Immanuel, God With Us!
Merry Christmas 2024
The past ten days have been a complete mess at the Waken household. Confusion and sickness have taken over, starting with a cold or virus for Debbie, Rachel, and me. My condition worsened. Lying in bed alone, with rattling lungs and a stuffy nose, I felt like I was about to walk through the valley of the shadow of death. But then, I remembered God’s presence with me (Psalm 23:4).
Most people seek God’s presence during distress, despair, or confusion. The uplifting news is that God yearns to be with us! This is the essence of the Christmas story.
In the Gospel of Matthew, we encounter Joseph in a confusing situation. He was engaged to Mary when she unexpectedly became pregnant through a miraculous intervention of the Holy Spirit. To convey this extraordinary news, Matthew was visited by an angel in a dream. Here’s a portion of the angel’s message to Matthew.
Matthew 1:21–25 (NASB95)
21 “She will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.”
22 Now all this took place to fulfill what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet:
23 “Behold, the virgin shall be with child and shall bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which translated means, “God with us.”
24 And Joseph awoke from his sleep and did as the angel of the Lord commanded him, and took Mary as his wife,
25 but kept her a virgin until she gave birth to a Son; and he called His name Jesus.
Joseph’s confusion about Mary’s pregnancy transformed into a resolute commitment to follow God wholeheartedly. Amidst his confusion, he discovered that prophecies made centuries earlier about the Messiah were unfolding, and he was destined to play a pivotal role. He realized that Mary’s Son was not just a human being but “God with us,” meaning Immanuel! Moreover, he learned that Mary's Son's name was to be Jesus, which means “God saves.”
God saves (Jesus) is exactly what the angel proclaimed to Joseph in his dream.
Matthew 1:21
21 “She will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.”
That is the gift of Christmas, God saving humanity through sending His Son, Jesus (God saves) into the world to be with us. The Christmas story also invites you and me to be with Him.
John 1:12
12 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name.”
In Joseph’s confusion about Mary’s pregnancy, he realized that God was with him.
In the darkness of sickness with rattling lungs and difficulty breathing, I realized afresh that God is with me.
No matter what you are going through, it is always good to remember to be strong and courageous, even amid confusion, because God is with us, an ever-present help in times of need (Psalm 46:1).
Merry Christmas!