The Coming of Emmanuel
Notes
Transcript
Handout
Emmanuel is one of the most beautiful names in all of Scripture. It is beautiful because of the meaning of the name — God with us! Throughout the Bible God repeatedly told His people that He would never leave or forsake them. And to prove that very point, He sent His only Son, down from the glory of heaven, to become man. Emmanuel. Emmanuel!
Please take your Bible and turn to . We are not going to a full exposition of this passage this morning, but we are going to look at the ramifications of Emmanuel — God with us. The ramifications of the Incarnation of Jesus Christ, who is Emmanuel — God with us. Let’s read our passage together.
For this reason we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away from it.
For if the word spoken through angels proved unalterable, and every transgression and disobedience received a just penalty,
how will we escape if we neglect so great a salvation? After it was at the first spoken through the Lord, it was confirmed to us by those who heard,
God also testifying with them, both by signs and wonders and by various miracles and by gifts of the Holy Spirit according to His own will.
For He did not subject to angels the world to come, concerning which we are speaking.
But one has testified somewhere, saying, “What is man, that You remember him? Or the son of man, that You are concerned about him?
“You have made him for a little while lower than the angels; You have crowned him with glory and honor, And have appointed him over the works of Your hands;
You have put all things in subjection under his feet.” For in subjecting all things to him, He left nothing that is not subject to him. But now we do not yet see all things subjected to him.
But we do see Him who was made for a little while lower than the angels, namely, Jesus, because of the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, so that by the grace of God He might taste death for everyone.
For it was fitting for Him, for whom are all things, and through whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to perfect the author of their salvation through sufferings.
For both He who sanctifies and those who are sanctified are all from one Father; for which reason He is not ashamed to call them brethren,
saying, “I will proclaim Your name to My brethren, In the midst of the congregation I will sing Your praise.”
And again, “I will put My trust in Him.” And again, “Behold, I and the children whom God has given Me.”
Therefore, since the children share in flesh and blood, He Himself likewise also partook of the same, that through death He might render powerless him who had the power of death, that is, the devil,
and might free those who through fear of death were subject to slavery all their lives.
For assuredly He does not give help to angels, but He gives help to the descendant of Abraham.
Therefore, He had to be made like His brethren in all things, so that He might become a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people.
For since He Himself was tempted in that which He has suffered, He is able to come to the aid of those who are tempted.
For He did not subject to angels the world to come, concerning which we are speaking.
But one has testified somewhere, saying, “What is man, that You remember him? Or the son of man, that You are concerned about him?
“You have made him for a little while lower than the angels; You have crowned him with glory and honor, And have appointed him over the works of Your hands;
You have put all things in subjection under his feet.” For in subjecting all things to him, He left nothing that is not subject to him. But now we do not yet see all things subjected to him.
But we do see Him who was made for a little while lower than the angels, namely, Jesus, because of the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, so that by the grace of God He might taste death for everyone.
For it was fitting for Him, for whom are all things, and through whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to perfect the author of their salvation through sufferings.
For both He who sanctifies and those who are sanctified are all from one Father; for which reason He is not ashamed to call them brethren,
saying, “I will proclaim Your name to My brethren, In the midst of the congregation I will sing Your praise.”
And again, “I will put My trust in Him.” And again, “Behold, I and the children whom God has given Me.”
Therefore, since the children share in flesh and blood, He Himself likewise also partook of the same, that through death He might render powerless him who had the power of death, that is, the devil,
and might free those who through fear of death were subject to slavery all their lives.
For assuredly He does not give help to angels, but He gives help to the descendant of Abraham.
Therefore, He had to be made like His brethren in all things, so that He might become a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people.
For since He Himself was tempted in that which He has suffered, He is able to come to the aid of those who are tempted.
For He did not subject to angels the world to come, concerning which we are speaking.
But one has testified somewhere, saying, “What is man, that You remember him? Or the son of man, that You are concerned about him?
“You have made him for a little while lower than the angels; You have crowned him with glory and honor, And have appointed him over the works of Your hands;
You have put all things in subjection under his feet.” For in subjecting all things to him, He left nothing that is not subject to him. But now we do not yet see all things subjected to him.
But we do see Him who was made for a little while lower than the angels, namely, Jesus, because of the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, so that by the grace of God He might taste death for everyone.
For it was fitting for Him, for whom are all things, and through whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to perfect the author of their salvation through sufferings.
For both He who sanctifies and those who are sanctified are all from one Father; for which reason He is not ashamed to call them brethren,
saying, “I will proclaim Your name to My brethren, In the midst of the congregation I will sing Your praise.”
And again, “I will put My trust in Him.” And again, “Behold, I and the children whom God has given Me.”
Therefore, since the children share in flesh and blood, He Himself likewise also partook of the same, that through death He might render powerless him who had the power of death, that is, the devil,
and might free those who through fear of death were subject to slavery all their lives.
For assuredly He does not give help to angels, but He gives help to the descendant of Abraham.
Therefore, He had to be made like His brethren in all things, so that He might become a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people.
For since He Himself was tempted in that which He has suffered, He is able to come to the aid of those who are tempted.
Let’s note first that:
Emmanuel Came to Right what Adam had Wronged
To understand the context of what the writer of Hebrews is arguing we need to look at the Genesis account of the creation of man.
