Matthew 1:23 – “Behold a virgin shall bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel, which is translated, God with us.”
Jesus coming to earth as a baby, was the visible knowledge to mankind of what God had established since the beginning – that God has always been with us. He’s dwelt in His house above the circle of the earth, just above us.. God in His gracious mercy sent His Son, as a visible, human baby, to declare in all its fullness that “GOD IS WITH YOU!” The WORD became flesh, and dwelt among us!
The message wasn’t quite new… God has always been here… with us.. just above the circle of the earth. Just above us… and God in His mercy declared that He would send His very WORD visibly, so that all men could see and know and hear the very WORD of God in visible form. WHAT a gift! To think that Jesus was the Father’s way of shouting “GOD IS WITH YOU!”
No wonder the feelings we get at Christmas.. the peace we feel, the excitement our heart’s receive, the wonder at the story… again. The culture tries to distract us by telling us it’s the lights, it’s the sparkles, it’s the snow, it’s the new things we get to fill our homes with.. In all reality, those things are beautiful BECAUSE God came.. the snow sparkles because the One who oversees the treasury of snow became visible to all men.. Job 37:6 became flesh, the One who says to the snow “Be thou on the earth.” The One who gives every good and perfect gift (James 1:17) Became flesh.. the One who declared “Let there be light” ! (Genesis 1:3) and who IS the Light, came and walked on the earth.
No wonder such “Tidings of Comfort and Joy” that come at Christmas… the fulfillment of the WORD of God… God with us… came in the visible form. And thus, we should be comforted with the knowledge that God declared in His biggest, loudest voice, in the way of a simple, lowly manger, that I AM WITH YOU! What is more comforting and joyous than that?
BEHOLD! I BRING TIDINGS OF GREAT JOY! Glory to God in the Highest! In the highest of heavens – glory to the One Who sits above the circle of the earth in His Holy temple, in His holy city! And on earth, peace, goodwill towards men! What a declaration from the Holy, heavenly city – that rung forth this message on that beautiful night… the entire city singing and ringing with the message that God was bringing His peace and goodwill to the earth in the form of His beautiful Son!
So this year.. I want to know that the comfort, joy, and peace excitement I know through the Christmas season doesn’t come from the sparkles, the lights, the snow.. but that it comes from the One who came…. and caused these things to be upon the earth. He is the One behind the comfort and joy!
