Photo by Ben White on Unsplash
In the narrative concerning how Jesus was conceived, we are told, “All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: ‘The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel’ (which means ‘God with us’). (Mt. 1:22-23)
Immanuel. This is one instance where we see there is so much more to a name; it is an experience. When He was promised, it was a promise that God would be with us. It is experiencing God close enough and real enough that you can declare, “God is with us!”
But how? And why?
From the very beginning, God had a special relationship with mankind. Out of all creation, it was Adam and Eve that God created in His own image and likeness (Gen. 1:27-28). For a while, in Genesis 1 and 2, we witnessed in those two short chapters a perfect relationship of love and trust between God and man. That is, until sin came into the picture in the third chapter of Genesis, and we see man separated from God.
God with us. Looking at that background then, we see why Jesus’ name Immanuel is meaningful and special. It showcases the pivotal moment in history when Jesus Christ came into the world – the beginning of God’s fulfilment of His effort to reconcile mankind to Himself – what the rest of the Bible is all about. The apostle John says, “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth (John 1:14).” Through Christ, we saw what God was like. We had a glimpse of His character. Through Him, we witnessed the heart of God for man. By walking among us, He knew what it was like to be man. He knew our weaknesses and our temptations, and He knew we needed saving. Jesus said, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” (Jn. 10:10) Jesus went to the Cross to die for us to pay the penalty for our sin, so that by faith, we can be reconciled to God and experience a life that is with Him (Eph. 2:8-9). He himself said, “Now this is eternal life: That they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.”(Jn. 17:3) Through Jesus we can now experience Immanuel, or “God with us,” in our daily lives.
How can you and your family experience Immanuel this Christmas?
At the core of this experience is the purpose behind the celebration. We always hear people say, “Jesus is the reason for the season.” That’s a good reminder. Christmas time can be filled with so many activities clamoring for our attention, and so we must be intentional to experience Immanuel during Christmas.
In the midst of this hectic season, choose to pause each day. It doesn’t have to be long. Ten to fifteen minutes each time will be feasible. Stop and think: What does the coming of Jesus Christ, Immanuel, God with us, mean personally to me? Take pause. Read about Him in Scripture, and take note of all you learn about Him. Respond in prayer, worship, thanksgiving. Rejoice!
Make sure you do not miss out on His invitation. “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” (Jn. 3:16) When you respond to His invitation, you will open your soul to the grace of God and cause you to experience Immanuel in a fresh way.
Bong Baylon is a leader, communicator, and mentor, and pastor at Real Life Christian Communities in San Pedro, Laguna. Together with his wife Gina, his passion is to raise up leaders and help them lead better, starting with their two sons, John David and Joseph Immanuel.
