Christmas Morning: Emmanuel, God With Us

Isaiah’s Promise of Emmanuel in the Context of Ahaz

Turn with me, please, in your Bibles to Isaiah chapter 7. Isaiah chapter 7. As we open the Word of God, let us once again confess our need for His Spirit's ministry amongst us for our time to be profitable together.

Let's pray together. Indeed, our gracious Heavenly Father, we thank you for this day and we thank you for the opportunity of gathering here in peace and safety and comfort. We thank you for the opportunity to gather together as a believing family, believe in Jesus Christ, and believe that indeed He is Lord.

He was born, He lived, He grew up, He ministered, He died, He was buried, and He rose again and He's coming again. We confess these things. We rejoice in these things. We would ask that during this time together, during this hour together, by your Spirit you would help us indeed to rejoice with understanding from your Word about what it means to confess Emmanuel.

Help us, we pray, at this time. Glorify yourself, we pray in Christ's name, Amen. We did not cooperate in arranging the hymns today, but if I had been able to request the hymn right before the sermon, it would have been the one we just sang together.

For indeed, our subject this morning is Emmanuel. Whether you spell that with an E or an I does not really matter. The subject this morning is Emmanuel. It seems fitting given the day, but so few who this day celebrate, who this day may even make mention of the name of Jesus, cannot help but be faced with the issue of Jesus today, have very little knowledge of what it is that we are actually celebrating when we think of the Incarnation.

When we think of what actually prompts for a true believer reason for rejoicing. Emmanuel. God with us. When you think of that term, when you think of how many different religious groups there are in the world that would use a term similar to this, what they're saying is God is with us.

God is, well, in the crassest form, on our side. God is supporting us over against someone else. A very common claim of many of man's religions. And when we look at the term Emmanuel, it does appear in the Bible only a small number of times.

It would be easy, especially as it appears as a word of prophecy in the Old Testament, to see it solely in that sense. God is on our side. God is with His covenant people. God will fulfill His promises.

But the wonder of a true Christian celebration of the Incarnation is that God went far beyond what anyone could have thought that word, that phrase, Emmanuel, really meant. Now, most of you know where the term Emmanuel appears,.

At least in one text.

You know right there in Isaiah chapter 7. You're going to have to be either flipping around through some pages like we just were in Bible study, looking at some different texts, or if like me, you're going to be tapping from place to place.

Maybe more of you are tapping today, or will be tapping after or later today than before. Maybe some of you are hoping to be able to tap to various texts. I can guarantee you one person in our congregation who does not want to tap to any text.

And I'll let you figure out who that is for yourself. He doesn't have a cell phone. Let's put it that way. Okay. Isaiah chapter 7. Isaiah chapter 7. You know the context. You know the story. Beginning at verse 10, then Yahweh spoke again to Ahaz saying,.

Ask a sign for yourself from Yahweh your God.

I'm saying Yahweh so you can see the Tetragrammaton, the Old Testament.

I think it's important to see it.

Ask a sign for yourself from Yahweh your God.

Make it deep as Sheol or high as heaven. But Ahaz said, I will not ask nor will I test Yahweh. Then he said, listen now, O house of David. Is it too slight a thing for you to try the patience of men that you will try the patience of my God as well?

Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign. Behold, a virgin will be with child and bear a son and she will call his name Emmanuel. He will eat curds and honey at the time he knows enough to refuse evil and choose good.

For before the boy will know enough to refuse evil and choose good, the land whose two kings you dread will be forsaken. Now this very text, as I think most of you know, is cited in the New Testament specifically in regards to the Christmas story in Matthew chapter 1.

Matthew’s Fulfillment of Isaiah 7 in the Birth of Jesus

Matthew chapter 1, if you'll take a look at it, go ahead, like I said, you're going to need to be bouncing around just a little bit in the text. We know the story in Matthew chapter 1. Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows.

When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, and before they came together, she was found to be with child by the Holy Spirit. And Joseph, her husband, being a righteous man and not wanting to disgrace her, planned to send her away secretly.

But when he had considered this, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, Joseph, son of David... Now please notice, this is an angel speaking now. Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for the child who has been conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit.

She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins. All this took place when it was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and shall bear a son, and shall call his name Emmanuel, which translated means, God with us.

