The Thrill of Hope God with Us Christmas Songs. Long lay the world in sin and error pining, (longing, praying, waiting) 'Till he (WHO is he?

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1 The Thrill of Hope God with Us Christmas Songs. Long lay the world in sin and error pining, (longing, praying, waiting) 'Till he (WHO is he?) appeared, and the soul felt its worth. O Holy Night, Adolphe Adam, 1847 Written as a poem, asked to write it by the town priest, put to music by a Jewish composer. Chains shall he break, for the slave is our brother, And in his name all oppression shall cease. WHO but also WHY? That s what we are going to look at today. The Jewish people had long been awaiting the coming of the Messiah. They knew the family lineage he would come from and had a hint where he would be born. They had even been given a timeframe in which he would come. But just WHY he was coming and WHO he was would be a show-stopper. Last week: A 2000-year-old promise to Abraham. You will be a Great nation, and everyone will be blessed through you. Isaiah s prophecy around 750 BC: I will keep you and will make you to be a covenant for the people and a light for the Gentiles. (42:6) Matthew s account, only 7 verses long, reveals the ONE who fulfills the title of Messiah. Matthew builds his case by showing how the Messiah came through the family lineage of King David - with quite a list of colorful characters - all made in the image of God, yet all tainted with the stain of sin that showed their need for a Savior. Matthew 1:1 2 (NET) This is the record of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham. 2 Abraham was the father of Isaac, Isaac the father of Jacob, Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers. From Abraham to King David, King David to the deportation to Babylon and from the deportation to Babylon to Jesus are ALL 14 generations. (Verse 17) Matthew 1: (NET) 18 Now the birth of Jesus Christ happened this way. While his mother Mary was engaged to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit. 19 Because Joseph, her husband to be, was a righteous man, and because he did not want to disgrace her, he intended to divorce her privately. 20 When he had contemplated 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 as your wife, because the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21 She will give birth to a son and you will name him Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins. 22 This all happened so that what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet would be

2 fulfilled: 23 Look! The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will name him Emmanuel, which means God with us. 24 When Joseph awoke from sleep he did what the angel of the Lord told him. He took his wife, 25 but did not have marital relations with her until she gave birth to a son, whom he named Jesus. We are going to dig in and discover that: Matt.1:18 (NET) 18 Now the birth of Jesus Christ happened this way. First, Jesus is called Christ. As many of you may know, this is NOT the last name of Jesus, but a TITLE. Christ is the Greek version of the Hebrew term Messiah - meaning anointed. It was used of many kings, but the Jews were looking for the final Messiah who bring the kingdom to earth. The Jewish people had long been awaiting the coming of the Messiah. To say Jesus Christ is to recognize that Jesus IS the Messiah, prophesied about for hundreds of years! This would have immediately struck the eye of the Jewish person reading this text - Jesus is the Messiah. While his mother Mary was engaged to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit. Pregnant through the Holy Spirit. Jesus was placed in the womb of Mary - not by sexual intimacy with a man - but pregnant through the Holy Spirit. If you start with the idea that super-natural miracles are impossible and therefore discount the claim of the virgin birth, then I need to ask you a question: Do you believe our universe is eternal or not? That is, has our universe always existed OR did it begin a long time before you and I were born? If you believe that the universe - including time, matter, space - had a beginning, you believe in the most incredible super-natural miracle of all - everything came from NOTHING That s not a rabbit out of a hat That s a rabbit out of thin air. well actually, there wasn t any air either. God created everything out of nothing! If God can do THAT, He can choose to interrupt the natural world He created with super-natural acts. If God created Adam & Eve without parents, He could certainly choose to implant an infant in Mary s womb without the help of a man. Matt.1:19 (NET) 19 Because Joseph, her husband to be, was a righteous man, and because he did not want to disgrace her, he intended to divorce her privately. He was a righteous man. What s that mean? He was RIGHT with God. Like Mary, he was faithful to the God who offered forgiveness. Did he feel betrayed? Blindsided? He had every legal right to make Mary s supposed infidelity public. Expected to do that. By Jewish law - Death penalty. Roman Empire wouldn t allow the Jewish courts to carry

