Immanuel: God With Us

I. Introduction

Have you ever felt like your life was a tree cut down to a stump? Hopeless. Dry. Finished. Yet someone once said, “It was in that exact season when God began something new in me.” The question of every heart is: “Is God still with me when everything seems ruined?”

Israel knew that feeling. Their kingdom had collapsed, their glory gone, their hope fading. All that remained was a stump — Hebrew: geza‘. But into that hopeless stump, God spoke life: “A shoot — ḥoter — will come forth from the stump of Jesse.”

Point 1 — Immanuel Is With Us in Our Lowest Moments (v.1)

1. God is present even when life looks cut down

• The stump symbolizes failure, loss, collapse.
• But God chooses the stump as the birthplace of His promise.
• God often begins His greatest work when the world sees nothing left.

2. The shoot points to the coming Messiah

• Jesus came not from a throne but from a seemingly broken lineage.
• Immanuel appears in humble beginnings.
• His presence does not always look dramatic—but it is always transformational.

3. God revives what looks dead

• In your marriage, career, ministry, or health—God can grow new life.
• Immanuel means: “God is here, even in the stump.”

• Isaiah 53:2 — A shoot rises from dry ground.
• Matthew 1:23 — “Immanuel, God with us.”

Transition: After revealing that a shoot will come, Isaiah shows how Immanuel works—through the presence of the Spirit.

Point 2 — Immanuel Is With Us Through His Spirit (v.2)

1. The Spirit gives wisdom and understanding

• Wisdom — ḥokmāh — seeing life from God’s perspective.
• Understanding — bīnāh — discerning what is true.
• For workers, parents, students — His Spirit guides decisions.

2. The Spirit gives counsel and might

• Counsel — ‘ēṣāh — direction from God.
• Might — gĕbūrāh — strength to follow that direction.
• Presence is not passive—it empowers.

3. The Spirit gives knowledge and the fear of the Lord

• Knowledge — da‘at — relational knowledge of God.
• Fear of the Lord — yir’ah — reverence that shapes character.
• Immanuel forms us from the inside out.

• John 14:16–17 — The Spirit remains with us forever.
• Isaiah 61:1 — The Spirit of the Lord is upon the Messiah.

Transition: The Spirit’s presence forms Christlike character in us.

Point 3 — Immanuel Is With Us to Shape Our Character (vv.3–5)

1. Immanuel gives spiritual discernment (v.3)

• He does not judge by appearances.
• God helps us see truth beneath the surface.
• In conflict, decisions, or ministry—His presence sharpens perception.

2. Immanuel guides us to justice (v.4)

• He defends the poor and the oppressed.
• God’s heart is always toward the vulnerable.
• His presence leads us to integrity, fairness, and compassion.

3. Immanuel anchors us in righteousness (v.5)

• Righteousness — ṣedeq — moral strength, reliability.
• Faithfulness — ’emunah — steadfast character.
• His presence builds stability in our inner life.

• Micah 6:8 — Walk justly, love mercy, live humbly.
• Ephesians 6:14 — The belt of truth and righteousness.

Conclusion — A Call to Response

Immanuel is God’s promise for every season: In the stump — He brings a shoot. In weakness — He gives His Spirit. In the journey — He forms our character.

Response:
“Lord Immanuel, grow new life in my stump. Shape my mind, my heart, my steps. Be with me now and forever.”

Poetic Ending:
When life feels cut to the ground, He brings a shoot. When strength fades, His Spirit renews. When the path is unclear, His righteousness guides. Immanuel walks every step with us.

Quatrain (Pantun-style):
Morning dew on broken tree,
Whispers hope for eyes to see.
Immanuel walks our destiny,
God is with us endlessly.