The Rule Of God With Us

God's people are longing for an eternal kingdom with a righteous ruler.

Isaiah 9:6-7 For a child is born to us, a son is given to us. The government will rest on his shoulders. And he will be called: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

7 His government and its peace will never end. He will rule with fairness and justice from the throne of his ancestor David for all eternity. The passionate commitment of the LORD of Heaven's Armies will make this happen!

God with us should be a glorious thought that is too wonderful to describe, in the past couple of post we saw The Hope of God With Us and The Peace of God With Us, It is amazing that God would come to be with us and give us hope and peace. But God's story doesn't end there, he is going to bless his people even more when he returns to reign on earth.

We all long for a better country that is ruled by a better king, but for most of us that is just a crazy dream, it may be crazy for the rest of the world but it is reality for God's people. The day is coming when God will setup his kingdom and tear down the kingdoms of this world that stand in opposition to him.

God's people are always waiting for God's timing.

God's people have a long history of waiting, a lot of God's promises seem like they will never happen, don't forget that there are more prophecies of Jesus second coming than there were of the first so we can be sure that The King Is Coming (music video). 

When Jesus finally arrived to be God with us the first time, there was nothing to fear, as a baby he was defenseless, as an adult he was gentle and kind. Jesus had power over everyone he met but he only used his power to reveal his deity in a gracious and merciful way for our benefit so that we would believe. (Philippians 2:5-9) 

Jesus second advent will not be the same, anyone that wasn't prepared for the first advent could either carry on business as usual or they could have their life radically changed, either way there wasn't any devastating consequences. When he comes again it will be totally different.

The Eternal King And His Kingdom: 

 

The characteristics of the king:

• Wonderful Counselor - Every other counselor will be gone as the supernatural wisdom of this counselor will be far superior. We exaggerate and overuse "wonderful" so we need to pause and consider it's true meaning. Jesus is wonderful in a way that is truly boggling to the mind. (Jeremiah 23:5, Romans 11:33, Colossians 2:3)
• Mighty God - Powerful enough to return after 3 days in the grave and powerful enough to defeat every evil and restore his kingdom to the state it was in before it became marred by sin. (Deuteronomy 10:17, Nehemiah 9:32, Psalm 50:1-6)
• Everlasting Father - The only source of compassion and care that God's people will ever need. They have a peace treaty with the mighty God so they can enjoy being in his presence for eternity without fear. (Isaiah 63:16, John 10:28-30)
• Prince of Peace - God's people should strive to live at peace with each other but as Jesus told his disciples his first advent wasn't about bringing peace. The conflict that we see in the New Testament continues, Jesus is a polarizing figure, the spiritual battle is not over yet. (Matthew 10:24 and 2 Corinthians 6:14-16) Some day the peace that God's people have with him will finally be enjoyed with each other and with all of God's creation. (Romans 12:18, Ephesians 4:1-3, Philippians 4:6-7, Hebrews 12:14)

The characteristics of the kingdom:

Isaiah 11:3-5 He will delight in obeying the LORD. He will not judge by appearance nor make a decision based on hearsay. 4 He will give justice to the poor and make fair decisions for the exploited. The earth will shake at the force of his word, and one breath from his mouth will destroy the wicked. 5 He will wear righteousness like a belt and truth like an undergarment.

Isaiah 11:10 In that day the heir to David's throne will be a banner of salvation to all the world. The nations will rally to him, and the land where he lives will be a glorious place.

The kingdom of God will be the true creation of the "holy land" where love, justice, peace and joy are the norm. The prayer of Jesus for "thy kingdom come, thy will be done" is a summary of God's kingdom. When the kingdom comes it will be God's will done on Earth as perfectly as it is in Heaven.

The new Heaven and new Earth will not have the destructive influence of sin, man's rebellion will be overthrown and Satan will be bound. The whole story of the Bible is about our rebellion against the king and his work to bring us back under his reign.

When Jesus returns as king: 

• The new kingdom will be known for God, his presence will be all that we will ever need for eternity.
• The new king will obviously be the promised heir of King David's throne. Nobody will question who he is or why he is reigning.
• The old king of this world will be dethroned and the devastating consequences of his evil empire will be reversed and the earth will be restored.
• The promises made to Israel and all of God's people through the prophets will finally be realized and the people of every nation will be blessed. Every covenant God has made with man will be 100% fulfilled.
• The Promised Land will finally belong to Israel, all of it, the boundaries of the nation in Bible times and today do not include all of the land God promised.
• The scattered people will return to Jerusalem to live completely submitted to the rule of their amazing king. 
• The world peace that everyone says they long for, but does little to achieve, will finally be real and eternal. More than peace it will be shalom, Greater than just the absence of conflict, everything will work together in perfect harmony as creation is made whole.

