Immanuel - God With Us

Matthew 1.18-23

¹⁸ This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit. ¹⁹ Because Joseph her husband was faithful to the law, and yet did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly.

²⁰ But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. ²¹ She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”

²² All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: ²³ “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”).

As we come near the end of the season of Christmas (December 25 to January 6 in the church calendar – September 1 to December 25 in the stores) we see the reason we have celebrated, and we continue to celebrate.  It is the message of Immanuel, God is with us. 

Where are the places we see God with us in life today?  We like to go to the standard answers of seeing God in the way our needs are supplied.  So, we give thanks at meals.  We see God at work in the special ways, such as healing, caring for extraordinary needs, comfort, hope, and especially for our salvation.  We pray for those, and thank God when we see them.

Later, in Matthew 25, we will see another way we see God with us.  In the faces of those around us.  Not just the faces of the ones who worship with us.  Not just the faces that resemble our own.  Jesus says that the ones who have seen God in our midst will hear these words:

‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’ 

Because we saw him and met his needs.  Because Jesus will answer this question with those words:

³⁷ “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? ³⁸ When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? ³⁹ When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’

God is with us in the joys and celebrations of life.  God is with us in the pain and struggles of life.  Our joy and our pain.  The world’s joy and the world’s pain.  God is with us.  To care for us and offer us opportunity to return and care for him as we care for others around us.  God is with us, Immanuel.

Song – Christ the Messiah