God with Us

 

Therefore, the Lord Himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive, have a son, and name him Immanuel.” Isaiah 7:14

Immanuel…. God with us. This is what we celebrate on Christmas and what has the power to transform everything we experience throughout the year. Immanuel was a promise to the Israelites that the promised Messiah would come, and with Jesus’ coming that promise was extended to all who would believe and follow Him.

“’Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:19-20

God with us. For those who believe, there is no greater promise or joy. Jesus is with us- in our coming and our going, when we rise and when we lie down, through the highs and our deepest lows, when celebrating and in our sorrow, whether in a crowd or when we feel so very alone. The very same Jesus who has all the power and might, knowledge and authority, compassion and grace, love and patience, peace and life we have seen through His previous names- He is with us in anything and everything we may face.

“Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be afraid, for I am your God. I will strengthen you; I will help you; I will hold on to you with My righteous right hand.” Isaiah 41:10

God is with us. He showed this to us in the most tangible way possible- by sending His son to live and walk amongst us, experiencing all we face and thereby allowing Him to relate to us in a way that was unheard of before or since. He came to teach and to guide and eventually offer Himself as the sacrifice needed to absolve us of our sins, so that we might take His righteousness as our own in order to enter the very presence of God. He came so that we would never have to be alone again.

“The Word became flesh and took up residence among us. We observed His glory, the glory as the One and Only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.” John 1:14

God with us. God came to earth that we might have the opportunity to be with God forever. In the midst of all the joy and celebration of this day, I pray you take time to be quiet and rest in the presence of our Immanuel.

More verses for study:
Deuteronomy 31:6, Psalms 23:4, Zephaniah 3:17, Romans 8:38-39

 

Thank you Lord! Thank you for sending Your son. Thank you for loving us when we aren’t lovable. Thank you for never leaving us but choosing us and pursuing us with your incredible love. Thank you for always being with us.

Gift

 

“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given,
and the government will be on his shoulders.
And he will be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Of the greatness of his government and peace there will be no end.
He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom,
establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness
from that time on and forever.
The zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this.”
Isaiah 9:6-7

Every year after we decorate our Christmas tree, we set up a nativity set underneath the tree. As the weeks go by and packages from family begin to arrive, you will find other beautifully wrapped presents surrounding the nativity scene. No matter how many presents there may be, that nativity will always remain because it serves as a reminder to our girls and to us that the greatest gift we’ll ever receive, and the only one we truly ever need, came in the form of a baby a couple thousand years ago.

As I was reading over this passage a time or two, that is the message that really spoke to me today. Jesus was given to us. He is a gift from God to all of mankind and that is what we celebrate each year at Christmas. And what a gift He is!

WONDERFUL COUNSELOR: Jesus is the perfect guide for all of humanity and each of us individually. Because He is omniscient, He knows all that we have been through and all that will come, and He- and He alone- can help us through whatever circumstance we find ourselves in today. The guidance and counsel He offers is beyond our imagining or understanding. (Hebrews 4:13,15)

MIGHTY GOD: Jesus had the power to create this world and He showed us that power again when he rose from the grave. He has power and authority over all creation and He has the power to change what seems unchangeable- whether that is a problematic personal habit, a troubled relationship or your friend or loved one who is without the Lord. Similarly Jesus’ death and resurrection changed the way we are able to relate to God. He is mighty to save! (Isaiah 43:18-19, 2 Corinthians 5:17)

EVERLASTING FATHER: Jesus is the founder of our faith and the preeminent one within the faith. Jesus is also our very life giver- for both the life we live on this earth and our chance at life eternal with God. In all these things, we can have great confidence since Jesus is also eternal, which means His role in our faith and in our eternal lives will never end. (John 1:3-5, John 10:10)

PRINCE OF PEACE: Jesus is the source of our peace. He has brought peace between God and man, and He can be the peace we so desperately need between different groups of people. He is also our peace when life is uncertain, hard, troubling and painful. Jesus offers all who follow Him His peace. (John 14:27)

This Christmas Eve as we wrap our presents in paper of all colors and patterns with pretty bows and tags, remember Jesus came wrapped in swaddling clothes. As we tuck our presents under the tree to prepare for Christmas morning, may we remember that Jesus was tucked into a manger. And as we open the presents tomorrow morning, may we remember the way that was opened for us through the death and resurrection of the child whose birth we celebrate at this time. With every gift and every celebration, may we never lose sight of the greatest gift we have been given and may He change everything about how we live and how we interact with others.