Our king has gone on a long journey, before he left he gave us resources to be used to help others find their way in, when he returns we need to be prepared to give an account for how we used our blessings, our skills and our time for his pleasure. (Matthew 25:14-30)

God has made it clear that we must submit to his son, we must see our need for Jesus before we die or before his return, don't discount the opportunity to transfer your citizenship to the kingdom of God. 

Will you remain in the kingdom of darkness that leads to destruction or will you renounce your citizenship there and move to the kingdom of God that will last for eternity? (Luke 13:22-30, Colossians 1:13-14)

RELATED ARTICLES

What Is the Kingdom of God? (desiringgod.org)

What Is The Millennial Kingdom? (gotquestions.org)

The Millennial Reign of Christ (ligonier.org)

The Kingdom Of God (thegospelcoalition.org)

The Hope Of God With Us

God's people don't need to look for hope in anything or anybody other than him.

Isaiah 7:10-14 Later, the LORD sent this message to King Ahaz: 11 “Ask the LORD your God for a sign of confirmation, Ahaz. Make it as difficult as you want—as high as heaven or as deep as the place of the dead.” 12 But the king refused. “No,” he said, “I will not test the LORD like that.”

13 Then Isaiah said, “Listen well, you royal family of David! Isn’t it enough to exhaust human patience? Must you exhaust the patience of my God as well? 14 All right then, the Lord himself will give you the sign. Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son and will call him Immanuel (which means ‘God is with us’).

God's people are in the Promised Land, but they are not living the lifestyle that they promised. God's chosen people have turned their backs on God's way to live which they enthusiastically promised just a few hundred years earlier. (Exodus 24:1-18)

If they made the right choices their obedience would continue the special favor that they had already received from God. They would continue to receive so many blessings including security and abundance so that all the nations around them would glorify God. (Deuteronomy 33:26-29)

Pleasing God is the most important thing in the world and the only way to please him is to become like him and that means being holy. Not only are they not holy but God's people are just as bad as the nations around them.

Isaiah 1:4 Oh, what a sinful nation they are- loaded down with a burden of guilt. They are evil people, corrupt children who have rejected the LORD. They have despised the Holy One of Israel and turned their backs on him.

Their lack of holiness will bring about their ruin, the nation has already split into two and God has promised that he will discipline his people. They will be "cut down" until there isn't any visible signs of life. But God would keep his promise to bring Messiah through the lineage of King David. God will cut his people down but out of the tree stump a holy branch will appear. (Isaiah 6:9-13, 11:1)

King Ahaz had a great opportunity to do the right thing when the alliance of Syria and Israel threatened to come after Judah to force them into their coalition. The alliance of Rezin, of Syria, and Pekah, of Israel, will fail to force Judah to join them and they will also fail against the Assyrians. (2 King 16:5-20, 17:5-18 and also in 2 Chronicles 28:5-27)

God gives his people hope in spite of their disobedience.

(Isaiah 7:1-9)

King Ahaz was afraid of the future like trees shaking in a storm (Isaiah 7:2) and fear of the wicked schemes of man. (Isaiah 7:4-6) His fears sent him to Assyria for help instead of trusting God. Ahaz still gets another chance, even though he went to Assyria to get help, God still tells Ahaz through Isaiah that the threats coming against Judah will never be successful despite the fact that he didn't trust God for his future.

The nations can plot to come against God's people but it is God who decides the victory. Isaiah tells us what God thinks of their plans very clearly in Isaiah 7:7-8, 16. Don't be like Ahaz, he relied on his own wisdom instead of listening to the message from Isaiah that the feared invasion isn't going to happen. He should have accepted God's word as his source of hope and joy but if you don't have faith in God then you will have nothing but fear of the future. (Isaiah 7:9) 

God gives his people a sure sign of the hope of Messiah.

(Isaiah 7:10-16)

But God didn't just tell Ahaz that the plot against Judah would not succeed he also gave him a rare opportunity to ask God for any sign whatsoever that would prove what God said was true. Ahaz said that he wouldn't test God but he wasn't being strong in his faith, he had already tested God's patience by putting his faith in the strength of Assyria. 

Jon Courson's Application Commentary - “The Lord will indeed give you a sign,” Isaiah said. The word “you” is plural. Therefore, it speaks not only to Ahaz, but to all humanity through all of history. You who feel threatened, intimidated, pressed upon, worried, anxious—the Lord will give you a sign: A virgin shall conceive and bear a Son whose name means “God with us.”

At least 700 years before Jesus birth God gave a sign for his people to know that he is with them back then and will be in the future when the Messiah finally arrives. 

The folly and sin of seeking hope in man's wisdom.

(Isaiah 7:17-25)

Israel and Syria are described as smoldering sticks that are not going to exist much longer. Both of these countries would lose their military strength and become useless for protection. In Ahaz' lifetime he would see the end of the Northern Kingdom of Israel but Judah would still survive.

