Why Call Him Immanuel - 26

This podcast is made available by this increasing media as to the generosity of our support is your donation today means great podcast ideas remain available to help people look to God daily presentation at our nation today send out all day Turning Point reviewed addition for just three little words in Matthew's account of the story, but those three words changed human history major markets. It is the meaning of God with us is David with this message. Why call him Immanuel. This is the weekend edition of Turning Point in I'm David Jeremiah 1 of my favorite names for the Lord Jesus is Emmanuelle the name he was given both in the old and new Testaments, and it is so meaningful because the word means, God with us.

When Jesus Christ was born into humanity at Bethlehem that was God becoming one of us, God with us and he is still with us today. Immanuel is the most comforting and encouraging name for Jesus, either during the Christmas season or any other time during the year. Let's talk about it right now.

Back in 1996 pop song by Joan Osborne made the charts asking what difference it would make if God were one of us quote just a slob like one of us stranger on a bus commuting home. Many people thought the song was sacrilegious, but it expressed the longing that all of us have God who can understand the kinds of problems that we face in our humdrum everyday lives. What Joan Osborne didn't know was this one day, God did become one of us listen to these words from the first chapter of Matthew's gospel. Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuelle which is translated God with us say that with me, God with us. I'm convinced that if we are to prepare our hearts for Christmas. We must spend some time contemplating this incredible truth.

God becoming man Emmanuelle.

Let's begin by pondering the mystery of it for a moment think about the mystery of Emmanuelle John the apostle wrote about it in the Gospel that bears his name in the very first few verses of his book in John one, we have this word and the word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the father full of grace and truth. John said, the only begotten son of the father full of grace and truth was made flesh and dwelt among us. This is God with us. This is Emmanuelle and what some people consider to be a him of the early church. Paul the apostle wrote about it in a more graphic and perhaps even earthly away. Here's what he wrote in Philippians chapter 2. Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in the appearance of a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.

The prophet Isaiah in the Old Testament gave us a glimpse into the future of this truth when he said that God would one day visit his people and he said that when that moment came, the son of God would be given a special name that would forever remind his people of his sacrificial love for them.

Isaiah put it this way in this prophecy in the seventh chapter he said.

Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign.

Behold, a virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Emmanuelle is that passage that Matthew quotes in his gospel. Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel, which is translated God with us. Isaiah prophesied it. John expressed it. Paul wrote about it in Matthew recorded it. God has come to be one of us. Emmanuelle, this is a truth without any precedent. There is nothing you can compare it to that the God of the universe, the creator of us all day. In his wisdom to come down here and for a period of time confine himself to a human body like yours and mine, and to walk among us so that he might ultimately go to across and be the sacrifice for all of us here is the mystery of Emmanuelle the creator in the crib, the ancient of days, becoming the babe in Bethlehem, the one who thunders in the heavens, crying like a baby. The one who made all flesh now himself made flesh, the mighty God.

Now a helpless child, what a story. What a thought that God has become one of us. That is the mystery of Emmanuelle. What is the meaning of it.

How does that affect you. How does that affect me. Dr. Criswell, who was one of my teachers and mentors used to write about this and he would preach at Christmas time. If you never heard him preach at any other time of year you always wanted to hear him preach at Christmas because he could preach at Christmas time went on he said.

Think of the blessing of it all, God is with us. He shares our labors. He knows the dull, drab drudgery of life's common tasks. The heavy misery of backbreaking toil.

He shares our trials and our limitations. He was poor, with no place to lay his head. He was hungry. He was thirsty begging water of the Samaritan woman.

He was weary and exhausted and sat for rest on the well he bore our sorrows and our heartaches.

If there was a death in the home. It brought tears to his eyes when he looked up on the cripple in the (the blind and the helpless. His heart was moved to compassion with Dr. Criswell was saying is that when God became one of us and walked among us. He had all of the same emotions in the same feelings that we have and that is a part of his gift to us in the incarnation, and because God is with us. There are three things that are true. First of all, because God is with us. We can endure the difficult circumstances of life.

Because God is with us.

We can endure the difficult circumstances of life. I want to read with you. A Scripture I want to read it first. The way we would normally read it and then want to read it the way I believe it should be read. This is what the Scripture says for he himself has said, I will never leave you nor forsake you. So, we may boldly say the Lord is my helper, I will not fear what can man do to me now listen, for he himself has said, I will never leave you nor forsake you so that we may boldly say the Lord is my helper, I will not fear what can man do to me what the Lord has said is so that we can say what God has said about himself and his presence with us. He has said to us, so that you and I may be able to say I don't have to be afraid.

What can man do to me. I have the Lord with me. The Lord is with me. Psalm 27 is almost exactly the same way some 27 one, says the Lord is my light and my salvation: shall I fear the Lord is the strength of my life of home July the afraid throughout the Scriptures. This concept is repeated over and over again some hundred and 18 verse six says the Lord is on my side I will not fear what can man do to me.

