Christ Stories: Jesus, Our Immanuel

And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.”             Luke 1:31-33

She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet:

“Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son,

    and they shall call his name Immanuel”

(which means, God with us).              Matthew 1:21-23

On this Christmas Eve, we are reminded of the birth of our Savior, Jesus. Jesus, whose name means “the Lord is Salvation,” was born in the humblest of circumstances with the greatest purpose already given to him. Many prophets spoke of this long-awaited king hundreds of years prior to this point. The angels heralded the news of the birth of the Son of the Most High. The star guided foreign seekers to Immanuel, God with us. God spoke through people, angels, and even stars to ensure we would not miss this unprecedented arrival of the Lord of our salvation, God with us. And yet, amidst all the fanfare, Jesus was born in a stable in a small village to a young virgin.

God had dwelt with his people before, first in the Garden—when humans were unstained by sin—then in the Tabernacle, and finally in the Temple— each place, while amongst his people, were still quite separate from them. This time, though, God chose to get dirty and humble himself to become the lowliest of people. He was no longer only with us when we were clean enough to enter his presence. No, Jesus’ humble beginnings illustrate that he now enters into our messy lives, truly “God with us”—in our pain, in our temptations, in our weaknesses and sorrows.

And he is our Salvation. Immanuel’s purpose is written in his name, “the Lord is Salvation.” He does not leave us in the mess to fend for ourselves. He gives us healing, resistance, strength, and comfort. He walks through the valleys with us. And after all that, he saves us from our sin. Salvation from sin and its conclusion is freely given to all who trust in Jesus. The gift of salvation is the greatest gift any of us could get.

This Christmas, let us remember God’s deep love for us in sending the Son of the Most High to take on human flesh to be God with us and the Lord of our salvation. Let us be generous with the grace given to us and extend that gift to others. May we praise him, the Son of the Most High, for joining us in our broken state and lifting us out of the depths of our sin and into his marvelous light.

Advent 2022: His Perfection

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Editor’s Note: The theme for this year’s Advent reflections is Immanuel, Jesus has Come Here. God has always been present in the world, but with the coming of Jesus as an infant, he is also made present with his people. Our sin separates us from God, but through a baby, Immanuel, he draws us close.

This week, as we explore the blessings of Immanuel, God with us, we reflect on Jesus coming here and the gift of his perfection.

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One of my sons has inherited his mother’s unfortunate tendency towards perfectionism. When he tries but fails to master some new concept in school or in play perfectly, the frustration, shame, or defensiveness—or some combination of feelings—threatens to pull him down. But just as I know he will never be perfect, our heavenly Father knows he, nor I, nor any one of us, will ever be perfect. In fact, that inability to measure up to a 100%-perfection-all-the-time-every-time standard is the very reason Jesus came.

“For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin.” Romans 3:20

Prior to Jesus, the Israelites measured their right-standing with God through adherence to the Mosaic Law. The Law had many purposes, such as to set the nation of Israel apart from other nations, but chief among them was to reveal to God’s chosen people who he is and who they were— people who fell short of his standard of perfection, and were, therefore, in need of saving. For the people of the Law, that saving came through prescribed sacrifices, which needed to be regularly offered to the Lord.   

“But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoptions as sons.” Galatians 4:4-5

“For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified.” Hebrews 10:14

Immanuel came down to a broken world full of imperfect people, the spotless lamb. He faced earthly temptations, experienced the realities of this world, knew the exacting nature of high standards, and yet he remained without sin. His perfection covers our imperfection. And even more mind-blowing is that the driver behind this greatest act of all time, as identified for us in John 3:16, is God’s love for us. Timothy Keller famously says,

“The gospel is this: We are more sinful and flawed in ourselves than we ever dared believe, yet at the very same time we are more loved and accepted in Jesus Christ than we ever dared hope.”

From one recovering perfectionist to anyone else out there that struggles under the weight of something that is impossible, nor was ever meant to be attained, let us give endless praise to the One who has always been, is always, will forever be Perfect.

This Advent season, let us push off the weight of guilt and shame set by impossibly high standards, not as an excuse to continue in sin, but to fall headlong into his arms of grace. He came. Jesus came. Immanuel came.

Reflection:

1. Do you tend to hold yourself up to an impossible standard or do you use grace as an excuse to continue in sin?

2. Spend some time reflecting on who Christ is and the fact that Immanuel, the Son of God, was both without sin and came to cover us with his righteousness.

Advent 2022: His Pursuit

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Editor’s Note: The theme for this year’s Advent reflections is Immanuel, Jesus has Come Here. God has always been present in the world, but with the coming of Jesus as an infant, he is also made present with his people. Our sin separates us from God, but through a baby, Immanuel, he draws us close.

This week, as we explore the blessings of Immanuel, God with us, we reflect on Jesus coming here and the gift of his pursuit.

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“There is a crack in everything, it’s how the light gets in.” ~ Leonard Cohen

Another season of Advent is here—a season of hope, peace, joy, and love—the most wonderful time of the year. And yet, with each passing year, it seems easier to focus on all the cracks and brokenness that permeate this busted up world. 

A former student of ours, Sarah, a young wife and mother, passed away the day after Thanksgiving. We prayed for healing. We prayed for a miracle. But that healing came in a different way than we had prayed for. My mind drifts to the passage in Luke 24 when some of the disciples were walking on the road to Emmaus, and Jesus walks with them, though they do not recognize him. They talk about all the events of the crucifixion and the events leading up to it, when they say these three words, ”We had hoped...” So much of the sentiment of those words resonate with my heart and maybe yours as well.

We had hoped... you would heal Sarah.