Isaiah 2:22 Don't put your trust in mere humans. They are as frail as breath. What good are they?

Isaiah 8:13 Make the LORD of Heaven's Armies holy in your life. He is the one you should fear. He is the one who should make you tremble.

Assyria would prove to be the enemy of Judah and would destroy her but the promised survival of Judah would eventually lead to Hezekiah, a future Godly king that would lead the nation back to God.

God with us restores our hope.

The loss of "God with us" back in the Garden of Eden was restored for brief moments in the history of God's people. 

God was with his people when he:

• Moved them to Egypt to save them from famine. 
• Took them out of Egypt and made a nation of them.
• Gave them unexplainable military might.

God has always been with a chosen people that have known his presence in their lives but now we can celebrate the most wonderful news of "God with us" in a more personal way.

Matthew 1:22-23  All of this occurred to fulfill the Lord’s message through his prophet: “Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel, which means ‘God is with us.’”

The son of God came as it was promised long ago to give us victory over our enemy! King Ahaz received the promise of victory over his enemy and now with the arrival of Jesus we can celebrate our own victory.

The New Testament writers quoted Isaiah more than any other prophet, Matthew makes the connection with the prophecies of Isaiah at least a dozen times to prove that Jesus is our God and also our savior.

God with us gives us eternal hope

The "God with us" doesn't have to end! God is with us through the presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives. When we put our hope in Jesus, our Messiah, we will receive God with us through the gift of the Holy Spirit.

Romans 5:5 And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love.

God's chosen people have never deserved the privilege that God has offered to us. We don't deserve it any more than the people we read about in the Old Testament. Our friendship with God has been restored by God's mercy and grace through our savior so that we can have victory over our enemy because God is with us. (Romans 5:1-11)

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Ten Key Verses On Hope (crossway.org)

Advent Word Study: Yakhal / Hope (bibleproject.com)

God With Us: Holiness Is Required

How to be acceptable when you come before God.

Video:  The Book of Leviticus by The Bible Project

Leviticus 19:1-2  The LORD also said to Moses,  2  “Give the following instructions to the entire community of Israel. You must be holy because I, the LORD your God, am holy.

Leviticus 26:11-13  I will live among you, and I will not despise you.  12  I will walk among you; I will be your God, and you will be my people.  

13  I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt so you would no longer be their slaves. I broke the yoke of slavery from your neck so you can walk with your heads held high.

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The story line that began in Genesis continued through the book of Exodus and now we will see that it keeps on going through the next book. We saw in Exodus that the people of God were redeemed from the kingdom of darkness, they were taught how to live to please God and they have just built a place to meet their God.

Now that they have a place to meet with God they need to learn how to do it, our God is not like all of the false gods that were mean and their rules about how to relate to them were not clear. Our God gave his people the book of Leviticus as a loving revelation of the essential requirements for his people, as bad as they are, so they will know how to come into his presence.

God with us has requirements, it's easy to see that in the Old Testament, but it is still equally true today! God’s expectations for his people have not become less strict just because we don't have to go to the temple and slit the throat of a perfect sacrifice from our flock and watch it bleed out. In the church age few of us consider the cost of going to worship, it is too easy to just show up without a sacrifice and expect God to be pleased.

The Holy One commands his chosen ones to be holy.

1 Peter 1:15-17  But now you must be holy in everything you do, just as God who chose you is holy.  16  For the Scriptures say, “You must be holy because I am holy.”  17  And remember that the heavenly Father to whom you pray has no favorites. He will judge or reward you according to what you do. So you must live in reverent fear of him during your time here as “temporary residents.”

The pursuit of holiness is still required as we reside in this temporary home, progressively becoming more like our holy God, even though we will not fully obtain holiness until Jesus takes us to our permanent home. We need to realize that God isn't expecting less of us than he did of the believers of the Old Testament.

As believers, we need to be "set apart" (sanctified) from the world, we need to be living by God’s standards, not the world’s. God knows we won't be perfect, but there should still be a distinct difference seen in us. As a holy nation of priest we need to live set apart, in the world but not of it, if we are the same as the world then the world won't see anything that needs to change in their lives.

Children inherit the nature of their parents. God is holy; therefore, as His children, we should live holy lives. We are “partakers of the divine nature” and ought to reveal that nature in godly living.

-Wiersbe Bible Commentary

The culture has turned up the anti-God indoctrination in the past few years in an attempt to silence people that refuse to call evil as good. We will all be forced to decide which side we will be on, we will be tempted to lower God's holy standards, just like Israel did in the Old Testament.

The New Testament requires our holiness just as much as the Old Testament. If we truly love a holy God then we will want to please him and seek to be just like him. 