Isaiah 43 says when you pass through the waters, I will be with you and through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, neither shall the flame scorch you. Here is the truth of Immanuel brought down to the everyday experience of each one of us when we're in difficult circumstances. We are never there alone he is with us. He has promised that are part of his coming to be one of us is that he might be with us in the midst of all of our challenges in the Christmas rush in the disappointment of the year-end bonus in the preparation for the new year. In all of the things that touch our lives. He is there is there with us. One of the stories that came out of 9/11 was the story of the cross on a September morning in 2001, as he was searching for bodies amid the wreckage of the twin towers Frank Cilicia stumbled across a 22 foot tall steel beam cross the collapse of tower one on building six had created a chamber in the clutter and through the dusty sunrise Frank spotted this cross know Lynch had hoisted it. No cement had secured it.

The iron beams stood independent of human help. Several days later, engineers realize the beams of the large cross came from two different buildings when one crashed into another.

The two girders bonded into one forged by the fire and when people would ask where is God at 911. Where is the Almighty. In the midst of all of the rubble. Frank and his friends would point and say the cross is in the midst of the crisis.

He is always there, one of the blessings of knowing that God is with us is that he is with us to help us in the difficult circumstances of life. I'm sure I speak to some today who were in circumstances like that right now.

Maybe you have been feeling particularly alone during the season. Wondering if you're going to be left to carry this all by yourself. I promise you if you know the one of whom I am speaking you are not alone. Nor were you ever alone, nor will you ever be alone. He has promised to be with you. Secondly, because God is with us. We can expect the direct answers to our prayers. There is a marvelous passage of Scripture once again in the book of Hebrews where we are told about the lifestyle of this one who came to be one of us to read this to you, and I think you will immediately make the connection. Seeing then that we have a great high priest who has passed through the heaven Jesus the son of God, let us hold fast our confession, for we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tested or tempted as we are yet without sin with the writer of Hebrews is said is this that are high priest, the Lord Jesus. This one who has come to be with us has a vast storehouse of experience that encompasses every experience that you and I would ever have. He writes about the fact that he is been tested in every kind of weakness that is known to man apart from having sinned and that whatever it is that you experience whatever I experience whatever difficulty I go through. I have a high priest. I have on Emmanuelle, who has been there and done that and when I go to him. He totally understands. Isn't it wonderful to talk to somebody who understands somebody who's been there who's been through it and the Bible tells us in this passage of Scripture that this one was come to be with us as one knows what were we have walked experience what we have experienced every sorrow and agony every disappointment that we have known the son of God knew while he was on this earth and having said all of that, the writer of Hebrews makes this point.

Here is the take away because that is true. Notice the rest of the verse. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, to help in the time of need, all while what a promise. This one who has known all that we are knowing all the experience all of the hurt all of the sorrow all the disappointment this one has invited us to come notice to come boldly just come and blurted all out say Lord you've been there you've experienced it. Let me tell you what I feel what's happening in my heart right now, Lord God, hear my prayer in the Bible tells us because of what he has experienced as our high priest. He is able to sympathize to identify with our weaknesses, because God is with us.

We can face the difficult circumstances in our life we can find direct answers to our prayers.

But here's one that may be, particularly for me and others like me who do the kind of thing that I do. But in essence all of us here in some way or another are involved in some sort of ministry touching the lives of others, but the third point is this because God is with us.

We can embrace the demanding challenges of ministry. I made a startling discovery when I was studying the Old Testament some time ago. It probably won't surprise any of you to know what I discovered and that is that everybody that God wanted to do something difficult didn't want to do it every time God went to somebody and said this is what I want you to do.

They had 100 reasons why they work the right person for the job.

Sound familiar, and most of the time behind their reticence to respond was fear. The thought that they were able to do it that they couldn't accomplish it for good.

Moses one day God came to Moses and he said you know these four grumbling, complaining miserably unhappy Jewish people here in Egypt, 4 million what you delete amount you owe me to do what I want you to be the leader and take them out of Egypt to the promised land.

And if you know the story you read it.

Moses had his own little paradigm of why he shouldn't be the person but I want you to remember what God said to them in Exodus 412. These are the words of the Lord now therefore go, and I will be with your mouth and teach you what you shall say I couldn't help but throw in. Don't you wish and people you know would take this seriously and let God be with her mouth. I mean this is something we should probably just put in the footnotes of our message for today. Cousin Moses.

I know you don't consider yourself to be an orator, but you're slow of speech, or you don't think you can stand in front of this sort of people and leave them but Moses don't worry about it because I will be with your mouth and I'll tell you what to say. Joshua had a similar problem.

He was supposed to take the children of Israel in the promised land and help them settle the land of Canaan and just like Moses he was afraid one day the Lord God said to Joshua in the first chapter of Joshua have not I commanded you. Be strong and of a good courage.

