Christmas season is a celebration of
the coming of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ and a time to ponder and
imagine more about how the scripture expresses the message of Christmas. The
concept of the word ‘Immanuel’ is mentioned in the Gospel of Matthew 1:23, when
it says, “Look, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall name
him Immanuel,” which means, “God is with us.”” This Immanuel, who is Jesus
Christ, is prophesied first in Isaiah 7:14. In both the context of Matthew and
Isaiah, it was written when the people of Israel were going through turmoil
because of war and foreign domination. In both instances, it gives hope to the
people of God because it assures them that God is with them through thick and
thin. It is the greatest promise that has ever been fulfilled. Still, he is
with us even today through our trials and hardships.
However, along with the promise of
Immanuel, there is also the promise of ‘Bemanuel,’ which means “God in us”. The
promise of Bemanuel is an idea that comes from the letter of the Apostle Paul
in Galatians 2:20, which says, “And it is no longer I who live, but it is
Christ who lives in me...” This promise broadens our understanding of why Jesus
came to this earth, not only to be with or beside us but to also be ‘in’
us. Bemanuel means that when Christ is in us, he empowers us through his grace
“to instruct us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires...” (Titus 2:12).
This dual understanding enriches our
celebration of Christmas, making it a time of joy and festivity and a period of
deep reflection on the profound impact of Christ’s coming. It encourages us to
live out our faith with the knowledge that God is both with us and within us,
guiding and strengthening us every step of the way.
Photo by Jessica Lewis 🦋 thepaintedsquare: https://www.pexels.com/photo/nativity-scene-table-decor-1652405/
Comments
Post a Comment