Isaiah 7:14  Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.

This is a widely recognized verse foretelling of Jesus’ birth. Immanuel means ‘God with us’.

The prophet Isaiah was called to write this book approximately 700 years before the birth of Jesus. Isaiah’s message was one of great hope; calling the people of Judah, Israel, and surrounding nations back to righteous living with God. Today, Isaiah’s message continues to be one of hope as it points to the one who can offer restoration and reconciliation. And that one is Jesus Christ.

It points to God’s ultimate goodness and reminds us of His promises. Promises that He always keeps and never breaks.

We see the fulfillment of this promise in Matthew as he writes of the birth of Jesus Christ. Joseph in a dream is instructed to name the baby, Jesus, which means “he will save his people from their sins”. Matthew also recalls the words from the prophet Isaiah. Matthew 1:18-25

God is with us.

God sends His son, Jesus.

Jesus saves us from our sins.

The essence of who God is…the meaning of His name is…He is with us…He saves us from our sins.

Take a few moments to let this sink in…to treasure this…

I love the tenderness of God sending His son (himself) to be with us (to be with you, to be with me). He chose to step down from His heavenly throne, to come to us in our sin, our messiness, to save us.  No other god in history has done that. That leaves me in awe! And very, very thankful.

Do you feel awe this Christmas? Why or why not?

Knowing that God is with you, how does that change things for you?

God is with us. Jesus is the One who makes the way for our personal relationship with God. He offers complete restoration in our life. This is the peace the angels sang about when they appeared to the shepherds. Luke 2:14

On this side of glory, we will have conflict among us. But be assured, because of Jesus, we can have peace with God. John 16:33 This is the kind of peace the angels proclaimed. And this is worthy of ALL our praise, trust, and devotion.

Resting in this truth helps me to be more at peace even in the craziness of our world. Can you rest in God’s peace?

Consider this breath prayer:

Breath in….Immanuel

Breath out….God is with me

Practice 4-6 breath cycles (about 1 minute)

Inhale….Immanuel

Exhale….God is with me

Christmas reminds us of the love God has for us. He sent His son to be with us, to save us, to bring our hearts peace. May you rest in this!