With us

I'm meditating on one word this morning, one very powerful word. It's been a part of my reading the last couple of days and it, probably more than any other word, signifies what this season of the year is all about.

Emmanuel...which means "God is with us."

The fact that God pays any attention to us at all is significant. Unlike the people of Israel, we have lost reverence for the person of God. His character seldom inspires us to great things. His name is no longer sacred. The idea that He is watching over us brings little fear to our hearts. So, just the reality that He cares at all about what we are or what we become is worth every ounce of thanks we can squeeze from our being.

But God was not content enough to be "God over us" or "God for us" or "God who made us." No. God's passion for us drove Him to the decision that nothing less than "God with us" would do.

Think about the implications. Paul sure did in in Philippians 2:

...(Jesus) being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death--even death on a cross!

What Paul was saying and what I'm trying to put my mind around this morning is this: the Supreme Being of the universe--the One whose breath gave us meaning and life and purpose--took our flesh upon Himself, along with our sin, so that we could have relationship with Him. Let that sink in for a second. Let it soak down to the very core of your bones--the ones He gave you. And then, ask yourself if you would have done the same if you were Him?

Tiny infant of Bethlehem. Milky soft skin. Fragile nature, meek and mild. Powerless to do anything at all...but save the world!

That's the power of Emmanuel!