“Christmas in One Word”
December 25, 2022
If I were to sum up Christmas in one word, it would be “Immanuel” – God with us. The prophet, Isaiah, was the first to introduce us to this glorious name, “Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call His name Immanuel.” (Isaiah 7:14)
It is one of the most comforting names of Jesus because it captures the miracle that is Christmas. The Almighty God, who crafted the galaxies with His bare hands (Genesis 1:1), the Eternal Word, Who always was and always will be (John 1:1), came to Earth in the form of a helpless baby. Why? Because our sins made it impossible for us to come to Him. God took the extravagant, most loving step of coming to us, of making Himself susceptible to sorrow, familiar with temptation, and vulnerable to sin’s disruptive power, in order to cancel its claim. God did not remain in Heaven and love us from a distance.
The more we think about the fact that the God of the Universe became our “Immanuel”, the more we may experience an overwhelming sense of calm. No matter where we go, or what we face, He walks beside us offering comfort, wisdom, and strength. All the giving, gathering, and gaiety that man has connected with Christmas, pales in comparison to what God did that first Christmas, in coming to be with us as IMMANUEL!
Merry Christmas to you and your loved ones! May you give, gather, and have great gaiety, unlike any other Christmas, because God is with us!