Jesus is Immanuel!

2020 has been a rough year. For some, they lost a job. For others, they lost someone dear to them. For many, they lost freedoms we had all taken for granted. And I dare say there have been times this year you felt like you were all alone. You were walking through the valley of tears by yourself. Yet, here we stand in the week of Christmas, a joyous time of year for many who remember that God never forgot about us, his prized creation, and sent his Son, Jesus, to walk with us. Indeed, he became the ultimate Christmas gift. In his birth, we find hope for a better tomorrow.

This time of year, we hear a word. It’s incarnation. But what does incarnation mean? One description I found was this:

“In Christian theology, the doctrine of the incarnation is that Jesus the preexistent divine logos, God the Son (the Son of the Father) taking on a human body and human nature who, made flesh, conceived in the womb of Mary. This doctrine states that Jesus is fully God and fully human, joined in hypostatic union.”

Well, that doesn’t seem too helpful of a description! I’ve got an advanced degree in theology but I was lost on some of those words. Ultimately, it means God became flesh in the person of his son, Jesus.

The whole world remembers that God remembered us this time of year. God's Son, Jesus, came to earth to live among us (John 1:1, 14). But if He came, what was his mission? Jesus says it is to seek and save that which was lost. Namely, us! So, he’s a rescuer and he came to bring us life and life to the full. His birth brings us hope and his death brings us life.

So when you read of his birth in Matthew 1:23, it says “His name is Immanuel, which means God is with us.”

So when you are afraid, Jesus is your peace. When you are alone, Jesus is your companion. When you are are lost, Jesus is your guide. When you are sick, Jesus is your healer. When you are tired, Jesus will carry you. When you are weak, Jesus will be your strength. And when you feel the weight of your sin on your shoulders, Jesus will be your Savior.

Jesus birth and life is the greatest story ever told. It’s what Christmas is all about. He is the ultimate gift. So, are you going to open him this holiday? He is the King of kings and Lord of lords. He’s the promised Messiah. He’s the Son of God, the Lamb of God. Jesus is the light of the world. He’s Immanuel. Jesus is God with us. Blessings on your holiday season.

Seems Always a Storm.

2020 was a record year for named storms to hit the US mainland. We had 12 named storms which shattered the old record of 9 storms set in 1916. 6 of those storms were hurricane force and did $37 billion in damage. Interestingly, in 1954, meteorologists began naming storms after their girlfriends or wives. (I make no correlation here)! But in 1979, men’s names were added to options for naming storms. In our lives, there always seems to be a storm going on.

In your life, you may be enduring the storm of divorce. You could be battling depression. The storm could look like financial distress or an extended illness. A friend of mine once told me, “You’re either in a storm, coming out of storm, or there’s a storm just around the corner.” In other words, life is a series of storms you must navigate.

However, you never allow the presence of a storm to cause you to doubt the presence of God. God is always with you. That is literally what the name of Jesus means. Matthew 1:23 reads, “They will name him Immanuel which means God is with Us.”

But there are moments when the storm rages. You can loose hope. I’ve sat with many who have said there was no hope for their marriage. They found no hope to ever locate a job. There was no hope to be healthy again. It seemed hopeless to ever conceive a child or climb out of debt.

Sometimes we blame the Devil. That’s appropriate but sometimes our storm is because of things we did. Sometimes, we spent too much money keeping up with the Jones’ and now we are in financial hardship. Sometimes we let our emotions get the best of us. We said things to people we love we can’t take back. Sometimes we procrastinated and now we are between a rock and hard place. Sometimes, it’s our fault.

But there are times we are in the storm when it wasn’t our fault. Our parents divorced and we are in the middle of the family storm through no fault of our own. The company you worked for made poor financial decisions and now you’re out of a job. You trusted someone but they didn’t show up and you were left holding the bag. Sometimes you are enduring a storm that you did not create.

There is an incredible miracle and ministry moment in Mark 4. Jesus has been preaching and teaching. He has been performing miracles and healing the sick. It’s the end of the day and he is exhausted. Jesus and the disciples find themselves at the Sea of Galilee so they get in a boat and push out to the middle. Almost right away, Jesus falls asleep. But in the middle of the night a massive storm blows up. Thunder and lightening. Wind and huge waves. Water is coming into the boat. So finally, the disciples wake up Jesus and ask, “Don’t you care if we drown?”

Jesus asks, “Do you still have no faith?” Then he stands and commands, “Peace be still”. Immediately, the wind dissipates and the waves disappear. The sea is like glass. The stars are shining through. It is still. And the disciples whisper, “Who is this that even the wind and waves obey him?” They found peace because Jesus was with them.

But peace is not found in the absence of a storm. Rather in the presence of Jesus! Jesus said in John’s gospel, “In this world you will have trouble but take heart, I have overcome the world.” My faith isn’t in what I see but in what God says. My faith isn’t in the boat but in who commands the wind and waves. My faith isn’t in the ship but in the one who made trees that made the ship.

You can’t control how big the storm is or the damage it does. You can’t control what people do to you or say about you. You can control what you believe and how to project that belief on those around you.

Psalms 46:1-3 reminds me that God is our refuge and our strength, always ready to help in times of trouble. So even if I loose my job, I believe God. If my relationship falls apart, I trust God. If the economy is shaky, I will trust in God. If I feel isolated and alone, I believe God is with me. Even if a virus runs rampant in the nation, I trust God. If my candidate looses the election, I have faith in my God. I will not be afraid because my God is alive and walks beside me!

You see, peace is not in the absence of the storm but the presence of the King of kings and Lord of lords. “Look! the virgin will conceive and bear a son. They will call him Immanuel which means God is with Us.” God is with you this holiday season and beyond. Feel his presence. Call on him to direct you and defend you. He’s the greatest gift you and I will ever receive. Blessings on the journey.