Immanuel

Immanuel

Matthew 1:23, Isaiah 7:14

Believing God is with us provides an anchor for our souls as we experience the storms of life.

God with us means we have hope. (Isaiah 7:14)

God with us means we can be free from fear. (Joshua 1:9)

God with us means God understands. (Hebrews 4:15)

God with us means in every situation. (Matthew 28:20)

For the Next Lesson

Unpacking the Names of Jesus, Emmanuel

The names God has given to himself teach us about His nature and character. As we learn the names of Jesus this Christmas Season, we can get to know Jesus better and experience Him in fresh ways.

1. Read Matthew 1:18-23. What is the name of Jesus given in verse 23, and from where did this name come from? What does this name mean? What does this name uniquely reveal about Jesus’ nature and His character (see also John 1:14 and Colossians 2:9)? What does this name reveal about how God relates to us? Why is this important?

2. Take a few minutes to consider your own life. How have you seen the reality of Emmanuel during a specific time when you remember experiencing the presence of God? When have you struggled to believe God is present with you in your life? What made it hard for you to believe this? In general, what keeps us from believing and experiencing the presence of God?

3. Read Matthew 28:20. The Gospel of Matthew begins and ends with the reminder that God is with us. Why do you think that God began and ended Matthew this way? If you fully believed God’s promise that He will always be with you, (beginning, ending and everywhere in between) how would your life change?

4. So what. Do you have a pattern of believing God is with you in your life? How so? In what specific circumstances do you need to recognize God’s presence in your life?

Take some time in prayer to confess how you have not embraced God as Emmanuel. Tell God also that you desire to believe His promise to be Emmanuel in every detail of your life. Thank God for His never-ending, personal, loving presence in your life.