This Advent and Christmas season was very special for me; one filled with much meaning through the different activities I participated in and with meaningful church encounters. The thought that really resonated with me the most profoundly was repeatedly hearing and reflecting on this simple short word:
EMMANUEL
EMMANUEL which means “God WITH us”
What a powerful thought that is!
Truly what Christmas is all about; such a special event to celebrate yearly in our lives~to help us remember what a privilege we have through Jesus’ birth–God WITH us! Yes, God is personally in and with you, my dear reader!
At the same time, a Pastor friend pointed out the fact that Jesus was actually known by several names. What an amazing thing it is to see the different roles that Jesus has~So many ways we can relate to Jesus.
A perfect photo depicting names of Jesus a friend shared with me while penning these thoughts!
Take a few minutes to read these names and Scripture verses; let them sink into your very being.
Here are just a few that come to mind…
Son of God
The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and God’s power will rest upon you. For this reason the holy child will be called the Son of God. –Luke 1:35 (GNT)
Son of the Most High
He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David. –Luke 1:32 (NIV)
Son of Man
The Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost. –Luke 19:10 (GNT)
Good Shepherd
I am the good shepherd, and the good shepherd gives up his life for his sheep. –John 10:11 (CEV)
Lamb of God
As Jesus walked by, John looked at him and declared, “Look! There is the Lamb of God!” –John 1:36 (NLT)
King of the Jews
Pilate asked Jesus, “Are you the king of the Jews?” Jesus replied, “You have said it.” –Mark 15:2 (NLT)
Living Cornerstone
You are coming to Christ, who is the living cornerstone of God’s temple. He was rejected by people, but he was chosen by God for great honor. –1 Peter 2:4 (NLT)
Bread of Life
“I am the bread of life,” Jesus told them. “Those who come to me will never be hungry; those who believe in me will never be thirsty.” –John 6:35 (GNT)
Alpha & Omega
I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End. –Revelation 22:13 (NIV)
The Root, Offspring of David, Morning Star
“I, Jesus, have sent my angel to give you this testimony for the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, and the bright Morning Star.” –Revelation 22:16 (NIV)
Found this picture I took over the summer at a retreat AFTER penning the above–love that 9 out of 10 of my names are in this picture!
Back to the first name for Jesus that I mentioned:
EMMANUEL–God WITH us
This birth of Jesus, God WITH us, truly the most meaningful event in all of history was foreshadowed in the Old Testament and confirmed in the New Testament:
Isaiah 7:14 Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Emmanuel. (NIV)
Matthew 1:23 “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Emmanuel” (which means “God with us”). –(NIV)
Jesus is the most important PRESENT of all time!
I am so thankful that God sent His only Son, to earth, into our human world, to enable us the privilege of being able to spend eternity with God, our Father, if we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior!
For God so loved the world that He sent His only Begotten Son into the world that whoever believes in Him will not perish but have everlasting life. –John 3:16 (NIV)
God the Father, Jesus the Son, the Holy Spirit~~~Three separate persons yet one; the Trinity! Jesus the Son, came to earth to be a human, too, so that we can relate even better to God the Father; God WITH us!
Jesus willingly died for you and me in order to leave us the gift of His Spirit which also remains with us~~
But I tell you I am going to do what is best for you. This is why I am going away. The Holy Spirit cannot come to help you until I leave. But after I am gone, I will send the Spirit to you. –John 16:7 (CEV)
An visual representing the Trinity~~God, Jesus & the Holy Spirit, three separate beings yet one, holding up the world.
With recently celebrating the birth of Jesus,
are you living differently KNOWING in your heart of hearts
that Jesus truly is Emmanuel–God WITH you?
Do you see God WITH you….
…in the daily struggles you face
…in the midst of heartache you are experiencing
…in the joy of good times you are celebrating
…in the loneliness you are feeling
…in the storms of your life
…in the hard decision you are wrestling with
…in the anxiety you are trying to control
…in the success you encountered with a difficult task?
