Luke 1:23: “Behold! The virgin shall be with child and bear a Son, and they shall call His Name “Immanuel”, which is translated, “God with us.”(MKJV)

The Words of the Gospel of Matthew are a far cry from the gold and tinsel wrappings of what is known as “Christmas” today. The true “Christmas”, if we can still call it that, took place in a humble stable, with a humble young woman and her husband. It was a time of birth pangs, tears and joy all combined. It was a time of Great Fear of the Lord as the young woman’s husband, Joseph,was awakened in the night to the voices of angels giving him direction for his newborn child.

Down through the ages, this moment of birth in Bethlehem of Judea had been prophesied by the prophets of old.

One such prophecy is found in Isaiah 11: “There shall come forth a Rod from the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots, the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon Him, the Spirit of Wisdom, and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and of the Fear of the Lord.”

God had a plan to present a Savior to His People. It was not the plan of man. It was not endorsed by man, nor was God worried whether man would like His idea. It was an infallible plan born out of the compassionate heart of God, who so desired to give all men an opportunity to know Him, and who so longed, even with a broken heart, to restore communication between Himself and mankind, through His own Son, Jesus Christ.

The very beautiful truth that shines through this plan of God is that “Immanuel,” a name that was given to baby Jesus at the time of His Birth , rings out this Christmas time with deep truth and inspiration! The fact remains that this child born over 2000 years ago, to be the Savior of the World, is ALIVE and STILL WITH US today! What a beautiful living Gift of Hope and Eternal Life God has given us FOREVER through His Son, Jesus Christ. Through His Son, we are able to come into fellowship with God Almighty, the Creator of Heaven and Earth! We are able to talk to Him, to commune with Him, to even make a Covenant with the Lord Most High!!

God loves covenants! He is a Covenant Making God!

He sent His Son to be born in a dark and cold manger, surrounded by animals and angels, SO THAT we COULD KNOW OF HIM, and DECIDE ourselves, if we WANTED HIS GIFT…the GIFT of HIS SON JESUS. God gave us all, in His great love and mercy for us, a CHANCE to accept truth and eternal salvation through believing in and accepting His Son, Jesus, as Lord and Savior.

Jesus made every provision for us all! Jesus broke every condemnation and guilt off our heads! Jesus made it possible for us to celebrate the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living!

A song has been written called “What a strange Way to Save the World.”…Yet, it was not so strange! God came down!

God became flesh that we might see Him and know Him and walk with Him and talk with him, and that His Word might be sent out forever into all generations, that every person would have opportunity to receive His Gift of Forgiveness and Eternal Life!

Even as we now live, 2000 years after the fact of this birth, the name “Immanuel” still bears the same truth it did then.

GOD IS STILL WITH US!!!

The question is and always has been: ARE WE WITH GOD???

Many people today are church goers and club joiners and project committee chairman for many good works. We have tremendous outreach programs in this great country! We have thousands of charities. All these things are good! Make no mistake! We need these programs.

But God came to Earth bearing more than programs and charitable works. He came bearing “gifts”…for men. The gifts that He came to give us are spiritual gifts, gifts we cannot buy or earn no matter how many awesome works we commit ourselves to do!

I Corinthians 13 says: “Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels but have not love, I am become a sounding brass or a tinkling cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy and understand all mysteries and all knowledge and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains and have not love, I am nothing, and though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor and though I give my body to be burned but have not love, it profits me nothing.”

Where do we then, get love?

Love comes from God.

True Love comes from God. It came through His Son, Jesus Christ, who was born of a virgin, lived among us, died and was resurrected on the third day to sprinkle his blood of cleansing and mercy in Heaven FOR US, that we might be cleansed and set free from the prison of sin and unforgiveness that is stamped on our unregenerate hearts.

True Love from God is the greatest gift ever given.
The name of His Love is Immanuel, God with Us.
One awesome reminder of how great this love is:

“For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” (Heb. 13:5)

All we need to do is admit our need for a savior.

If your life is out of control this Christmas season, open your heart to the love of Jesus Christ, the original Christmas Gift.

Ask Him to come into your heart, to forgive your sins, and to become Lord of your life. He will come in, and He will turn your life around. Nothing is too difficult for Him! There is nothing that you or I have done or said that cannot be forgiven by Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. I pray that This Christmas will be the start of a New Season for you! A season of love and forgiveness, a season of Joy and partaking of the love of Christ, the gift that is Eternal and Forever! I pray that for each person reading this Word, the name “Immanuel” would become more real than any amount of tinsel or gold.

Article is copyrighted by Sondra Stallman.
May not reprint without permission from author.