GOD WITH US

“‘The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel’ (which means ‘God with us’).” – Matthew 1:23 

When the Virgin Mary was found to be with child, her betrothed, Joseph, was visited by an angel who told him not to be afraid to take Mary home as his wife, because “what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.” The angel told Joseph that the child was to be named Jesus, which means “the Lord saves,” for he would save his people from their sins. He was thus proclaiming the reason why Jesus was coming to earth. But the angel said something else. He said that Jesus’ birth would be the fulfillment of the prophecy that had come hundreds of years before through the Old Testament prophet Isaiah:  "They will call him Immanuel” (Isaiah 7:14), which means "God with us." 

The Bible declares that Jesus is “the image of the invisible God” (Colossians 1:15). He was the exact representation of God here on earth. Why did Jesus have to reveal him? Almighty God is invisible, all-powerful, all-knowing, and everywhere at the same time. That's not easy for human beings to understand.  Furthermore, God is eternal, and we really can't understand that, because in this physical life, we are bound by time.

So Jesus came to earth to show to us what God is really like. The most important thing he revealed is that God is love —love that extends even to people who mock him and reject him. For that's the love that Jesus demonstrated here on earth—love that said on the cross, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing” (Luke 23:34). God’s love had Jesus die for us while we were yet sinners and felt no need of him.

Jesus came to show us that God is not an angry judge anxious to condemn us, but rather the One who wants everyone to experience the peace and joy of salvation. Don’t accept any representation of God except the true picture given to us in the face of Jesus. He was born, not only to save us from our sins, but also to reveal the mercy and kindness of God the Father.

On Christmas Day and always, let's celebrate the birth of Jesus who is Immanuel, “God with us”!