Immanuel: The Gift of God With Us

A gift—no matter how generous—cannot replace presence. You can give a gift and still be far away. You can provide what someone needs and yet not truly be with them. That’s why some of the most painful moments in life are not about what we lacked—but about who was missing. And as we think about our God, it’s not all about what things He has given us; it’s about who He has given us. The word—Immanuel—is not poetic decoration. It is the heart of the gospel. God came near.

1. Why the Immanuel Promise Was Necessary

   1. 2 Kings 16:2-4 introduces us to Ahaz:

      1. Ahaz … did not do what was right in the sight of the Lord … but walked in the ways of the kings of Israel. He even sacrificed his son in the fire, … He sacrificed and burned incense on the high places, on the hills, and under every green tree.

      2. Now add the crisis (2 Kings 16:5): Pekah and Rezin wanted to overthrow Ahaz.

   2. The King and his people were trembling:

      1. Isaiah 7:2: the heart of Ahaz and the hearts of his people trembled like trees of a forest shaking in the wind.

      2. God sends Isaiah to Ahaz: Say to him: Calm down and be quiet. Don’t be afraid or cowardly because of these two smoldering sticks, …

      3. Isaiah 7:11: God invites Ahaz to ask for a sign.

      4. Isaiah 7:12: But Ahaz replied, “I will not ask. I will not test the Lord.”

   3. Then God speaks the Immanuel promise.

      1. Isaiah 7:14: See, the virgin will conceive, have a son, and name him Immanuel.

      2. One day, God Himself would come near.

2. God Entered Our Condition

   1. Matthew 1:21-23: How God kept that promise.

      1. Matthew 1:21: She will give birth to a son, and you are to name him Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.

      2. Matthew 1:23: See, the virgin will become pregnant and give birth to a son, and they will name him Immanuel, which is translated “God is with us.”

   2. God took on flesh.

      1. John 1:14: The Word became flesh and dwelt among us. We observed his glory, the glory as the one and only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.

      2. Dwelt means, “He pitched His tent among us.” A distant God cannot save a broken people.

3. The Greatest Gift to the Church is Not What Christ Gives, But Who He Is

   1. He gave the church Himself.

      1. Ephesians 1:22-23: And he subjected everything under his feet and appointed him as head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of the one who fills all things in every way.

      2. The church is His body, which means Christ fills us, governs us, and is present in us.

   2. This changes how we live, how we serve, and how we face the future.

4. As We Close…

   1. Immanuel did not end at the manger.

      1. Matthew 1:23: and they will name him Immanuel, which is translated “God is with us.”

      2. Matthew 28:20: And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.

   2. We are not here to remember that Christ once came. We gather because He is still here. We move forward with Christ among us.

   3. If Christ is truly with us… Then the only faithful response is to trust Him, follow Him, and live in His presence. Will you?