And Joseph awoke from his sleep, and did as the angel of the Lord commanded him, and took Mary as his wife, but kept her a virgin until she gave birth to a son. And he called his name Jesus. Now, you have the angelic visitation, and then you have the end of the angelic message, is that he will be called Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.

And then you have Matthew commenting, now all this took place to fulfill what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet. And so here you have one of the many fulfillment texts in Matthew. Matthew is very concerned for his audience to understand that what happens in the life of the ministry of Jesus is fulfilling the prophetic word from the Old Testament.

And then we have this text, Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and shall bear a son, and shall call his name Emmanuel. And then you have the interpretation given by Matthew, which translated means, God with us.

Now, if anyone has taken the time to speak forth a word, maybe this week or sometime in the past, maybe some of you young folks at school or something like that, and you've mentioned this text, you probably have run into a buzzsaw of criticism, because it seems that everybody these days goes on the internet and says, well, you know, well, first of all, this had relevance back then.

They're exactly right, it did. It had relevance back then. I mean, Ahaz wasn't just sitting there going, oh, this is something 700 years from now, I really don't understand what you're saying. He didn't do that.

There was an immediate fulfillment, and then other people say,.

Oh, that's the word virgin.

That word there, Alma, in Hebrew, it can have different meanings. And in this particular text, you know, it's not necessarily referring to a virgin, that you're making the application to in your situation, even though it's the virgin in that sense, but it just means a young lady.

It could mean that, that's exactly right. There's a specific technical term, Bethula, which means specifically a virgin, but Alma can mean a virgin. But they might say, oh, you're just reading too much into this.

But you see, one of the things I hope that you take away, my gift for you today, truly, is that I hope you take away from this study, the time we spend this Christmas morning together, when you could be doing a lot of other things, I hope the greatest gift that you get is that you come to recognize that each one of these prophetic words does not exist in a vacuum.

There is a testimony in the book of Isaiah from chapters 7 through 11. And see, so often we just look at one little piece and one little piece, but you see, the early church, the early writers, we're going to discover, they saw that there was a testimony all through this section to one who was to come.

And the way in which he fulfills these very different statements from the prophet Isaiah is absolutely amazing. It should amaze us, and it should reinforce for us and encourage us in our recognition that Jesus truly did come into this world, and He was exactly who we believe that He was.

We know that Matthew quotes from this, and we know that there was a fulfillment at that time, because yes, God delivered Israel at that time. He delivered Judah at that time. He delivered them from their enemies.

Though the enemies were right at the gates, yet God delivered them at that particular point in time. It was not His time for the destruction to come. And so an immediate fulfillment took place, but is that all there was?

Is that what this Immanuel means?

Is it, well, God is with you simply to deliver you from your enemies at this one point in history, but then after that, this is irrelevant?

Is that really what Immanuel is?

And where else does Immanuel appear? Well, take a look with me. It appears only a few times, and it does so here in the book of Isaiah. We've seen the New Testament fulfillment, but turn with me to Isaiah chapter 8.

The Significance of Emmanuel in Isaiah 8 and the Stone of Stumbling

Isaiah chapter 8, and here you have, look at verse...

Again, Yahweh spoke to me further, saying, Inasmuch as these people have rejected the gently flowing waters of Shiloh, and rejoiced in Rezan, the son of Ramaliah, now therefore, behold, the Lord is about to bring on them the strong and abundant waters of the Euphrates, even the king of Assyria in all his glory, and it will rise up over all its channels and go over all its banks. Then it will sweep on into Judah, it will overflow and pass through, it will reach even to the neck, and the spread of its wings will fill the breadth of your land, and it depends on your translation, but most will say,.

O Immanuel!

Now, the Hebrew simply means, God with us. The translation that Matthew provides is exactly right. And here you have a prophecy, the Assyrians are coming, and we know Israel didn't survive that, but Judah, the Assyrians are at the gate, but they do not actually, they're up to the neck, but they do not actually take over.

They are withdrawn. That is the historical fulfillment. And so there is this, again, same context, only one chapter later. Just as you had had the promise in Isaiah 7, there's going to be deliverance, now you have this other way of stating it, comes up to the neck, almost about to be flooded with the Assyrians, but it doesn't actually overcome the Assyrians.

And then you have this phrase, O Immanuel, your land, O Immanuel. There's going to be a people who are saved. And they're the people of Immanuel. And that's because there's a believing remnant. Look at what comes right afterwards, verse 9.

