Immanuel – God with Us

 Immanuel – God with Us

Subject – 2020 Christmas Musical

By Rick Welborne

Matthew 1:18-24 (NKJV)
¹⁸  Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: After His mother Mary was engaged to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Spirit.
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, 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.
²¹  And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name JESUS, for He will save His people from their sins."
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."
²⁴  Then Joseph, being aroused from sleep, did as the angel of the Lord commanded him and took to him his wife…

--Immanuel, God with us. Think about the miracle of that. For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.

--Because of our American culture when we hear “God with us” that is exactly what we think, God with us and more specifically, we think God with me. We can be quite selfish. Let’s take a step back in this story.

--At the time of Jesus birth the environment was much like today…political chaos, corrupt leaders (Herod), religious hypocrisy for self-gain. They needed a Savior and we need a Savior. Look at this story.

1. God with us, of course, but God with Joseph.

--I can’t imagine being engaged to someone and being so excited to get married. To be able to take this beautiful young lady as my wife. What joy!

--Imagine your fiancé sitting you down. Hey Babe, I have something to tell you. Of course, Sweetheart, you can tell me anything, I love you! Well, I am going to have a baby! Say what?

--Not only am I going to have a baby but this child is from God. Holy Spirit came upon me and now we are going to have a baby. Nope, not going to happen. Poor God gets blamed for so much.

--How many of you are glad God was with Joseph? "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. ²¹  And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name JESUS, for He will save His people from their sins." 

--God with Joseph but here is the key…He did as the angel of the Lord commanded him and took to him his wife…He obeyed, he trusted, and he submitted to God’s will.

2. God with us, of course, but God with Mary.

--I am sure Mary had dreamed most of her life about the day she would find her prince charming, have a wedding fit for a princess, and become one with her husband. Then, an angel shows up. Say what?

--She was not only going to find her prince charming but she was going to find the Prince of Peace!

Luke 1:35 (NKJV)
³⁵  And the angel answered and said to her, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God.”

--Most of us during Covid have found ourselves filled with confusion and even fear at times about what is going on. Imagine how this teenage girl must have felt. Her head was spinning and her heart racing. 

--Let me throw in here, virgins do not get pregnant unless a man gets involved. This was so hard for me to believe as a sinner, that a virgin got pregnant and blamed God for it. 

--God came to be with us but God with Mary made all the difference and how she responded to Him…

Luke 1:38 (NKJV)
³⁸  Then Mary said, "Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word." 

3. God with us.

--Of course, the day came when I understood the whole concept of God with us. Well actually, I finally understood what it meant…God with Rick…God with me.

Galatians 2:20 (NKJV)
²⁰  I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.

--There it is…Christ lives in me…Christ in me. Immanuel, God with us wanted to be God in Rick. Today He wants to be God in you. 

--What was the key to God in Rick, I had to surrender my life to Him and make Him Lord and Savior. My response had to be like Mary’s… Behold the servant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word.

--What was His Word? Christ in me. God in me. God in us! Today is your day.