Sermon Tone Analysis

Communion: Plan?

Immanuel:

Matthew is alluding to a prophecy of the coming messiah that the prophet Isaiah wrote 700 years before Jesus was born.

Immanuel: From the Hebrew immanu “with us” and El “God”

El, the last two letters of Immanuel, is the name for God, El.

Immanu-El

Is it :Immanuel with a (I) or is it Emmanuel with a (E)?

Both Immanuel and Emmanuel are the same word and are both found in the Bible.

The Old Testament is originally recorded in Hebrew and Chaldean/Aramaic.

The New Testament is originally recorded in Greek.

Typically, Immanuel (Hebrew) is found in the Old Testament and Emmanuel (Greek) is found in the New Testament.

The name Immanuel is the heart of the Christmas story.

Meaning: God became flesh and dwelt among us in the person of His Son Jesus (John 1:14).

God’s presence with His people in the wilderness tabernacle is now “tabernacled” in the personal abiding presence of Jesus.

This fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah 7:14

The simple meaning of Christmas is that the Creator of the universe “God” became human.

He made Himself nothing - going from something to nothing.

From all mighty God to helpless baby.

If we could condense all the truths of Christmas into only three words, these would be the words: “God with us.”

We tend to focus our attention at Christmas on the infancy of Christ, but the greater truth of the holiday is His deity.

More astonishing than a baby in the manger is the truth that this promised baby is the omnipotent Creator of the heavens and the earth!

Song: He’s got the whole world in His hands, but now he is in my hands.

Immanuel, infinitely rich, became poor.

He assumed our nature, entered our sin-polluted world, took our guilt on Himself although He was sinless, bore our griefs, carried our sorrows, was wounded for our transgressions, and bruised for our iniquities (Isaiah 53:5).

All of that is wrapped up in “God with us.”

Q: They did not name Him Immanuel but Jesus.

Now, you say, “But they never called him Immanuel.”

No.

That is not his title as far as a name is concerned.

That is a description of who he is.

And many times the title is not necessarily the name.

He was called lots of things, as well He is called Immanuel.

How can Jesus be a Savior?

Because He is Emmanuel, God with us.

How did He get with us?

He was virgin born.

I say again, He was called Jesus.

He was never called Emmanuel.

But you cannot call Him Jesus unless He is Emmanuel, God with us.

He must be Emmanuel to be the Savior of the world.

That is how important the virgin birth is

With the celebration of the Savior’s birth just around the corner, let’s consider the meaning of the name His Father gave Him.

“She will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.”

- Matthew 1:21

God chose the name Jesus for His Son because its basic meaning defined the fundamental, overarching purpose for the Son’s coming to earth.

Jesus is the Greek form of the Hebrew Joshua, Jeshua, each of which means “Jehovah (Yahweh) will save.”

The baby Mary conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and gave birth to in the plan of God would grow up to testify to the Father’s plan of salvation—and would Himself be that salvation.

By His own sacrificial death on the cross and triumphant resurrection from the grave, He would save all those who are drawn from sin to repentance and who receive faith to embrace His atoning work.

That’s the immeasurable gift of Christmas.

Christ, God’s own Son, gave up His wealth and privilege to live as God with us, that He might save His people from their sins, and that through His poverty they might become rich.

High, Low, Highest.

Immanuel: God with us.