Jesus our Emmanuel

Reading from Exodus 33, verses 7 through 23.

Exodus 33:7–23

While the Lord spoke with Moses, whenever the people saw the pillar of cloud standing at the entrance to the tent, they all stood and worshipped, each at the entrance to his tent.

The Lord would speak to Moses face to face as a man speaks to his friend.

Then Moses would return to the camp, but his young assistant Joshua, son of Nun, did not leave the tent.

Moses said to the Lord, You have been telling me, Lead these people, but you have not let me know whom you will send with me.

You have said, I know you by name, and you have found favor with me.

If you are pleased with me, teach me your ways so that I may know you and continue to find favor with you.

Remember that this nation is your people.

The Lord replied, My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.

Then Moses said to him, If your presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here.

How will anyone know that you are pleased with me and with your people unless you go with us?

What else will distinguish me and your people from all the other people on the face of the earth?

And the Lord said to Moses, I will do this very thing you have asked because I am pleased with you, and I know you by name.

Then Moses said, Now show me your glory.

And the Lord said, I will cause all my goodness to pass in front of you, and I will proclaim my name, the Lord, in your presence.

I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.

But he said, You cannot see my face, for no one may see me and live.

Then the Lord said, There is a place near me where you may stand on a rock.

When my glory passes by, I will put you in the cleft in the rock and cover you with my hand until I have passed by.

Then I will remove my hand, and you will see my back, but my face must not be seen.

This is the word of the Lord.

Thank you, Keith.

So we're thinking today about Jesus, our Emmanuel.

Thinking about that as one of the big ideas that we find through the Bible.

But I want to begin with a surprising treat that I had last week.

Because last week I got to enjoy a new view of the city.

Because I got to see Prince's Street from up on the roof.

And it was wonderful to be able to get a great panorama.

And then it was wonderful to see different details about the street.

So then when I came down to street level, I had a new appreciation.

Maybe you've had that experience with this whole earth from the air thing.

A chance to see the familiar in a new way.

Now I hope and pray that today Emmanuel might be like that.

This idea of God with us might be like that for us.

It's maybe a word we're familiar with.

Especially at this time of year, we sing the songs.

We do the readings.

But to think together.

To take the big panoramic view of God with us through the Bible.

To see the Emmanuel principle through the whole Bible.

To recognize that actually the goal of God saving people.

Is it so we might enjoy life in his presence forever.

That we'd understand that.

And then we'd be able to think about the significance for our day-to-day life.

That we'd have a new appreciation.

Having seen the big story.

We'd have a new appreciation for what it means for our salvation.

And what it means for our fellowship with God.

And what it means for our understanding of the beauty of God.

As we recognize Jesus as Emmanuel.

God with us.

Okay, so we're going to begin with Emmanuel from the air.

We're going to look at six locations.

To see this theme through the whole Bible.

To see God with us at the center.

So we will begin at the beginning.

So let me take us all to the Garden of Eden.

And there in those first three chapters of the Bible.

We discover the desire of God our creator.

Is that he would dwell with people made in his image.

To dwell with Adam and Eve.

That they would see and enjoy his glory.

And that glory would then spread from the Garden of Eden.

To the ends of the earth.

That was God's goal.

Of course, Adam and Eve.

If we know our Bibles.

We know that they fell into sin.

And rather than enjoying the presence of God.

They're hiding.

They find themselves under the curse.

And ultimately, they find themselves banished from the Garden of Eden.

And they see the angel with the flaming sword of God's judgment.

Denying them access back in.

But God's desire remains unchanged.

He will be the God who is with his people.

And now that's going to work out in the story of salvation.

We're going to see that in the rest of the Bible.

So the next place we'll go to.

Is we'll go to the story of the Exodus.

And ultimately to the promised land.

So think with me of Moses.

Moses, God's chosen redeemer.

And Moses is called.

And God says to him throughout his story.

Remember, I am with you.

As he is called to lead the nation of Egypt out of slavery.

He's called to do that.

So that the people of God might enjoy life in the promised land with their God.

And we see God's presence all through the story.

We see it as a pillar of cloud and a pillar of fire.

Led them through the wilderness.

We see it as they arrive at Mount Sinai.

And there's God in the cloud.

And there's the thunder.

And there's the rumblings.

We read about it in Exodus 33.

Moses had that amazing privilege of talking with God face to face.

And Moses recognized that God's people need God's presence.

So he insists that God would be with them as they anticipate going into the promised land.

Now, of course, Moses doesn't get there.

But Joshua, his assistant, he does lead the people into the promised land.

