Emmanuel: God With Us [Tract]

About This Product

An enhanced Ironside classic message. Former title: "God Manifest in Flesh"

Full Text of Emmanuel: God With Us

In all of this world’s history, there is no story comparable to the story of Christ’s birth. It is always fresh. What a privilege it is to pause in the stress of life and to go back in spirit to stand by that manger bed and gaze again on the lovely, lowly Babe — God manifest in flesh!

Luke, the beloved physician and writer of the Gospel, tells us in his first chapter that it was by the direct power of God, working through the Holy Spirit, that the blessed virgin Mary became the mother of our Lord. Jesus’ incarnation was the first step in the program of redemption. Bethlehem — where He was born — was the prelude to Calvary — where He died.

This touching story is not a Jewish myth, and it is not a Christian fable. It is a blessed and glorious factual history. God has actually come down to earth and has become incarnate — embodied in flesh — in the person of the Man, Christ Jesus. In Bethlehem’s Babe, we see deity and humanity united — never to be separated. But incarnation alone would not save one poor sinner. The Son of God became man in order that He might “give His life a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45). Without Calvary, Bethlehem would have had no lasting significance. The Savior born in David’s city had to die in order to redeem us to God.

The Prediction of His Coming

“All this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a Son, and they shall call His name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us” (Matthew 1:22‑23; see Isaiah 7:14). “Thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall He come forth unto Me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting” (Micah 5:2).

It is an interesting fact that although Micah, about 700 years before, had foretold the birth of Christ as taking place in Bethlehem, there seemed, almost to the last, no likelihood that this would be. God used a Roman emperor’s command to bring Mary to Bethlehem, at the very last moment (read Luke 2:1‑4) in order that His word might not fail.

The Purpose of His Coming

“This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners” (1 Timothy 1:15). “He was manifested to take away our sins” (1 John 3:5).

To celebrate Christ’s birth and yet not to have received Him as personal Savior is to display callous indifference to the mercy which God has manifested in the gift of His Son. “By grace ye are saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast” (Ephesians 2:8‑9). As a sinner, confess to Christ your need of Him who died for your sins.

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. … And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us. … He came unto His own and His own received Him not. But as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name” (John 1:1‑14).

“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16).

Have you received Him for your very own?