Day 14: Immanuel

During His time here on earth, Jesus fulfilled over three hundred and fifty prophecies! The sheer number of the prophecies He fulfilled speaks to His divinity and to the fact that He is the Messiah that Israel waited for. One of these is the prophecy that Immanuel, which means “God with us,” would be born of a virgin. Luke records the fulfillment of this through the angel telling Mary that she would bear Jesus, even though she had never been with a man. But we will talk more about the virgin birth in a later devotion. Today, I want to focus on Jesus’ name Immanuel. God truly came to be with us.

Isn’t it amazing that God who created the entire universe gave up His glorious throne to step into this world as a man. Now don’t get me wrong—Jesus is God. At the same time, He came to earth as a baby, which also makes Him one hundred percent man. When He was born, His glory was veiled. Colossians 2:9 tells us, “For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form…” Jesus even told us that He is God! In John 8:58, Jesus spoke of how He has eternally pre-existed when He said “before Abraham was, I am.” His statement echoed His description of Himself to Moses when He said from the burning bush, “I Am Who I Am.”

Truly, it must have been quite difficult for Jesus to leave the glories of Heaven to humbly take on flesh. However, Jesus did it out of His great love for us and His desire for God’s glory. He chose the road to the cross because He knew His perfect life must be the sacrifice for our imperfect ones. He came to live beside us and share how we can have eternal life.

When Jesus came as a baby, His decision to come and be with us on earth was monumental for humanity from that day forward. He walked beside us, taught us about the kingdom of God, and showed us how to love and serve. Jesus carried His cross and was nailed to it by some of the very people He came to save. He suffered and died for us. And in doing all of that, He felt every human emotion we have felt as well—from pain and sadness to joy and thankfulness.

In my hardest times, I have taken great comfort in knowing that my Savior understands how I feel and is there with me through it.

When we walk with Jesus, we are never alone. He is with us and will never forsake us. Jesus told His disciples in Matthew 28 that he is “with [us] always, to the very end of the age.” Jesus is our Immanuel…God with us.

“Veiled in flesh the Godhead see;
Hail the incarnate Deity,
Pleased as man with men to dwell,
Jesus, our Immanuel.”
- Charles Wesley
Hark! The Herald Angels Sing