God With Us, Part 3

By Pastor Jeffrey Smith 

An angel speaks to Joseph,  “Mary’s pregnancy is Spirit-conceived. God’s Holy Spirit has made her pregnant. She will bring a son to birth, and when she does, you, Joseph, will name him Jesus—‘God saves’—because he will save his people from their sins.” This would bring the prophet’s embryonic sermon to full term: Watch for this—a virgin will get pregnant and bear a son; They will name him Immanuel (Hebrew for “God is with us”). Matthew 1:23

But who is “us” referring to in “God with us?" Think about the things that define people as “us”.  Most of the time, shared experiences with people create “us” moments. There are 3 distinct qualifications for us when we look at the phrase “God with us.” 

First, “God with us” is for people that believe. Do you believe that Jesus is the way? John 1:12-13 says, “Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.”   If you believe, you have been given the right to become His child and step into that relationship of the “us."

Second, “God with us” is for people who have nothing.   Jesus said in Matthew 5:3, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”   In order to partake in the kingdom of God you have to bring the most extravagant thing to the cross, which is nothing. Poor in spirit means you have nothing other than God.  You can’t bring money, spouse, kids, accomplishments, or pedigree.  These are things will define our identity if we are not careful. You bring nothing and God gives you His everything.

Lastly, “God with us” is for people who trade who they were for who they will become. Galatians 3:26 says “...for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.”  Once you come to Christ you become new. We are in relationship with Christ and He is with us for eternity. God was, God is, and God will always be with us.