“‘The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him
Immanuel’ – which means, ‘God with us.’” – Matt 2:23
Imagine the amazing anticipation, the eager excitement, the innocent inquiries…heaven is poised gaping down on earth. The fullness of time had come. The moment for which eternity waited was here. The promise of the ages—the Eternal One—is about to break into time. Heaven quivered. The heavenly hosts stood amazed. Such an act of humility had never been seen before - such stooping, such abasement, such abnegation. The King would become a peasant. The Absolute Ruler would become a servant. The Righteous Judge would become a subject. Holiness would dwell in the middle of the profane. Love would be present at the heart of a hateful world. Omnipotence would be found completely dependent. Omniscience would learn to walk. Omnipresence would somehow exist in 2 cells. Love – it must be love – which had prompted such a decision. Desire for restoration of relationship, to allow all people a way to come freely to Him, devoid of the sin that would disbar them from His presence, this is what drove Him to do it. Imagine all of Heaven holding its breath in the sheer wonder of it all. Remember Heaven knows the Ultimate Holiness of God that would be present in the muck and mire of a sinful world. Heaven knows the Majesty and Splendor of His presence. It marvels at the idea all that could even fit into a human body. But Heaven also knows of His great love and compassion—His desire to relate to His people. Earth, however, well, only one person on earth may have known when that incredible moment occurred when Heaven came to earth, when the power of the Most High overshadowed a young teenager in Nazareth.
That was the moment “God, without ceasing to be God, was made a man.”1 God chose to reveal Himself not as a cold, hard ethical standard, not as a set of rules to be followed, or even a story to be recited.1 God chose to reveal Himself as a person with whom you should have a relationship. Why did God choose to reveal Himself in this way? Because He desires relationship with us. Because He loves us. He would go out of His way, did go out of His way, to show us just how closely He desires to be with us.
Here is one of the central points of the incarnation of Christ. God came to earth and died for our sins so that God could be with us, so that He could be in us, so that He could live in us.
Most people think of the incarnation in terms of what Jesus did to forgive our sin, but it's so much more than that. I believe the Father's love drove Him to send the Son, fully understanding and knowing the cost, but willing to pay that price, because He wanted to bring us back into unbroken relationship with Himself. Think of it, He purposely created man with free will and the capacity for relationship. Why would He have done that unless He wanted us to relate to Him? Sin is tragic, but it is the effect of sin – separation from God – that is the real catastrophe. Is it possible that one of the ways He made us in His image is with this capacity for relationship?
God foretold of His appearing as a man over 700 years in advance speaking through the prophet Isaiah, “The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son and will call him Immanuel.”
The Hebrew for Immanuel literally means “With us (is) God.” “I am” is with us. The Hebrew is from two words “’im” and “’el.” ‘Im is an adverb or preposition meaning “with (that is, in conjunction with)… specifically equally with.”2 The root of this word is “‘amam” which is defined as “A primitive root; to associate; by implication to overshadow (by huddling together)”2 The other Hebrew word comprising Immanuel is “‘el” which means “strength; as adjective mighty; especially the Almighty”2 So Immanuel to the Hebrew mind may have intimated the idea of God huddling together with us, overshadowing us with the strength of His Almighty Presence.
Immanuel: With us is God—huddling together with us, overshadowing us with the strength of His Almighty Presence!
Previous to that incredible moment when God stepped down into time, Mary had asked how this could be since she was a virgin. Notice how Gabriel, the messenger angel, answers her. “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God.” Lk 1:35
Isn’t that interesting, God tells us Immanuel is coming. Immanuel, God huddling together with us, overshadowing us with His Almighty Presence, and when Mary asks how this will be she is told the Holy Spirit (God’s presence) will come upon her and the power of the Most High will overshadow her. Immanuel will happen to Mary just as His name reminds us. Immanuel: With us is God—Huddling together with us, overshadowing us with the strength of His Almighty Presence! But the promise was not just for Mary, it is for all those who believe in God. This is our God, the One who promises to be with us, who huddles together with us, overshadowing us with the strength of His Almighty Presence!
Life was not meant to be lived outside of the awareness of His Presence. His strength becomes our strength when we live in His Presence. Pastor Bauman once said, only Christianity elevates joy and love as normative. It’s about relationship. Joy in loving Him and each other. Loving the joy He is to each of us. He has given everything for you. He has done everything to make Himself available to you. What are you doing with Him?
He is closer to us than we are to ourselves. He waits for us to commune with Him, to acknowledge Him there huddled together with us overshadowing us with the power of His presence.
“You have said, Seek My face [inquire for and require My presence as your vital need]. My heart says to You, Your face (Your presence), Lord, will I seek, inquire for, and require [of necessity and on the authority of Your Word].” Psa 27:8) AMP
Don’t struggle, just snuggle. He’s waiting for you…right there where you are.
Footnotes
1 Lucado, Max. God Came Near: Chronicles of the Christ. [Portland, Ore.]: Multnomah, 1987. Print.
2 Strong’s and Thayer’s definitions from: Meyers, Rick. Vers. 9.0.3. Franklin, TN, 2010. Computer software. http://www.e-sword.net/.
References
All Scriptures not specified are quoted from Life in the Spirit Study Bible (NIV). Stamps, Donald C., and John Wesley Adams. Life in the Spirit Study Bible: New International Version. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2003. Print.
All Scriptures marked AMP are quoted from "The Amplified Bible." BibleGateway.com: A Searchable Online Bible in over 100 Versions and 50 Languages. Web. 16 Dec. 2011. <http://www.biblegateway.com/>.
