Matthew 1:21–23 NIV
21 She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.
” 22 All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: 23 “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”).

1. When God Comes Close, He brings PEACE

Romans 5:1 ESV
1 Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Peace isn’t found in the manger alone — it’s secured at the cross

The cross solves the problem of our conflict by giving us Peace:
with God
with ourselves
with each other

Most people aren’t running from God because they hate Him. They’re running because they assume He’s upset with them.

Christmas says the opposite…
Peace isn’t the absence of chaos. Peace is knowing God is notagainst you.

When we experience that kind of PEACE…JOY isn’t too far behind…

2. When God Comes Close, He brings Joy

Romans 5:2–3 NLT
2 Because of our faith, Christ has brought us into this place of undeserved privilege where we now stand, and we confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God’s glory.

3 We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance.

If you are asking: Is this story really for someone like me? YES

God didn’t appear to the polished or the politicians…no business leaders or holy people

Joy doesn’t mean life is easy or pain disappears..
Joy means that God is WITH ME … EVEN HERE…EVEN WITH ME…EVEN THROUGH THIS…

3. When God Comes Close, He brings HOPE

Romans 5:3–4 NLT
3 We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance.
4 And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation.

Paul says hope grows in the middle of real life — not when everything works out.

This matters, because many of us walk into Christmas carrying disappointment:

Expectations that didn’t happen
Relationships that broke
Dreams that stalled

Hope isn’t pretending things don’t hurt. Hope is knowing that Jesus UNDERSTANDS because he has been there too! (Hebrews 4:15)

When some gets it…and its with you in it!

4. When God Comes Close, He brings LOVE

Romans 5:5 NLT
5 And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love.

Hope Remains B/C it’s anchored in LOVE
His love isn’t proven by words but by HIS PRESENCE

GOD COMING CLOSE ANSWERS THE QUESTION: HOW FAR WILL
GOD GO? ANSWER: All the Way to the Cross…AND BACK!