In Awe Of Emmanuel

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Introduction

Turn to Matthew 1:22-23.
Have you ever wished that you could go back and see Christmas through a child’s eyes again?
Children are enchanted by the Christmas season. The excitement in the air, the change of weather, the enjoyment of seasonal foods, the playing of Christmas music, the setup of decorations, and the festive spirit of the holiday season all contribute to this atmosphere that is uniquely Christmas. It’s something that children love. I remember my childhood anticipation of Christmas and now I see it in my children.
Somehow, though, as children get older, it seems that the childhood excitement fades away and Christmas loses some of its luster that it once held.
That’s what prompted me to ask the question a moment ago: have you ever wished that you could go back and see Christmas through a child’s eyes again? Have you ever wished that you could go back and enjoy that childlike awe of Christmas again? I have. Now, like many parents, I live it vicariously through my children. In other words, I look for the excitement in their eyes and I enjoy the anticipation that they feel.
While it may be a sad thing for a child to lose the wonder of Christmas, it’s far worse for a Christian to lose their wonder of Emmanuel.
You see, just like children slowly grow older and lose their excitement over Christmas, so often Christians grow older in their faith and lose their excitement over the miracle of Christmas.
That might be you if, when we sing the familiar Christmas carols, the lyrics don’t move you to gratitude and praise to God for what He did.
That might be you if, when the preacher announces the familiar Christmas text for his message, you settle a little lower into your seat for a good nap because you’ve heard preaching on that text before.
That might be you if, you haven’t bothered to read the Christmas story for yourself this season because it’s an exercise in boredom anyway.
if that describes you today, then this message is for you. My hope is that you will leave today In Awe of Emmanuel.
To fulfill that objective, we will need to go on a walk through the Old and New Testaments. We’ll begin in Matthew 1:22-23.

