Title: Immanuel/Isaiah 8:5-10
Contents Immanuel/Isaiah 8:5-10, Matthew 1:18-23
As we approach Christmas, Christians must immediately realize and understand the meaning of the birth of the baby Jesus. This is because all people in the world neglect the true meaning of Christmas and use it as an opportunity for pleasure only for their own physical gain. If the true meaning of Jesus Christ's coming to this earth is not properly shown to the world as the life of believers, the true meaning of Christmas will inevitably be distorted.
Therefore, through the text God has given us today, we must immediately realize ‘Jesus Christ who came as Immanuel’ and understand how we should live in order to realize ‘Immanuel (the life God is with us)’ in our lives.
The purpose of Jesus Christ who came as ‘Immanuel’
First, it is to break down the ‘wall of sin between God and man’.
After Adam and Eve's disobedience to God, human sins were repeated, and God cut off spiritual communion with humans as in the words, "My Spirit will not be with man forever" (Genesis 6:3). The reason is that human beings have become souls dead because of their sins. God wants to restore the broken relationship with grace and love. That is why he gave his only begotten son as a sacrifice for our sins. It was through the blood of the cross that he broke down the wall of sin that blocked God.
Second, to give our sinners the opportunity of eternal life again
Human beings are the beings of eternal life that can live forever because they originally ate the plants created by the Word of God. Because there is the light of life in the Word of God, the Word was the true food of man.
Humans, who were expelled from the Garden of Eden, no longer had the opportunity to eat the word of God, and began to eat fruits and vegetables produced through human labor and sweat. Therefore, human beings are no longer able to eat the food of life, so they live as a body of death. However, God sent Jesus Christ to this world as the food of life. “I am the living bread that came down from heaven; if anyone eats this bread, he will live forever. The bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world” (John 6:51).
Third, in order for us to overcome the power of Satan in the world of darkness and live a victorious life according to God's will.
Jesus Christ, who was crucified and died and rose from the power of death and darkness on the third day, was victorious. He freed mankind from sin, who had no choice but to live in sin as a 'servant of sin' on this earth. And as a child of God, He made us live in the grace of God. He has given us the “law of the Spirit of life,” in which grace reigns.
In this way, God has allowed Jesus Christ of ‘Immanuel’ to this earth in order to give the above three blessings by being with us. Then, what should we Christians do to accomplish this will of God perfectly on this earth?
1. We must repent and wash away our sins through the Word and break down the barriers between us and God.
“For the word of God is living and active, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, of joints and marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart” (Hebrews 4:12).
The sins of our souls must be washed away with the power of God. We must break down the wall of sin with the word of power that pierces and divides our soul, spirit, joints and marrow. The reason is that our human wisdom and power cannot break down the wall of sin. Only with the living and working Word of God, our souls can be awakened to live and be reborn into a new life.
2. We must enjoy eternal life by using the Word as the life food of our souls.
“In the beginning was the Word. The Word was with God, and the Word was God (John 1:1).” “In him was life, and the life was the light of men” (John 1:4). “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us” (John 1:14).
We must eat the Word of God as food for our spirit. The reason is that there is the light of life in the Word. Also, because it is Jesus Christ who came in the flesh of the Word, whenever we eat the Word as spiritual food, we eat and drink the life-giving flesh and life-blood of Jesus Christ. Therefore, just as we eat the food of the flesh every day, we Christians can enjoy the blessing of eternal life when we eat the Word of God as our spiritual food.
3. We must be empowered and armed with the Word to live a life of victory in the spiritual warfare against darkness.
We need power to resist the wiles of the devil. Our battle is not against flesh and blood, but it is a “spiritual warfare” between principalities and powers, the rulers of this dark world, and the evil spirits in heaven. The devil, like a roaring lion, is always targeting Christians to tempt the children of God and to turn them into temptations. In order to be victorious in this spiritual life of faith, we must put on the full armor.
The belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, the god of the gospel, the shield of faith, and the helmet of salvation are defense weapons. This alone cannot win the spiritual warfare. Only by possessing the sword of the Holy Spirit, the word of God, as a weapon can we live a victorious life in our faith life. Like Jesus, we must crucify our fleshly lusts on the cross every day and live a life that overcomes the powers of darkness and overcomes the power of darkness through the Word just like His resurrection.
Dear saints, We too must reveal the meaning of ‘Emmanuel’ in our lives. In the place where I am, the work in which God is with me must take place in the ground of my life. The power of the blood of Jesus Christ must be revealed in the life that God is with us. Only then can we correctly preach and testify of Jesus Christ, the ‘Immanuel’, to the world who are only focused on laughing and enjoying Christmas without knowing God.
When we Christians practice the true meaning of this ‘Immanuel’, we can restore the true meaning of Christmas and fulfill the perfect will of God who gave us Jesus Christ as Emmanuel.
While waiting for a happy and blessed Christmas, I pray in the name of the Lord that God's love, grace, and blessings be with your souls and families.
Pastor Gyeom-il Nam