God with us

Now all this took place to fulfill what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet: “See, the virgin will become pregnant and give birth to a son, and they will name Him Immanuel, which is translated “God is with us.” (Matthew 1:22-23)

When I open my Bible to begin reading the New Testament, it begins with Matthew. Matthew opens with a description of Jesus as the son of David and son of Abraham. It’s hard to miss the way Matthew connects the Messiah with two of the most prominent persons in the Old Testament. But, Matthew doesn’t end there. After shaking the family tree, some interesting characters fall out. It’s a fascinating genealogical walk through the Old Testament. The family tree is punctuated with an introduction to the supernatural pregnancy of Mary and the angelic message to Joseph about the birth of Jesus. Not surprisingly, Matthew interprets the birth of Jesus through the words of the prophet Isaiah. The prophecy of Isaiah contains the words of Christmas that shatter my deepest fears and overcome my greatest challenges. The Almighty, the Creator of the universe travelled the distance between perfect divinity and mortal existence. God stepped across the expanse created by my disobedience. Jesus came to Bethlehem to find me and to replace my emptiness with His presence. The darkness that had come to eclipse God’s design for my heart has been transformed into a testimony of the purity and brightness of His light. Jesus came and removed all doubts. Jesus is Immanuel. God is with me.