God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.
God blessed them; and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it; and rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”
Man was uniquely created to be a wise steward of the earth. As the writer of Hebrew indicated by quoting a Psalm of David in verses 6-8 of our text:
“What is man, that You remember Him? Or the son of man, that You are concerned about him? You have made him for a little while lower than the angels; You have crowned him with glory and honor, and have appointed him over the works of Your hands; You have put all things in subjection under his feet.”
This is man’s honored position. But that all changed when he fell into sin by rebelling against God’s command.
Note the last sentence of verse 8:
“But we do not yet see all things subjected to him.”
Jesus came to be the second Adam who would right what Adam had done. In Adam all die, but all who are in Christ are made alive!
Notice next that:
Emmanuel Came so He Could Die
It is impossible for God to die
God Had to become man in order to die
The death of Jesus, our Emmanuel, was the result of grace — notice the last phrase of verse 9:
“So that by the grace of God He might taste death for everyone.”
Emmanuel’s death was a substitution for the sake of God’s people
Emmanuel’s death finished the work of redemption — notice the last phrase of verse 10:
“To perfect the author of their salvation through sufferings.”
The idea of “to perfect” is not to make Jesus perfect, since He already was being that He is Emmanuel — God with us. But Jesus uniquely had both a divine and a human nature, and He was perfected in the sense of finishing the course of suffering that was before Him.
Emmanuel was the propitiator of God’s people — look at the last phrase of verse 17:
“To make propitiation for the sins of the people.”
In His substitutionary death of the cross, Jesus — Emmanuel — absorbed God’s wrath for the sins of God’s people
Thus far we’ve seen that Emmanuel came to right what Adam wronged, and to die a substitutionary death for the sake of His own. Note next that:
Emmanuel Came so He Could Identify with God’s People
Emmanuel identifies with God’s people by calling them His brethren — notice verses 11-13
For both He who sanctifies and those who are sanctified are all from one Father; for which reason He is not ashamed to call them brethren,
saying, “I will proclaim Your name to My brethren, In the midst of the congregation I will sing Your praise.”
And again, “I will put My trust in Him.” And again, “Behold, I and the children whom God has given Me.”
Emmanuel became like His brethren so He could be their High Priest
Notice the first part of verse 17
“Therefore, He had to be made like His brethren in all things, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God.”
We’ve been looking at how Emmanuel came to right a wrong, to die a death, and to identify with God’s people.
Note next that:
Emmanuel Came to Destroy the Power of Satan
We usually think about the purpose in Jesus’ coming in positive term. Jesus came to save. But in order for Him to save He had to destroy something — the power of Satan. I like the picturesque way the writer of Hebrews refers to it in the last phrase of verse 14:
“That through death He might render powerless him who had the power of death, that is, the devil.”
We’ve been looking at how Emmanuel came to right a wrong, to die a death, to identify with God’s people, and to destroy the power of Satan.
Next note that:
Emmanuel Came to Help God’s People
Look at verse 18.
For since He Himself was tempted in that which He has suffered, He is able to come to the aid of those who are tempted.
How does Emmanuel help God’s people?
He provides a way of escaping temptation
All forms of temptation are common to all people — there is not new — they come in the broad categories of:
The Lust of the Eyes
The Lust of the Flesh
The Pride of Life
Emmanuel always provides an escape route for His people
But are His people willing to take the escape route that is provided? Even believer tend to want to enjoy their sin...
Emmanuel is our Advocate with the Father — our intercessor and High Priest
If God be for us, who can be against us?
What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us?
who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is He who died, yes, rather who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us.
who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is He who died, yes, rather who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us.
This morning we have looked at the ramifications of the Incarnation of Jesus Christ — Emmanuel — God with us. We have seen that He came to right what Adam had wronged, to die a substitutionary death, to identify with His people, to destroy the power of Satan, and to help God’s people.
How are we to respond to this information? If you are not one of God’s people then you need to embrace the message of the gospel, come to the knowledge of the truth and be saved! Embrace the fact that there is a God to whom you are accountable. Embrace the fact that your own sin has separated you from God. Embrace the fact that Jesus died to absorb the wrath that God has toward your sin. Embrace the fact that Jesus rose from the dead proving His power over sin and death, and His claim to be the Son of God. Ask Emmanuel to save you from your sin. Then you will become one of God’s people.
Believers bask in the knowledge that if God is for you, no one, not even Satan, can stand against you in the realm of eternity.
Songwriter Michael Card wrote these lyrics:
A sign shall be given
A virgin will conceive
A human baby bearing
Undiminished deity
The glory of the nations
A light for all to see
That hope for all who will embrace
His warm reality
Immanuel
Our God is with us
And if God is with us
Who could stand against us
Our God is with us
Immanuel
For all those who live in the shadow of death
A glorious light has dawned
For all those who stumble in the darkness
Behold your light has come
So what will be your answer?
Will you hear the call?
Of Him who did not spare His son
But gave him for us all
On earth there is no power
There is no depth or height
That could ever separate us
From the love of God in Christ
Immanuel
Our God is with us
And if God is with us
Who could stand against us
Our God is with us
Immanuel
Let’s pray.
