God is: What Christmas Reveals About God (2)

Week 2: God Is Near Matthew 1:18–25

Emmanuel — God with us.

Last week, we began our Christmas series, “God Is: What Christmas Reveals About God.” And we opened with a truth that stands at the very heart of the Christmas story: God Is Faithful.

We walked through centuries of prophecy and promise.

We saw how God spoke through Micah, named Bethlehem, shaped history, moved nations, and kept His Word with perfect precision.

We stood in the glow of the manger and declared with confidence:

God keeps His promises. Every one. Every time.

But here’s the beautiful reality behind that truth—

God’s faithfulness does not remain far off.

It does not operate from a distance.

It does not simply echo through the corridors of prophecy.

No—God’s faithfulness is what brought Christ into this world, that despised and rejected him

And that brings us to tonight’s message.

Tonight I pray will reveal how God being faithful through the ages becomes Emmanuel: God with Us .

This is Not an idea.

It is Not a feeling.

It’s Not a distant assurance.

It is Jesus Christ Who is our Present help in times of trouble.

He is Emmanuel.

Christmas is not only the proof that God keeps His word— it is the proof that God comes close to His people.

The cradle is the clearest expression of a God who refuses to remain distant.

And tonight, as we open Matthew 1:18–25, we discover that the birth of Jesus does more than fulfill prophecy—it reveals the heart of God.

He is the God who draws near to the confused.

who steps into the darkness

who comes close to the broken, the uncertain, the ordinary.

who does not watch from heaven’s balcony,

But came down in the form of a man to meet mans greatest need.

Last week, we looked at Bethlehem through the lens of prophecy.

Tonight, we look at the manger through the lens of the presence.

The Promise of a Redeemer became a Present Reality

And Matthew summarizes this entire miracle in one name—

Emmanuel… God with us.

So tonight, we move from a promise to the presence.

From “God said He would come”

to “God has come.”

And Matthew 1:18–25 shows us exactly what that means.

I. GOD IS NEAR TO COMFORT US (vv. 18–20)

The Christmas story given to Joseph, begins, not in calm, but in confusion.

A. Joseph’s Confusing Situation (v. 18)

“Mary… was found with child of the Holy Ghost.”

Joseph doesn’t know this child is divine.

All he knows is what he sees—and what he sees looks like betrayal.

Into this moment of human distress, God is already at work.

Truth: God is near even when we cannot see Him. He is working even when nothing makes sense.

A. His Name Reveals His Purpose

B. Joseph’s Quiet Struggle (v. 19)

Joseph is “a just man.”

He’s torn between love and law, heart and holiness.

He plans to “put her away privily” He wanted to divorce her privately —not out of anger, but integrity.

Joseph is hurting, but he’s also trying to do right.

Truth: God draws near to people who feel torn, troubled, and unsure of what to do next. He steps into the confusion long before we realize He is present.

A. His Name Reveals His Purpose

B. Joseph’s Quiet Struggle

C. Joseph’s Human Susceptibility (v. 20)

“But while he thought on these things, behold the angel of the Lord appeared..”

Before Joseph breaks, God comes near

Our human minds do not work like God’s especially when we are confronted with a difficult situation.

We have a tendency to do what is best for us, not for the others involved.

He thought on putting her away privately, yes not to make her a public example, but most importantly, to preserve his own just name.

But God had other plans

God’s First Words: “Fear Not…”

Joseph is afraid of the unknown, the future, and the possible shame.

But God’s nearness always begins with reassurance: “Fear not… for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost.”

Truth: God is near enough to hear our hidden fears and close enough to answer them.

He still speaks into the places where fear is shouting and screaming.

II. GOD IS NEAR TO SAVE US (v. 21)

God does not simply come near for comfort— He comes near for salvation.

A. His Name Reveals His Purpose

“Thou shalt call his name JESUS.”

Jesus = “Jehovah saves.”

God doesn’t send salvation from heaven—He brings salvation in person.

