, God’s story does not end with the resurrection or with the disciples. God's story is still being written and lived through the Body of Christ, His church.
There were a couple of friends who enjoyed pretending to go shopping each Christmas season in the Nordstrom, which was in a wealthy Los Angeles area. They love “pretending to go shopping” at Nordstrom because the store is too expensive.
On one of these Christmas visits to Nordstrom, a poor lady from off the streets stepped in. When the friends saw this woman, they fully expected security guards to make the woman leave the store. After all, this woman, who had old clothes and was covered with dirt from the streets, was not the kind of person who could afford to buy much of anything at Nordstrom. But instead of security guards, a tall saleswoman appeared and went up to the homeless woman. She asked, “Can I help you, Madam?”
“Yeah!” said the homeless woman. “I want a dress!”
“You have come to the right place,” the saleswoman replied. “We have the finest dresses in the world.”
The two women looked over the dresses, and they picked two dresses off the rack. The group of friends were shocked. They knew the saleswoman must have realized that this homeless woman couldn’t afford any of the dresses. After a while, the homeless woman said, “I have changed my mind. I’m not going to buy a dress today.”
The saleswoman answered, “That’s all right, Madam. But I would like to buy the dress for you.”
The group was even more surprised by the kindness and respect this saleswoman showed the homeless woman, who did not have the money for an expensive dress. “This saleswoman did what a Christian should do,” says one friend. “She treated everyone in the workplace as Jesus would treat them.”
Titus 2:11 tells us that “for the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men.” For every race, every language, and for every social status God came into this world. Now, it is our duty and responsibility to share good tidings to all, to continue God’s story. Walk in the light of God, so you can be a witness of His glory to others. Sing His carols, so you can touch the hearts of others. And let God dwell in you, so you can show others the true reason for the season.
Christmas is just 5 days away from now. It is a day that only comes once a year. During Christmas season, we are all filled with joy and cheer. But, dear brothers and sisters, the Christmas celebration does not just end after the 25th. For the birth of our savior is a yearlong celebration, a lifelong celebration. Because heaven came down for us, and salvation was given to us. God came to dwell with us, and within us, and with all mankind.
God came to dwell with us, as He was born as a humble babe in a manger. The world was corrupted with sin and darkness, but, through the birth of Jesus Christ and His sacrifice on the cross, we have been given the hope of salvation and freedom from death. God’s presence with us on earth did not end with the resurrection. He sent the helper, the Holy Spirit, that He may dwell within us. God came to dwell in us. He is in our hearts from the moment we accept Him as our Lord and Savior. During the moments of our trials and hopelessness, He is in us. Let God dwell in your hearts. But do not keep Him to yourself. For God came for all of mankind. Spread the good tidings of Christmas to all. Spread His gospel and His love.
Dear brothers and sisters, Jesus is the reason for the season. Christmas is a season of hope and fulfillment, because it was the day, heaven came down to us as a babe and salvation was given to all mankind. We are no longer in bondage of sin and death, and we are no longer alone. God is with us; God is in us. Wherever we go, God’s presence is with us. Especially during this Christmas season. Amen.