Further reading:
Romans 3:25-27, John 4:10, John 3:16-17, 2 Corinthians 9:15

Thank you, Lord, for the most amazing gift of Your Son. It is incomprehensible that One so great and mighty would chose to offer us such an incredible, significant gift and yet that is just what You did. Thank you for loving us better than we could ever deserve and for the gift of grace and mercy found in Jesus.

Ransom

 

“Yet as for me, I know that my Redeemer lives, and at the last, He will take His stand on the earth.” Job 19:25

Merriam Webster defines redeem as follows:
1- to buy back; to get or win back.
2- to free from what distresses or harms, such as: to free from captivity by payment of ransom, to extricate from or help to overcome something detrimental, to release from blame or debt, to free from the consequence of sin.
3- to change for the better.
4- repair, restore.
5- to free from a lien by payment of an amount secured thereby.
6- to atone for; to make worthwhile.

When I first looked up the definition, I expected to just find and use the one that was applicable to Jesus, but as I read each one, I realized Jesus perfectly satisfies each of the various definitions (except perhaps number 5). In recent weeks, I have been thinking a lot about the second definition- in particular, being freed from captivity by payment of ransom. A ransom is only paid in the most dire of circumstances- often in conjunction with a life being threatened in some way. What an image and what a reminder of just how precious Jesus’ gift is for each of us. No matter how comfortable some of our lives may be, each one of us was in dire straits- in need of a ransom. We were not just lost and misdirected; our very lives were threatened with eternal despair and loss. But praise be to God- “Jesus paid it all!”!

But the beauty of this name doesn’t end there, for after Jesus paid the ransom for our lives in order to free us from the captivity of sin, He also continues to work in us to change us for the better- restoring us to the life we were originally created to have. We will never see the fullness of that life while here on this earth due to the brokenness caused by sin, but we have the wonderful hope that one day when Jesus returns again, we will be made new and complete and be fully restored.

Jesus is our Redeemer and what a beautiful name that is!

Today this song is my prayer of thanksgiving:
There is a Redeemer,
Jesus God’s own Son,
Precious Lamb of God,
Messiah, Holy One.

Thank You, O my Father
For giving us Your Son,
And leaving Your Spirit ’til
Your work on earth is done.

Jesus my Redeemer,
Name above all names,
Precious Lamb of God,
Messiah, O for sinners slain.

Thank You, O my Father
For giving us Your Son,
And leaving Your Spirit ’til
Your work on earth is done.

(“There is a Redeemer”, Melody Green)

Risen Lord

 

“When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. Then he placed his right hand on me and said: ‘Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last. I am the Living One; I was dead, and now look, I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades.’” Revelation 1:17-18

If Jesus had come to earth, taught with boldness and truth while also performing miracles but had never risen from the grave, would we still remember Him today? How long do you think He would have been remembered? While He would likely have impacted those closest to Him and His teaching may have even been passed on from parent to child for a period of time, Jesus’ resurrection is the culmination and absolute affirmation of everything He claimed and taught. Without it, Jesus would have been no different than any other. With it, there is no doubt that He is unlike any other. He is the One and Only Son of God, our Great I AM, and the Lord Almighty.

Jesus is the Living One, our Risen Lord, and that makes all the difference. With His resurrection, He proved all His claims to be true and decisively proclaimed His power and authority. He showed that life is found through Him and in Him and announced His reign forever and ever!

There is no one like our God and there is no one like Jesus Christ our Lord! Only one who is holy and blameless could be the offering needed to cover our sins, and only one with ultimate power and authority over all creation could walk out of his grave. Jesus is our One and Only. He has conquered death and made a way for broken, sinful man to enter the presence of a holy, righteous God. He is worthy of all our praise and there is no where better to be than dwelling in His presence.

