Advent thoughts #3: Jesus = Emmanuel = God with us!

Title:  Emmanuel

Text:  Matthew 1:18-25

Theme:  The amazing wonder of the virgin birth, Emmanuel, God with us.

Introduction:   Jesus said “I am from above; I am not of this world.” If his birth was by natural means we might have reason to question the validity of such a statement.  The birth of Jesus Christ was all but natural.  We can clearly see this through the eyes of Joseph as revealed to us in Matthew 1:18-25.

 1.  Joseph’s perplexing problem before God (Mt.1:18-19). 

His betrothed wife was with child and it wasn’t his.

 2.  Joseph’s startling revelation from God (Mt.1:20-23).

His betrothed wife was with child by an act of God

 This Child was the promised messiah of the prophecies of old.
Isaiah 7:14, cf. 9:6

 3.  Joseph’s complete obedience to God (Mt.1:24-25).

He took his betrothed wife unto himself

He named the child as God had commanded

He took the child to Egypt (Mathew 2:13-15)

Conclusion:   We can look at the birth of Jesus through the eyes of others as well:

Mary: Luke 1:26-35

Shepherds: Luke 2:8-18

Angles: Luke 2:13-15

Wise men: Mathew 2:1-12

Simeon – A devout elderly man: Luke 2:25-32

Anna, elderly prophetess: Luke 2:36-38

God: 1 John 4:10 “Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.”

Galatians 4: 3-5 “Even so we . . . were in bondage under the elements of the world:  But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.

Through the eyes of these witnesses we can see that the birth of Jesus was no normal birth.  With a birth like Jesus had we should not be surprised when he says, “I am from above: ye are of this world; I am not of this world” (John 8:23).