Be broken, O peoples, and be shattered, and give ear all remote places of the earth. Gird yourselves, yet be shattered. Gird yourselves, yet be shattered. Divide the plan, but it will be thwarted. State a proposal, but it will not stand.

For God is with us. The Hebrew? Immanuel. Immanuel. Now, I'm not sure why translations will have Immanuel in verse 8, and not in verse 10, because it sort of hides it from you. But in the Hebrew, it is the exact same thing.

There is Immanuel, and you have a people. And this remnant people will not be destroyed.

And there's this, God is with them.

God is with us. Immanuel. Now, it's interesting. We need to continue reading on, and let your thinking be going to the rest of the New Testament. See if some other New Testament writer picks this up.

Don't worry, I'm going to show you where it is in a moment.

For thus, Yahweh spoke to me with mighty power, and instructed me not to walk in the way of this people, saying, you are not to say it is a conspiracy, in regard to all that this people call a conspiracy, and you are not to fear what they fear, or be in dread of it.

It is Yahweh of hosts, whom you should regard as holy, and He shall be your fear, and He shall be your dread, and He shall become a sanctuary. But to both the houses of Israel, a stone to strike, and a rock to stumble over, and a snare and a trap for the inhabitants of Jerusalem, many will stumble over them, then they will fall and be broken.

They will even be snared and caught.

Does that sound a little bit familiar to you?

It should.

Because this is a theme picked up in the New Testament. This is a theme picked up about that stone of stumbling, a rock of offense. And when you saw that phrase in verse 13, it is the Lord of hosts, whom you should regard as holy, I hope there was a text that came into your mind.

Because, if you turn over to 1 Peter 3,.

1 Peter 3, verse 13,.

Who is there to harm you, if you prove zealous for what is good? But even if you should suffer for the sake of righteousness, you are blessed, and do not fear their intimidation, and do not be troubled, that's the Greek substantive rendering of Isaiah 8, but sanctify the Messiah as Kurios, the Messiah as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence.

Here, all the Christians are told that we are to set apart the Messiah as Kurios. Now, he's just quoted Isaiah 8, and who is it in Isaiah 8 that we are to sanctify and treat as holy? Yahweh God, the Creator God Himself.

Here, the application is made, we are to sanctify or set apart the Messiah, Christ, as Kurios, the same term that translates the word Yahweh in the Old Testament in the Greek translation, as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you.

So, we as Christians are to order our lives in the very center of our heart, we are to sanctify or treat holy the Messiah as Yahweh, as God Himself, always being ready. That is what orders our priorities, is to recognize who Jesus truly is and to treat Him as holy in all of our decisions,.

In all of our lives.

You see how the early church... This isn't some... Peter isn't here going, well, let me tell you about who Jesus is. He is exhorting the Christian believers on the basis of what they should already know.

And it is a shared common belief on the part of all of these believers. Peter doesn't even have to defend himself, he doesn't have to explain himself, it's a shared belief on the part of all believers.

God has entered into His own creation. Yahweh has come as the Messiah. It's just common belief.

It's right there.

They're pulling from this same text in Isaiah. Could it be that Emmanuel.

Gets fulfilled in a much greater sense than anyone could have imagined? Well, I don't think there's any question about it. Because you know what else is in this section of Isaiah, don't you? Don't worry, I'm not going to sing it.

Isaiah 9 and the Child Called Mighty God

But I personally think, at this time of year, I have ruined this time of year if I don't find some time. I had to multitask to do it this year. If I don't find some time to listen to what in my opinion is probably one of the most beautiful, incredible pieces of music ever written.

It's called Handel's Messiah. And I'll bet you there's some folks in this room, you're going, oh yeah, Handel's Messiah.

Beautiful. Incredible.

It's just Scripture put to music, but the way it was written and the music itself, just absolutely amazing. And you can't know Handel's Messiah without knowing this text's description. And we've looked at Isaiah 7, remember?

Emmanuel. Isaiah 8. Emmanuel. Picked up by Peter in 1 Peter 3. What's in Isaiah 9? You all know. Isaiah 9. Verse 6. For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us, and the government will rest on his shoulders, and his name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God,.

El Gabor.

Used of Yahweh in 10. Verse 21. El Gabor, Mighty God,.

Eternal Father,.

Prince of Peace. There will be no end to the increase of his government, or of peace, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness.

From then on and forevermore.

