Immanuel: God-With-Us
How can this be? I’m a virgin.
Isaiah 7:14 KJV
Therefore, the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.
God-With-Us in the midst of Pain.
In Luke 1, we see the nativity story begin to unfold.
Mary, a common teenager, is visited by the angel Gabriel.
He tells Mary not to be afraid and relays a message from God saying that she will conceive and bear a son.
And, He will be the long-awaited Savior, the Son of the Most High God, and his name will be Jesus.
Teenage Mary is confused. How can this be? I’m a virgin.
Gabriel explains God’s Spirit will make it possible, although, by human standards, it could never happen.
Mary responds with faith-filled words, accepting the task she’s given.
It’s difficult for us to imagine the extent of pain Mary would experience due to Gabriel’s joyful message.
On the one hand, the message contained great honor for Mary;
she had found favor with God!
Mary was chosen to bring the Savior into the world of all the people on earth.
On the other hand, becoming pregnant at this time in her life would bring shame upon herself and her family.
Mary was betrothed to a man named Joseph, which meant they were legally bound in marriage,
and they had not yet consummated their relationship.
If the community found out she was pregnant, the news would cause an uproar, bringing shame upon Joseph, Mary, and their families.
According to the law, she could even be stoned to death.
By nature, we assume the greatest joys of life come from our greatest pleasure.
However, what we see here is an example of true joy growing from the soil of pain.
Immanuel: God-With-Us!
Is there a situation causing confusion or pain for me?
How can I view my situation as an opportunity for joy and to experience God’s presence instead of devastation?
Let Us Pray:
Lord, sometimes the way you do things seems backward to me. Open my heart to understand I can experience true joy, even when real-life circumstances are painful.
God-With-Us: A Promise Made Personal
The Old Testament contains promises of the Messiah, who would come to restore the relationship between God and his creation.
He would free the captives, heal the sick, and make all things new.
Through these prophecies, God meant to encourage his people and give them hope to endure life’s hardships.
For generations, the people of God faithfully passed down these prophecies to their children.
They were to recall God’s acts of deliverance and promises of salvation and trust that one day, each one would come to pass.
As recorded in Luke 1, Gabriel appears to Mary hundreds of years after these spoken prophecies.
After hearing his message, Mary travels to visit her cousin Elizabeth.
Elizabeth greets her, immediately acknowledging that Mary carries the long-awaited Messiah.
Blown away by this greeting, Mary cannot contain herself.
She bursts out into a song of thankful praise to God.
Her song celebrates the Messiah, the Savior who has come to rescue his people.
It’s a declaration that God remembers his promises and shows mercy to all who fear him, and her song also reveals something deeper.
For the Mighty One is Holy, he has done great things for ME.
Did you catch that?
A small detail that could so easily be missed.
Mary expresses delight in the fulfilment of God’s promise to his people, but she takes it a step further.
She claims God’s cosmic promise to his people as a personal promise to her!
When the switch flips and the realization sets in,
that God’s promises for the world are actually for us, true joy takes root in our hearts –
the realization that God’s presence is big enough to sweep across human history yet intimate enough to collide with our unique circumstances.
Mary risked facing social stigma and public shaming,
but these things couldn’t overshadow the joy she had experienced.
Immanuel: God-With-Us!
Is there something painful in my life preventing me from realising God’s presence?
Let Us Pray:
Lord, help me receive the salvation Jesus offers me as a personal gift, not merely a general one. Fill my heart with the awareness of your Spirit stronger than any pain I might experience.
God-With-Us: Future Hope
Joy to the world… let every heart prepare him room.
The celebration of Christmas centers around the idea of Advent or arrival.
As we prepare ourselves for Christmas morning, we catch a glimpse of the anticipation that God’s people had experienced as they waited for the promised Messiah.
The arrival of the Messiah had been foretold for generations before Jesus’ birth.
Every Israelite would have grown up learning the prophecies and looking forward to their fulfillment, including the shepherds.
Imagine their shock when the angel appeared to them out of nowhere,
and surrounded them in the brightness of God’s glory.
Don’t be afraid, I’ve got amazing news that will bring joy to all people.
The Savior was born today! Go and see for yourselves!
After seeing the heavenly hosts and finding the infant Messiah, the joy of the shepherds overflowed.
They told everyone who would listen what had happened and what the angel had said.
Then, they went back to their flocks glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen.
Their long-awaited hope had been realized.
The good news for the shepherds is good news for you and me.
Our future hope of Jesus’ return is just as sure as the reality of his birth that night so long ago.
Whereas the shepherds rejoiced over his first arrival, we rejoice that his return will surely come.
This principle is taught in 1 Peter, where we’re urged to endure the trials of life with the future in mind.
We cannot see Jesus in the flesh now, but we are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy as we wait for his return!
This is the very heart of Advent: looking back to the manger and forward to the Messiah’s return.
Immanuel: God-With-Us
What is the connection between my future hope in Jesus and the joy available to me for daily life?
In this season, how can I prepare my heart for Jesus’ return while seeking His presence in the here and now?
Let Us Pray:
Lord, thank you for this season that vividly reminds me of your first arrival and points me towards the certainty of your return.
Help me to look for You in my daily life as I wait to see you face to face.
Also Read: She had a heart that was yielded to God… – Diademng (thediademng.org)
Immanuel: God-With-Us
