The Meaning of Immanuel; God with us
On the night when Jesus was arrested He was talking frankly with His disciples about the events that would soon take place. Jesus’ disciples had not yet comprehended the suffering Messiah would endure and these words left them confused and troubled. Knowing this and knowing their troubles would only increase in the proceeding days, Jesus gave them these words of comfort:
2In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. 3And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.”
John 14:2-3
Did you catch the promises of Jesus for His disciples?
A promise to prepare a new home for us (Heaven), a promise to take us there, and a promise that where He is, so too we will be.
The celebration of Immanuel (God with us) at Christmas time is a declaration that God came to be with us so that one day we may be with Him. He has come to bring “many sons to glory” (Heb 2:10), He has come to make us Heaven ready!
The fact is mankind is not born Heaven ready. We have been conceived in sin. From one generation to another the blood of mankind has been tainted by the sin of Adam and with this defilement comes death; eternal separation from God. There is nothing we can do to bridge the divide, we can’t buy our way to Heaven, we can’t work our way there, to fall short of the glory of God is to be hell bound.
Depressing isn’t it? Well I want to tell you today that it doesn’t have to be. This does not have to be the fate of man.
Jesus said of Himself that “the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which is lost” (Luke 19:10). Two thousand years ago God literally came to be with us in order to save us from the consequences of our sin. He paid the price for our sin on Calvary’s cross and all that remains is for you to receive this free and undeserved gift of His grace.
Have you personally received His precious gift of Salvation?
The Bible teaches us that there is only way to receive Salvation:
“that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.”
Romans 10:9
This Christmas if you have not already, I invite you to receive the greatest gift of all; Immanuel, God with you.