Opening Thought: Often when things don’t seem to go right in this life, we start feeling like we’ve been left on our own. Pressures surround, troubles cling, we may be facing huge loss, or we find ourselves in long seasons of waiting. God’s timing seemed off during the 400-year gap between the OT and NT.
When God’s timing seems off, we start feeling alone, forgotten, defeated, filled with doubt.
? “If God was really with us, then why did that happen?”
? “If God was really with us, then why hasn’t He come through?”
? “If God was really with me, then why am I hurting?”
God never promised that our way would always be “easy,” or that His Presence with us meant a life of convenience or comfort. But He did promise this, over and over in His word: that He would be “with us” in it all, and would never leave us.
He alone holds the power to turn around any difficult season or loss we may be facing, and bring great blessing and good through it all …
Jesus Himself, while still in the womb, bumped along a difficult journey, all the way to Bethlehem. God didn’t spare Mary and Joseph from that long road of struggle, so close to the birth of Christ, even though the timing may have seemed bad to many. He didn’t provide a nice, comfortable inn, or lush surroundings for Jesus to be born in. But instead allowed His very own Son to take His first breaths in the humblest of surroundings.
Jesus came into this world in the darkness of night, when skies were black. Such a deep, symbolic picture of what He came to do. Light of hope ushered straight in, not when times were easy or bright, but when times were hard, when things seemed uncertain. There was struggle, there was constant unrest, there was weariness, and many felt unsettled.
Is it any wonder that His name would hold such Power? That He would be called, “… Emmanuel, which means, God with us.” The powerful Truth spoken through Isaiah the prophet 700 years before Jesus was even born is still so relevant and needed today.
This season of the year can remind us more than anything, that God made a way, to be right here "with us." Don’t ever doubt or fear that He’s not with you. He hasn’t lost control. He hasn’t forgotten you. Don't ever doubt that God doesn't know what He's doing, in this life, in the world. That's a lie straight from the enemy. What He's allowed in our lives, even the most difficult of things, He will use for good somehow.
As much as we can wish it were so, God doesn't always take us around our troubles. Sometimes
He leads us straight through. Into the darkness, into the fire, into the deep. But He's faithful ... to carry us through. His promise and assurance are that He will be with us when we go through the waters and the fire. His love, grace and protection surround us.
We're not meant to stay stuck in the trial. He won't let the hardships define us. For when we belong to Him, He's the only One who has the power to define our days. He breathes life and meaning. And He says we're set free, redeemed, He says He gives us a future and a hope.
We may not see it, we may not even be aware of His Presence on the toughest days. But He hasn't left us, not ever. We don’t have to be afraid of the storms, uncertainty of the future, or changing times. For He knows our way, He goes before us. He is pure light, shining greatness against skies of dark. He is "God with us," our Refuge and Strength, our Savior and Lord.
Christmas may mean different things to different people. But when we condense those meanings down to just to one simple truth, we always end up with four words. Over and over again. Four words. GOD IS WITH US. These four words changed history and they can change you too. And these four words have the power and beauty to change everything.
What is this hope of Christmas: EMMANUEL?
1. Building Bridges
? Challenging Bridges – DIFFICULT CIRCUMSTANCES
? Insecure Bridges – FEAR of UNKNOWN
? Broken/Burnt Bridges – BROKEN RELATIONSHIPS
God the Father sent His only son to build a bridge between man and Himself which our forefather burnt in the garden of Eden. Only one man could build it back because He alone has the power, structure and knowhow to complete it. It had to be made of the pure stuff, otherwise it would have the possibility to collapse again. Only ‘The Messiah’ had the potential to do it!
Jesus Christ is The Bridge. Emmanuel bridges that gap between man and God.
Jesus, being perfect in all aspects, bridged the gap between God and man, by becoming the only God-Man – completely divine, yet completely human at the same time. He is the King of kings, yet also the servant of us all. He is our savior and redeemer, one that understands our weaknesses and infirmities. He knows the soft spots, the potholes and blind spots. He alone can overcome them.
There had to be a way to bridge the gap, to SAVE mankind from eternal separation from God. Jesus Christ is that bridge. And God the Father is the perfect bridge builder.
Illustration: While trekking deep into the Himalayan foothills and camping at a forest rest house for a couple of day, we 7-10 guys while returning to civilization had to jump off the railway bridge when the train arrived on the tracks at Satyanarayana at Dehradun when I was 14 years old. The bridge did not have the side railings. It was not a perfect bridge for humans to cross.
