Behold Emmanuel, God With Us

[Behold Emmanuel, God With Us]( Current Teaching Series [Behold! The Best News Ever]( [Listen to Today's Broadcast]( [Behold Emmanuel, God With Us]( By Rick Warren — 12/24/2022 [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [Pinterest]( [Email](mailto:?subject=I'd%20like%20to%20share%20a%20Daily%20Devotional%20from%20Pastor%20Rick%20with%20you&body= “Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here, for he has risen, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples that he has risen from the dead, and behold, he is going before you to Galilee.” Matthew 28:5-7 (ESV) If Jesus had not come back to life, then nobody in the world would be celebrating Christmas. Why? Because Jesus would’ve been a liar and a fake. Jesus claimed to be God, which a lot of people in history have done—but only Jesus proved it. He defeated death by raising himself back to life. The resurrection is the most important event in history—so significant that every other event in history is dated in relationship to it. It’s even more important than Christmas; without the resurrection, Christmas wouldn’t matter. On that first Easter morning, several women who loved Jesus came to his tomb to anoint his body with spices. A large stone had been placed at the opening of Jesus’ tomb. Suddenly there was an earthquake as an angel of the Lord came down from heaven. He rolled away the stone, sat on top of it, and said to the women, “‘Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here, for he has risen, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples that he has risen from the dead, and behold, he is going before you to Galilee . . . So they departed quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, and ran to tell his disciples. “And behold, Jesus met them and said, ‘Greetings!’ And they came up and took hold of his feet and worshiped him. Then Jesus said to them, ‘Do not be afraid; go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee, and there they will see me’” (Matthew 28:5-10 ESV). Jesus didn’t immediately return to heaven after he came back to life. Instead, he spent the next 40 days meeting and eating with people. He even preached a sermon to 500 people! After 40 days, Jesus gave these last instructions before he went back to heaven: “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:19-20 ESV). God came to Earth at Christmas because he is Emmanuel, God with us. And he is still with us today. Through his birth, death, and resurrection, Jesus showed you how much he loves you. And he promises to be with you today, no matter what you’re going through. You are not alone. Behold, the best news ever!   [PLAY today’s audio teaching from Pastor Rick >>]( Talk It Over - Why is it so amazing that Jesus is Emmanuel, God with us? - How are you obeying Jesus’ last instructions to go and make disciples? - What are some ways you can intentionally design your Christmas celebrations so that they also remind you of the hope of the resurrection? Have you ever opened your heart to Emmanuel? Jesus is Emmanuel, God with us. But he won’t force himself into your life. You have to make the choice to accept him as your Savior and Lord. If you’re ready to do that today, pray this prayer of faith: “Dear God, I hear you knocking at the door of my heart, and I want to open it up to you. I confess that I have sinned and that I need your forgiveness and mercy. Thank you for loving me so much that you sent Jesus to die for my sins, so that I can be forgiven. “Jesus, you promised that anyone who believes in you will not perish but have everlasting life and eternity with you in heaven. I believe in you and accept you as my Lord and Savior. I want to allow you into all the rooms of my heart and spend the rest of my life serving you. Amen.” If you just prayed to accept Jesus, please email me at Rick@PastorRick.com and let me know about it. I’d like to send you some free materials to help you start your journey with Jesus. The post [Behold Emmanuel, God With Us]( appeared first on [Pastor Rick's Daily Hope](. [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [Pinterest]( [Email](mailto:?subject=I'd%20like%20to%20share%20a%20Daily%20Devotional%20from%20Pastor%20Rick%20with%20you&body= [Get the brand-new Daily Hope Prayer Journal when you give a gift to support Daily Hope!]( Make prayer time the best time of your day with the brand-new Daily Hope Prayer Journal! This easy-to-carry hardback journal with a soft-touch cover gives you the tools you need to establish a consistent daily prayer time. It’ll help you connect with the Lord and enjoy a vibrant prayer life as you unlock the keys to praying with passion and purpose. Inside you’ll find 235 beautifully designed pages filled with: • Practical encouragement for your prayer life from Pastor Rick • Sections that guide you to pray for specific people and situations • Space for writing out what God is showing you • Encouraging Bible verses • Gorgeous artwork and inspiring photos Dive into this year’s theme, "Connecting with Jesus: The Source of Living Water," and tap into God’s power and presence as you’re reminded how much God loves you and wants to be an active part of your life. Your generous year-end gift to Daily Hope will be DOUBLED by a $100,000 Matching Grant, helping bring the Good News of God’s love to every nation on earth. [LEARN MORE]( [Complete Audio Series (Purchase)]( Includes 3 full-length messages from Pastor Rick's series Behold! The Best News Ever. [LEARN MORE]( [Series Summary]( Message 1: Radical Love Message 2: Christmas is for All People Message 3: Christmas—Behold! The Best News Ever [PLAY TODAY'S BROADCAST]( Pastor Rick Warren [Facebook]( [Instagram]( [Linkedin]( Enjoy today's devotional? Listen to Pastor Rick’s daily audio teaching at [PastorRick.com]( Did someone forward this devotional to you? [Subscribe to Pastor Rick Warren's Daily Devotional.]( As the founding pastor of Saddleback Church with his wife Kay, Dr. Rick Warren leads a 30,000-member congregation in California with campuses in major cities around the world. As an author, his book [The Purpose Driven Life]( is one of the best-selling nonfiction books in publishing history. It has been translated into 74 languages and sold more than 50 million copies in all formats. His book [The Purpose Driven Church]( was named one of the 100 Christian books that changed the century. Rick also founded [The PEACE Plan]( to address five global issues—spiritual emptiness, self-serving leadership, poverty, disease, and illiteracy—through the power of ordinary people in the local church. You can listen to Pastor Rick’s Daily Hope, his daily 25-minute audio teaching, and sign up for his free daily devotionals at [PastorRick.com](. © 2022 by Rick Warren. All rights reserved. Used by permission. You can unsubscribe by clicking the link below. Sent to: {EMAIL} [Unsubscribe]( Pastor Rick's Daily Hope, 23182 Arroyo Vista, Rancho Santa Margarita, CA 92688, United States