Thursday, December 29, 2016

Immanuel


“Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel” (which means, God with us).Matthew 1:23 ESV

This year, I tried to keep my eyes on Christ during the Christmas season.  I’m sure I did not do a good job.  I kept getting distracting with the shopping and the presents and the stress and the grumpiness that comes with the holidays.  But one thing is for sure, I think this Christmas was the first time ever I considered the birth of Christ from a different perspective. 

I mean, I’ve always looked at it from what we have gained from that act of God in which He became flesh for us.  But I truly don’t think I’ve ever thought of this event from the perspective of what Jesus had to give up to come down here and become our Redeemer in the flesh.

He left heaven behind…

If that thought doesn’t shake me to the core, I don’t know what would.

He left heaven behind…for me.

He left the majestic fellowship of the Trinity to be with us, here, on Earth.  He left perfection to enter this world of misery.  He left an environment of bliss to dwell in a pit of darkness, pain and death.  And He did it all for love…for the love He cannot help to feel for the likes of me.  He became Our Immanuel, so we would not feel so alone on our walk through the valley of shadows. 

I never stopped to think how, while I celebrate the opening of gifts to commemorate another year of His glorious birth…for Him it is the anniversary of the moment in which He stepped down from a position of infinite divinity into the self-imposed limitations of humanity.  How much more should I ask of Him?  Why do I still feel the sting of doubt and the chill of fear?

I do, because in my materialism and in my love for this world, I take my eyes off from the thoughts of eternity and focus on the perishable. 

May the Lord, in all His unending love for me continue to remind me in unexpected and creative ways that He is the Immanuel and that as such, I need not feel afraid or alone anymore.

The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. John 1: 14

No comments:

Post a Comment

It would be great to hear from you! Let me know what you think.