EMMANUEL, GOD WITH US
By Pastor Ken Ford, Sr. Pastor Alton Bible Church, Lowell, Michigan, Indigenous Ministries Board Member
When “The Most Wonderful Time” Isn’t Wonderful
The consistently popular Christmas song, ‘It’s the most wonderful time of the year,’ speaking of gatherings of family and friends and marshmallows and cheer, inadvertently reveals why, for so many, it is not the most wonderful time of the year. Conflict, loss, and financial hardship are only a few of the many reasons the jolly times people envision are not the reality they experience. The wishful delight so many seek in giving and receiving gifts, gatherings of friends and family, and words of cheer falls so far short of the joy offered in the child born that day in Bethlehem.
The Meaning of Emmanuel – God With Us
The angel told Joseph, ‘they shall call His name Emmanuel, which means God with us.’ It is too easy to get caught up in the season’s trappings and miss the magnitude of the event we celebrate. Many find it challenging to grasp the full impact of God coming to earth. Theologians, since the birth of Christ, have wandered astray either denying that Jesus could indeed be ‘born in the likeness of men’ (Phil 2:7), that the Word could become flesh (John 1:14) or that He from the beginning was ‘with God and was God’ (John 1:1). We tend to lean more heavily toward Jesus’ humanity or His divinity because comprehending the union of God in human flesh is hard for our finite minds. No Christmas song can inspire within us what is only found in this Emmanuel. Neither can the pleasant experiences and joy many seek be found apart from Him. All hope for our families, communities, and world is found in this Emmanuel.
Pastor Ken in Cairo, Egypt Sept 2023 distributing food with our IM team to Sudanese refugees in our Child Sponsorship Program. He also taught at the Pastors’ Conference.
God’s Presence Among His People
Before the world was made, God, in His supreme goodness, desired to bless man, whom He would create, with the glory of His presence. Man’s highest and greatest joy is found in knowing this God. Since the fall, the distance between Holy God and sinful man has become painfully evident. It is a gulf that is irreconcilable by man. Yet, God in His mercy, made it possible through sacrifice He might dwell among His people. The centrality of His presence among His people is paramount. The evidence of His dwelling presence among His people, visible above the tabernacle in the cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night, was in the very center of the encampment. Each group pitched their tents around the tabernacle with their tent opening facing it. Each morning, they began their day with a visible reminder that God was in their midst. He dwelt among them. God was with His people.
A Holy God Who Draws Near
Numerous psalms express the profound reality of God dwelling with and being among fallen man. This reality is stunning—the reason people face the issues they do across the globe is the result of sin in the world. It is this sin that separates us from this great God and brings death to all.
Many of the psalms that we treasure present God’s transcendent and imminent realities together—the fact He is far superior and beyond us in every way and also present with us. This God who made the world and everything in it, who is so separate from us, so far above us, and beyond us in His many perfections, chooses to draw near to us. It’s not simply that someone is present but that this infinitely Holy GOD, this self-existing eternal God is the One who is with us. This ‘GOD is our refuge and strength, a very PRESENT help in trouble’ (Psalm 46:1).
Though it stretches our minds beyond limits, we must never forget that this God who comes near, who is present in our difficulties, who promised never to leave or forsake us is THE God who spoke all that is into existence. He is our rock, our refuge, our salvation. He is sovereign, all-powerful, all-wise, all-knowing, and perfectly good. Sinful man cannot approach this Holy God. God Himself must make a way for us. That is why we can sing ‘It’s the most wonderful time of the year.’ The Eternal Son of God came—Emmanuel. God is with us. God became flesh and lived among men. There is only one self-existing, eternal, sovereign God, and He became flesh and dwelt among us.
The Savior Born to Save
The angel told Joseph that he was to call the son to be born Jesus, for He would save His people from their sins. The harsh realities of life are the result of sin. Sin brings death, misery, suffering, conflict, and all the ills of humanity that cause us to lose the joy and cheer we so desire. God sent His only Son into the world. Only one who was God could fully satisfy the righteous demands of perfect holiness. Jesus was born; they called Him Emmanuel. He dwelt among us. He is the image of the invisible God—He is God with us. That is why the angel could proclaim to the shepherds, ‘I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the LORD.’ (Luke 2:10-11)
Real Hope in a Broken World
The fractures in our world and the struggles many endure will not simply disappear during the Christmas season. Rather, in the midst of it, all may find hope, comfort, and peace in this One called Emmanuel. To see how Indigenous Ministries is actively serving refugee families and raising up national leaders, visit our Child Sponsorship Program or Grace Bible College page. As we celebrate and rejoice in knowing Him, we remember that we have been entrusted to share this glorious news.