Don't be afraid, Joshua, don't be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go. When Jeremiah the prophet was commissioned to go to a stubborn people with the message of judgment, and was told in advance of his going that number one they wouldn't listen to anything he had to say and if by accident. They happen to hear any of it. They wouldn't do it. That obviously Jeremiah wasn't too excited about that assignment God said to Jeremiah, wait a minute Jeremiah 18 do not be afraid of their faces, for I am with you to deliver you, says the Lord, and to the disciples and us. The Lord comes with this incredible challenge to going all the world and preach the gospel to every creature, baptizing them and teaching them everything the Lord has taught us and teaching them to observe it, and we stand in awe of such an assignment that is so overwhelming to us and then we hear these words from the Lord with you always, even to the very end of the age. Can you imagine our friends Alan Sue Graham being called to go to a tribe of Indians to teach them the word of God and discovering that they did not even have a language that they had no written language of any kind whatsoever, and I can hear Al praying and say Lord God I'm happy to teach these people how to read the Bible but they don't have any language in God set out. That's why I'm sending you there. I want you to write their language you want me to make up their written language, how they go to read the Bible.

Al if they don't have a language all right do it in for 50 years this man and his sweet wife went to that group of people and starting with no written language at all, they scratched out words and letters and sentences until finally they had a coherent language and then using the language that God and help them create. They translated the New Testament into the software language and I could hear Al say God I can't do this.

And God said no that's all right I'll go with you.

I hope you one of the lessons I learned early in my life was this God's commandments are always God's enablement's if God calls you to do. He will help you to do it.

It is inconceivable that God would call you to do something and then leave you helpless to accomplish it.

And when God called this couple to the satiric Indians to translate the Scripture and to write the language. They were not brilliant translators. They were just humble people more ready to accept God's plan and understood that they were ever going to be alone but God would be with them and he would help them. That's what Emmanuel does comes alongside of us when were threatened by the things we know God wants us to do and he stays with it until it's done. So that's Emmanuel, God with us helping us in our difficult circumstances, answering our direct prayers because of what he's experienced in equipping us for difficult things that we would never be able to do without. I began with a story and I'm going to take the literary license to end with one as well for this, like the first story helps us comprehend in a better way. What it means that God has become one of us Danish philosopher Soren Kierkegaard told this parable to explain why God communicated his love to us the way that he did.

Here is his story. Imagine there was a king who loved a humble maiden. She had no royal pedigree, no education, no standing in the court she dressed in rags. She lived in a humble, she led the ragged life of a peasant, but for reasons no one could ever quite figure out king fell in love with this girl in the way that came sometimes do why he should love her is beyond explaining but love her.

He did and he could not stop loving her and then awoke in the heart of the king and anxious thought. How was he to reveal his love to this girl.

How could he bridge the chasm that separated the two of them his advisors. Of course would tell him to simply command her to be his Queen 40 was a man of immense power. Every statesman feared his wrath every foreign power trembled before him. Every courtier groveled in the dust at the king's voice why she would have no power to resist, she would have to become his Queen. She would owe him an eternal debt of gratitude, but power even unlimited power cannot command love he could force her body. Did you present in his palace, but he could not force love for him to be present in her heart he might be able to gain her obedience. This way, but coerced submission is not what he wanted. He longed for intimacy of heart and oneness of spirit and all the power in the world cannot unlock the door to the human heart. It must be open from the inside is advisors might suggest that the king give up this love give his heart to a more worthy woman, but this the king will not cannot do the king himself could try to bridge the chasm between the bike, elevating her to his position, he could shower her with gifts dresser in purple and silk, however, crowned the Queen, but if he brought her to his palace if he radiated the son of his magnificence over her if she saw all the wealth and power and pomp of his greatness. She would be overwhelmed. How would he know if she loved him for himself or for all that he had given her.

How could she know that he loved her and would love her. Still, even if she had remained only a humble peasant would she be able to summon confidence enough never to remember what the king wished only to forget that he was the king and she had been a humble maiden every other alternative came to nothing. There was only one way.

So one day the king rose left his throne removed his crown relinquished his scepter laid aside his royal robes took upon himself the life of a peasant. He dressed in rags. He scratched out a living in the dirt and gravel for food and dwelt in the hovel he did not just take on the outward appearance of a servant. It became his actual life is nature's burden, he became as ragged as the one he loved, so that she could be united to him forever. It was the only way his ragged became the very signature of his presence.

And this shall be assigned to you, you shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head. He had no form of majesty that we should look at him, nothing in appearance that we should desire him. The God who, at the last was marked with and then stripped of her purple robe and crucified, wearing a crown of thorns, this is the ragged God.

This is Emmanuelle. This is what God did to demonstrate his love to you and you and you and me he could not get that message across from where he was and where we were.

The chasm was too great. How does the creator of the universe communicate to his creature that he loves him that he loves her. He said this is what I will do. I will go down to where they are and become one of them.

I will take off the robes of DMT and put upon myself the clothing of humanity and as the God man. I will give myself of them on the cross, then they will now that God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believes in him should not perish but have everlasting life. We hope you enjoyed today's Turning Point, weekend edition with Dr. David Jeremiah to hear this. Another Turning Point programs to get more information about this ministry.

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