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Why Should We Bother Reading Leviticus? (biblestudytools.com)

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God With Us: Looking For A People

God has always wanted to tabernacle with his chosen people.

Exodus 25:8-9 “Have the people of Israel build me a holy sanctuary so I can live among them. 9 You must build this Tabernacle and its furnishings exactly according to the pattern I will show you.

Hebrews 8:1-2,5 Here is the main point: We have a High Priest who sat down in the place of honor beside the throne of the majestic God in heaven. 2 There he ministers in the heavenly Tabernacle, the true place of worship that was built by the Lord and not by human hands. 

5 They serve in a system of worship that is only a copy, a shadow of the real one in heaven. For when Moses was getting ready to build the Tabernacle, God gave him this warning: “Be sure that you make everything according to the pattern I have shown you here on the mountain.”

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In the beginning God created a place where he could be Emmanuel, God with us, but it didn't take long for Satan's rebellion to become our rebellion. We took Satan's advice and now we are guilty of the same sin, wanting to be God instead of serving God, but thankfully we don't have to get the same punishment that he will receive.

If you think about their circumstances in the garden it appears that Adam and Eve existed in a priestly manner. Priests are special representatives who can go into God's presence and since they were made in God's image they were ideal representatives of God. They had God given jobs to serve him by caring for his creation and filling the earth with other people that would also represent God and make him known.

God could walk his garden and fellowship with them, without sin there wasn't any fear and there wasn't any need for a special place to meet with God, the entire garden was a holy place where God could be Emmanuel.

(Video: Royal Priest of Eden on bibleproject.com)

If Adam and Eve are priest then the garden where they worked would be a foreshadow of the Tabernacle which foreshadows the Temple which ultimately foreshadows Heaven. In each of these locations God is making a way for him to be Emmanuel.

The tabernacle, like the garden of Eden, is where God dwells, and various details of the tabernacle suggest it is a mini-Eden. These parallels include the east-facing entrance guarded by cherubim, the gold, the tree of life (lampstand), and the tree of knowledge (the law). Thus God’s dwelling in the tabernacle was a step toward the restoration of paradise, which is to be completed in the new heaven and earth.

-ESV Study Bible

To get us back to God with us, God chose a people, ordinary people with hurts, habits and hang ups. God called them out from the kingdom of darkness to be his people, he called them to give up their false gods to be a kingdom of priest that would represent the true God and make him know to the rest of the world.

The priest job is most vividly seen in the way that Moses related to God and his people. Moses was God's representative, he would speak to God in intercession for the people and he would speak to the people on God's behalf.

Even with all of the miraculous events that have taken place since they left Egypt and with God's presence so visible on the mountain in the wilderness, God's people still turned on him. Israel would disobey God so much that God would leave the sacred places where he chose to meet his people and be Emmanuel, God with us. 

Jeremiah 7:4 But don’t be fooled by those who promise you safety simply because the LORD’s Temple is here. They chant, “The LORD’s Temple is here! The LORD’s Temple is here!”

Unfortunately the Tabernacle and the temple became a good luck charm. They thought that they would always have God's presence just because they had God's house. They became like the pagans by making an idol of the sacred places and believing that God would always be with them regardless of their behavior.

God left the temple but he never left his people, he has always been Emmanuel, God with us for those that truly seek him. We can see that God was with his people even when they didn't have a physical, sacred place for corporate worship and even when they were in exile because of their national sins. We can see that in the lives of people like Daniel, Ezekiel, Esther, and many other believing exiles.

The Son Of God Has Come To Dwell

Matthew 1:23 “Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel, which means ‘God is with us.’”

John 1:14 So the Word became human and made his home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. And we have seen his glory, the glory of the Father’s one and only Son.

God's plan to dwell with man has gone to the next level with the arrival of Jesus. God came to us as a simple man, an average Jewish baby, grew up in an average Jewish home, he was God yet he was fully approachable and touchable, God became more with us than man had ever know before. (John 1:1-4, Romans 1:3-4, Colossians 1:15-17)

It sounds really exciting to see so many Old Testament prophecies being fulfilled but most people didn't even take notice. God became touchable and accessible even while the priest were still working in the temple following the Old Testament rules. They didn't know that they could have Emmanuel if they would have listened to the shepherds.

Those priest didn't know it yet but they will soon be out of work. After his baptism Jesus priestly ministry began and instead of working in a temple he went to the people. Jesus priesthood looked totally different as he did God's work seeking people that needed to be restored, healing their imperfections and forgiving their sins so that they could approach God. 

(Video: The Royal Priesthood on bibleproject.com)

The New Priest And The New Temple

1 John 4:14-15  Furthermore, we have seen with our own eyes and now testify that the Father sent his Son to be the Savior of the world.  15  All who declare that Jesus is the Son of God have God living in them, and they live in God.

