The Gift of Emmanuel! Isaiah 7:10-14
December 24, 2021
Rev. Nathan J. Rusert
Emmanuel - God with Us! This blessed reality is proclaimed as Jesus takes on our human flesh and blood by the power of the Holy Spirit in the womb of the Virgin Mary. He comes to rescue sinners from all sin, from death, and from Satan's powerful lies. Rejoice for He comes to you in His Word preached and His forgiveness filled gifts given within His Church. Sermon Text: Isaiah 7:10-14. Sermon Theme: "The Gift of Emmanuel" preached for Christmas Eve, 24-December-2021, at Emmanuel Lutheran Church, Tell City, Indiana by Rev. Nathan J. Rusert
Episode Notes
Christmas Eve, The Nativity Of Our Lord 12/24/21
Sermon Text: Isaiah 7:10-14
Sermon Theme: “The Gift Of Emmanuel” by Rev. Nathan J. Rusert
I.N.R.I. “Matthew 16:4 A wicked and adulterous generation seeks after a sign,” Christ Jesus rebuked the prideful Pharisees and Saducees. They refused to believe His Word or accept His miraculous works. They wanted something more spectacular from heaven. Jesus continued, ‘And no sign shall be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah." And He left them and departed.” Salvation drew near to them. He stood before them in the flesh. Refusing God’s will to save them in Jesus - they choose hell. Jesus left. He departed from them. They wanted entertainment not salvation from their sins.
If you only come to the Lord’s House occasionally to be entertained. To see the children’s program, hear special music, sing your favorite Christmas or Easter hymns - you are no different from them. If you come into the Lord’s House every Sunday and, as Dr. Luther wrote “listen to God’s Word as to any other trifle, and only from custom come to preaching, and go away again, and at the end of the year know as little of it as at the beginning.” - You are no different from them. No different from wicked King Ahaz.
King Ahaz was a descendant of faithful King David, but he didn’t have David’s heart. Ahaz ruled the southern nation of Judah. He lived in troubling times. The northern nation of Israel, their brothers, made an alliance with the mighty nation of Syria to attack Judah. They advanced toward Jerusalem. Instead of turning to the Lord God in repentance and prayer, as David did many times - Ahaz trusted in numbers. According to the science of military warfare he could drive them back if only Egypt would join forces with him. He had it all figured out - he didn’t need this God of David to win him any battles - science would save the day.
The Lord God speaks to the wicked king through His prophet Isaiah (vs.10-11) The Lord promises to give Ahaz a sign that He was the living God who would fight and win the battle for Jerusalem. Ask anything and the Lord God would show His power over this creation and the history of mankind. (Vs.12) Ahaz isn’t pious in refusing God’s command to ask. He is an unbeliever. Salvation doesn’t come from our bloodline. He is dead in his sin. His science will not save him from death and hell.
Isaiah preaches, (vs13) Listen up! Not just Ahaz, the whole house of David! Everyone who could claim David’s bloodline - unless you hear the Word of God you will not be saved. Will you weary God by thinking His Word preached is some nice trifle? Will you weary God by thinking the Word of God spoken by our children tonight is for your entertainment?
Listen! Listen! For your eternity depends on hearing this Word! (Vs.14) The Lord - Yahweh - the Faithful Lord who mercifully promised Adam and his wife rescue from Satan, sin, and death - even though they had rebelled against His Word. The Lord Himself - this is His doing - not yours. Salvation isn’t something you do - it isn’t something you choose - it is the Gift of God in Christ Jesus.
“Behold!” Look to the Child born of the Virgin Mary alone and live! The Virgin shall conceive. The Lord’s angelic preacher Gabriel will preach the promise. She will listen and the Holy Spirit working through the spoken Word alone fills her with the life of Christ. God takes on our skin in the womb of the Virgin as an zygote, then an embryo, then a fetus, and after nine months will be born a Baby Boy. The only begotten Son of God from eternity now forever the Son of Man born of the Virgin Mary. God takes our humanity into Himself to bring us Home to Himself. He becomes our Brother to buy us back from all sins, from death, and from the power of the devil. The Lord God, the Creator becomes one with us - a Creature - to save all who trust in His sacrifice upon the cross. This is historical fact. The angel preached to dreaming Joseph, Matthew 1:20-21 "Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. (21) And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name JESUS, for He will save His people from their sins." He is born to save you - from your sins! On the cross His sacrifice eternally satisfied justice for you. Three days later the sign of Jonah was fulfilled - death defeated, hell was breeched, and the grave burst to declare sinners “not guilty” “children of God” in the living Lord Jesus. “Behold!” she shall call His name shall be called, “Immanuel.” What does this mean? Matthew 1:22-23 So all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying: (23) "BEHOLD, THE VIRGIN SHALL BE WITH CHILD, AND BEAR A SON, AND THEY SHALL CALL HIS NAME IMMANUEL," which is translated, "God with us.". Did you hear? In Jesus’ living flesh and blood - now is “God with us!” With us in our sin, our sicknesses, our surgeries, our joys, our depression - He knows you better than you know yourself. He knows your sins, your struggles, your fears, your tears, your joys - He will not turn His back on you. He is Emmanuel - He is here, now, forever. He is in His Word, in your baptism, in absolution, in His prayer, in His Supper. Rejoice! Dear sinner/saint! In Jesus you receive The Gift of Emmanuel - God is with you! Amen.
