Emmanuel-God with Us
Bunkhouse Beacon – Emmanuel—God With Us
700 years before the birth of Jesus…
Isaiah 7:14 NIV Therefore the Lord himself will give you[c] a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.
700 years later the prophecy is fulfilled…
Matthew 1:18-25 NIV This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit. 19 Because Joseph her husband was faithful to the law, and yet did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly. 20 But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 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”). 24 When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. 25 But he did not consummate their marriage until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus.
Emmanuel means "God with us", not God distant, not God detached, but God present.
The Creator of the universe stepped into human history as a vulnerable child because He wanted to be with you.
This is the heart of the gospel: God doesn't observe your suffering from a distance; He entered into it. Jesus didn't come just to die; He came to bear the full weight of your sin, shame, fear, and pain.
When you feel alone in your struggles, remember that the Man of Sorrows knows your grief intimately.
He was rejected, so you could be accepted. He was wounded so you could be healed.
He suffered abandonment, so you would never be alone. Right now, in this moment, Emmanuel is with you.
In what area of your life do you need to experience "God with us" more deeply today?
Grace and Peace
Lars