Jesus came to be our High Priest, he is in Heaven interceding for us, we then have the right to be priest that do God's work and intercede for others down here. Jesus perfect sacrifice makes us acceptable to God so that we can become priest that show God to the rest of the world. (1 Peter 2:9, Hebrews 8:1-2) 

And now, thanks to Jesus, we can have Emmanuel, God with us living within us, you can't get any closer than that. The barrier has been removed because our sin has been forgiven and we have God's spirit living in us. The Jews at the Western Wall don't realize that they are closest to God when they are standing at the wall next to a believer. (Romans 8:10-11, 1Corinthians 3:16, Galatians 2:20)

As God's chosen people and his royal priest we can only please God when we are living by the rules that his priest should obey. We should be famous for love without boundaries, for turning the other cheek and treating others much better than we think they deserve. When we do these things we fulfill our role as a royal priest and a peculiar people. (Leviticus 19:16-18, 33-34 / 1 John 3:11-18 / Romans 12:9-21)

Revelation 21:1-3  Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the old heaven and the old earth had disappeared. And the sea was also gone.  2  And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven like a bride beautifully dressed for her husband.  3  I heard a loud shout from the throne, saying, “Look, God’s home is now among his people! He will live with them, and they will be his people. God himself will be with them.

Throughout scripture you can see over and over again that one of the ultimate themes of the Bible is to have a people that chose him so that he can dwell with them so that their lives will point to him. I need to fulfill my role as a royal priest and live a peculiar life that shows the people around me that I have found the source of all goodness, love and mercy.

God Is Looking For A People
Old Testament (biblegateway.com) New Testament (biblegateway.com)

History will end just as it started, with God dwelling with his people but this time it will be for eternity. God has created a place where he will be Emmanuel, God with us, without the effects of sin on our relationship with him. We will enjoy the unlimited goodness of God for an unlimited amount of time!

Are you ready to leave the bondage of the kingdom of darkness to spend eternity in the promised land? Find out how you can have peace with God so that you can dwell with him forever.

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God With Us (discovertheword.org)

God Leaves the Temple (ligonier.org)

31 Reasons Why Jesus Came (kevinhalloran.net)

Peace On Earth

Singing glory, glory let there be peace, let it start in me.

Video: Matt Maher - "Glory (Let There Be Peace)"

One star burns in the darkness

Shines with the promise, Emmanuel

One child born in the stillness

Living within us, Emmanuel

We're singing glory, glory

Let there be peace, let there be peace

Singing glory, glory

Let there be peace, let it is start in me

One voice speaks for the voiceless

Hope for the hopeless, Emmanuel

One love brings us together

Now and forever, Emmanuel

We're singing glory, glory

Let there be peace, let there be peace

Singing glory, glory

Let there be peace, let it is start in me

Do not be afraid His love is strong enough to save us

Nothing stands in the way His love is strong enough to lead us

Do not be afraid His love is strong enough to save us

Nothing stands in the way His love is strong enough to lead us

We sing glory, glory let there be peace, let there be peace

Singing glory, glory let there be peace, let it start in me

Singing glory, glory let there be peace, let there be peace

Singing glory, glory let there be peace, let it start in me

Let there be peace, let it start in me

Peace On Earth
Luke 1:78-79 Because of God's tender mercy, the morning light from heaven is about to break upon us, 79 to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, and to guide us to the path of peace." Luke 2:14 "Glory to God in highest heaven, and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased."

God With Us: This Changes Everything!

We are so familiar with "God with us" that we don't really consider what that means.

Matthew 1:18-25  This is how Jesus the Messiah was born. His mother, Mary, was engaged to be married to Joseph. But before the marriage took place, while she was still a virgin, she became pregnant through the power of the Holy Spirit.  19  Joseph, her fiance, was a good man and did not want to disgrace her publicly, so he decided to break the engagement quietly.

20  As he considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream. "Joseph, son of David," the angel said, "do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife. For the child within her was conceived by the Holy Spirit.  21  And she will have a son, and you are to name Him Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins."

22  All of this occurred to fulfill the Lord's message through His prophet:  23  "Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son, and they will call Him Emmanuel, which means 'God is with us.'"  24  When Joseph woke up, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded and took Mary as his wife.  25  But he did not have sexual relations with her until her son was born. And Joseph named Him Jesus.

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The familiarity that we have of the scripture about Christmas makes us tune out early when we hear a sermon or a Sunday school lesson on the subject. The familiar doesn’t speak to us as well as it should, the awesomeness of the Christmas story disappears and the mind blowing reality of the facts fade away.

There are a lot of names and titles given to Jesus but the most significant is Emmanuel, this name which Matthew refers to in his Gospel (Matthew 1:23), was first given to Jesus by the prophet Isaiah 700 years before his birth (Isaiah 7:14).

