Emmanuel, God with us! (3rd Advent) - Pastor Dave Klassen

Growing up, we knew Christmas was close when the tree went up. That childhood longing points to a deeper truth: from the very beginning, God has longed to be with His people. In Eden, He walked with Adam and Eve, creating us in His image to enjoy relationship. Sin introduced fear and hiding, but it never canceled God’s desire. Enoch walked with God. God chose Abraham and formed a people. He gave instructions for a tabernacle and then a temple—signs of His intent to dwell in the midst of Israel. Even in exile, He spoke hope through Jeremiah: seek Me with all your heart, and you will find Me. For four hundred years, silence. Then heaven broke in—an angel to Zechariah, a promise to Mary, and a name: Immanuel—God with us.

This is the heart behind Christmas: God came near. Jesus embodies God’s nearness not just in theory, but personally. In Luke 5, He steps into Peter’s boat and turns a fruitless night into overflowing nets—not to dazzle a crowd, but to draw one man. He reaches out to a leper no one would touch and restores him. He looks past a packed room and lifts a paralyzed man through forgiveness and healing. He calls Levi, the tax collector everyone despised. Over and over, Jesus shows that God with us means God with you—the individual, the overlooked, the untouchable, the ashamed.

And He hasn’t changed. “I am with you always,” He said—and we live in that “always” right now. If you’re facing doubts, grief, or financial strain, you don’t walk it alone. His presence does not always remove the storm, but it changes what the storm can do to your heart. The story of Scripture—from the garden to the manger to the empty tomb—says the same thing in a thousand ways: God wants to be with you. Let that truth move from your mind to your bones. Let it quiet your fear. Let it draw you out of hiding. And today, right where you are, let it become your hope.

Key Takeaways
1. God’s deepest desire is nearness to us.
God is not building a program; He is pursuing a people. From Eden to Emmanuel, the thread is the same: He wants to dwell with us, not at a distance but at hand. Christmas is not a sentimental season; it is the startling announcement that God crossed the gap Himself. Our response is not performance but presence—seeking Him with the whole heart. [14:48]
2. Fear distorts relationship; God invites trust.
In the garden, fear sent us into hiding and made us mistrust the One who made us. Fear shrinks our capacity to receive love and to give it. God’s answer is not intimidation but invitation—He comes close, speaks peace, and restores courage. Confession and honesty become the doorway out of fear and back into relationship. [05:43]
3. God’s presence weaves through imperfect history.
Tabernacle, temple, exile, and return—none of it was tidy, yet God stayed faithful to His promise to dwell among His people. Even a second temple lacking former glory did not limit His nearness. Our circumstances don’t have to be impressive for God to be present; covenant faithfulness, not our polish, holds the relationship. Hope grows when we remember the long story of His staying. [08:58]
4. Jesus seeks the one amid the crowd.
Peter, the leper, the paralyzed man, Levi—Jesus moves toward individuals with precise compassion. He does not measure worth by platform or popularity, but by personhood. Being known by Him is what changes a life, not being noticed by many. Following Him means learning to see and step toward the one in front of us. [17:53]
5. He is with you in the “always.”
“I am with you always” is not a slogan; it is a covenant presence that steadies us in pain, doubt, and scarcity. His nearness may not remove the weight, but it changes how we carry it. Attend to His presence—pray honestly, open Scripture, and invite Him into the exact place that hurts. The “always” includes this very moment. [22:47]
Youtube Chapters
[00:00] - Welcome
[00:40] - Childhood longing and Christmas tree
[02:10] - Advent focus: What to name the baby
[03:25] - From creation: God wants to be with us
[05:43] - Fear enters the garden
[07:20] - Abraham to Israel: forming a people
[08:58] - Tabernacle, temple, and God’s promise
[10:35] - Exile and hope in Jeremiah
[11:58] - Breaking the silence: angel to Zechariah
[12:45] - Mary and the promise of Immanuel
[14:48] - God’s deepest desire: with us
[16:20] - Luke 5: Jesus and Peter’s boat
[17:53] - Touching the leper; healing the paralyzed
[19:54] - Calling Levi, the hated tax collector
[22:47] - With us always: comfort for today
[23:43] - Closing prayer and sending