Journeying Through AdventSample

Emmanuel - God is with Us

“Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.” ~Isaiah 7:14

Advent is a time of waiting and reflection. It is a time when we prepare our hearts to receive Jesus once again. His name, Emmanuel, meaning "God with us," carries with it the mystery of His birth and His purpose. It was prophesied by the prophet Isaiah, and the gospels attest to its reality: The Lord comes that he might enter into our hearts.

To understand this miracle, think about the shepherds on that night Jesus was born. They worked every day tending their flocks in the rocky Judean mountains, under clear night skies. Then, the mundane darkness was replaced with a glorious spectacle of angels proclaiming a Gospel of salvation. Crying out to be at Bethlehem, these poor shepherds set out on a journey to a manger. And there they met not a newborn baby, but Emmanuel — God incarnate in the face of a child, coming to them in their poverty, changing their lives.

The "God with us" promise is not some far-off theological idea. It’s a very real and accessible reality. And we’re told that God is not far removed or absent from the muck and disorder of our daily lives. God did not reject our humanity, but rather received it, taking us in as a partner in love and grace. Consider how this applies to us in the present. And the doctrine of the Incarnation – the Incarnation of God as a human in Jesus – makes us ask questions about the perception of God as already being present. It invites us to see the sacred in everyday life, and to be Jesus's brother or sister in our interactions with others.

As the shepherds and followers of Christ, we too are to be alert to the evidence of God’s presence even at the most out of place and inopportune time. How can those of us working and serving in ministry practice the truth of Emmanuel? The Incarnation asks us to step outside of the sterile ritual, to listen to those we minister and serve. It asks us to cultivate community, to show empathy, and to offer hope. "God with us" is not a declaration of the future for ourselves, but a commitment to be that difference by being Godly love to our neighbors. Consider how you might live and minister like God. What does knowing God’s incarnation mean for how you relate to others, how you choose to act, how you serve?

Prayer: Father God, during this Advent season let our hearts be open to the holiness of Emmanuel, "God with us." May we know You in new, transformed ways, and be conduits of Your love and forgiveness to others. Make us courageous to be your face on this earth, to announce Your kingdom by what we do and how we speak. Amen.

Written by Matthew Earls (Wesley Seminary Doctor of Ministry student)