And again, Joshua chapter 1.

Joshua 1 · chapter mention

Joshua is fearful of the responsibility he has.

And God comes to him numerous times saying, I will be with you.

I am with you.

Leading the people into the promised land.

And that promised land is for them like Eden.

Here they are in God's place, under God's rule.

And they're enjoying God's blessing.

They know God with them.

But their story, too, is marked by sin.

Marked by rebellion.

Marked by idolatry.

We read Exodus 33.

But Exodus 32 is the story of the golden calf.

As they make an idol instead of worshiping the one true God.

And ultimately, we know that the disobedience of the people is so great that numerous times they're driven into exile.

Staying with the promised land, we're going to zoom into the temple.

As our third location, we're also thinking about the tabernacle.

Tabernacle and temple are the literal heart and center of the life of God's people.

And God, in his kindness, as it were, set the tabernacle, then the temple, as his physical address on the earth.

This is where God would meet with his people.

That behind the curtain in the holy of holies was where God's throne was.

That's where his presence resided.

Although, as Solomon said, the whole earth and heavens couldn't contain the glory of our God.

And we see in the story of Israel that the tabernacle and the temple are vital to their life.

It's the place where they worship.

It's the place where they offer sacrifice.

And it's the place they go to meet with to enjoy the glory of God.

But in their story, the temple, too, becomes unclean.

There is false worship.

The prophet Ezekiel anticipates a day when God's glory would depart, when he would leave his temple.

So as you look at the Old Testament, as you look at the big picture of the Old Testament,

you see God desires and God promises that he would be Emmanuel, God with his people.

But we also see there's this great barrier, the people's sin.

And so the question is, how is God going to fulfill this promise?

And that takes us to our fourth location.

And that takes us to the story of Advent.

Matthew chapter 1, verses 21 to 23.

Matthew 1:21–23

The words that we read last week, let me read them again for us now,

so that we can hear the words of the angel to Joseph and to recognize their significance.

So verse 21.

Mary will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus,

because he will save his people from their sins.

All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet.

The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Emmanuel,

which means God with us.

The virgin birth is the great miracle.

But the great miracle is also that here is God with us.

This is who is to be born.

That God's promise will be kept not in a tabernacle, not in a temple,

but as the Son of God comes to take on flesh and dwell among us.

John chapter 1, verse 14.

John 1:14

The Word became flesh, and we've seen his glory.

The glory is of the one and only, full of grace and truth.

In the coming of Jesus, God's glory and God's presence comes up close and personal.

We discover Jesus is God who saves, and he is the God who saves as the God who is with us.

And so, as we look at the life of Jesus, we see the glory of God with his people,

and then we see the wonder of his saving plan,

that in the death and resurrection of Jesus, the one who is God with us,

he now opens up for us the way of access back into life with God.

The sin barrier is torn down.

Jesus pays for sin so that new life with God is possible.

Now, let's move from our fourth location from Nazareth to our fifth location

as we think about this Emmanuel idea, and we need to come to the church.

Now, sometimes people have the idea, maybe have the imagination,

wouldn't it be wonderful?

Wouldn't it be just the best thing ever to have walked with Jesus,

to have talked with Jesus, to have been there as he did the miracles?

And of course it would have been.

But remember, for example, what Jesus said to Thomas in John chapter 20.

John 20 · chapter mention

He said, after Thomas saw the risen Lord Jesus,

you have seen and believed.

Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe.

Or to think about Jesus' words to his disciples before going to the cross,

when he said, it's better for you that I go away.

And you're thinking, how can it be better?

And the reason is that Jesus is going to come to be present with his people

as the Spirit comes to dwell in us.

The new address of Jesus on the earth is now in the hearts of his people.

Jesus now dwells with his church.

We become the living temple in which God dwells by his Spirit.

And then to go back to Eden for a moment,

you and I, just like Adam and Eve, we have, as Christians, the same task.

We are image bearers and we have seen the glory of God

and we are sent to spread the glory of God through the world,

to spread the light of Jesus through the world.

So that's our fifth location.

We have one place to go.

We started in Eden.

We need to go right to the end of the Bible

to think about the new heaven and the new earth.

So remember, Advent is a time of waiting.

We're not waiting for Jesus, our King, to come.

The first time we're waiting for Jesus to return,

to establish his kingdom and to make everything new.

Turn with me, if you have a Bible, to Revelation 21.

Here is the goal.

Here is God with us as it reaches its climax.

And as we read it, we recognize here too is the world

that you and I want more than anything else.

Revelation 21 at verse 3.