Be assured, my dear reader, that no matter what….
EMMANUEL–God is WITH you!
He is in control of EVERYTHING; He is in charge!
Nothing is going to happen to you that He does not already know; that He is not with you through!!
Ponder for a few minutes even Jesus’ entrance into this world~~It was a rough, bumpy ride to finally get to Bethlehem; He was born in a stable; placed in a manger, which was really a feeding place for the animals. Jesus was beaten and died on a cross! God did not spare His only Son from going through hardship yet He was always with Him through it all.
Emmanuel–God WITH us provides the same comfort for you and me!
She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because He will save His people from their sins. –Matthew 1:21 (NIV)
Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age. –Matthew 28:20 (NLT)
I am with you always even to the end of the age…is perhaps one of my favorite scriptures since my childhood. Encompassing sorrow, joy, fear, love this verse speaks of hope and comfort in Our Lord’s merciful heart. Beautiful.
Oh, yes, what a beautiful verse to keep forefront in our minds, Sharon!! Thanks for the blessing of reading until the very end of the post and in your sharing! 😉 Hope you and the family are well…Blessings to you all~
Christine, A resounding WOW!!! It’s so interesting that you being this topic up because several weeks ago (like before Christmas Day) there was a younger lady who shared on “The Spirit of Christmas.” She even highlighted “Emmanuel: God WITH Us”. In EVERY season of life, God is truly WITH US. Feelings are what usually trip us up and get us sidetracked. In the moments that we don’t “feel” Him there or where we find ourselves wondering: “where is God in all of this?”, it’s important to lean into TRUSTING HIM.
Our own understanding will mislead us every time. I can tell you from personal experience, that my feelings have too often blinded me from seeing God’s hand at work. Just because I didn’t “see” Him or “feel” Him right there, doesn’t mean He wasn’t WITH ME. The flesh will easily tell us a lie in the midst of opposition or a harsh circumstance.
This “God WITH US” goes WITH US EVERYWHERE WE ARE. God is a God who can be in any place, every place at any time. Trusting that God is with us is so extremely vital because many times opposition and circumstances will deter our focus. And this focus is so much more than what we can see, feel, smell, taste or touch. God stretches beyond our senses, even when things don’t make sense in our lives.
In the quiet times, trust God. In the chaotic times, trust God. In the unpredictable, trust God. In whatever season of life we are in, we CAN CHOOSE TO TRUST THAT GOD IS WITH US. Trust that God will never leave us, nor forsake us. Trust that God will hold true to His Word. Keep going back to His Word, for He is faithful and true and ALWAYS WILL FULFILL WHAT HIS WORD SAYS. I pray that every one of our resolves will be to TRUST THAT GOD IS WITH US, NO MATTER WHAT HAPPENS.
May you be abundantly blessed, continuously refreshed and always trust that God has the best for each and every one of His children; because He loves them unconditionally. Praise Him!!! Shalom.
Amen and amen, Christopher! Thank you so much for sharing of that “confirmation” with the speaker!! 🙂 Your points about not trusting our “feelings” are so true. Yes, Lord, give us eyes to see you WITH us through everything; help us to TRUST you are in charge of every detail of our lives. Blessings to you, Christopher!
Hi Christine, I know that God is with me every day but I, like so many others, forget that even though I can’t see Him, feel Him, He is still there with me every step of the way. We all have many distractions in our lives, especially now during this time of crisis, but if we can slow down just a bit and understand who really is in control I think we would be so much better off.
Thank you for all of your thoughts, insights and prayers.
Thank you so much, Jeff, for sharing those powerful thoughts. I definitely agree! Lately, God is helping me to focus on how HE truly is in control of everything, not me. As John the Baptist said, “I am not the Christ” which is a freeing way to live. Thank you for faithfully reading; I am so grateful. Happy New Year to you and your family.