Take time to dwell more with the Lord and His word:
Acts 1:9-11, 1 Corinthians 15:20-28; 55-57, 2 Timothy, 1:10, Revelation 21:4

 

Lord,
More and more, I find myself just saying “Thank you, thank you, thank you.” You didn’t have to. There’s no logical reason You would and yet, You did. You are almighty and holy, loving and just, and I just want to be with You.

Savior

 

But the angel said to them, ‘Don’t be afraid, for look, I proclaim to you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today a Savior, who is Messiah the Lord, was born for you in the city of David. This will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped snugly in cloth and lying in a feeding trough.’” Luke 2:10-12

Savior- one who saves from danger. The Bible tells us over and over again that we will be saved through faith in Jesus Christ- saved from our sins, saved from the punishment of our sins, saved to life eternal.

“She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” (Matthew 1:21)
“And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” (Acts 4:12)
“The God of our fathers raised Jesus, whom you killed by hanging him on a tree. God exalted him at his right hand as Leader and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. And we are witnesses to these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him.” (Acts 5:30-32)
“so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of man, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him.” (Hebrews 9:28)
“For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life.” (Romans 5:10)

In some ways those ideas are all very lofty and can be hard to comprehend… until you experience God’s saving grace in your life. I found myself asking the question: How has Jesus saved me? And then I decided to ask my family- what has Jesus saved you from? My family all responded fairly quickly, with answers such as: 

despair
heartache
lack of hope
stress
worry
being lost
eternal death
my thoughts. 

For me, the response was nearly immediate- Jesus saves me from myself.

The answers are wide and varied but I would imagine that is because our sins are wide and varied. Jesus saves each of us from the sins we struggle with and so our personal experiences will each look a little different. No matter how diverse our answers to the question, the final outcome is the same: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.” (John 3:16-17)  

Jesus saves! How incredible that the One who made the world, who holds all together with His Word, who is before and beyond time itself would choose to do that for me and for you!

More verses to consider:
Romans 10:9, Hebrews 7:25, Romans 6:1-23, 1 John 2:2, 2 Corinthians 5:17

 

Lord,
You offered salvation to us before we knew we needed saving. You offered salvation to us when we didn’t think we needed saving. You offer salvation even if we never accept our need. Thank you Lord for meeting us where we are and being a Savior greater than anything we could have imagined or needed.

Lamb of God

“The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, ‘Here is the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!’” John 1:29

The Messiah was someone who was going to save his people and reign forever, and here in perhaps His first public introduction, Jesus is called a lamb- probably not the animal that I would have initially associated with the Son of the Most High. Then again, this is becoming a pattern with Him. Jesus is certainly not what was expected; from the outside, perhaps it even seemed like He was less than what was expected. When in reality, He was so much more, and that is what we find once again with this name- the Lamb of God.

The Old Testament gives us two beautiful stories that heavily rely upon a lamb/sheep which help us to better understand this title. In Genesis 22, God tells Abraham to take his only son Isaac and offer him as a sacrifice. They reach their destination and Abraham builds the altar and places his only son upon it. He has his knife in his hand and is preparing to offer his son, when God stops him and tells him not to harm Isaac. “Abraham looked up and there in a thicket he saw a ram caught by its horns. He went over and took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering instead of his son. So Abraham called that place The Lord Will Provide.” (verse 13-14) Abraham showed his faith in God, and God showed His faithfulness to mankind. Through Abraham, God promised “all nations on earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed me.” (verse 18) Just as God provided a ram as a substitutionary offering for Abraham and Isaac, God has also provided a substitutionary offering for all of mankind- one of Abraham’s descendants and God’s only son, Jesus Christ. He took our place and offers us a place alongside Him instead. He took our condemnation and offers us grace, mercy and love in its place.

Several hundreds year later, we find Abraham’s descendants laboring in Egypt. Moses has been sent to secure the release of the people of Israel, but Pharoah has obstinately refused. Even in the face of nine plagues, Pharoah has continued to refuse to let the Israelites leave. So God tells Moses and the people of Israel to prepare for one last plague. They are to select a one-year-old, unblemished male from the flock (sheep or goats) for each household. The animals are to be slaughtered, blood is to be placed on the frame of their doors and they are to eat the meat while waiting in readiness. God tells Israel, “When the Lord passes through to strike Egypt and sees the blood on the lintel and the two doorposts, He will pass over the door and not let the destroyer enter your houses to strike you.” (Genesis 12:23) Israel obeyed the Lord’s command and God protected and saved His people from destruction that night- passing over their homes. The blood of the unblemished lamb was a mark on the doors of those who believed and obeyed God that night. The blood of the unblemished Lamb is the mark that will save those who believe and obey God from eternal destruction and condemnation.