3 it out. Instead of being stoned, she would be shunned. Made $$ by the Jewish Courts ruling for him. But he was righteous. Compassionate. Matt. 1:20 (NET) 20 When he had contemplated 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 as your wife, because the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. As Joseph wrestled with his decision, he was leaning toward divorcing her quietly and walking away, in order to keep Mary from public ridicule. He doesn t want her ridiculed. Maybe she can be restored, have a chance to marry another & experience life even though it wasn t with him. Specific instructions: Matt. 1:21 (NET) 21 She will give birth to a son and you will name him Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins. JESUS: The name Jesus communicates WHO HE IS & WHY HE CAME. Jesus comes from the Hebrew Yeshua [English: Joshua] one of the more popular names of the day, meaning: Yahweh saves. He was named this because He came to save his people, not from the Roman Empire that ruled over them, not from financial poverty, & not from all sickness & death. He was named JESUS - Yahweh saves - because he will save his people from their sins. Genesis 3:8 13 (NLT) 8 When the cool evening breezes were blowing, the man and his wife heard the LORD God walking about in the garden**. So, they hid from the LORD God among the trees. 9 Then the LORD God called to the man, Where are you? (Not a question of geography but Responsibility) **God loves to be with the ones He loves. 10 He replied, I heard you walking in the garden, so I hid. I was afraid because I was naked. 11 Who told you that you were naked? the LORD God asked. Have you eaten from the tree whose fruit I commanded you not to eat? 12 The man replied, It was the woman you gave me who gave me the fruit, and I ate it. 13 Then the LORD God asked the woman, What have you done? The serpent deceived me, she replied. That s why I ate it. Paul David Tripp "The effects of sin are immediate and catastrophic. The bond between God and mankind has been broken. Fear has replaced love. Hiding has replaced communion In the psyche of every human being since lives this weird and uncomfortable battle between hunger for God and a desire to hide from him. Long before the CRADLE was Filled, the CROSS was the Focus.

4 And here is the coolest part of this whole thing. While Adam & Eve were removed from the intimacy with God they once knew, not all was lost. God still cared for His people. God still provided forgiveness for sins, but it was just a part-time fix, awaiting the day that the MESSIAH would step from heaven to earth. Jesus commanded His disciples to tell others about the wonderful truth - that Matt. 1:22-23 (NET) 22 This all happened so that what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet would be fulfilled: 23 Look! The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will name him Emmanuel, which means God with us. Emmanuel was not His name - it s who He IS! Jesus Christ - Yeshua the Messiah - IS God with us! Let me show you what I mean. The scriptures teach that. Genesis 1:1 (NET) In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Colossians 1:15 16 (NET) He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation, 16 for all things in heaven and on earth were created in him all things, whether visible or invisible, whether thrones or dominions, whether principalities or powers all things were created through him and for him. (Who is he & him) John 1: 1 3 (NET) In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was fully God. 2 The Word was with God in the beginning. 3 All things were created by him, and apart from him not one thing was created that has been created. Who is the Word? Jesus Christ! John 1:14 (NET) 14 Now the Word became flesh and took up residence among us. We saw his glory the glory of the one and only, full of grace and truth, who came from the Father. So, once again we see the Creator walk among His creation! David Platt wrote, The infinite God an infant child. The more you think about it, the more staggering it gets. You see, when you understand WHO Jesus is and WHY Jesus came it changes things. Jesus is GOD in SKIN, who came to DIE for our SIN. We don t worship a distant deity, but a God who has come to His creation and made a payment for our sins. The Word became flesh and took up residence among us! And, thankfully, Joseph obeyed the command given through the angel.

5 Matt. 1:24 25 (NET) 24 When Joseph awoke from sleep he did what the angel of the Lord told him. He took his wife, 25 but did not have marital relations with her until she gave birth to a son, whom he named Jesus. Many of us WISH God would send an angel and tell us what to do but He s done BETTER than that! He sent Jesus, the Messiah! What do you do with that this Christmas? Seek Jesus Today. He restores the intimacy that was lost. He breaks the chains that bind you. Just as Jesus came to make a way for us, he comes still. He comes to meet with us & to be with us. Jesus is the greatest gift we have ever received. In him we have the presence of God living in us on a daily basis. And God with us brings freedom from sin for us. Chains shall he break. Our soul can find it s worth in Him. Where are you looking for your worth? What chains have you wrapped up? Today, you can find hope for your past, present and future in a relationship with Jesus Christ. Have you received his life-giving presence? Bridge Group Questions 1. What stood out to you about this week s sermon? 2. Was there anything talked about that brought up questions for you? Share about it. 3. Read Matthew 1: Explain what you find most intriguing about the name/titles: Jesus, Christ, & Emmanuel. 4. Why would Mary s explanation for pregnancy need angelic backup? Why is the virgin birth so significant? How might you respond to someone who says, The virgin birth is impossible.? 5. According to Matt. 1:21, WHY did Jesus come to the earth? What does the name Jesus mean? What were the Jews expecting from their Messiah? 6. What does it mean for you that God with us brings freedom from sin for us? How have you seen this play out in your life? 7. After reading Matthew 1:22-23 & Isaiah 7:14 (written about 700 years earlier), how does this prophecy help you to trust the Scriptures? 8. Read Col. 1:15-16; John 1:1-3, 14. How do these Scriptures give you further insight into WHO Jesus is? What does verse 14 mean in your everyday life? 9. How can knowing what Jesus did for us give us a better sense of what we are worth? Thank God for giving you the greatest gift ever Jesus Christ, Emmanuel God with Us.