God With Us: Jesus Fulfills Creation's Promises

Devotional

Day 1: From the beginning, God planned our rescue

From the first pages of Scripture, God was already laying the groundwork for Jesus. The promises to Abraham and the patterns in Israel’s story were not random hints, but clear signposts pointing to the Messiah. Matthew’s genealogy shows careful symmetry to remind us that history has been orchestrated, not improvised. Jesus comes as the true heir to every promise, the fulfillment of long-held hope. Your life is not an accident either; the same God who planned redemption in Christ knows your days and is at work in them. Rest in the God whose plan A has always been to bless and to save. [21:06]

Matthew 1:1, 17
The record begins with Jesus the Messiah, descended from David and from Abraham. From Abraham to David, from David to the exile, and from the exile to the Christ, the generations unfold in a deliberate pattern, showing that God has been guiding history toward this moment.

Reflection: Where have you recently felt like your story is just random or off-track, and how could remembering God’s long, careful plan in Jesus help you rest differently this week?

Day 2: Jesus—God saves; Emmanuel—God with us

Joseph faced a confusing moment until heaven spoke: the child in Mary was from the Holy Spirit, and his name would be Jesus—God saves. Matthew ties this to Isaiah’s promise that a virgin would bear a son called Emmanuel, God with us. The name tells the mission: he will save his people from their sins, and he will not do it from afar. Foreigners bowed to worship him, and unlike angels who refuse worship, Jesus received it—because he is truly God with us. In your uncertainty, you are not alone; the Holy One has drawn near and remains near. Let him be both your Savior and your nearness. [25:45]

Matthew 1:20–23
In a dream, a messenger told Joseph not to fear taking Mary as his wife, because her child was conceived by the Holy Spirit. She would bear a son, and Joseph was to name him Jesus, because he would rescue his people from their sins. All of this fulfilled what the Lord had said through the prophet: a virgin would bear a son, and he would be called Emmanuel—God with us.

Reflection: What is one specific place of fear or confusion right now where you need to welcome Jesus not only as the one who saves you, but as the God who is with you?

Day 3: The promised serpent crusher and substitute

From Eden, God promised a deliverer who would crush the serpent and undo the wreckage of sin. The story of Abraham and Isaac gave us a picture of a son carrying the wood of his sacrifice, and a substitute provided on the mountain. Joseph’s long years of suffering were redeemed to save many lives, foreshadowing a greater salvation through a greater suffering. In Jesus, every shadow finds its substance: he bears our frailty, takes our sin, and rises with victory. He is the one who not only defeats evil, but restores what was broken. Look to him to undo what you cannot fix on your own. [30:38]

Genesis 3:15
God declared that the offspring of the woman would strike the serpent’s head, while the serpent would wound his heel—promising a final, decisive blow against evil even as it bruised the rescuer.

Reflection: Where do you most feel the sting of the serpent’s work in your life or family, and how might you invite Jesus today to begin undoing that damage?

Day 4: Faith beyond assent—trust that holds fast

It is one thing to agree that Jesus died and rose; it is another to make him the foundation you stand on when everything else shakes. Faith says, “Jesus has already provided what I need,” even when jobs, homes, or savings slip away. Faith forgives like Joseph, trusts like Abraham on the mountain, and hopes like Adam and Eve that the serpent crusher is coming. We cannot walk with equal parts confidence in Jesus and in money, approval, or numbing comforts. Leave the rivals behind and fix your eyes on the author and perfecter of your faith. He endured the cross and now shares his life with you, day by day. [37:26]

Hebrews 12:1–2
Since we are surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off every burden and the sin that clings so tightly, and run with endurance the race before us. We do this by fixing our gaze on Jesus, the pioneer and finisher of our faith, who for the joy ahead endured the cross, despised its shame, and now sits in triumph.

Reflection: What is one concrete “rival trust” (money, reputation, distraction, or comfort) competing with your trust in Jesus, and what specific step could you take this week to loosen its grip?

Day 5: Lay down the cinder block; open the gift

God has given you a priceless gift in Jesus: forgiveness, his righteousness credited to you, and the love of God made visible—yours for the opening. But like a child trying to unwrap a present while holding a cinder block and wearing mittens, you cannot receive while your hands are full. Repentance means putting down what you’re carrying—even good things you’ve depended on for what only Jesus can give. This is not a one-time moment but a lifelong walk together, constantly laying aside burdens and false hopes so you can take hold of Christ. Faith reaches out; repentance makes room. Today, open your hands and receive him afresh. [43:01]

John 3:16
God loved the world in this way: he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who trusts in him would not be lost to death, but would share in God’s eternal life.

Reflection: What “cinder block” are you gripping right now—something you think you need to manage life or feel whole—and how will you set it down this week to make room to receive Jesus?

