Day 7: Emmanuel

Jesus - Emmanuel

By Brandon Faust

Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel. (Isaiah‬ ‭7‬:‭14‬ ‭(NIV))‬‬

“Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel, which means ‘God is with us.’” (‭‭Matthew‬ ‭1‬:‭23‬ ‭(NLT))‬‬

Ἐμμανουήλ, the Greek word for Immanuel (Emmanuel), meaning “God is with us,” is a saying we hear plenty around Christmas time.

The song “O come, O come, Emmanuel” is one of my favorite declarations this time of year.

“O come, O come, Emmanuel, - And ransom captive Israel, - That mourns in lonely exile here, - Until the Son of God appear. - Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel - Shall come to thee, O Israel.”

When we reflect on the Old Testament, we see God walking with Adam and Eve in the garden— He was with them. After sin entered the world, God in His creativity and mercy created avenues for the Israelites to know Him, worship Him, and be with Him. This was made possible for the Israelites by following the Lord’s instructions to “build a tabernacle” and eventually a temple. A place which would remind them of God’s goodness and that He was with them.

Yet, through God’s redemptive story for Israel— in which they would obey Him in seasons and rebel in other seasons—-a thread is being woven throughout the Old Testament, the need for God’s presence with us, with and for the entire world.

In a stable in Bethlehem, God sent His Son, a Messiah, to be “with us.” To submit His Lordship, Power, and Authority to the constrictions of a human body, not to come as a six-foot, five-inch warrior, but as a baby. He came to earth to identify with all of humankind in the most humble form of a baby born in a barn. He came to be with us, but not just in that singular moment, but to reside in and with us without the restrictions of just a tabernacle or a temple and for all people, all cultures, for all time.

The celebration of Pentecost in the Old Testament was a celebration of thanksgiving and a reminder that God provides over and above. During Jesus’ earthly ministry, he shared with his disciples: “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.” (John 14:26 (ESV))

In Acts 2 on the day of the Pentecost, Jesus sends the “Helper,” the Holy Spirit, as a reminder that we enter the presence of God in a living room, hospital room, on a drive on a cold winter day. The fulfillment of prophecy that Emmanuel, God is with us, for all people. This artwork for this day reminds us of the humble arrival of a Messiah, Emmanuel, God with us.

The fourth verse of “O come, O come, Emmanuel” declares:

O come, Thou Key of David, come, - And open wide our heav'nly home; - Make safe the way that leads on high, - And close the path to misery. - Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel - Shall come to thee, O Israel.

How has He been with you this year? In the places of the lowest valley or the highest mountain top, how did you experience His presence with you?