All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: “The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel”—which means, “God with us.” (Matthew 1:22, 23 NIV)
“God with us.” It’s what Christmas is all about. The God of the immeasurable universe came to rescue and reclaim the only part of His creation that bears His image—us. Yet it makes one think, what if “Immanuel” never happened? What if God merely spun this little blue-marble into motion and then “come what may”? What if the Son of God never took on human flesh and walked among us for a purpose? Where would we be? What would our life be like? What would be our destiny?
If no Immanuel, we would carry a guilt we could not defend, but as it is, God “has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation . . . “ (Colossians 1:21).
If no Immanuel, we would owe a debt we could not pay, but as it is, “He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the written code . . . that was against us and stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross” (Colossians 2:13, 14).
If no Immanuel, we would face a chasm we could not bridge; instead, “now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ” (Ephesians 2:13).
If no Immanuel, we would tremble with a fear no one could placate, but “we have [a high priest] who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet was without sin. Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need” (Hebrews 4:15, 16).
If no Immanuel, we would grope for a hope no one could grasp, but instead, “he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead . . . “ (1 Peter 1:3).
If no Immanuel, we would be alienated from God by sin for which we could not atone, but “God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in [Jesus], and through him to reconcile to himself all things . . . by making peace through his blood on the cross” (Colossians 1:19, 20).
If no Immanuel, we would perceive a far-off God no one could understand, but He has shown us Himself, for “The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being . . .” (Hebrews 1:3).
But Immanuel did come, just as God promised. He came at just the right time and for just the right purpose. He came because God loves us. “But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying “’Abba! Father!’” (Galatians 4:4-6 ESV).
Thank you God for coming to us. Thank you for coming for us. We are eternally grateful to you. In Jesus. Amen.
Remember being a kid at Christmastime? Every year, we eagerly made out our wish lists, including that one thing we wanted more than anything else. We made sure everyone knew it, too—our parents and grandparents, aunts and uncles, brothers and sisters, cousins and friends. Then to cover all the bases, we appealed to Santa Clause!
Since childhood, I have admired the volunteers who “ring the bell” for the Salvation Army throughout the holiday season. So when given the opportunity to “adopt” a red kettle for a day, I invited some friends and family members to sign up for a time slot, and together, we joined “The Army” for a day-long tour of duty. We’ve continued this new tradition for about five years now, and what a blessing it has proven to be! So join me today for a glimpse from the other side of kettle and bell.
Paul Nordman—Author 