The Uniqueness of Christ

SERMON TEXT: “Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a Son, and will call Him Immanuel”(Isaiah 7:14). “BEHOLD, THE VIRGIN SHALL BE WITH CHILD, AND SHALL BEAR A SON, AND THEY SHALL CALL HIS NAME IMMANUEL,” which translated means, “God with us”(Matthew 1:23).

SERMON THESIS: God is with us.

INTRODUCTION: The question has been asked, “What does this glorious and majestic name of Immanuel mean as applied to Christ?” The answer to this question has been given, “It means that Christ was unique.” His uniqueness is seen in these mighty scriptural truths.

I. HE APPEARED IN THE FLESH. One writer said it like this, “The revelation of God took place in human flesh. The Divine presence was experienced in its most unique manifestation, in the conception of a Child to Mary.” This is the truth of the Incarnation. The evangelist, John, describes the Incarnation in these terms . . .

“And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:14).

This event took place in the words of Paul, “ . . . when the fullness of time came . . .” (Galatians 4:4). When the fullness of time came, according to Paul, “God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law . . .” In the words of that wonderful Gaither Hymn, titled: Because He Lives, the Gaither’s take it a step further. They write, “God sent His Son, they called Him Jesus.” This Son, born of a woman, was given a name by Isaiah, and confirmed by Matthew. That name given to the Son by these inspired writers was Immanuel. More personal still, it means, “God with us.”

     God has, literally, appeared to us in human flesh. Thus we can say, “God is with us.” For this truth to become real to us, however, we must individualize that announcement prophesied by Isaiah, and confirmed by Matthew, which says, “For to us a child is born, to us a Child is given”(Isaiah 9:6), to mean, “God with me.”

“God with me,” became a reality on a weekday morning, during a revival meeting, at the McPheeters Bend Baptist Church, in 1956, at the age of 11. I said it then, and I say it again, “God saved me and I thank Him for it!”

      Can you say, “God is with me”?

      Not only has He appeared in the flesh,

II. HE ARRANGED OUR REDEMPTION. Concerning our redemption, it has been stated in these words, “God became Immanuel, God with us, when he stooped to redeem and save. Appearing to us in human flesh, and arranging our redemption, what we see in Christ is this: 1. The loving God, 2. The seeking God, 3. The redeeming God, and 4. The saving God. In order to become our redeemer, God in Christ took on human flesh. In doing so, He lived our life, faced our temptations, bore our sins, carried our sorrows, and died our death (The Speaker’s Bible, Volume 4, Page 69). Thus, for those of us who have been saved, we can joyfully sing, “Redeemed how I love to proclaim it. Redeemed by the blood of the Lamb. Redeemed and so happy in Jesus–His child and forever I am.”

He has arranged your redemption. Paul went on to say in the passage from Galatians, “God sent forth His Son . . . in order that He might redeem those who were under the Law, that we might receive the adoption as sons”(Gal. 4:5).

       Can you sing the song of redemption?

       Not only has He appeared in the flesh, and arranged our redemption...

III. HE AGONIZED ON THE CROSS. So focused on the nativity, we sometimes forget that there was, and is, a cross in Christmas. The cross overshadowed the manger. This truth is seen in Simeon’s statement to Mary, the mother of Jesus, when the baby Jesus was presented in the temple...

“And Simeon blessed them, and said to Mary His mother, “Behold, this Child is appointed for the fall and rise of many in Israel, and for a sign to be opposed – and a sword will pierce even your own soul – to the end that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed” (Luke 2:34-35).

Some thirty-three years later Simeon’s prophesy would become a reality to Mary. In John’s gospel we find her at the foot of the cross upon which her Son, and our Savior, was being crucified . . .

“When Jesus therefore saw His mother, and the disciple whom He loved standing nearby, He said to His mother, “Woman, behold, your son!” Then He said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother!” And from that hour the disciple took her into his own household” (John 19:26-27).

Jesus’ death on the cross was unique because there was no other death like His. You see, His death on the cross was different in that He took our place. His agonizing death on the cross was depicted for us many years before it happened by the prophet Isaiah . . .

“Surely our griefs He Himself bore, and our sorrows He carried; yet we ourselves esteemed Him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the chastening of our well-being fell upon Him, and by His scourging we are healed. All of us like sheep have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; but the Lord has caused the iniquity of us all to fall on Him” (Isaiah 53:4-6).

He died on the cross to purchase a place for us in heaven which He offers as a free gift. What a Savior!!

But wait! The story of Christmas does not end on an old wooden cross. Not only did He appear in the flesh, arrange our redemption, and agonize on the cross.

IV. HE AROSE FROM THE DEAD. Speaking of the uniqueness of Christ, He did something that no other living person has ever done. He arose from the dead never to die again. The Apostle Paul gives us the heart of the gospel, in which the Resurrection of Jesus, is included in these words...

“For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures...” (I Corinthians 15:3-4).

“This Jesus God raised up again, to which we are all witnesses” (Acts 2:32).

Since God raised up Jesus from the dead, those of us who have put our trust in Him, He will raise us up from the dead also...

“Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest. But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved) and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places, in Christ Jesus” (Ephesians 2:3-6).

“He considered that God is able to raise men even from the dead; from which he also received him back as a type” (Hebrews 11:19).

Your resurrection and mine will happen like this, according to Scripture . . .

“For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet of God; and the dead in Christ shall rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air and thus we shall always be with the Lord” (1 Thess. 4:16-17).

When that day comes, fasten your seat belts and hold on for dear life because that will be some trip!

Not only did Jesus appear in the flesh; arrange our redemption, agonize on the cross, and rise up from the dead . . .

V. HE ASCENDED TO THE FATHER. The uniqueness of Christ, Immanuel God with us, is further seen in His ascension. Luke, in the book of Acts, describes the ascension of Jesus like this . . .

“And after He had said these things, He was lifted up while they were looking on, and a cloud received Him out of their sight, and as they were gazing intently into the sky while He was departing, behold two men in white clothing stood beside them” (Acts 1:9-10).

      Not only did He ascend back to the Father . . .

VI. HE MAY ARRIVE AT ANY MOMENT. Luke goes on to write in Acts, chapter 1

“...and they also said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into the sky? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in just the same way as you have watched Him go into heaven” (Acts 1:11).

“Let not your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me. “In My Father’s house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you, And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also” (John 14:1-3).

An old hymn speaks of Jesus’ return in these terms, “May be morning, may be noon, may be evening and may be soon. Oh what a glorious day that will be–Jesus is coming again.”

What are we to do during the interim? Pray, watch, and wait! Believing that Jesus could return at any moment, are you ready to meet Him? Even though He may not come in the clouds of glory while you are alive, He may arrive for you at any moment.

As Carolyn addressed the Christmas envelopes, we were reminded of the friends and family members who left this planet in 2003. If you haven’t done so already, will you make plans for His arrival?

CONCLUSION: Let me remind you as I close this message that “God is with us,” not only to rescue us from our sins, but He is ever present as our friend and helper. The hymn writer was right on key when he wrote, “What a friend we have in Jesus...” My dear friends, have you individualized that joyous announcement, “Immanuel, God with us,” to mean, “God with me?”