Slow down and focus for a minute, consider the awesomeness and how mind blowing this simple phrase is, look at each word:

“God With Us”

God

The world cannot come up with enough ways to distract us from the real reason that we celebrate at this time of year. There was a time when almost everybody in the United States knew what the celebration was all about but in today's world the truth about Christmas has been lost.

Luke 2:20  The shepherds went back to their flocks, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen. It was just as the angel had told them.

The one and only true God came into our world! The promise that the prophets shared with us has come to pass. As Jesus grew into a man there was plenty of proof that convinced the people that knew him that he is God.

Who Is Jesus? Here Is Some Proof
Who Is Jesus? Here Are Some Witnesses
More Evidence That God Sent His Son

Many of the other religious systems would tolerate it but the first century Jew was the least likely to worship a human being and yet the Bible tells us that Jesus was being worshiped right after his birth by the shepherds. Later the crowd would worship him as he entered Jerusalem just before he became the Passover lamb.

With

The Bible shows that the characters in the Christmas story all knew that God was with them! But wasn't God always with the human race?  Yes, God was with us but the baby changes how we relate to God.

Where Is Jesus In The Old Testament?

God, the Creator, has always been with His creation, but the God we see in the Old Testament was always terrifying.

Exodus 19:16-18  On the morning of the third day, thunder roared and lightning flashed, and a dense cloud came down on the mountain. There was a long, loud blast from a ram's horn, and all the people trembled. Moses led them out from the camp to meet with God, and they stood at the foot of the mountain. All of Mount Sinai was covered with smoke because the LORD had descended on it in the form of fire. The smoke billowed into the sky like smoke from a brick kiln, and the whole mountain shook violently.

God became vulnerable and instead of being scary, the baby that is with us in the manger is the polar opposite of God as we see him in the Old Testament, the terror and fear are gone. Moses would wonder why we don't celebrate this amazing event in a manner that is more suitable for the reality of God with us. (2 Corinthians 3:12-18)

Us

Who is the us that God came to be with? The rich and powerful were not chosen to be the ones that God revealed the child to. The dirty, the weary and oppressed, people that were hungry and desperate, those are the people that Jesus came to be with.

The spiritually hungry people that come to Jesus with nothing, no works or defense for their sin. We must come to God on his terms, see ourselves the way that he sees us and then we will be able to receive great gifts from him.

Galatians 4:4-7 But when the right time came, God sent His Son, born of a woman, subject to the law. 5 God sent Him to buy freedom for us who were slaves to the law, so that He could adopt us as His very own children.

6 And because we are His children, God has sent the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, prompting us to call out, "Abba, Father." 7 Now you are no longer a slave but God's own child. And since you are His child, God has made you His heir. 

This baby changed world history but he also changed my history. My desperate situation is completely gone and now as God's son I am an heir of the kingdom. The baby can change your history as well!

Just look at the great lengths that Jesus took to draw near. God kept his promise to draw near to us but we have to be willing to draw near to him. How can we ignore such an opportunity to be in close fellowship with our creator?

It will cost me some time, I will have to get out of bed earlier, I will have to find a quiet place to meet with him, and push aside all of the distractions. But who cares! The chance to meet with God is an amazing opportunity that we should take advantage of.

"Christmas Changes Everything" by Josh Wilson

God with us changes everything, I can relate with him in a the most intimate, personal relationship imaginable with Him. I can approach God without shame or fear, I can depend on Him for all things and walk daily knowing that God is with me.

I need to take the time to really ponder the reality of God with us, I need to make the familiar story fresh again and see it with new eyes.

RELATED ARTICLES

God With Us (redeemer.com)

Why Did Jesus Come As A Baby? (crosswalk.com)

Why Did Christ Come (desiringgod.org)

God Sent His Son

Consider the evidence and you will see that it isn't hard to believe that God is with us.

John 3:16-17  "For God loved the world so much that He gave His one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life.  17  God sent His Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through Him.

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Think about the phrase "God with us." Is it an amazing thought? Probably not. The story of Christ birth is so familiar to us that we don't find any of it to be exciting or magnificent. This is only life changing and amazing if you really believe that "God is with us," if you say the phrase without any excitement in your voice then perhaps you aren't getting it. The celebration is nothing more that a good reason to have a party and get some stuff that you probably don't need.

There is no one in history that has been described with more titles than Jesus Christ. He is called "Bright morning star, Wonderful Counselor, the Root of Jesse, the Alpha and the Omega, or the Lamb of God, he is the gate and the good shepherd" each of these titles is rich with meaning.

They all say something significant about who Jesus is however there is no name more significant than "Immanuel." If it is true that Jesus is "God with us" then our tepid response to him is completely inappropriate. If it is true then the implications for us are tremendous.