We had hoped...you would restore that relationship.

We had hoped... for different test results.

We had hoped... you would give us a child to love.

We had hoped... for my family member to finally be free of addiction.

We had hoped... for a time together with family without another blowup.

“We had hoped He was the Messiah, who had come to rescue Israel.” Luke 24:21.

His very own disciples and closest friends doubted who Jesus was. And yet, I think about how even in the midst of their grief, disappointment, cynicism, or doubts, He walks with them. He listens. He reminds them of all that was promised to them. He is WITH them.

And isn’t that what Christmas is all about? God sends love down, putting on flesh, to pursue and get up close and personal with His prodigal people. Our cynicism doesn’t phase him. Our bitterness doesn’t deter him. Our doubts don’t scare him. He gives us the freedom to choose our own way over His perfect ways, and His love for us remains steadfast and limitless. But far too often we chase the fleeting pleasures of this world when “it gives your Father great happiness to give you the Kingdom” (Luke 12:32). And His vast love and pursuit goes far beyond saving us to actually wanting to adopt us as His dearly beloved children, to share His inheritance with us, to experience eternal life and His kingdom now.

My grief and doubts may still sometimes blind me from recognizing Him in the moment, but as I look back on my life, I can still see His pursuit of me, his unending love, his goodness and faithfulness to me. For when His hope and my heart burned within me, I can see how He was with me all the way (Luke 24:32).

So yes, there are still cracks in everything, but I pray this Christmas, and always, that we would allow the light and love of Jesus to permeate those cracks of our broken hearts so that hope, joy, and peace would shine through us. And rather than continuing to say “We had hoped,” we can now proclaim with confidence, “We have hope” — in Jesus, our Messiah, and He has really come to rescue us. Amen.

Reflection:

1. What are the “cracks” in your life?

2. Where do you see, amidst the cracks, the Lord’s pursuit of you this holiday season?

Advent 2022: His Presence

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Editor’s Note: The theme for this year’s Advent reflections is Immanuel, Jesus has Come Here. God has always been present in the world, but with the coming of Jesus as an infant, he is also made present with his people. Our sin separates us from God, but through a baby, Immanuel, he draws us close.

This week, as we explore the blessings of Immanuel, God with us, we reflect on Jesus coming here and the gift of his presence.

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Isaiah 7:14 - Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign; Behold, a virgin will be with child and bear a son, and she will call His name Immanuel.”

Name him—Immanuel. It means God is with us.

Have you ever noted that sometimes it’s not the pain or seriousness of an injury that matters in the end? I have more traumatic memories from my childhood of splinters and scrapes than the concussion I sustained from gymnastics. And my first sickness, a cold, as a freshman in college was worse than the flu I had had at home with my parents in high school. The difference between each scenario was that I was alone with the lighter, seemingly easier afflictions, but held and comforted by my parents with the more serious maladies.

It is curious that Immanuel is the name God chooses for His Son in this passage. He could have named himself “Chesed,” (grace), “Shalom,” (peace), or “Hesed,” (love). God is in fact all of these things. Other places in the Bible God calls Him these exact beautiful words and more!  But when His Son was to be born, it’s almost as if God just didn’t want us (and Israel, the original recipients of this sign) to miss it. “I have come near. I am here. I am with you. You are not alone.”

During Christmas time there is both a beauty and magic about the celebration of Jesus’ arrival. Yet, there can also be sadness and grief. Perhaps you feel the loss of someone you love to sickness, or you have a wayward child, or a much desired expectation wasn’t met in your life.

The name God gives His Son tells us you are never by yourself in both these delights of the season—lights, gifts, food, friends—nor the strange heartache. He is with you. He is near.

Jeremiah 23: 23-24 “Am I a God who is near,” declares the Lord, “And not a God far off? Can a man hide himself in hiding places, So I do not see him?” Declares the Lord, “Do I not fill the heavens and the earth?” Declares the LORD.

Psalm 139: 7-10 Where can I go from your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? If I ascend to heaven, Thou are there; If I make my bed in Sheol, behold, Thou are there. If I take the wings of the dawn, If I dwell in the remotest part of the sea, Even there thy hand will lead me, And Thy right hand will lay hold of me.”

When the God of the Bible draws near, it is to be like a balm to cracked skin. When Moses asked God to go with them as they travelled through the desert, it was to be a strong protection over the Israelites. And when Jesus came near as a baby who grew into a man who willingly died for people who would reject Him, it was to bring healing to our broken, rebellious and hurting souls. When God sends His Son to be “with” us, it is a very very good thing.

So when you feel alone…

•    When you have met yourself as a new Mom for the first time and are bone tired

•    When you have your grown children living outside your home for the first time.

•    When you are working with your difficult child NOT for the first time.

•    When you are up late studying for that impossible test and you’re running out of time

•    Or up late working on a budget that just won’t stretch any more

•    Or even up late flirting with temptation to sin and you just can’t walk away and you already feel the shame that inevitably comes when we choose sin.

In those times this season, let the beauty of the lights, the music, the unique tastes of this season remind you that the presence of our gentle, kind, forgiving, powerful, perfect Savior is with you. Though your feelings may try to convince you otherwise,  your prayers are not just hitting the ceiling. You are talking to your Savior. You are crying with your Savior. You are fighting the good fight against sin with Your Savior. When it seems no one else cares about the strange heartache of things that didn’t materialize, or things that did, remember and believe that Jesus came to show us just how near He wants to be with us.

Immanuel.

Reflection:

1. Can you remember a time that someone’s presence with you in a hard time brought comfort or peace?

2. In what situation you are currently facing do you need to remember that Jesus came to be with you on this earth?