A lamb may be viewed as a meek and mild creature, but the Lamb of God is One of meekness and might, gentleness and power. Jesus is our Lamb of God- the only sacrifice that could spare us from God’s wrath, savings us from the destruction we have earned, once and for all.

Revelation 17:14, Revelation 22:1, 2 Corinthians 5:21, 1 Peter 1:18-19

Lord,
Your faithfulness astounds me. Your grace and mercy humble me. Help us live this day for Your glory and bring praise to Your name.

Anointed

 

“The woman said, ‘I know that Messiah’ (called Christ)’is coming. When he comes, he will explain everything to us.’ Then Jesus declared, ‘I, the one speaking to you—I am he.’” John 4:25-26

Messiah… it’s a name I’ve heard of often, but if I’m being completely honest, I didn’t know much about. Honestly, I probably didn’t give it too much real thought. I knew it was a name of Jesus and I knew it had direct ties back to prophecies in the Old Testament. And sadly, that has been enough until now.

Messiah is a Hebrew word that means “anointed one.” To be anointed meant that one was set apart by God for a special purpose. In the Old Testament, the Hebrew word for messiah is used in reference to four different individuals- first the priest (Aaron was anointed as the High Priest), then the kings (both Saul and David are anointed as kings), followed by the prophet (Elisha was anointed as a prophet by Elijah), and lastly “a figure signaling the end of time, the Day of Judgement and the inauguration of the Kingdom of God.” (“What is Messianic Expectation in the Old Testament”, Father David Neuhaus) All four positions were divinely appointed to a special task.

Jesus is the Anointed One of God. He fulfills the concept of Messiah like no other. He fulfilled the passages of scriptures that have long been viewed as messianic prophecy:

Genesis 49:10- The Messiah would be from the tribe of Judah.
Numbers 24:17- The Messiah would be a star coming out of Jacob.
Deuteronomy 18:15-19- The Messiah would be a prophet like Moses.
2 Samuel 7:12-16- The Messiah would be a descendant of David.
Psalm 16:9-11- The Messiah would be resurrected.
Psalm 118:22-24- The Messiah would be the rejected cornerstone.
Isaiah 7:14- The Messiah would be born of a virgin.
Isaiah 35:5-6- The Messiah would perform signs of healing.
Isaiah 61:1-2- The Messiah would do life-affirming redemptive deeds.
Isaiah 53- The Messiah would suffer for the sake of salvation.
Hosea 11:1- The Messiah would be called out of Egypt.
Micah 5:2- The Messiah would be born in Bethlehem.
Zechariah 9:9- The Messiah would come riding on a donkey.
Zechariah 11:12-13- The Messiah would be betrayed for thirty pieces of silver.
Zechariah 12:10- The Messiah would be pierced.
Malachi 3:1- The Messiah would be preceded by a messenger.

Jesus fulfilled all of these prophecies and more, but He did even more than that. Jesus is the fulfillment and culmination of all the “messiahs” or anointed ones that proceeded Him in the Old Testament. He was appointed by God to offer and be the sacrificial lamb that would atone for the sins of humanity. He was set apart to usher in and rule over the Kingdom of God, and He is the very embodiment of God’s Word- given and shared with us in ways never seen before.

Jesus is our Great High Priest.
Jesus is the King of kings.
Jesus is the Word.
Jesus is the Anointed One, our Messiah, the Christ—who’s kingdom will never end.

New Testament verses that identify Jesus as the Messiah:
Luke 4:16-22, Luke 24:25-27. John 1:41

 

Lord,
Thank you for continuing to reveal Yourself to me. The more I see and understand, the more in awe I am that You would care for us. You are above and beyond all we can imagine and You alone are worthy of our praise and adoration.