The zeal of Yahweh of hosts will accomplish this. For a child will be born to us. Can we possibly think that having spoken of Emmanuel in chapter 7 as a child who will be born that Isaiah just, oh this is just something completely different?

It's only two chapters later. It's in the same context. A child will be born to us. That's the normal word for a child. Yeled.

It's the normal term for birth.

Jesus did not beam into this world. I say that because there are certain false beliefs that have been made dogmas by certain churches out there that the birth of Jesus well basically didn't sort of rendered him non-human.

Jesus was born. He was a man. He didn't beam into this world. A Jesus who beams into this world cannot die upon Calvary's cross to bring us true salvation. A child was born. But then it says a son will be given.

Nathan, the normal term to give. A son has been given to us but a child was born. And this one this one is special.

The government will rest on his shoulders.

And I don't care what Israelite king you might point to. None have ever born in fullness the names given in this verse. His name shall be called Counselor. Mighty God.

Eternal Father.

Prince of Peace. Now lest you stumble over the use of the term Eternal Father. Avi-Ad means Father of Eternity. The words Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are a New Testament revelation. It's not saying Jesus is the Father.

Jesus isn't the Father. He clearly distinguished himself from the Father. But Avi-Ad Father of Eternity. Father in the Old Testament normally refers to one who creates. It's the Father who made us. And what is Jesus described in.

Colossians chapter 1?

For by Him were all things made rather than heaven and earth.

Principalities, powers,.

Thrones, authorities. All things created by Him before Him. He is before all things.

And in Him all things hold together. This is what's being referred to here. Mighty God. Eternal Father. Prince of Peace. How do we have peace?

We've been in Romans chapter 5, right?

How does Romans chapter 5 begin? Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have what? Irenae. Peace.

Shalom. With.

God. He is the Prince of Peace. He is the one who provides peace.

And so we have chapter.

7. Emmanuel. We have chapter 8. Emmanuel. Picked up by Peter. Chapter 9. We have a child is born. A son is given. And the names.

Used of him. Mighty.

God.

Is it possible that Emmanuel.

Could be more than.

God is on our side? Could the fulfillment of this be? Yes, at the time. Yes, God is with you, covenant people. Yes, God is going to fulfill His promises. There's going to be a remnant. All.

Of that is true.

But could there be more? It seems that Isaiah 9 demands more. Because this child will truly be born. A son will truly be given. And the government will rest on.

His shoulders.

How is the kingdom of David.

Going to truly be fulfilled?

In light of the fact that, well, it's not going to be long before Jerusalem.

Lays in ruins. Even as they rebuild.

Later on, they're still under the heel of other nations. First the Babylonians and then the Romans come. Well, the Greeks and then the.

Romans. How is.

The kingdom of David?

This everlasting kingdom, the government will rest on his shoulders. The increase of his government and of peace.

Shall be no end.

How can these be fulfilled unless we see the fulfillment today? We see the fulfillment.

In ourselves.

We see right here and right now people from different nations, different tribes, different tongues. And we are along the other side of the planet from where these events took place and yet have we not sung about our King Jesus.

This day?

We are the fulfillment of these very.

Things. The kingdom of.

God has been established and it is growing throughout all.

The world.

And so we have Isaiah 7. We have Isaiah 8. Now we've seen Isaiah 9.

I mentioned to you that.

Isaiah 10 .21 also speaks of.

El Gabor, the mighty God,.

Identifying Yahweh as the mighty God. Isaiah 10 is that tremendous text.

Where God talks about bringing.

The Assyrians down. They're the rod in His hand, the rod of His anger. And He's going to turn around and He's going to punish the heart of the Assyrian king as He said, I've done all this, I've done all this.

It's a tremendous text. We've spoken about it many times before. It illustrates the truth of compatibilism. And then as soon.

As that.

Prophecy.

Is given, you then.

Have chapter 11. Turn with me to Isaiah.

Chapter 11. Beginning.

At verse 1.

Then a shoot will.

Spring from the stem of Jesse and a branch from his roots will bear fruit. The spirit of Yahweh will rest on Him, singular, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel.

And strength, the spirit of.

Knowledge and the fear of Yahweh.

And He will.

Delight in the fear of Yahweh and He will not judge by what His eye has seen or make a decision by what His ear has heard, but with righteousness He will judge the poor and decide with fairness for the afflicted of the earth and He will strike the earth with the rod of His mouth and with the breath of His lips He will slay the.