Sermon Summary

From the opening pages of Scripture to Matthew’s Gospel, a single thread runs clear: God planned the arrival of Jesus from the very beginning. The ancient promises—Eden’s serpent-crusher, Abraham’s blessing to the nations, the substitute provided “on the mount of the Lord,” and Joseph’s redeemed suffering—find their fulfillment in the birth of Christ. Matthew’s genealogy frames Jesus as heir to Abraham and David, with a striking 14–14–14 symmetry that signals orchestration, not accident. Into Joseph’s confusion, an angel announces a conception by the Holy Spirit and a name: Jesus—“God saves.” Isaiah’s prophecy adds another name, Emmanuel—“God with us”—making plain that the child is both from God and truly God.

This child is worshiped by the Magi, a sign that worship belongs to him because he is divine. He is not a late solution to a crisis; he is the long-promised answer. From the start, the plan was that the Son would enter his own creation, share our frailty, and bear our sin. He would be the serpent-crusher, the substitute, the suffering redeemer through whom all nations are blessed. By his death and resurrection he wins a decisive victory and offers to share his eternal life with those who trust him.

Faith, then, is not mere agreement with facts; it is a total re-centering of hope upon Jesus—his life, death, resurrection, ascension, and coming return. Such faith steadies the heart in loss and uncertainty because it rests on a foundation that cannot be shaken. But faith grows alongside repentance. To receive the gift, hands must be emptied—of sins, distractions, and even good things we try to use as saviors. Repentance and faith are not a moment but a lifelong walk together in community: laying aside burdens, unlearning false loves, and returning again and again to Christ, who is both the gift and the giver—God with us.

Key Takeaways

1. Jesus is truly God with us He is named Jesus—“God saves”—and also Emmanuel—“God with us.” The Magi worship him because he is worthy of worship as God. From conception by the Spirit to the prophetic names, Scripture insists on his full divinity and true humanity. This is the bedrock of Christian hope. [25:45]
2. Redemption was never God’s backup plan Matthew’s structure and the promises of Genesis show design, not improvisation. Jesus fulfills the ancient patterns—substitute, sufferer, sovereign—by intent, not chance. Confidence in God grows when we see history as his careful authorship. [30:38]
3. Faith goes beyond intellectual assent Agreement with facts about Jesus is not the same as entrusting one’s life to him. Biblical faith reorders confidence away from money, security, or approval and onto Christ alone. Such faith endures loss because its anchor is not in what can be taken. [34:41]
4. Repentance makes room for grace Receiving the gift means putting down what fills our hands—even helpful things we misuse as saviors. Repentance is not self-loathing; it is re-learning how to live from Christ’s sufficiency. Over time, this clears space for joy, freedom, and new obedience. [41:57]
5. He bore our pain, won victory God did not save from a distance; he entered our weakness and carried our sins. Through suffering he conquered, and now shares his resurrection life with his people. Union with him turns present trials into pathways to glory. [31:54]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[17:36] - Genesis promises revisited
[19:27] - Genealogy: heir of Abraham and David
[21:06] - History orchestrated by God
[21:28] - Virgin conception and Joseph’s resolve
[23:03] - “Jesus”: God saves
[25:14] - “Emmanuel”: God with us
[27:18] - Magi worship the true King
[29:21] - Christmas planned from creation
[31:04] - God with us in suffering
[31:54] - Victory through death and resurrection
[34:28] - Faith beyond mere assent
[37:26] - Lay aside rival trusts
[38:25] - Repentance illustrated: free your hands
[43:52] - Prayer and benediction

Bible Study Guide

Bible reading

- Matthew 1:18–25

This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit. Because Joseph her husband was faithful to the law, and yet did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly.

But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”

All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”).

When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. But he did not consummate their marriage until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus.

- Matthew 2:1–12

After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.”

When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. When he had called together all the people’s chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Messiah was to be born.

“In Bethlehem in Judea,” they replied, “for this is what the prophet has written:
‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;
for out of you will come a ruler
who will shepherd my people Israel.’”

Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. He sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him.”

After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen when it rose went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.

And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route.

- Genesis 3:15

And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.

Observation questions

In Matthew 1:17, what pattern does Matthew highlight in the genealogy, and how might that pattern frame the story that follows?
In Matthew 1:21–23, what two names are given to the child, and what do those names mean?
In Matthew 2:2, 11, what do the Magi do when they find the child, and why is that unusual in light of Scripture’s teaching about worship?
In the gift illustration, what did the volunteer have to put down or take off before opening the present, and why did that matter? ([39:45])

Interpretation questions

What does the 14–14–14 structure in Matthew 1:17 suggest about God’s authorship of history, and how does that challenge the idea that God is improvising? ([21:06])
Taken together, how do the names “Jesus” (God saves) and “Emmanuel” (God with us) teach that the Savior is God himself present among his people? ([25:45])
Since only God is to be worshiped, what does the Magi’s worship of the child imply about who Jesus is and what he deserves? ([28:42])
If victory comes through Jesus’ suffering (not around it), how should that shape expectations for those who follow him through hardship? ([31:54])

