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THEY SHALL CALL HIS NAME EMMANUEL–"GOD WITH US!"
MATTHEW 1:18-23
Introduction
This passage in Matthew 1:22 refers back to a prophecy found in Isaiah 7:14. The Son of God, the Lord Jesus Christ, fulfilled this prophecy in His coming to earth in a body of flesh! That first coming of Jesus, though in humble settings, was nevertheless a glorious coming!
We all love the various aspects of the Christmas story as we see God’s hand intricately involved in bringing our Saviour to us!
We love the story found in Luke of how the angel appeared to Zacharias telling of the birth of John the Baptist who would be the prophesied forerunner of the Lord Jesus Christ. This was a miraculous birth in itself as the Bible reveals that both Zacharias and Elisabeth were both old.
Six months later an angel appeared to Mary and told her that she was going to be the mother of the Saviour of the world through an even more miraculous birth–The Virgin Birth!
We love the story here in Matthew 1 of how that Joseph and Mary were betrothed to each other, but before the marriage was consummated Mary was found to be with child putting Joseph in a quandary of what to do. An angel appears to Joseph and assures him that he need not be concerned, because Mary has not been unfaithful, but is carrying the blessed Son of God!
All this was done, the Scripture says, that what Isaiah wrote many years earlier might be fulfilled.
That which was fulfilled was that a virgin was with Child and was going to bring forth a Son who would be known as the “Emmanuel” or rightly interpreted is “God with us.”
Jesus was and is the Emmanuel! He was and is “God with us.” I want us to think upon this name of Christ today as we worship Him!
I. JESUS WAS (AND IS) GOD WITH US IN PERSON!
A. He Did Not Give Up His Deity, His Divine Nature, Or His Being!
1. He Was (And Is) The Preexistent One!
a. His Preexistence Was Spoken Of By John The Baptist.
John 1:15–“John bare witness of him, and cried, saying, This was he of whom I spake, He that cometh after me is preferred before me: for he was before me.”
b. His Preexistence Was Spoken Of By The Apostle John.
John 1:1-3--“In the beginning was the Word. . .”
1 John 1:2–“(For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and show unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us;)
c. His Preexistence Was Spoken Of By The Apostle Paul.
Colossians 1:16-17–“For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: 17And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.”
d. His Preexistence Was Spoken Of By Christ Himself.
(John 6:38, 51, 61-62; John 8:58; John 17:5)
2. He Was (And Is) God Incarnate!
Listen to this quote from the theologian A.H. Strong, in his book Systematic Theology, p 673.
“In the one person, Jesus Christ, there are two natures–a human nature and a divine nature, each in its completeness and integrity, and these two natures are organically and indissolubly united, yet so that no third nature is formed thereby.”
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.”
1 John 1:1-2–“That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life; 2(For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and show unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us;)”
Isaiah 9:6–“For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, . . .”
His Preexistence, His Incarnation. . .
3. He Was (And Is) The Fullness Of The Godhead Bodily!
In the Old Testament we see man made in the image of God;
in the New Testament we see God made in the image of man.
All the fullness of the Godhead remained His while He was on the earth.
Colossians 1:19–“For it pleased the Father that in Him should all fulness dwell.”
Colossians 2:9–“For in Him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.”
1 Timothy 3:16–“God was manifest in the flesh. . .”
John 10:33–“. . .For a good work we stone thee not; but for blasphemy; and because thou, being a man, makest thyself God.”
Philippians 2:5-8–“Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: 6Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: 7But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: 8And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.”
He Did Not Give Up His Deity, His Divine Nature, Or His Being!
B. This Does Not Downgrade His Humanity! (Hebrews 2:9; 14-18; 4:15-16)
Jesus ate, He slept, He hungered, He thirsted, He tired, He wept!
Isaiah 53:3–“He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief:”
Isaiah 53:5–“But He was wounded. . .He was bruised. . .His stripes.”
Isaiah 53:7–“He was oppressed, and He was afflicted. . .”
Isaiah 53:10–“Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise Him; . . .put Him to grief”
Isaiah 53:11–“He shall see the travail of His soul. . .”
Isaiah 53:12–“. . .He hath poured out His soul unto death. . .”
Hebrews 12:2-3–“. . . who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame,. . .For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds.”
C. Jesus Is The Only One Who Possessed Both The Divine Nature And The Human Nature.
He was the God-man!
JESUS WAS (AND IS) GOD WITH US IN PERSON!
II. JESUS WAS (AND IS) GOD WITH US IN POWER!
Jesus authenticated His claim to Deity by performing miracles while He was here:
A. He Did (And Does) Things Only God Can Do!
He turned the water into wine, He healed the sick (lepers, blind, deaf, lame, as well as others.), He calmed the winds and the waves, He fed thousands by multiplying a little boy’s lunch.
B. He Had (And Has) Knowledge That Only God Can Have!
He predicted Peter’s denial.
He knew the thoughts of men. (This was not E. S .P., but GOD!)
The Father has committed all judgment to the Son, therefore knowledge is needed.
C. He Had (And Has) The Power Over Life.
1. He Created It. (John 1:3; Colossians 1:16)
2. He Will Be The Agent Of The Resurrection Of The Body.
John 5:25-26–“Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live. 26For as the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself;”
3. He Spoke The Dead Back To Life Several Times While On The Earth.
4. Even His Own Life Was Within His Power. (John 19:7-11; 30)
JESUS WAS (AND IS) GOD WITH US IN PERSON!
JESUS WAS (AND IS) GOD WITH US IN POWER!
III. JESUS WAS (AND IS) GOD WITH US IN AUTHORITY!
A. He Was (And Is) The Master Teacher!
Luke 2:47–“And all that heard him were astonished at his understanding and answers.”
Luke 4:22–“And all bare him witness, and wondered at the gracious words which proceeded out of his mouth.”
Luke 4:32–“And they were astonished at his doctrine: for his word was with power.”
Matthew 1:28-29–“. . .the people were astonished at his doctrine: For he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.”
John 7:46–“Never man spake like this man.”
B. He Exercised (And Exercises) The Authority Of God As Well.
1. He Cast Out Demons.
Matthew 8:29–“And, behold, they cried out, saying, What have we to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of God? art thou come hither to torment us before the time?”
2. He Forgave Sins. (Matthew 9–the man sick of the palsy.)
C. He Rules Today In Divine Authority.
Hebrews 1:3–“. . .when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high;”
Matthew 28:18–“And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.”
IV. JESUS WAS (AND IS) GOD WITH US IN LOVE!
John 15:13–“Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.”
Romans 5:6-8–“For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. 7For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. 8But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”
1 John 4:10–“In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. 10Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.”
V. JESUS IS GOD WITH US IN PRESENCE!
Hebrews 13:5-6–“Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. 6So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me.”
Matthew 28:20–“. . .lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.”
CONCLUSION
Jesus Is God With Us!
Have you made Him your Saviour?
Are you following Him as your Lord and Master?
Home Page Contact Us Service Times Sermons Are You Going To Heaven?
NOTICE: THESE SERMONS ARE FREE TO BE USED BUT ARE NOT TO BE SOLD!