Immanuel
“The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”). Matthew 1:23
All too often, the real meaning of the Christmas season is lost. We get carried away by all the holiday parties, shopping and festivities and we forget the very reason we celebrate Christmas at all. Jesus! A baby born of a virgin. God, in the flesh, to live out a divine purpose.
God became human so He could be with us and pay the price for our sins. It is part of Jesus’ identity to save God’s people from their sins. That is exactly what He did when He hung on the cross, paying the price to redeem all who believe in Him. We have been reconciled to God and are adopted Sons & Daughters of the King.
Immanuel means “God with us”. God desires to be with you! At the center of the message of Christmas, is the God of love who sent His Son to be with us because He wants to have a personal relationship with us. Is it hard for you to believe that God desires to be with you because you think it seems to good to be true? God created you. God loves you, but sin separated us from Him. Jesus took on humanity to bring reconciliation between God and us. This was the only way to bring us back into relationship with God. Jesus was God who came in the form of a baby and grew to be a man. He walked and talked with humanity and experienced everything we experience as humans…Immanuel – God with us. Jesus came to Earth to bring us everything we ever needed.
When Jesus came to Earth he brought:
- Love – he brought all the Love from heaven with Him, the only love that can truly satisfy our hearts.
- Grace – unimaginable grace so we can live free, forgiven and pure.
- Freedom – radical freedom that releases us from the bondage of sin.
- Hope – Hope that keeps us trusting and believing God for the life He has promised us. A life lived connected to Him until we are reunited with Him in eternity.
- Purpose – God has a plan and a purpose He is working out on this Earth and you are part of His plan. He has given you unique and specific gifts that are what He will use to fulfill His mission.
- Peace – He is the Prince of Peace. Even in the midst of chaos and difficult circumstances, we can have peace because we know God is with us.
So, during this Christmas season, let us remember that Jesus is the greatest gift. God’s gift to mankind. He gave himself freely even though none of us deserve it.
As you celebrate this Christmas season, I pray you can believe that Immanuel (God with us) truly desires to be with you and has brought Love, Grace, Freedom, Hope, Purpose and Peace. As you live in relationship with The Lord, I pray everything He has brought to us through Jesus, spills out of you and into everyone you encounter this holiday season and all year long.
Wishing you a Merry Christmas and a Happy & Healthy New Year!!!