I heard a loud voice from the throne saying,

Look, God's dwelling place is now among the people

and he will dwell with them.

They will be his people and God himself will be with them

and be their God.

And what will this be like?

He will wipe every tear from their eyes.

There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain

for the old order of things has passed away.

That's the goal of our salvation right there.

Eternal life in a restored world,

enjoying the presence of God forever.

So we think about Emmanuel from the air.

And what do we see as we look through the Bible?

We see God's unstoppable desire to call a people to himself

so that we would enjoy his presence and glory.

We see too Emmanuel as a principle that stands at the heart of this story of Christmas.

Here is Jesus come to be God with us to keep God's promise.

And we need to recognize this,

that in Jesus,

God is inviting you and me to enjoy his friendship,

to enjoy life with God.

It's an invitation to trust him and to worship him

and to enjoy him this Advent, this Christmas,

for all of our lives.

So we've taken the tour.

And hopefully you have that sense of wonder

that this lies at the heart of the story of the Bible.

But maybe we have the question,

but now what?

What's this got to do with me today or tomorrow or this week?

So let's go back down to street level.

Now let's think about Emmanuel,

not from the air,

but Emmanuel on the ground.

Three things to think about.

Three implications.

First thing,

salvation depends on Jesus,

our Emmanuel.

There is no salvation

without Jesus becoming one of us.

Maybe you can think with me of those signs

that you sometimes see on building sites,

depending on what kind of site they are.

Something along the lines of,

no unauthorized entry,

danger of death.

Well, the Bible would say that

because of our sin nature,

we are unable and unauthorized

to enjoy life with God.

Indeed, His perfect holiness

and our sinfulness renders us

in terrible danger.

And our situation is hopeless without Jesus.

We cannot enjoy the life we were made for

by ourselves.

We simply cannot ascend to God's level,

try as we might.

Perhaps we have tried that,

tried to be really moral or really religious,

but the reality is that we lack

the perfect obedience,

the absolute holiness,

and the unwavering love

that God expects.

And if we try to ascend to God's level

without Jesus,

we will find ourselves full of insecurity

and doubts and fears,

and ultimately we will fail

because we simply cannot go up to God.

But the good news is that

Jesus, our Emmanuel,

has come down fully God

and fully man,

the glory of God

has come down to us,

the love of God

has come down to us

in Jesus, the Son of God.

It's Jesus who will be born

in Bethlehem

to die at Calvary.

Jesus, we know,

dies on the outside of the city.

He is on the outside.

Why?

So that we, by faith in Him,

might be brought in

and brought near.

Jesus, we know,

goes under the sword

of God's judgment.

Why?

So that by faith in Him,

we need not face

that condemnation.

Jesus on the cross

loses a sense

of His Father's presence.

He feels the anger of God

as He becomes our sin-bearer

so that He cannot know

and enjoy God's love.

Why?

So that we might know

God's love for all eternity.

Our salvation depends on Jesus,

our Emmanuel,

coming to be with us

and for us.

So if we don't know Him today,

here is an invitation

to turn to Him

and to trust Him,

to trust Him,

to forgive our sin

and to give us life

with God.

So that's the first

implication

of this Emmanuel principle.

Secondly,

Jesus,

our Emmanuel,

makes fellowship

with God

possible.

There's this wonderful reality

that we need to experience

as Christians

to recognize

that we enjoy

the same level

of communion

and friendship

with God

that the disciples had

as they ate

and as they spoke

with the Lord Jesus.

Because our God

isn't a God

who has stayed

at arm's length.

Rather,

He has walked

in our shoes

and now He lives

in our hearts.

And He's promised

to be with us

always.

Matthew's gospel

begins

with Emmanuel,

Emmanuel,

but He also

ends with

Emmanuel.

Again,

if you want to turn

in your Bible

to Matthew chapter 28,

Matthew 28 · chapter mention

we come to

what's known

as the Great Commission.

So Jesus has risen.

He is shortly

to ascend

back to glory

in heaven

with His Father.

And in Matthew chapter 28

Matthew 28 · chapter mention

and verse 18,

we read this,

Jesus came to them,

that's the eleven disciples,

and said,

All authority

in heaven

and on earth

has been given to me.

Therefore,

go and make disciples

of all nations,

baptizing them

in the name

of the Father

and of the Son

and of the Holy Spirit

and teaching them

to obey everything

I have commanded you.

And surely,

I am with you

always

to the very

end of the age.

The life

of God's people

is life

with Jesus.

The mission

of God's people

is mission

we do

with Jesus.

Every moment

of our life

as Christians,

we enjoy

the presence

of Jesus.

