Joseph Prince - Struggling Through The Holidays? God Understands Your Pain (01/27/2026)
The Christmas message is Emmanuel—God with us—Jesus born of a virgin to save us from sins without sinful blood, proving God is for us through His gift, death, and resurrection. Romans 8:31 declares if God is for us, nothing can be against us; proof is in the cross where Jesus bore our sins and was raised because God declared us righteous, removing all guilt completely for peace and favor.
Emmanuel – God With Us in Christmas
The Christmas message is the message that He came down. Amen. To be so close with us. That His name is called, besides Jesus, His name is also Emmanuel. Emmanuel is Hebrew for, God is with us. Amen. So let's read this portion of Scripture. Every time Christmas comes, we read this portion to remind us of that wonderful gift that God gave us 2,000 years ago. But that gift stands before us here today, ready to meet you at the point of your need. Amen.
Matthew chapter 1. Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows. After His mother Mary was betrothed, betrothed means engaged, to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Spirit. So He's born of a virgin. Amen. So none of the Father's blood. And medically, it's now proven that the baby does not receive anything from the Father. Amen. Or even from the mother in terms of her blood. Her placenta brings in nourishment. Amen. Takes away the waste from the baby, but does not minister her blood into Him. Amen.
So Jesus does not have any of Mary's blood that has sin. For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. So the virgin birth is so that God's Son can come into the world in human flesh, but without sinful blood. And why is blood important? Because the Bible says, without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness. Without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness of sins.
Joseph's Response and the Angel's Message
Then Joseph, her husband, being a just man and not wanting to make her a public example. This is so beautiful. He must be really in love with her. Imagine you are engaged to a girl and the girl says, I'm pregnant. And it says, the angel told me that I'll be the mother of the Messiah. And he just said, yeah, sure. Amen. And don't forget, this is the first time it's ever happened. Right? But the Bible says that he was not wanting to make her a public example. In those days, they would stone someone like that. Was minded to put her away secretly.
But while he thought about these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream. I find it very fascinating that every time we think about the things of God, amen, God gives us an answer. So he's not willing to make a public example. But while he thought about these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream saying, Joseph, son of David, he's from the line of David the king. Notice that? Both Mary and Joseph came from the line of King David. Remember David, the one who killed Goliath? He became king. That boy became king. And from him came the lineage. He has one son called Solomon. From Solomon came Joseph, the husband of Mary. From the other son, Nathan came Mary. So in a way, both were from the royal stock. Amen.
Jesus was born. That's why when he was born, the Bible says, where is he, the wise men asked, where is he born, the king of the Jews? You see, most princes, royal family, they are born prince. They are not born king. They are born heir apparent. Only one was born king. And the wise men asked, where is he born king of the Jews? Amen. He's not the heir apparent. So he came straight. And Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. And she will bring forth a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. Say Jesus.
That name Jesus from the Hebrew Yeshua means he will save. He will save you from your sins. Your biggest problem is your sins. My sins. Our sins have caused a barrier between us and God. A God who wants to help us. A God who wants to come into our life, invade our life with his favor, his goodness, his blessings, his mercy. But he cannot because there's a barrier of sin. Amen. But he will save his people from their sins. Amen.
Fulfilled Prophecy – Virgin Birth and Immanuel
And it goes on to say, so all this was done that it might be fulfilled, which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, prophet Isaiah, saying, Behold, a virgin shall be with child and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel. Say Immanuel. See, you're speaking Hebrew already. Amen. You're speaking Hebrew. When you say Immanuel, it's Hebrew. Im means with us. El, if your name is Immanuel, Joel. El is the name of God. Elohim. El Shaddai. El is the mighty God. Amen. So, when you put Im with us, God, the mighty God, the mighty God is now with us. Amen.
What a message of hope. Now, some people are afraid, if God is with me, I want Him to look at all my sins and judge me and punish me. That's the natural, you know, disposition that most people of the world have towards God. They think that God is out to get them. They think God is out to punish them. No, my friend. God is for you. Another meaning of the word, God is with us, is that He is with us favorably. Therefore, God is for us.
I want to read one more scripture. And then, uh, we're going to see what God has for us in this particular Christmas time. Romans 8:31. What then shall we say to these things? Even all these things are coming forth. Right? Uh, recession. Like, we have never seen it. That's what the experts are predicting is going to happen. We are stepping into that, that year. What should, what then shall we say to these things? My friend, if God be for us, who can be against us?
And this word who is from the Greek word tis, which is used 200 times over in the New Testament as what. Only 100 over times as who. It can be who or what, depending on context. So you can say, if God be for us, if God be for me, what can be against me? Recession, disease, my guilt, my sins, Satan. If God be for me, it covers everything, every exigencies of life, everything that we'll need for time and eternity. If God is for me and not against me, I can rest. I'm loved, I'm taken care of.
