Immanuel and More

Mat. 1:20-23

Christmas is a wonderful time! A time of family gatherings; of giving and receiving gifts; of eating great food (especially those sweets we love but know we shouldn’t really eat.) Most of Christmas is a Celebration of Jesus Christ. Without him you do not and cannot really celebrate Christmas. It’s all about Jesus! Notice, the words quoted by Matthew from the prophet Isaiah, “A virgin shall be with child and shall bring forth a son and they shall call his name Immanuel, God With Us.

I. Bethlehem- God With Us.
     Talk about a Mystery! How could God become man? Think about it: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost existed forever from eternity past. God Created the Universe as we know it; the Sun, Planets, Stars, Earth and everything on it and in it. God Created animal life; Man and Woman; established human life.
     Then man’s disobedience and sin separated him from God and demanded drastic measures. Man could not redeem himself, he had to have Divine, Supernatural Help. God’s plan was to send his Son as man. GOD WITH US. This is Incredible! Think about God becoming like his creation. Remember, God said “Let us make man in our image and after our likeness;” now God says I must be made in their image and likeness. God in our Likeness.
     That’s what the Bible says- Rom 8:3 For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: Phil. 2:7 But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men
     Not only is it a Mystery that God Could become man, It’s a Miracle that God could become man.
Only the Holy Ghost could take God the Son, reduce him to a cell, and conceive him in the womb of the virgin Mary. My what a Miracle! The Wonder of Bethlehem is this: God With Us.
     We will never fully understand Why God would do such a thing or How God could do such a thing, but its enough to Believe It; God WITH Us. Immanuel! But wait, there’s more. Go with me from Bethlehem to Mount Calvary.

II. Calvary- God FOR us.
     If you think the miracle of Bethlehem is mind boggling, consider the miracle of Calvary.
This same Jesus Christ who left his place of Deity, Sovereignty, and Eternity in Heaven to become a man and be God With Us was actually willing to be God FOR Us.
     We were sinners! We were under the wrath of God! We were lost and doomed to spend an eternity in Hell. We were under the sentence of condemnation by a Holy God.
     YET- on Calvary, God took our place. God FOR Us!
We should have been indicted, convicted, sentenced, but it was God For Us.
We should have been tortured, but it was God For Us.
We should have been wounded, bruised, and chastised but it was God For Us.
We should have been crucified but it was God For Us.
     What a Mystery; What a Miracle. To think that God With Us would become God For Us.
2 Cor 5:21 For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.
     Gal 3:13 Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree:
     Eph 5:2 Walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling savor.
     1 Pet 2:24 Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.
     God FOR Us; But Wait, there’s more! Go with me from Calvary to the Garden Tomb, which is empty by the way. Go with me to Bethany where the disciples watched as Jesus ascended back into heaven after making this promise and giving them these instructions.
Luke 24:49- Behold, I send the promise of the Father upon you; but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem until you be endued with power from on high.
     Now, Go with me from Bethany to the city of Jerusalem, into an Upper Room where 120 of his disciples were gathered together.

III. Upper Room- God IN Us.
     Hear the words of Jesus before he ascends into heaven? I’m getting ready to send the promise of the Father upon you. Tarry in Jerusalem, stay there, continue in prayer, don’t leave until you are Endued with power from on high.
     ENDUED- Filled With; injected with; infused with.Yes, not just God With Us and God For Us but God IN Us. What a mystery! What a miracle! That God actually indwells us; that the Holy Ghost actually lives inside of us. Jesus said in John 14:17 that he was sending the Spirit of Truth; that he would dwell with us, and “BE IN YOU.” In verse 23 Jesus said that if a man loved him he would keep his words and the Father would love him, and “WE will come unto him and make our abode with him.”
     Paul said in 1Cor 3:16 Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? 1Cor 6:19 What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?
     It’s true that the Spirit of God indwells you when you are Born Again; Saved; Regenerated.
In John 20 Jesus had breathed on his disciples and said, “Receive ye the Holy Ghost.” I believe they were saved, regenerated, indwelt by the Spirit of God at that point.
     BUT, the fullness of the Spirit is also available to you and I. What a blessing! God IN us. We receive POWER when the HG comes upon & within us.
     He is Immanuel and More! God WITH Us; God FOR Us; and God IN Us.
     That, my friend, is reason for anyone to celebrate!