In our worship service this past Sunday, our church sang a little chorus entitled “Emmanuel.” It goes like this:
Emmanuel, Emmanuel
His name is called Emmanuel
God with us, revealed in us
His name is called Emmanuel
That little song summarizes, in just four lines, one of the greatest meanings of Christmas. Scripture puts it this way:
Matthew 1:23 (NKJV) “Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which is translated, “God with us.”
God with us! What a wonderful reality. God sent Jesus into the world on the first Christmas to be God with us.
Isn’t it great to know that God didn’t just create us and leave us on our own? And He didn’t just stay way off up in heaven, looking down at us from afar. Instead, in the person of His Son, God came to us, and became one of us.
Hebrews 2:17-18 Therefore, in all things He had to be made like His brethren, that He might be a merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. 18 For in that He Himself has suffered, being tempted, He is able to aid those who are tempted.
That tells me that anything I have to face in life, Jesus, who names Himself my divine brother, has already gone through. He understands! And because He Himself had to deal with the same types of trials and temptations, He can be an ever present help in my time of trouble.
So, remember that Christmas is not just about what happened in Bethlehem more than 2000 years ago. It’s about the great and wondrous reality that the One who was born on that day is here now, and He’s here to be “God with us”!
And because of Christmas you and I need never again face a hostile world alone.
Ron Franklin
