“God With Us” 

Pastor David Moore

New Testament reading: Matthew 1:18-25 (NIV)  

This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit. Because Joseph, her husband, was a righteous man and did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly.  

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. 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.”  

All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: “The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel”—which means “God with us.”  When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. But he had no union with her until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus.  

Theme: Christmas is about The God, who created the universe, who becomes one of us (in human flesh).  He will be called Immanuel.  

He is God with us. He is God with us.  

Matthew wants to be very clear about who Jesus was. He was God, completely and thoroughly. ~D.  Moore  

1. Paul reminds the Ephesian Elders in Acts 20:28 that God purchased the church with His blood.  Jesus was the one who bled.  

2. Another way we know Jesus claimed to be God; He forgave sin, something only God could do.  God forgives people who have sinned against others because all sin is ultimately a rejection of God, therefore only God can forgive. But Jesus does, Jesus answers He is God. This is the only  way He (Jesus) could say, “Your sins are forgiven.” ~D. Moore  

The Jews of Jesus day believed the Bible had been handed down through the centuries to them from their ancestors who had interacted with God. They understood God to be an uncreated creator, initially greater than the universe, infinitely powerful and capable. ~D. Moore  

The first century Jews would have been the hardest people ever to convince that God became a human.  ~D. Moore  

Christianity is unique, it says that its leader was God in the flesh. Christianity also says we are NOT okay,  and that God comes to save us from our sins. ~D. Moore  

He is God and He is God with us. God has come to us in human form to be with us. A relationship with God is possible. ~D. Moore
 

I have experienced God, and it is quite another to be with Him. To meet Him personally, I’ve been in beautiful places in the world, and I got a sense of God’s power and grace looking out from various mountain tops. But to meet God, that is something different. It was impossible until Mary had her son Jesus. ~D. Moore  

Today we are invited to know God, but without all the fear and terror present in the Old Testament.  All that glory, all that power, all that peace is ours for the inviting. ~D. Moore  

Jesus is God with us. The us in that, are the people who are humble enough to accept the gift of God, rather than those who think they have to earn God’s goodness to them. ~D. Moore  

Three thoughts to think about this week:  

1. If God is with us, God can ask us anything and if he asks, we should say yes. 
2. Christmas is a reminder to get with God, whatever the barrier is, His grace is sufficient to restore our relationship with Him.  

3. The radical sacrifice of Jesus should mean that our response to this wild act of love and grace should not be halfway. Christmas is the reminder that God was all in for you, and the only response is for us to go all in toward Jesus.  

God bless. Think about Jesus is God. He is God with us. He is God with us.