Emmanuel: God With Us Pastor Jared Gustafson 12/20/2015

John 1:1-18 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life

John 1:1-18 was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. There was a man sent from God whose name was John. He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that

John 1:1-18 through him all might believe. He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light. The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. He was in the world, and though the world was made

John 1:1-18 through him, the world did not recognize him. He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— children born

John 1:1-18 not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God. The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son,

John 1:1-18 who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. (John testified concerning him. He cried out, saying, “This is the one I spoke about when I said, ‘He who comes after me has surpassed me because he was

John 1:1-18 before me.’”) Out of his fullness we have all received grace in place of grace already given. For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.

John 1:1-18 No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is himself God and is in closest relationship with the Father, has made him known.

Emmanuel 1.The almighty, creator God of everything, loved us enough to become one of us! “In the beginning was the Word... Through him all things were made… The Word became flesh...”

Emmanuel 2.Jesus became one of us so that we could become his beloved children! “Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God…”

Hebrews 2:5-18 It is not to angels that he has subjected the world to come, about which we are speaking. But there is a place where someone has testified: “What is mankind that you are mindful of them,

Hebrews 2:5-18 a son of man that you care for him? You made them a little lower than the angels; you crowned them with glory and honor

Hebrews 2:5-18 and put everything under their feet.” In putting everything under them, God left nothing that is not subject to them. Yet at present we do not see everything subject to them. But we do see Jesus, who was made lower than the angels for a little

Hebrews 2:5-18 while, now crowned with glory and honor because he suffered death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone. In bringing many sons and daughters to glory, it was fitting that God, for whom

Hebrews 2:5-18 and through whom everything exists, should make the pioneer of their salvation perfect through what he suffered. Both the one who makes people holy and those who are made holy are of the same family. So Jesus is not ashamed

Hebrews 2:5-18 to call them brothers and sisters. He says, “I will declare your name to my brothers and sisters; in the assembly I will sing your praises.” And again,

Hebrews 2:5-18 “I will put my trust in him.” And again he says, “Here am I, and the children God has given me.” Since the children have flesh and blood,

Hebrews 2:5-18 he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might break the power of him who holds the power of death—that is, the devil— and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death. For surely it is not angels he helps,

Hebrews 2:5-18 but Abraham’s descendants. For this reason he had to be made like them, fully human in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that he might make atonement for the sins of the

Hebrews 2:5-18 people. Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.

Emmanuel 3.Jesus became one of us so that he could suffer and die on our behalf! “But we do see Jesus…now crowned with glory and honor because he suffered death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone.”

Emmanuel 4.Jesus became one of us so that he could break the power of sin and death and set us free! “He too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might break the power of him who holds the power of death…”

Emmanuel 5.Jesus became one of us to help us in every way! “For surely it is not angels he helps, but Abraham’s descendants…Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.”

Emmanuel 6.Jesus became one of us so that he could serve as the perfect High Priest! “For this reason he had to be made like them, fully human in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God…”

Our Response Therefore, holy brothers and sisters, who share in the heavenly calling, fix your thoughts on Jesus, whom we acknowledge as our apostle and high priest…Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has ascended into

Our Response heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin.

Our Response Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need. -Hebrews 3:1; 4:14-16