Think about

what that means

for

where we are

right now.

Perhaps

the family tensions

that we have,

perhaps the new

work patterns

we're adjusting to,

the big financial

decisions

we're having

to make.

But think too

about the regular

and the everyday.

As we spend time

with family and friends,

as we look to share

the meaning of Christmas

with somebody

who hasn't heard

the good news yet,

in all of those moments,

if our faith

is in Jesus,

He is with us

and we are never alone.

And do you know,

as Christians,

that's something

we must keep

reminding ourselves of

so that we would

value this

above anything

in our lives.

And one thing

practically that means

for us is that

we should never

neglect the

ordinary means

that God has given

in His kindness

for us to enjoy

fellowship with Him.

That's why we come

to church.

So,

the Emmanuel principle

is there at the

beginning of Matthew,

it's there at the

end of Matthew,

but it's also there

in the middle,

Matthew chapter 18.

Matthew 18 · chapter mention

we find Jesus

saying,

where two or three

gather in my name,

I am with them.

Now,

we all know,

whether we're at home

or whether we're here,

that church doesn't feel

the way it used to.

But here's this

wonderful promise

that regardless of how

Jesus is with us

right now

in order to bless us

and do us good

and to remind us

of the gospel

and our hope.

And so,

church matters.

whenever we read

the Bible,

Jesus would speak

truth to us

by the same Spirit

who inspired the Word.

That Spirit comes

to illuminate

our understanding,

to make it alive,

that we would know

more of Jesus,

that we would see

Jesus on every page

so that we might

worship

and enjoy Him.

where else do we enjoy

fellowship with the Lord?

As we pray.

I read an article this week

by a pastor in the States

called David Platt

who said,

stop praying for stuff,

start praying for God.

because he was coming

to that point

of understanding

that the greatest thing

that we need

as Christians,

the greatest gift

we have

to offer

is the presence

of God

in our lives

day by day

by day.

And so,

we have church,

we have Bible,

we have prayer,

we have fellowship,

those ordinary means

that God gives us

so that

that sense of being

in the presence

of Jesus

might be everyday

reality for us.

One last implication.

We see the beauty

of God

in Jesus

our Emmanuel.

You know,

sometimes

you'll hear

maybe if there's

particularly significant

things happening

up in the sky,

not typically

this time of year

because we don't see

much of the sun,

but you know

you get those warnings

about looking at the sun.

You know,

His glory is so bright

it would just burn

our eyeballs.

And so,

if you want to look

at the sun,

you need a filter.

And so,

the people that say

they need a filter

to look on

its glory.

Now,

let me take us back

to Exodus 33.

Remember Moses' request?

He wanted to see God

and God said,

no one may see me

and live.

But now we come

to the announcement

of the angel

in Matthew chapter 21

Matthew 21 · chapter mention

and what's been told

to us about Jesus.

Jesus is God with us.

So,

Jesus is the filter

by which you and I

can safely see

the glory of God

and not be burned up,

but rather,

we can receive grace

and we can receive life.

Jesus makes the glory

and the beauty of God

relatable to us.

As John Calvin said,

His words and actions

bring Him

within human range.

So,

we might have the question,

what is God like?

And we can answer

and say,

look at Jesus.

He is God with us.

So,

on the one hand,

we can think about

His absolute authority

as He does those

powerful miracles,

as He heals the sick,

as He still storms,

as He raises the dead,

and we see Him loving

the poor

and the weak

and welcoming

the children

and the marginalized.

We hear Jesus say,

I am the only way to God

because I am God,

but we also see Him

washing His disciples' feet

and dying on the cross

for sinners like you

and like me.

And as we see

the beauty of God

in Jesus,

again,

we are to trust Him.

We are to worship Him.

We are to enjoy Him.

So, this Advent,

we both worship

and we wait for Emmanuel.

We worship

because Emmanuel has come

and He's come

bringing salvation

He's come opening up

the way for us

to enjoy fellowship

and friendship with God.

He's come to reveal

the glory of God to us,

the glorious presence of God.

We see it

when we look at Jesus.

But we're also waiting.

We're also waiting

for Emmanuel to return,

to establish His kingdom

once and for all,

to establish that world

without pain and sickness

and tears and death,

that world where He is

at the center,

where all is worship

and joy,

whereby faith in Jesus,

we get to enjoy

His presence forever.

Let's not miss this

at Christmas.

Let's not miss this

in our lives,

that Jesus has come

as Emmanuel,

God with us.

The Redeemer of the Soul

and Heaven

the Cons model

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