Application questions

Think about a present anxiety (work, finances, approval, health). What would it look like this week to re-center your hope on the birth, death, resurrection, ascension, and return of Jesus? Name one concrete practice or decision that would change. ([34:41])
What “cinder block” are you carrying—an obvious burden or sin that fills your hands? And what “mittens”—good things you are using like saviors—do you need to remove to receive what Jesus is giving? Name one and describe what laying it down will look like by Friday. ([41:57])
Where are you tempted to mix trust in Jesus with trust in money, plans, distraction, substances, or others’ approval? What is one step you can take this week to “lay aside rival trusts” and cling to Christ alone? ([37:26])
Looking back on a painful season, where can you now see signs that God was “with you” and working redemption? In your current trial, what small act of worship or obedience will you take in light of his presence and victory? ([31:30])
Which early promise grips your heart today—the serpent-crusher, the substitute “on the mount of the Lord,” or the suffering redeemer who brings blessing to the nations? How will you act or pray differently this week because Jesus fulfills that promise? ([30:02])
If God has carefully planned history (the 14–14–14 pattern), what decision or delay in your life can you entrust to his timing? What will trusting him look like over the next seven days? ([21:06])
Repentance and faith are a lifelong walk in community. Who will you invite to help you this week—through a text, a confession, a prayer, or a shared habit? Be specific about when and how you will reach out. ([43:01])

Sermon Clips

Picture of a son carrying the wood for his sacrifice up the mountain. And a father willing to give his only son. And on the mount of the Lord, that substitute sacrifice was provided. We saw last week in the story of Joseph, the redemption of suffering. How Joseph suffered for decades, but his suffering was in the end redeemed. Because God used Joseph's suffering to save his people, his family, his adopted nation, and many others. [00:18:53] (34 seconds) #RedemptionThroughSuffering

So the angel shows up to Joseph and says, Mary wasn't unfaithful to you. Her child is from God. And when he is born, you will name him Jesus. Now the New Testament was written down in Greek, and it's been translated into English for us. But the language that would have been spoken here to Joseph would likely have been Hebrew. And the Hebrew version of the name of Jesus is translated as God saves. And so names have a purpose, especially in the Bible. [00:22:55] (38 seconds) #JesusMeansGodSaves

That second question is easier. His people are God's people. And God's people are Jesus' people. But that first question follows that exact same pattern. It is Jesus doing the saving, and it is God doing the saving, because they are one and the same. And so this is the very first place in Matthew's story of Jesus' life, where the implication is made that Jesus is not just a man, but he is also God at the same time. [00:24:34] (33 seconds) #JesusIsGodAndMan

Now there's, in a lot of Old Testament prophecies, there's two levels of fulfillment, right? There's two levels of meanings. And the original hearers would have likely heard Isaiah's promise and said, Oh, that child is going to be named that, so that every time that we hear his name, we'll be reminded that God is with us. And that's true. And that's good. And that's helpful. And the ultimate fulfillment is in Jesus, who is not just called God with us, but he is literally God with us. So Matthew wants to make very sure that we don't miss all of these little things. [00:26:02] (45 seconds) #ProphecyFulfilledInJesus

And so, this is the Christmas story, according to Matthew. The birth of Jesus. It is something to be excited about. Now, everything, every single baby is something to be excited about. I got to hold my birthday buddy over Christmas and rock her to sleep a couple of times. And I love babies. Babies are great. And they are wonderful. And they are something to get excited about. But there is something that is special about the baby that we celebrate at Christmas. Because he is God with us, who has come to save us from our sin. [00:29:16] (43 seconds) #GodWithUsIsBorn

It is not an accident. It is not random. It is not that God eventually got around to it when he wasn't too busy with other things. But this has been planned and orchestrated from the very beginning of creation. And from the very first pages of the Bible, there are hints and there are shadows of the fact that Jesus would come. [00:29:59] (19 seconds) #PlannedFromTheStart

Faith is Adam and Eve weeping over the body of their murdered son. Trusting that the serpent crusher was coming. Faith is sitting in the ashes and the dust of our lives. When everything that we had loved and trusted in has been taken away from us and destroyed. And saying, But I know that Jesus will make this right. [00:35:51] (34 seconds) #FaithInTheRescuer

But what Jamie just showed us is that we also need to repent. We need to lay down all of the other things that we are carrying, because somebody has asked us to. All of the things that we have, we need to take off all of the wrong ways of thinking and feeling and being in the world. Even the things that we look at and we say, this is going to be helpful. This is good. Right? Those mittens are helpful and good. But if we're depending on them to give us something that only Jesus can, then they too need to come off. [00:41:30] (42 seconds) #LayDownFalseTrusts

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