In the Book "CHRISTMAS  SPOKEN  HERE",  there is a story told of  a  little  girl  who  was  hospitalized  during  the Christmas season.  As the days passed and the test results were collected it became obvious that she would not be able to be home on Christmas.  In an effort to overcome this unfortunate circumstance, her wealthy and prosperous parents showered her with expensive gifts.   There were stuffed animals including a 6 foot tall giraffe, dolls and dollhouses and games of every kind imaginable.   The room looked like a miniature "TOYS‑R‑US".
       Every time her parents came to the hospital they brought another present.  But  the  little  girl's parents were never able to stay  very  long  at  the  hospital because they were always running off to the  next social function and Christmas party.  One day the little girl was particularly sad and she held desperately onto her mother and father as they leaned over to give her a hug and a kiss before rushing off to the next social event.  The mother tried to interest the little girl in the newest toy, but the little girl with tears in her eyes cried, "DAD AND MOM, I WANT YOU TO BE HERE WITH ME!"
       How often isn’t that our need as well?    We want someone to be with us and love us!  We want someone to care for us, to be with us, to listen to us, to hold us in their arms.   And the Good News is that we are reminded of this truth from God's Word how God has answered that need in the newborn Christ Child‑ IMMANUEL‑ GOD IS WITH US!
       The prophet Isaiah in our Old Testament lesson reminds us of the importance and meaning of this little baby born in Bethlehem over 2000 years ago.   Matthew quoted these words in Matthew 1: 23, our text for today which says, "THE VIRGIN WILL BE WITH CHILD AND WILL GIVE BIRTH TO A SON AND WILL CALL HIS NAME "IMMANUEL" WHICH MEANS GOD IS WITH US!"
       We have  gathered  to worship today to remember and to celebrate that  Glorious Birth on Christmas Day‑ to acknowledge  God's  fulfillment  of  that prophecy in Isaiah!  Jesus Christ is in fact "GOD WITH US" in the fullest sense of the word because He  is the Physical presence of God in the world today and continues  to live in our world and in our lives today!
       As Christmas approaches, we sometimes forget this truth that GOD HIMSELF came into the world in the form of a baby born in Bethlehem. It is easy to say and to think, "WHY FOCUS UPON A BABY BORN NEARLY 2000 YEARS AGO?"  WHAT HAS THIS BABY NAMED "IMMANUEL" DONE FOR ME RECENTLY?  The baby's name sounds Hebrew and Greek to me.   In fact it is a Hebrew word “IMMANUEL” which captures the meaning of who Jesus Christ is "GOD WITH US!
       I saw a church bulletin board recently that reminded me of the true meaning of the name "Immanuel"   for our lives as Christians.  It asked the question, "IF GOD IS FAR AWAY IN YOUR LIFE, GUESS WHO HAS MOVED?"   We often live our lives without realizing how close God really is to us and how much He loves us!  In fact God’s greatest need is to “LOVE US AND TO BE LOVED BY US!” God's presence and closeness to us may only seem to occur at our WEEKLY WORSHIP SERVICE or during this Christmas season.
       Many times we may forget or conveniently overlook the fact that GOD IS WITH US because we try to forget or overlook the fact that we are sinners.   Some people often live as if God is the furthest thing from their mind.  I don't need to live a God‑pleasing life‑ I have more important things to do, much like that Mother and Dad seemed to do   with their little girl in the hospital.
       Little do people realize the eternal impact of their decision to reject God’s offer of being their Savior, of being "GOD WITH THEM AND FOR THEM!"   But  God doesn't give up and keeps working in their  lives  through  His  Word, the Gospel Message of Jesus Christ  and  through  the  power of the Holy Spirit to show them the  errors  of  their  ways and to offer them the gift of forgiveness earned for them by Jesus Christ!
       After all, about 2007 years ago God did a LIFE‑SAVING thing for each of us.  He sent His Son Jesus in order to be the Savior of the Word, to pay for our sins by dying on the cross of Calvary in our place.  Jesus fulfilled all that was necessary for us to be  saved  for  eternal life in heaven by living a perfect and sinless life and then dying on the cross and will take our place before  God  on Judgment Day and say, "I PAID FOR THEIR SINS!  They believe in me as their Savior and they are worthy to receive eternal life in heaven because of me"!
       What comfort it is to us that Jesus Christ is "IMMANUEL‑ GOD WITH US" He brings God's love close to us, for in Jesus Christ we receive God's love personally like a gift with our name on it!  Christmas reminds us and tells us that God is with us and we are reminded of that fact in Matthew 28: 20, the last words Jesus spoke to His disciples and to us, "LO, I AM WITH YOU ALWAYS, EVEN UNTO THE END OF THE WORLD!"
       At times, we may feel like other people don't understand the problems we face in our life and don't take the time to care for us and to love us.   How comforting it is to know that Jesus Christ is with us.   We are assured that when we pour out our needs to God in prayer, HE UNDERSTANDS AND CARES FOR US AND HE WILL HELP US!   After all He is God with us and shares His love with us as we keep our hearts and lives open to His Love and His Care!
       At times God may work in unusual and memorable ways as the message of Jesus Christ is proclaimed!  I read a story recently about a small church that each year put on the traditional nativity pageant.   Among  the  members  of  the church was a lively and  active  10  year old boy named Barry who had managed to create  a disaster in every Christmas play he had been in.   One year his angel wings caught on fire when he wandered too close to the Advent wreath.  The next year as King Herod he accidentally knocked down the Wise Men when he got up from his throne.  The other children begged the teacher not to let Barry ruin another Christmas pageant by saying‑ "CAN'T YOU LEAVE BARRY OUT THIS YEAR?"
       The teacher had a special love for Barry and could not leave out a little boy who tried his best and loved Jesus with all of his heart and she decided that Barry would be the Innkeeper in Bethlehem this year!   He would just open and close a door and would speak one line!
       Barry made it perfectly through all of the rehearsals.  Then on the night of the performance Barry, the innkeeper opened the door of the inn, saw Mary looking very tired and pale on a little donkey and Joseph standing next to her.  He said his line with professional emphasis and timing, "BEGONE, I HAVE NO ROOM FOR THE LIKES OF YOU IN THE INN!"
       Mary and Joseph turned sadly away from the door, but Barry was still standing at the open door of his inn.  Those in the front rows saw tears well up in his eyes and his lips began to tremble and he shouted, "WAIT!   Everyone was startled because that word wasn't in the familiar Christmas story!
       Then Barry finished it: "WAIT!  YOU CAN HAVE MY ROOM!"  The people burst out in laughter and in applause.  Barry had "RUINED" another Christmas pageant.   But the teacher stood up, dried Barry's tears as well as
her own and said, "MAYBE BARRY WAS THE REAL MESSENGER AFTER ALL.   ONLY THOSE WHO HAVE "ROOM" IN THEIR HEARTS AND LIVES, CAN THE DEAR CHRIST CHILD ENTER IN!"
       We celebrate that Good News  in  our life today and all days, that there is hope and  peace and God's presence in our lives from a tiny baby born in a stable in Bethlehem with the unusual name of "IMMANUEL"‑ "GOD  WITH  US!  How Close God is to us‑ What Comfort!  How much God loves us‑ What peace!

Copyright © 2007 by Pastor Mark Cattau.  All rights reserved.

Credits:
 
  Epiphany logo designed and provided by Dale Bargmann at daleb@ecentral.com