This will be the third and final part in my series on Mary, Joseph, & Emmanuel. I pray you have gleaned some wisdom from the lives of Mary & Joseph; and that you will seek to imitate them as they imitate Christ (1Cor 11:1). This godly couple, chosen to raise the Son of God here on earth, should cause us to want to raise the bar in our own relationship with God and our spouse. We don’t have to settle for mediocrity; we can strive for the best! Let’s take a look at the third (and most important) person of the three: Emmanuel.
Isa. 7:14 says, “Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.” This prophecy was given over 700 years before the birth of Christ! Our nation is only 237 years old. This is awesome, not only in that it came to pass; but that it was even preserved for that length of time! The Bible is filled with perfectly fulfilled prophecies, just like this one. God WILL preserve His Word (Ps 12:6-7), and God WILL bring it to pass (55:11).
Too many Christians have orphan mentalities. They feel like God has forsaken them. Perhaps they have suffered a tragedy in their life. Perhaps their earthly fathers abandoned them literally; or perhaps emotionally, in not showing love or leadership. Whatever the case may be, they have written something on their heart that is not true. It needs to be rewritten with the truth of God’s Word. Jesus is God with us (Ps 46:7, Mt 1:23). He will never leave us or forsake us (Heb 13:5). He is with us always (Mt 28:20). Christian, never doubt God’s presence in your life. You are the temple of the Holy Spirit. God dwells within you, and is always with you.
Some Christians will acknowledge that they are the Lords; but did you know that the Lord is yours? SoS 6:3 says, “I am my beloved’s, and my beloved is mine.” When Paul wrote in Ephesians chapter 5 about the roles of husband and wife in marriage, he said at the end that he was writing concerning Christ and the church. We are the bride of Christ, and He is our groom. I cannot say “I possess my wife“, and yet say “She does not possess me“. No, she is mine, and I am also hers. In 1Cor 7:4, Paul makes it clear that the body of the wife is the husband’s; and that the body of the husband is the wife’s. Yes, we are the Lord’s; and the Lord is ours.
This is confirmed in Isa 9:6 - “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.” The child (Jesus) was born for us. The son (Jesus) was given to us. What a glorious truth!
From this passage, we also see that the Child, the Son, is called “The Mighty God” and “The Everlasting Father”. This leaves no doubt that Jesus is God. God with us! Here are just a few New Testament passages of Scripture that confirm this truth: Jn 1;1, 14, Act 20:28, 1Cor 15:47, Heb 1:8, 1Jn 5:7, 1Tim 3:16. This is why Jesus is the only way to salvation (Act 4:12). You can’t avoid Jesus in your quest for God, because He is God. God with us. In Jn 10:30-32, they wanted to stone Jesus because He said He was God. Should we say any less about Him, than what He said about Himself? Of course not.
1Jn 4:8 says that God is love. Therefore, Jesus is God’s love with us. God so loved the world, that He gave Jesus (1Jn 3:16). God gave us His perfect love, when he gave us Jesus Christ. Calvary is God’s perfect testimony of His love toward us. He loves us so much He gave us the greatest gift of all. Never doubt that God’s love is with you. If you have Jesus, you have God’s love. It is with you, and dwells in you.
I pray that this Christmas, if you have not received God’s greatest gift - Jesus Christ - that you would. I pray you would humble yourself like a little child and joyfully receive God’s best. If you have received Jesus as your Lord and Savior, I pray that you would center your thoughts on what this season is all about. If it wasn’t for Jesus, none of this holiday stuff would amount to a hill of beans. Jesus is the only reason for the season. Have a blessed and merry Christmas, and until next time, rejoice in The Lord!
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