The word “Immanuel” God with us is more than just another name given to Jesus at Christmastime. Consider this:
The all-around Presence of God surrounds us. Face to face He walks with you, leading you by His right hand, as you hold onto His right hand (Psalm 16:8,11). You will never be alone. In despair, darkness and the shadow of death, you are never alone (Psalm 23). He is the Great I AM who is with you.
Right when God told Moses to crush Pharaoh’s party and free the Israelites, Moses asked Him, “(but) who am I to free them?”, thinking he wasn’t qualified and the task was too great. (See Exodus 3). So God told his servant-friend Who is going with him: “I will be with you… I am WHO I AM… Tell them, I AM has sent you.”
God gave the same guarantee to Joshua when the Israelites crossed the Promised Land (Joshua 1:5-6); to Gideon as he delivered Israel with only 300 men (Judges 1:12); and to the remaining disciples at the Great Commission (Matthew 28:18-20). God told these once-fearful-turned-mighty men how to conquer their enemies and walk into the miraculous! Jesus Himself was given that same name – Immanuel, God being with us in flesh – and he accomplished what is humanly impossible because God was with him! “And you know that God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power. Then Jesus went around doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him.” Acts 10:38
And finally after Jesus left for heaven, He sent an Advocate, the Holy Spirit, who will be with us forever for He abides with us and will be in us! He will never leave us as orphans; He will come to us. (John 14:16-18)
Why would God repeatedly say “I AM WITH YOU”?
- God chose you. He likes you a lot, and He wants to be with you all the time! And coz’ maybe we forget that He meant what He said, that He will never leave us or forsake us!
- The Holy Spirit’s presence with us isn’t just for our sake. God wants you to show the broken world what He is like and invite them into experiencing His all-around Presence and love!
- What God tells us to do – the miracle of transforming our own lives, those of others and the nations – are humanly impossible apart from the presence, power and person of the Holy Spirit. It can be done, and accomplished alone with the Great I AM. For with God, nothing is impossible!
AMEN!