Immanuel: God with us!

Isa 7:14 NRSV  "Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Look, the young woman is with child and shall bear a son, and shall name him Immanuel."

Early this morning as I was taking my son to work on Christmas morning I received a glorious illumination. It began with a gorgeous sunrise. The sky ways beautiful. It was a mixture of bright orange, soft yellows and pale blue. And, I almost jokingly, said Happy Birthday Jesus. It was then that the Spirit spoke to me and told me the absolute significance of Christmas. I know, December 25th is likely not Jesus birthday. I know, it is a pagan holiday converted by the early Christian church. However, the Spirit told me that the important thing was that He was born of flesh and blood. So from now on, I will realize that Christmas stands as a proof that God is with us.

In the above verse from Isaiah, the promise is given that the birth of the son is a sign from the Lord himself. The name given is significant. Immanuel means "God with us." Yes, God has shared in humanity, and in doing so, has proven that He is with us. Further, we realize that he is with us via His Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Christ. There is deeper significance with this fact. This is a sign for all of humanity. It shows that we are eternal beings, proven by the resurrection, and it lets us know that God has never left us and certainly has not forsaken us.

It signifies the day that God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself and not counting our trespasses/sins. It signifies the day that proclaims this fact. In the reconciliation comes peace with the Father and the restoration of all that was given away in the garden by our first parents. We are now again naked before God but loved with an unfathomable love. We can walk and talk with Him in the coolness of the day/evening, and he is with us in the extreme heat of any moment. Let me repeat. He has not left us even once, and He will never forsake us.

With all the commercialization of the day, and with all the criticism of the day by many I can now fully embrace the significance of the event. It does not have to be a day when much of America spends more than they can afford. It does not have to be a day of regret and disappointment for some. Rather, it is the day that God proved that he is among us and I will proclaim with the angels, "peace on earth and good will to humanity!"