Sermon Text: Isaiah 7:10-14
Sermon Theme: “The Gift Of Emmanuel” by Rev. Nathan J. Rusert
I.N.R.I. “Matthew 16:4 A wicked and adulterous generation seeks after a sign,” Christ Jesus rebuked the prideful Pharisees and Saducees. They refused to believe His Word or accept His miraculous works. They wanted something more spectacular from heaven. Jesus continued, ‘And no sign shall be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah." And He left them and departed.” Salvation drew near to them. He stood before them in the flesh. Refusing God’s will to save them in Jesus - they choose hell. Jesus left. He departed from them. They wanted entertainment not salvation from their sins.
If you only come to the Lord’s House occasionally to be entertained. To see the children’s program, hear special music, sing your favorite Christmas or Easter hymns - you are no different from them. If you come into the Lord’s House every Sunday and, as Dr. Luther wrote “listen to God’s Word as to any other trifle, and only from custom come to preaching, and go away again, and at the end of the year know as little of it as at the beginning.” - You are no different from them. No different from wicked King Ahaz.
King Ahaz was a descendant of faithful King David, but he didn’t have David’s heart. Ahaz ruled the southern nation of Judah. He lived in troubling times. The northern nation of Israel, their brothers, made an alliance with the mighty nation of Syria to attack Judah. They advanced toward Jerusalem. Instead of turning to the Lord God in repentance and prayer, as David did many times - Ahaz trusted in numbers. According to the science of military warfare he could drive them back if only Egypt would join forces with him. He had it all figured out - he didn’t need this God of David to win him any battles - science would save the day.
The Lord God speaks to the wicked king through His prophet Isaiah (vs.10-11) The Lord promises to give Ahaz a sign that He was the living God who would fight and win the battle for Jerusalem. Ask anything and the Lord God would show His power over this creation and the history of mankind. (Vs.12) Ahaz isn’t pious in refusing God’s command to ask. He is an unbeliever. Salvation doesn’t come from our bloodline. He is dead in his sin. His science will not save him from death and hell.
Isaiah preaches, (vs13) Listen up! Not just Ahaz, the whole house of David! Everyone who could claim David’s bloodline - unless you hear the Word of God you will not be saved. Will you weary God by thinking His Word preached is some nice trifle? Will you weary God by thinking the Word of God spoken by our children tonight is for your entertainment?
Listen! Listen! For your eternity depends on hearing this Word! (Vs.14) The Lord - Yahweh - the Faithful Lord who mercifully promised Adam and his wife rescue from Satan, sin, and death - even though they had rebelled against His Word. The Lord Himself - this is His doing - not yours. Salvation isn’t something you do - it isn’t something you choose - it is the Gift of God in Christ Jesus.
“Behold!” Look to the Child born of the Virgin Mary alone and live! The Virgin shall conceive. The Lord’s angelic preacher Gabriel will preach the promise. She will listen and the Holy Spirit working through the spoken Word alone fills her with the life of Christ. God takes on our skin in the womb of the Virgin as an zygote, then an embryo, then a fetus, and after nine months will be born a Baby Boy. The only begotten Son of God from eternity now forever the Son of Man born of the Virgin Mary. God takes our humanity into Himself to bring us Home to Himself. He becomes our Brother to buy us back from all sins, from death, and from the power of the devil. The Lord God, the Creator becomes one with us - a Creature - to save all who trust in His sacrifice upon the cross. This is historical fact. The angel preached to dreaming Joseph, Matthew 1:20-21 "Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. (21) And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name JESUS, for He will save His people from their sins." He is born to save you - from your sins! On the cross His sacrifice eternally satisfied justice for you. Three days later the sign of Jonah was fulfilled - death defeated, hell was breeched, and the grave burst to declare sinners “not guilty” “children of God” in the living Lord Jesus. “Behold!” she shall call His name shall be called, “Immanuel.” What does this mean? Matthew 1:22-23 So all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying: (23) "BEHOLD, THE VIRGIN SHALL BE WITH CHILD, AND BEAR A SON, AND THEY SHALL CALL HIS NAME IMMANUEL," which is translated, "God with us.". Did you hear? In Jesus’ living flesh and blood - now is “God with us!” With us in our sin, our sicknesses, our surgeries, our joys, our depression - He knows you better than you know yourself. He knows your sins, your struggles, your fears, your tears, your joys - He will not turn His back on you. He is Emmanuel - He is here, now, forever. He is in His Word, in your baptism, in absolution, in His prayer, in His Supper. Rejoice! Dear sinner/saint! In Jesus you receive The Gift of Emmanuel - God is with you! Amen.
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