Overcoming Doubt – God Is For You Proofs
But Pastor Prince, the question is that I can't say for sure God is for me. In the midst of all this celebration, I see you all celebrating and singing all these beautiful Christmas Carols and all that. But I know it's a season of joy and peace on earth. Like, your theme this year is perfect peace. But I don't have that perfect peace. In the midst of all this, there's an emptiness inside me. I'm going through a depression. I'm, a lot of people may not even know where I'm at. My own family may not even know what I'm going through. Even the recent thoughts I have. But there is a God who knows all your thoughts. He knows your downrising and uprising. He knows your thoughts. The Bible says, even the most intimate thoughts that you think of, that you don't even think of, that you know, that you're not even conscious enough. God knows it. God loves you more than you know.
Now, Pastor Prince, you talk about God being for me. I cannot receive that. Why would God be for me? He's for Christians. He's for all of you. But He's not for me. Why would He be for me? I have rebelled against Him. I have sinned against Him. I don't even acknowledge Him. I have blasphemed His name in times past. Why would God be for me? You know why God is for you? Would you like me to give the proof? Proof number one, Christmas story. Proof number one is the gift of His Son. God is for you. God didn't wait for man to behave and then He gave His Son. God gave you His Son in spite of the fact that you were rebelling, you were going your merry way, amen, breaking all His commandments, amen, not even cognizant of Him, not acknowledging Him, didn't pray to Him, in fact, blaspheming His name. I don't care, amen, about God or things of God. God loved you. In all those moments, God loved you. Amen.
God's love is not turned off by your sin. In fact, because of your sin, God sent His Son. The gift of His Son is the gift of unconditional love and grace. So this is the gospel of grace. This is the good news of grace. What is grace, Pastor Prince? The Bible says the law was given by Moses. The Ten Commandments was given by Moses. And a sample of the Ten Commandments is, thou shalt not have any other gods before me. Thou shalt not commit adultery. Thou shalt not murder. Thou shalt honour your father and mother. Thou shalt not even desire to possess what other people have. Don't desire their wife. Don't desire their house. Don't desire their riches. But we do that every time now with TikTok. You know, social media. I mean, they bring the world into your room, right? Into your privacy and you are always admiring and coveting what other people have. Amen? The life that I want. See, all of us have broken the Ten Commandments, if not in deeds, in our thoughts. Jesus says, if you hate someone, you have committed murder. So, how many of you have lied? The Bible says, don't lie. Thou shalt not bear false witness. Don't lie. Put up your hands. You have never lied. You just did. Amen? So, all of us have broken the Ten Commandments.
So, the Bible says the law was given by Moses. But watch this. Moses lived before Jesus. And he is not the Son of God. He is the servant of God. But grace and truth came by Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is the Son of God. Amen. The Son that He loved. Amen. And Christmas about the gift of His Son. Amen? He gave us His Son. So, what came with Jesus? Grace and truth. True grace. What is grace, Pastor Prince? Grace is unearned, undeserved favour from God. If God is for us, who or what can be against us? The idea is that no sin, no guilt, Satan himself, no guilt, Satan himself, amen, or whatever vicissitudes or challenges, it cannot be successfully against us. Amen.
Proofs God Is For Us – Gift, Death, Resurrection
Apostle Prince, I, like I said, I'm not part of the us. I cannot say God is for me. My friend, you are part of us because God gave you His Son. Amen. And this verse here, John 3, verse 16 says, For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son. I love that little word, so. It speaks of intensity of love. For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son. A bell is not a bell till you ring it. A song is not a song until you sing it. Love is not love until you give it. Amen. God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son.
A boy attended Sunday school one time and he memorized this verse. This is the most memorized verse of all. Most famous verse of all. Amen. If ever you wonder, what is John 3, 16? Here you have it. Amen. For God so loved the world. And I believe the Lord has made it such that the world is familiar, at least, the accordingism of John 3, 16. For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son. So this small boy says, he memorized wrongly, he came home. He said, what is your memory verse? The mother asks, For God so loved the world that He gave us His forgotten Son. But in a way, O English, only begotten, one and only. But in a way, at the cross, He was forgotten. And we'll see why He was forgotten. Right?
The gift that proves that God is for you, not against you, is the gift of His Son, Jesus Christ. Amen. For God so loved the world that He gave us His only begotten Son, that whosoever, are you in the whosoever, believes in Him, should not perish in hell, but have everlasting life. And your life begins now, right into eternity in heaven with God. Amen. And all is required is belief. Now, if you say you're not part of the us, God is for us, Pastor Prince, I don't think I'm part of the us, I'm not part of you all. Then think of this, you're not part of the world, are you part of the world? Because God so loved the world. Unless you are from a different sphere of being, you are from another planet, you can qualify, you tell me, prove to me that you're not part of the world, then you can say that this love of God doesn't apply to me. God loves you. You are in that world. For God so loved the world. You can put your name there. God loves you.
