December 21st, Sermon & Ministry Resources

"Emmanuel" (Matthew 1:18-25)

Lectionary Readings — Fourth Sunday of Advent — December 21, 2025

Isaiah 7:10-16; Psalm 80:1-7,17-19; Romans 1:1-7; Matthew 1:18-25

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Call to Worship (based on Matthew 1:18-25)

Leader: God promised to send a Savior, and God kept that promise.

People: Jesus was born to save his people from their sins.

Leader: The prophet said, “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Emmanuel.”

People: Emmanuel means “God with us.”

Leader: God did not remain distant from us.

People: God came near to us in Jesus Christ.

Leader: What seemed impossible became reality.

People: God’s plans accomplish what God intends.

Leader: Joseph took Mary as his wife and named the child Jesus, just as the angel commanded.

People: We too are called to trust and obey God’s word to us.

Leader: Come, let us worship the God who is with us.

People: Let us worship Jesus, Emmanuel, God with us.

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Opening Prayer (based on Isaiah 7:10-16)

Let us pray:

Heavenly Father,

We gather here on this final Sunday of Advent, just days away from celebrating the birth of your Son. We have been waiting and preparing, and now Christmas is almost here.

We thank you that the story of Jesus’s birth was not a surprise or an accident. Centuries before it happened, you spoke through the prophet Isaiah about a child who would be called Emmanuel—God with us. You were already setting your plan in motion, already preparing to come near to your people in the most unexpected way.

We confess that we don’t always recognize the signs of your presence. Like King Ahaz, we sometimes refuse to look for you or ask for your help, thinking we can manage on our own. Yet you come to us anyway. You don’t wait for us to get everything right before drawing close to us.

As we stand on the edge of Christmas, help us to truly grasp what we’re about to celebrate—that you loved us enough to become one of us, to enter into our world as a vulnerable infant. You didn’t remain distant. You came near.

In these last few days of waiting, prepare our hearts to receive Jesus afresh. Help us move past the busyness and distractions to focus on what Christmas really means: that you are Emmanuel, God with us.

We pray in the name of Jesus, the child born in Bethlehem.

Amen.

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[NOTE to Paid subscribers — scroll down for the full manuscript sermon]

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Sermon Outline: "EMMANUEL"

Based on Matthew 1:18-25

INTRODUCTION:

• The Fourth Sunday of Advent: the final candle before Christmas

• We’ve heard from heavenly voices, prophets, and Mary

• Today: the often-overlooked story of Joseph

• A righteous man facing an impossible situation

• How God breaks into our lives when everything falls apart

I. DISTRESS (vv. 18-19)

A. The Shocking Discovery

B. Joseph’s Impossible Position

C. Joseph’s Righteous Character

D. The Dilemma of Doing Right

E. The Mess of the Incarnation

II. DREAM (vv. 20-23)

A. The Angel Appears

B. The Angel’s Reassurance

C. The Explanation of the Mystery

D. The Naming and Mission

E. The Prophetic Fulfillment

F. The Meaning of Emmanuel

III. DEVOTION (vv. 24-25)

A. Joseph Wakes and Obeys

B. Joseph Takes Mary as His Wife

C. Joseph’s Restraint

D. Joseph Names the Child

E. The Silent Hero of Christmas

F. Faith That Acts

CONCLUSION:

A. God Enters Our Distress

B. God Speaks in Our Darkness

C. God Calls Us to Trust

D. Emmanuel—God With Us

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Full Manuscript Sermon Below for Paid Subscribers