Message

Read Matthew 1:22-23.
Matthew tells us that the conception and birth of Jesus Christ was the fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecy in Isaiah 7:14. This child would be called Emmanuel. This was a Hebrew name meaning, “with us is God”, or, as Matthew tells us here, “God with us.”
Emmanuel: God with us
When I read our text a few days ago, it arrested my attention. Wow! Why would God come to us? Why would God be with us?
Read slowly:
If I were to go and experience the glories of Heaven and see the manifest presence of God, I certainly wouldn’t want to return to this sin-cursed earth! How much more amazing is it that a thrice Holy God would do such a thing!
Now I do not wish to minimize the incarnation this morning, it is a miracle like none other, but we’ll consider that later. Instead, I want to draw your attention to this awesome reality: God has chosen to be with man many times since the creation of man. The God of Eternity has chosen to be with mankind in various ways all throughout human history. That is an amazing and humbling thought - because apart from His love and grace, there is no reason why God would want to be with us!
Today, Christian, I invite you: be In Awe Of Emmanuel! Be in awe of God with us!
Turn to Genesis 3:8-9.
Next slide here:
God with us: in the garden - Genesis 3:8-9.
Read Genesis 3:8-9.
Just after Adam and Eve sinned, God enters the garden of Eden to fellowship with them. Think of it! The God of Heaven came down to His newly created earth to spend time with His creation! Oh, He came to admire the beauty of everything, yes. He came to observe the lions playing alongside the lambs, but He could have done all of that from the balconies of Heaven just fine. He came down for one specific purpose: to be with us - to be with mankind. He came down so that Adam and Eve could enjoy and savor the sweetness of His very presence.
Application: What an amazing reality! What a humbling thing! That the God of Heaven would love mankind so much that He would come down from Heaven just to spend time with us?! Christian, I wonder how often God wishes to spend time with you and me but, like Adam and Eve, He finds that we have sinned against Him and we are hiding from Him?
Christian, Emmanuel desires to spend time with you! Emmanuel desires to be with you!
Revelation 3:20 KJV 1900
Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.
Don’t be like Adam and Eve and hide from the living God! Don’t live estranged from God! He doesn’t put you on probation! Confess your sin to Him! Claim His forgiveness! And then meet with Emmanuel again!
He longs to be with you, His child.
We see God with us: in the garden. Secondly…
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God with us: in the Exodus - Exodus 13:21.
Read Exodus 13:21.
We say that Moses lead Israel out of Egypt, but it’s more accurate to say that God lead Israel out of Egypt. God lead Israel out of Egypt in a spectacular way: a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night.
I wonder how tall the pillars were!
I wonder how many miles away the pillar of cloud could be seen on a clear day!
I wonder how brightly the pillar of fire illuminated the nighttime darkness of the Sinai desert!
And I don’t know if they did this, but I wonder if any of the Hebrew parents, as they walked alongside their children, I wonder if any of them looked at that pillar up ahead and said, “my child, that’s Emmanuel! God is with us!”
Why was God with Israel during the Exodus? Why did He do this?
Our verse tells us: “to lead them the way.”
Application: He desires to lead you too, Christian, if you’ll walk with Him and trust Him even when it doesn’t make sense to you. God’s leading is directly tied to God’s Word, so if you want His leading today you better spend time alone with Him reading His Word.
Thirdly…
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God with us: in the tabernacle and temple - Exodus 29:42-45.
Read Exodus 29:42-45.
The God of Heaven chose to come down and dwell among His people and to be their God, but for what purpose? Why did He come down and fill the Tabernacle and later the Temple with His presence? Was it because these were such ornate facilities? No, not at all. It was so that Israel could gather there to worship Him.
Application: Emmanuel, “God with us”, desires your worship. He desires your praise, your adoration, your devoted life! He desires to be with you so that you can be in awe of Emmanuel.
We’ve seen God with us: in the garden. Secondly, God with us: in the Exodus. Thirdly, God with us: in the tabernacle and temple, now number four…
Next slide here:
God with us: in human form - John 1:14.
Read John 1:14.
The great miracle of Christmas is that the eternal Son of God condescended to take on human form - both in body and in sinless nature. Jesus Christ, conceived of the Holy Spirit, took on human flesh in Mary. Emmanuel: God with us! Only God could develop such an awesome plan to redeem all of mankind!
Why did God come dwell with man as man?
He dwelled with man in the garden for fellowship.
He dwelled with Israel in the Exodus for leadership.
He dwelled with Israel in the tabernacle and temple for worship.
These are all great reasons to be In Awe of Emmanuel, but why did God dwell with man as man? So that God could be the sacrifice for man’s sin.
Application: The Son of God came to this earth to die as the sacrifice for sin so that the Father’s wrath against your sin might be turned away! When you believed on Jesus Christ as your Savior, a great exchange took place! God’s wrath and judgment was exchanged for Christ’s righteousness! You were immediately adopted as a child of the king! Congratulations, Christian! You’re now a member of the royal family of God!
Christian, are you In Awe of Emmanuel?
We’ve seen God with us: in the garden. Secondly, God with us: in the Exodus. Thirdly, God with us: in the tabernacle and temple. Fourthly, God with us: in human form, now number five…
Next slide here:
God with us: in our hearts - John 14:16-17.
Read John 14:16-17.
Jesus was teaching that one day the Holy Spirit would dwell not with, but in His followers. Today, the moment a person places their faith in Christ, that person is indwelt by the Spirit of the living God and by Christ Himself!
Colossians 1:27 KJV 1900
To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:
“Pastor Tim,” you might say, “I don’t fully understand that!”
“I don’t either, but I have chosen to take God at His word on this. Christ is in me and I am in Christ.
Romans 8:10 KJV 1900
And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.
Application: Therein lies the power to live a righteous life that pleases God! Christian, you can’t do it in your own power, but you can do it when depending upon the power of the One who dwells within you!
“God, I can’t, but You can! I submit myself to You! I trust you to enable me to live the righteous life!”
In Awe of Emmanuel. Christian, are you in awe of the fact that God is with us and in us?
If not, perhaps you need to fall down on your face before God and beg Him to kindle the fires of your heart. Perhaps you need to get alone in the secret place with God and read these Scriptures, read the Christmas story, and meditate on this reality. Let it saturate your mind. Mull it over. As you do that, God’s Word will stir your heart afresh.
Christian, be In Awe Of Emmanuel.
If this morning your heart has been stirred and you thought it couldn’t get any better, there’s one more that we will see just briefly.
Next slide here:
God with us: in heaven - Revelation 21:3.
Revelation 21:3 KJV 1900
And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.
At the end of the book of Revelation, after this world and all its corruption has been burnt with fire, and the new heaven and the new earth have been made, then John hears this announcement: “the tabernacle of God is with men.” You see, from Genesis to Revelation, from the Garden of Eden to the glories of Heaven, the story of the Bible is God dwelling with men. It is Emmanuel, God with us! Throughout history, God has attempted to reveal Himself to man and to dwell with man. Why? Because He created us and loves us.
Application: the question for you this morning is how much do you want to dwell with God? How desperate are you to be in His presence? Or do you prefer to hang on to your sin and to the pleasures of this world?
Oh, dear Christian, I plead with you this morning: be In Awe Of Emmanuel!
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