And why did He send His Son? This is proof number two. The death of His Son. And His Son died under His hand. Let me explain. The Bible says, without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness of sins. The Bible says that in Hebrews. Without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness. But all this is a picture of His Son that He was sent to die on the cross. He is the true Lamb of God. And that's why when He made His public appearance, John the Baptist, the last prophet of the Old Testament, pointed to Jesus and said, Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. Amen.
So, Jesus came down this Christmas story. First of all, we know God is for us because of the gift of His Son. And then we know God is for us because His Son came for the sole purpose to die on that cross for our sins. And now we come to the third proof. The raising of His Son. So, proof number three, that God is for you, is that He raised His Son from the dead. But what does that mean to me, Pastor Prince? He is God's Son. Of course, He will raise Him from the dead. The Bible says, God did not raise Him from the dead because He is God's Son. That He always is. He is always God's Son. Amen. Well, God raised Him because His life is a perfect life. No, without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness of sins.
Listen, my friend, if Jesus lived on earth in Israel, if He grew up, came Christmas Day, Christmas celebration, He was a baby, He grew up, and we know He lived a perfect life. All His prayers, all His tears, all His good deeds, all His miracles, and His perfect life, if He lived all that life, and then He says, I'm going home, He'll just go up without going to the cross. But will we be saved? No. Without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness of sins. You see, that tells us, if you can be saved by morality, if you can be saved by good works, then Jesus' death is the most foolish thing that can ever happen. No, my friend, there's no other way. That's why Jesus said, in English, you all know what the is. Definite article. He says, I am the way, the truth, and the life. No man comes to the Father but by Me. And He had to go by the way of the cross because He loved us and God loved us. He came to die.
You see, the reason why He was wrapped in swaddling cloths and put in a manger, a stone manger, by the way, not a wooden manger. A stone manger. If you go to Israel, the empty tomb that we talked about just now, right, the empty tomb is made like a stone. It's a stone tomb. And it's exactly the way the baby would look when Mary laid Him. He was born to die. He's the only baby born to die. The gift of God's love for sinning mankind, for rebellious people. Amen. For people who have no heart for Him. is to send His Son to die for their sins.
Raised for Our Justification – Complete Removal of Sins
So we have proof number one, the gift of His Son. Then proof number two, amen, the death of His Son. Now we come to the third one, the raising of His Son. Like I said, God did not raise Him because, you know, like most people think, well, He's God's Son. Some Christians even think because, you know, He lived a perfect life, God is obligated to raise Him. No, my friend. That He always is. He lived a perfect life. Yes. Amen. No other lived like He lived. Amen. And He is God's Son. Blessed be that truth forevermore. Amen. But that's not the reason God raised Him.
The Bible says, the Bible says, this is the reason. In Romans 4, now, it was written for Abraham's sake that righteousness was imputed to him. Say righteousness. Righteousness means right standing with God. Amen. With all the blessings of the righteous falling on you. Full of, chock full of His favour. Amen. Praise the Lord. So, righteousness was not imputed for Abraham's sake, but it was imputed to Him. But also for us, it shall be imputed to us who believe in Him, who what? Gave His Son. Not here. Doesn't say that. Believe on Him, who bruised His Son. No. Who raised up Jesus, our Lord, from the dead.
What is it about believing that God raised His Son from the dead that we have righteousness imputed to us? Do you see that? Righteousness will be imputed to us also who believe in Him who raised up Jesus, our Lord, from the dead. Jesus who was delivered up because of our offences and was raised because of our justification. He was delivered to the cross because of our offences and He was raised because of our justification.
Let me say, now, I like the Young's translation of this. He brings up the Greek, the last part. Jesus was raised up because of our being declared righteous by God. God declared us righteous. When God declared you righteous, God raised His Son from the dead. As a testimony, God didn't raise His Son because He is His Son. God didn't raise His Son because He lived the perfect life. God raised His Son because you have been declared righteous. Now, think for a while. Just a few days ago on that cross, He became chargeable. The same, the self-same One became chargeable with all our sins and all our guilt. Right? Now, He's raised from the dead by God because we are declared righteous.
But, whose sins did He carry at the cross? Ours! So, if God, if He became liable, He became our substitute. Amen? And God treated Him like He was us sinning. Right? Then how come on the third day, God can raise Him from the dead? It must be... Now, listen carefully. This is so precious. This is a soul-tranquilizing truth. Listen carefully. This will bring peace to your heart. That means, all your sins, He has so completely, so perfectly removed all your sins and your guilt and your judgment that God can raise Him from the dead because God declares you righteous. Amen.