Wicked. Also righteousness.

Will be the belt about His loins and faithfulness the belt about His waist.

And the wolf will dwell with the lamb.

And the leopard will lie down with the young goat and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together.

And little boy will lead them. Also the.

Cow and the bear will graze. Their young will lie down together and the lion will eat straw like the ox. The nursing child will play by the hole of the cobra and the weaned child will put his hand on the viper's den.

They will not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain for the earth will be full of the knowledge of Yahweh as the waters cover the sea. Then in that day the nations will resort to the root of Jesse.

Go back to verse one. Who will stand as a signal for the peoples and His resting place will be.

Glorious. And it goes on to talk.

About the restored remnants. We see so many.

Of these prophecies.

Once again referred to in the fulfillment of Christ in the New Testament. And we have this stem of.

Jesse. Well.

Who is this stem.

Of Jesse?

Well, we know that when we go.

To the New Testament in.

Acts chapter 13 verse 23. I'll just back up for that a little bit. This is again is one of the sermons on the fulfillment of how Christ is fulfilled. The prophecies begin in verse 20. After these things He gave them judges until Samuel the prophet.

Then they asked for a king and God gave them Saul the son of Kish, a man of the tribe of Benjamin for 40 years. After He had removed him He raised up David to be their king. Concerning whom He also testified and said I have found David the.

Son of Jesse,.

A man after my heart who will do all my will. From the descendants of this man according to the promise God has brought to Israel.

A savior.

Jesus. So who is Jesse? Well we know who Jesse is. We know that Jesus being the son of David is the son of Jesse as well. And so we have this branch that comes.

Forth from.

Jesse. Do you see this flow?

Do you see the many different ways the Spirit of.

God 700 years.

Before the angels announced to the.

Shepherds that the Messiah.

Had been born 700.

Years earlier.

You had Emmanuel.

God with us. You had.

A child born.

A son given. You had the stem of Jesse. A rod. That branch comes forth. All these different ways.

Of expressing and.

Saying what was going to come. 700 years.

Men looked at these scriptures imagine those rabbis opening.

The scrolls and.

Reading these words and.

Wondering. There seems to be more than just a sign.

That Ahaz here about political problems.

There seems.

To be more here.

How do we fit it together? And then we have.

The coming of Emmanuel. And the fulfillment of these promises was so much.

More than they could have imagined. Yes.

A child was born to us. A son was given. And he truly is.

Emmanuel. It is an amazing.

And for most of the world offensive thing. We are actually stating that God invaded His own.

Creation. Talk about condescension.

When you think of the size of this universe when you think of the sheer scope of the creation, the creator to enter into His own creation.

As one of His.

Creatures. Yes.

Pure. Yes sinless. Born of a virgin. And yet to enter into this world to be surrounded by sin. How often Jesus walked the dusty roads and there were those lepers that would come up to Him.

The outcasts.

Walking through a city encounters a burial procession. He stops it and gives life. He was surrounded by the sin and evil of this world and He cried out indeed in John chapter 11. He.

Wept.

At the result of that sin and that evil. And yet He came into.

This world purposefully.

He was Emmanuel. And though the world might say well yeah we know you conservative Christians you actually believe that Jesus entered into this world that He had actually pre-existed and in fact you believe He was God.

What an amazing thing. You know you all can believe that. And they just sort of smile and they're scandalized by it really. Because if He.

Was Emmanuel.

Did you notice in just a couple of those places He shall judge with righteousness?

Chapter 11.

And that Jesus when they read the rest of what He did He grows up and He ministers and His apostles write down for us His teaching. There's this thing about about judging and being a righteous judge. And as the apostles went out into the world they proclaimed a message.

That said that God's going to judge the world.

By a particular man Christ Jesus. And by the gospel.

That He proclaimed.

The world wants to keep Jesus in a manger.

They like.

A little baby Jesus because babies are not.

Overly.

Overly threatening.

But Jesus didn't stay in a manger. And even that one who was in the manger we confess.

Was Emmanuel.

That means God.

Our creator.

Our maker is intimately involved in this because He has entered into His own creation and of course that means every other.

Religious system just has.

To step aside. It cannot make claims for itself.

No one.

Has ever said who believe there is only one creator God. That that one creator God entered into His own creation. Well, there are all sorts of divine beings, but they are all parts of polytheistic systems.