The only bridge that is constructed for humans to cross into a relationship with God the Father is through His Son Jesus Christ Who became and is the bridge to eternity with our Lord and Savior. That is the bridge from where you will not have to jump but will remain secure and protected.
2. Joyful Heart (Isaiah 9:3,6-7; Luke 2:1-7)
? UNSPEAKABLE JOY
? UNFATHAMABLE JOY
? UNSURPASSABLE JOY
Joy is certainly one of those stock phrases of the season. You could send a Christmas card to people with the simple word “joy” emblazoned on the front and a picture of your family inside and it would be enough. But what does “joy” mean? Joy must be like happiness, but somehow deeper.
Perhaps we can gain some wisdom if we think about the opposite of joy which would be grief. Grief is related to sadness, but sadness is short – your team loses a chance to make the playoffs, you score a grade lower in a class than you were thinking, you couldn’t get tickets to the Star Wars opening this past weekend. Grief is different. You mourn when you lose someone you love, when your marriage falls apart or when your dreams are shattered. You move through these and you can learn to cope in this new reality, but you are never the same. The mark of that grief never leaves you even as we move through the good times of life, a tinge of the reality lose is with you.
So, joy is like that on the other side. There is a satisfaction, a peace, a rejoicing deep in our souls that is there even when we go through tough times. Joy is a happiness that leaves a mark, a goodness that stays with you. We know only too well what causes grief. What could ever cause us joy?
As a Christian, my external circumstances do not determine my joy … only my relationship with Jesus Christ determines it. When God is with me (us) we have the assurance and experience 1 John 4:4.
Illustration: Even though the sword of adversity hung over our lives and persecution was inevitable in the Middle East, Maureena and I served God with love, joy and passion because we have Emmanuel in our lives. He gave us the joy of the Lord that is our eternal strength. Our outward circumstances did not determine that joy but Christ living in us.
3. God Protects Us
? IN TIMES OF TROUBLE
? IN TIMES OF LONELINESS
? IN TIMES OF TRIALS
Do you know what it feels like to feel utterly alone? To try to attempt to live your life with no one to fall back on, no safety net, no help? If you've been through some desperate times in your life, then you know exactly what this feels like. The wonderful promise made through the Christ-child Emmanuel is that God promises to be with you in your troubles. He will not leave you to your own resources. All of his resources are now available to you.
The difference for you can be like night and day. In past times God had made this kind of promise to special people in history.
Abraham was an alien in a threatening land, but God said to him, "I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go. "Moses was told to personally confront the most powerful king on the face of the earth with nothing but a staff and the promise from God, "I will be with you!” Moses believed him and went to Pharaoh at great risk. As a result, God delivered the people of Israel from Egypt through the Red Sea. After Moses died, his apprentice Joshua was thrust into leadership. God promised Joshua, "As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you."
Powerful stuff! But what about you and me? That Jesus is Emmanuel, "God with us," means that his promise is not just to the great leaders but to all. The promise is to you. Just before Jesus ascended into heaven, he spoke to his disciples:
"All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. And surely, I am with you always, to the very end of the age." That promise of Emmanuel is not just to the apostles, it is to us also, for we see the same promise in the Bible to reassure all the rest of us — "I will never leave you nor forsake you."
We are empowered by the Spirit of God and we have the assurance of His salvation and helped by the wonderful counselor the Holy Spirit to accomplish God’s Will here on earth for each one of us. Let us embrace His Help and move in the power and anointing of His Spirit.
Illustration: Late one night during the weekend Maureena and I were returning home through the desert/wilderness after experiencing two powerful worship services at the underground churches in the Middle East. We had a flat tire and our vehicle got stuck in the sand. We were surrounded by hostile tribes and don’t know who … in that dark night. God was faithful as He sends his angel to deliver us … We not only witnessed but experienced “God is with us.”
Application: So, we come to the most important, question:
What does ‘Emmanuel’ mean to you?
? What do you hope for this Christmas time?
? Whatever it is that we are hoping for, the good news is the same for us all. ‘Emmanuel’ – God is with us
? In your darkness, in your trials, in your anxieties: ‘Emmanuel’ – God is with you.
? In your pain, in your frailty, in your brokenness: ‘Emmanuel’ – God is with you.
? In your fears, in your hurt, in your insecurities: ‘Emmanuel’ – God is with you.
? The message of Christmas is not a fairy tale for the children. It is a hard reality of God breaking into the brokenness of our world: ‘Emmanuel’ – God is with us.
? This is the HOPE of Christmas.
