Of all the names of Jesus, Immanuel is the most unexpected and the most wonderful to me.
King of Kings, Lord of Lords— those make sense! He’s God! He is the Creator and Ruler of all. I can wrap my head around His deity.
But, His humanity. That He would humble Himself, be born of a virgin, take on flesh and walk among us… that’s astonishing.
And, that’s what I can’t get over every Christmas season. God set a plan of redemption in place from the beginning. He made and kept promises for thousands of years to pave the way for Messiah, Jesus, to be born.
God in the flesh dwelt among man, showed us how to live and how to love, lived sinlessly and completely above reproach in every way, and then willingly laid down His life to complete that sacrificial redemption plan.
What a wondrous mystery, and what a reason for an awe-filled celebration.
God became man— Immanuel!
“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 1:22-23
“And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth… For of His fullness we have all received, and grace upon grace. For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth were realized through Jesus Christ.” John 1: 14, 16-17
From our family to yours, we pray you’ve had a wonderful Christmas and that the sense of wonder that comes when looking at Immanuel will fill your heart and change your life in the days to come.