Some people think that the birth of Jesus is just another birth and that there isn't any reason to think that the Bible is accurate when it tells us that a virgin gave birth to someone special.

Is the birth of our Savior anything less than a miracle or could this baby be just an ordinary child? If you only look at the virgin birth claim from Mary and look at nothing else then you will find it easy to dismiss her assertion but let's look at the other evidence that proves that God sent us his son.

The prophets said that God will be with us.

Isaiah 7:14 All right then, the Lord Himself will give you the sign. Look! The virgin will conceive a Child! She will give birth to a Son and will call Him Immanuel (which means 'God is with us').

The prophets that spoke about Jesus birth seven hundred years before he arrived help prove Mary's assertion that she was still a virgin. These men told us that Jesus would be born of a virgin, in Bethlehem and that his earthly parents would be descendants of King David. (Micah 5:2, Isaiah 7:14, Isaiah 9:7) The prophets even told us that Jesus family would leave Bethlehem to hide in Egypt until Herod was out of the picture. (Hosea 11:1).

It would be impossible for someone to decide before they were born that they would fulfill a bunch of prophecies in order to trick us. The predictions about Jesus birth help us believe that he is God's son and he was born without an earthly father.

Messengers from heaven announce his birth.

Luke 2:8-11 That night there were shepherds staying in the fields nearby, guarding their flocks of sheep. 9 Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord’s glory surrounded them. They were terrified, 10 but the angel reassured them. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. 11 The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David!

If the prophets are not enough to verify that the child in Mary's womb was a miracle birth then take a look at the next supernatural event connected to Jesus arrival. The shepherds story gives us insight into the identity of this child.

The shepherds were in the fields outside of Bethlehem when they became terrified by a visit from a lot of angels that announced the birth of Israel’s long-awaited Messiah. They were told that this was good news of great joy for everybody and soon the shepherds were joining in with the angels in celebration.

A special sign in the sky

Matthew 2:1-2 Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the reign of King Herod. About that time some wise men from eastern lands arrived in Jerusalem, asking, 2 “Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We saw his star as it rose, and we have come to worship him.”

A spectacular light in the sky gave additional credibility to Mary's story. A star that showed a group of Gentile seekers that the event that they had been waiting for had finally taken place. This group of wise men knew about the prophecies of the Old Testament and they knew what the sign in the sky meant.

Perhaps their ancestors had learned about the prophecies through the prophet Daniel while the Jews were in captivity in Babylon. While in exile 400 years before Christ birth Daniel had a vision that he may have shared that allowed the wise men to know about the sign of the Jewish Messiah.

Jesus arrival was:

✔ Predicted with great detail long before it happened.
✔ Announced and celebrated with a lot of heavenly delight.
✔ Marked with a supernatural sign in the sky.

All of this was done to help us believe that Jesus is God's son that came to be with us, to serve us, to suffer with us and most of all he came to save us.

What sent the shepherds back to the fields rejoicing, what made the wise men fall down in wonder in the shadow of that babe, was the gripping realization that they were in the presence of their Creator.

Christmas is all about getting near him, look at what he did to get close to you, what are you doing to get close to him? What are you doing to be with him? What are you doing to be with him?

Thank you Lord for allowing us to get to know you, for loving us and for caring about our need. Thank you for making it obvious that you came to be Emmanuel (God with us).

Need more evidence?

Emmanuel - God With Us

All that is within me cries for you alone be glorified

MercyMe - God With Us

Who are we that You would be mindful of us?

What do You see that's worth looking our way?

We are free in ways that we never should be.

Sweet release from the grip of these chains.

Like hinges straining from the weight,

My heart no longer can keep from singing.

All that is within me cries

For You alone be glorified:

Emmanuel, God with us.

My heart sings a brand new song.

The debt is paid, these chains are gone.

Emmanuel, God with us.

Lord, You know our hearts don't deserve Your glory;

Still You show a love we cannot afford.

Like hinges straining from the weight,

My heart no longer can keep from singing.

All that is within me cries

For You alone be glorified:

Emmanuel, God with us.

My heart sings a brand new song.

The debt is paid, these chains are gone.

Emmanuel, God with us.

Such a tiny offering

Compared to Calvary;

Nevertheless,

We lay it at Your feet.

Such a tiny offering

Compared to Calvary;

Nevertheless,

We lay it at Your feet.

All that is within me cries

For You alone be glorified:

Emmanuel, God with us.

My heart sings a brand new song.

The debt is paid, these chains are gone.

Emmanuel, God with us.

A Not So Silent Night

Can you imagine walking into Bethlehem that night? I imagine that it wasn't a "silent night."

Luke 2:1-20  At that time the Roman emperor, Augustus, decreed that a census should be taken throughout the Roman Empire. 2 (This was the first census taken when Quirinius was governor of Syria.)

