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Immanuel—God with Us

(Matthew 1:23—Preacher: Ps Paw Liang)


What does Immanuel—God with us mean to you? Before he breathed his last breath, John Wesley said, “the best of all God is with us!” He had experienced the presence of God throughout the ups and downs. In this perverted world, no one is spared from disaster and calamities. Life doesn’t come easy. But for those who have Christ, we know that God is with us. 

Nothing more painful than the pang separation. That’s exactly what sin does, to separate us from God. The Israel was devastated when God was silent. Christ came to end this alienation—to reconcile the creation with the Creator.

The Gospel of Matthew opens with "“Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel” (Mt 1:23) and closes with "Lo! I Am with you always, even to the end of the age! (Mt 28:20). The word Immanuel only appeared three times (Is 7:14; 8:8) but God’s promised to be His people (Isa 43:2; Deut 31:23, Jos 1:5, etc). Repeatedly since Moses time God keeps assuring us, “I will never leave you, nor forsake you” (Heb 13:5). Immanuel (or Emmanuel) is not merely, in company with us, but together with, and sharing with. God is peculiarly and closely with us.

Immanuel: the Infinite became finite
He has taken upon Himself our nature—flesh, blood, bone, everything that made a body—mind, heart, soul, memory, imagination, judgement, everything that makes a rational man, except without sin. He fully understands the limitation of our humanity (Heb 4:15). Jesus came to show us the “life” that God intended for us—the image of God that we had lost to sin. Therefore, we are to walk as He walked and to grow into Christlikeness (1 John 2:6, Eph 4:15).

Immanuel—Lo! I am with you always (Mat 28:20)
Immanuel is not just some quality given to enable us to endure the trial Immanuel is not a dramatic change of circumstances that makes victory possible. Immanuel is the unfailing presence of the PERSON– God the Spirit. The best example is the presence of the fourth person in the furnace, together with Sadrach, Mesach, and Abednego.

Immanuel—The Presence of God in our Daily Life
J C Ryle writes that Immanuel promises to be "with us daily to pardon and forgive; with us daily to sanctify and strengthen; with us daily to defend and keep; with us daily to lead and to guide; with us in sorrow, and with us in joy; with us in sickness, and with us in health; with us in life, and with us in death; with us in time, and with us in eternity.

Immanuel—God loves to be with us. But are we with Him?


This Christmas, as we welcome our Lord Jesus, The Immanuel into our life, let us cherish His presence! Let͛ us walk daily with Him—in good time, in bad time . . . from here into eternity! (PLT)

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