A. His Name Reveals His Purpose

B. His Mission Requires His Presence

“He shall save His people from their sins.”

Sin is our greatest problem.

Salvation is our greatest need.

And redemption requires God with us, not God distant from us.

Truth: God is not merely near in feeling— He is near to forgive, near to redeem, near to transform.

The manger is God moving toward humanity’s deepest need.

III. GOD IS NEAR TO REASSURE US (vv. 22–23)

This is the centerpiece of the passage— the proof that God’s nearness is not accidental, but intentional.

A. God’s Nearness Is Proof of His Faithfulness (v. 22)

“Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled…”

Last week we saw God is Faithful.

This week we see because He is faithful He comes near.

Every prophecy pointed to a Person. Every promise pointed to His presence.

A. God’s Nearness Is Proof of His Faithfulness

B. Emmanuel: God With Us (v. 23)

“Behold, a virgin shall be with child…and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.”

Emmanuel = God Near. God Here. God Present.

In Jesus:

God stepped into time.

God wrapped Himself in flesh.

God moved into humanity.

God traded heaven’s throne for Bethlehem’s manger.

Truth: God’s nearness is not symbolic— It is incarnate.

He came not just to visit, but to dwell.

IV. GOD IS NEAR TO GUIDE US (vv. 24–25)

When God draws near, our lives cannot stay the same.

A. Joseph Obeys (v. 24)

“Then Joseph… did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him.”

Joseph’s fear is replaced with peace the moment he understands God is with him.

Obedience flows from awareness of God’s presence.

Truth: We obey not because we understand everything— but because God is near to us in everything.

B. Joseph Honors (v. 25)

“And knew her not till she had brought forth her firstborn son…”

He protects Mary.

He guards the miracle.

He names the baby Jesus, just as God commanded.

Joseph’s obedience shows that when God is near, His people walk differently, live differently, obey differently.

CONCLUSION

Last week, we stood beside the prophet Micah and looked forward through centuries of promise. We saw a God who speaks, a God who plans, a God who keeps His word with unfailing precision. We declared with confidence: God Is Faithful.

But tonight we have seen the next step in that revelation. Not only is God faithful to keep His promises— His nearness is proof that He is faithful

The same God who said, “I will send a Savior,” is the God who walked into Joseph’s confusion, and entered our world wrapped in human flesh.

Emmanuel is God’s faithfulness made personal. God with us. God near us. God in our midst. Not watching from afar. Not working from a distance. Not loving from the sidelines.

The manger proclaims: You do not walk alone. You do not cry alone. You do not struggle alone.

The God who rules the universe draws near to His Children

When Joseph was confused—God was near. When Joseph was afraid—God was near. When Joseph didn’t understand—God was near. And when Joseph obeyed—God was near every step of the way.

And church, He is near to you tonight.

He is near in your pain. He is near in your loneliness. He is near in your uncertainty. He is near when you cannot explain what you are facing. He is near when fear whispers in the dark.

Because the name Emmanuel was not just a title for a baby— it is the eternal identity of our God.

If God was faithful enough to come to Bethlehem, then God is near enough to come into your situation tonight.

If He stepped into a manger, He can step into your home. If He entered Joseph’s confusion, He can enter your confusion. If He met Mary in her humility, He can meet you in your weakness.

God is near, because God is faithful

And this nearness is not temporary. Not seasonal. Not limited to the Christmas story. The God who drew near in Matthew 1 still draws near in every chapter of our lives.

And that is where our journey leads us next.

If Christmas reveals that God is Faithful and tonight we have seen that God is Near, then next week we discover the tender truth that God Is Merciful— that the God who comes near comes with compassion, forgiveness, and redeeming grace.

So as we leave tonight, hold onto this simple, powerful reality: Christmas is God's way of stepping toward you. Never away from you.

And whatever you face tonight— take heart, lift your head, breathe deep this promise from heaven:

God with us.