Greetings!
"Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child
and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel."
Isaiah 7:14
As I studied for a talk I recently gave at an Advent breakfast, I was reminded anew that God sent a sign--a way for His people to know that He kept His promise to rescue them. It was an obvious sign, but not a common sign. The sign took a rather peculiar approach: to send the Savior of humankind to this earth in the form of a baby.
Immanuel means "God with us." Literally, the world enjoyed "God with us" in the flesh as John 1:14 tells us: "The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth." In the present tense, we enjoy the presence of God in the form of the Holy Spirit. In John 14:15-30, Jesus tells His disciples that His father would send a Comforter to be with them--another sign of "God with us."
May your Christmas season be full of "God with us" moments--signs of His presence among you and your family. Let us celebrate the good news that, indeed, God is with us!
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
Susan
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