3 All returned to their own ancestral towns to register for this census. 4 And because Joseph was a descendant of King David, he had to go to Bethlehem in Judea, David’s ancient home. He traveled there from the village of Nazareth in Galilee. 5 He took with him Mary, his fiancée, who was now obviously pregnant.

6 And while they were there, the time came for her baby to be born. 7 She gave birth to her first child, a son. She wrapped him snugly in strips of cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was no lodging available for them.

8 That night there were shepherds staying in the fields nearby, guarding their flocks of sheep.

9 Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord’s glory surrounded them. They were terrified, 10 but the angel reassured them. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. 11 The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David! 12 And you will recognize him by this sign: You will find a baby wrapped snugly in strips of cloth, lying in a manger.”

13 Suddenly, the angel was joined by a vast host of others—the armies of heaven—praising God and saying,

14 “Glory to God in highest heaven, and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased.”

15 When the angels had returned to heaven, the shepherds said to each other, “Let’s go to Bethlehem! Let’s see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”

16 They hurried to the village and found Mary and Joseph. And there was the baby, lying in the manger. 17 After seeing him, the shepherds told everyone what had happened and what the angel had said to them about this child. 18 All who heard the shepherds’ story were astonished, 19 but Mary kept all these things in her heart and thought about them often. 20 The shepherds went back to their flocks, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen. It was just as the angel had told them. 

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There were thousands of people that had traveled home to Bethlehem that needed a place to stay. No doubt there were people that had never left their home town that could offer a place to stay to their friends and family.

Can you imagine how much noise these two groups of people made as they were reunited with their family and friends? I imagine that there were a lot of parties, a lot of feasting and a lot of alcohol being abused. They probably walked into town and saw all of this partying, shouting, loud music and they probably had to step around some drunks in the street.

After three days of walking from Nazareth to Bethlehem, perhaps she was able to ride a donkey, the expectant mom is ready to lay down in a comfortable bed. Instead they walk into a packed town that wasn't set-up for tourist and of course there isn't a room available.

Imagine Mary laying in a stable, just on the outskirts of town, she must have been nervous, being in a strange place surrounded by a town full of people that didn't care. Why did she have to give birth here? Why not back in Nazareth with a mid-wife and her mother?

There was a much more pleasant noise that night. It was coming from the fields just across the way from the stable, it started out as one angel giving an announcement and ended up being a huge crowd of angels singing and praising God.

The shepherds work was more important at night because of the threats from thieves and predators but they didn't let that stop them from checking out the exciting news. After-all the angels told them that "The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David!" How could they possibly stay with the sheep, they hurried to see baby Jesus and after they left him the shepherds told everybody that they could about him.

This world is full of noise from everywhere, most of it isn't good news, rather it is bad news, confusion and lies. I need to make some noise about Jesus, noise that tells about the peace and forgiveness that he came to earth to give.

Thank you Lord for the hope that you give us. Help me to shut-out the noise of the season and celebrate your birth.

A Sign To Give Us Hope

Jesus birth is predicted, God will be with us in our world.

Isaiah 7:13-14  Then Isaiah said, “Listen well, you royal family of David! Isn’t it enough to exhaust human patience? Must you exhaust the patience of my God as well?

All right then, the Lord himself will give you the sign. Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son and will call him Immanuel (which means ‘God is with us’).

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This was a tense time in the history of Judah, there was the potential for war with the allied forces of the king of Aram and the king of Israel. King Ahaz decided to rely on human strength and he bought protection from the king of Assyria.

Isaiah reminds Ahaz that his kingdom would be protected and urges Ahaz to ask God for a sign. Ahaz refused to ask for a sign so Isaiah gave him a sign anyway, this sign was a prediction of the coming Messiah.

The long awaited Messiah was to come from Judah, obviously that wouldn't be possible if some country annihilated the tribe of Judah, surely God would sustain her with his protection. Despite Ahaz's lack of faith and his disregard for God, the Lord would keep his covenant that he made to King David.

It is hard to imagine "God with us” that he could be walking the earth that he created. "God with us" should bring us a great amount of comfort but it could be a frightening thought as well. God want's to show his favor, love, mercy and protection but it could be that we have not been faithful to him and having "God with us" should make us very afraid.

Jesus is God with us

John 1:14  So the Word became human and made His home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. And we have seen His glory, the glory of the Father's one and only Son.

Are you ready for "God with us?" This Christmas season can be the time for the Lord's favor to be upon you, will you be obedient to God and rely on him for your strength and protection? I need to trust in God, not on my own strength or on anybody else.

Thank you Lord for your concern for your people, your love is amazing, I pray that I will live all of my days walking with you, relying on your strength. Thank you for being with me and for the hope that your son gives us.