Tag: God with us

O COME, O COME EMMANUEL

God said, “I shall be with you tomorrow”. This is not a casual, “See ‘ya later, alligator!”

Who would have thought that the original text for this Latin chant contained a reverse acrostic (called an “ere cras”). Translated: “I shall be with you tomorrow”. This is not a casual, “See ‘ya later, alligator!” This was a promise made by the Eternal God of His presence. That’s why God gave His Son the name Emmanuel which literally means “God with us”.

GROWING IN CONFIDENT HOPE

The lyrics of this chant were written around the 8th century and meant to be sung antiphonally which would entail alternate singing by two choirs, often on opposite sides of the sanctuary. The first choir would sing O come, O come, Emmanuel and while the sound waves still resonated across the expanse, the 2nd choir would begin singing And ransom captive Israel. And so, they would alternately sing line after line, ever growing in confidant hope, as the building reverberated with the glorious sounds.

FROM MOURNING TO REJOICING

Their words commemorated a people who had literally been mourning in lonely exile from God. Then all heaven broke loose singing the Son of God appears! Rejoice! Rejoice! Break out in rapture, exuberant song, cheering jubilation! This is not the half-hearted clapping for someone receiving a participation award. This is the full throttle universal stamping of feet because God has won! The highway leading to eternal separation from God now offered an off-ramp leading to eternal community, companionship, and peace with God.

GOD WITH US

For all of you longing, hungering for God, His promise has been fulfilled. O Lord, make safe the way that leads to Thee and close the path to misery. God is with us!

O come, O come, Emmanuel and ransom captive Israel. That mourns in lonely exile here until the Son of God appears. Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to thee, oh Israel” O come, Thou Key of David, come and open wide our heavenly home. Make safe the way that leads to thee and close the path to misery. Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to thee, oh Israel

THE FIRST NOEL

How I wish I could have been a shepherd under the stars that magnificent night.

“I’ll just be a minute,” I said to my husband as I stepped out the front door. It had become a custom to stargaze from the front lawn before bedtime. From the center of our front lawn, I held up my iPhone and focused on one particularly bright star, wondering which it might be. Skyview App allows one to focus their iPhone camera on a star which it will then identify.

No more wondering. No more guessing. “Jupiter,” I whispered to the night. Such glow! Such twinkle! So unusually bright against the dark night sky. It was as if one had poked a hole through a backlit canopy of deep blue velvet to let the light shine through. As wonderful as it was, however, I pondered how small and insignificant it was in contrast to the experience of “certain poor shepherds in fields” one incredibly holy night.

THE HEAVENLY HOST APPEARED

There they were, star gazing and sheep grazing below the same sky of deep blue velvet in pastoral astonishment! Interrupted, not by a just the appearance of a bright star, but an angelic Heavenly Host, brighter than anyone could possibly set their mind to imagine. Greater and brighter than any App would be able to explain away.

NO MORE WONDERING

Born is the King of Israel the angels proclaimed! How grateful I am for the skies that behold daily beauty and miraculous heavenly announcements. Noel! Noel! The angels did say. How I wish I could have been a shepherd under the stars that magnificent night. How blessed to have been a witness to the announcement of the birth of our dear Savior, declaring, Jesus is born! God is with us! No more wondering. No more guessing.

The First Noel the Angels did say was to certain poor shepherds in fields as they lay
In fields where they lay keeping their sheep on a cold winter’s night that was so deep
Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel! Born is the King of Israel!

O COME ALL YE FAITHFUL (HIS NAME SHALL BE)

But just who is it that we are singing to? What is his name? 

I do not remember a lot from my childhood about Christmas, except for the secular traditions that brought great excitement to my young life. The presents were always a big part of the day as well as eating with all my relatives. I especially looked forward to the baked lima beans, they were my favorite! And if it snowed on Christmas, well, that was the cherry on top. But I do remember sitting in church and really liking the hymns. I know, that’s kind of weird for a 10-year-old, but I enjoyed the sound and the words. “O come all ye faithful” was one of my favorites.

This beautiful Christmas hymn invites everyone to come to Him.  Come to worship Him, come to adore Him, come to powerfully sing the songs of heaven so that His name is exalted. But just who is it that we are singing to? What is his name? 

HIS NAME IS WONDERFUL!

About halfway through the song the writer tells us exactly what His name is. First, he says it is Wonderful. When I think of things that are wonderful, I think of a car I used to own that would start every morning even when the temperature was so cold that my fingers stuck to the steering wheel. I think of a job I used to have that paid me more than what I thought I was worth yet God graciously provided me every day with the ministry tools I needed. It was wonderful. And then of course I think of that special meal my wife made me for Father’s Day. It was unbelievable; it was wonderful.

HE IS IMMANUEL

When I think of things that are wonderful, they usually bring warmth, a sense of accomplishment, and of course, satisfaction. Christ brings all of these because He is wonderful. But He has another name, He is the Counselor. Jesus is someone that I can trust to tell my story to, even though He already knows it. He still wants me to come to Him and pour out my heart to Him. His name shall be Wonderful, Counselor, Everlasting Father. His name is also Prince of Peace and Mighty God. But that last one really gets me. His name shall be Immanuel. Wow! That name means “God with us”!

WHO ARE WE SINGING TO?

Everyone is supposed to sing: the choirs of angels, the citizens of heaven, and all on earth. I cannot imagine that leaves anyone! And who are we singing to? Immanuel. God with us. There are so many religions out there that promise people the moon, but they never follow through, because they cannot. In Christianity we find answers to life’s problems because we worship the God who understands each of us. He is the God who is there with us, to care for us all the time, and He invites us to enjoy his presence daily. Yes, we will praise His name forever because He is Christ the Lord!

His name shall be Wonderful, Counselor. His name shall be Everlasting Father. His name shall be Prince of Peace, Mighty God. His name shall be Immanuel. O come, let us adore Him Christ the Lord!

GOD IS IN THE HOUSE!

This new inhabitant would send shock waves across the world that would exist for centuries.

At the end of our block is a sign which says, “Apartment for Rent”, advertising the unit below us.  The tenant moved away Thanksgiving weekend. In the entire year she lived under us, we never heard a peep.  She moved in a complete stranger and stayed a stranger.  One day I asked her name but she only told me her first name.  Our lives were not rocked by her entrance or exit.

What if instead she had been a co-tenant with us? Lived in our apartment, shared our furniture, our utilities, our conversations, our life.  Her arrival and departure would have affected our lives.  We may have either wept or rejoiced, but our lives would have shifted. 

THE NEW NEIGHBOR

John 1:1-14 describes someone whose entrance into the world rocked the existence of mankind. This new neighbor is referred to as The Word. If The Word had to fill out an application to live with us, John would write “The Word’s previous address was the universe, from eternity.” As for previous housemates, John would write, “The Word was with God.” He might also have written in parenthesis: (by the way, The Word was God).  This new neighbor, announced by John, was not going to be someone unseen, who would silently go about his business. This new inhabitant would send shock waves across the world that would exist for centuries. In other words, The Word is Immanuel, “God with us”.

HE’S NOT A LONG WAY OFF

The Old Testament tells us about another situation where God lived in the midst of people. The Tabernacle and Solomon’s temple both contained the “Holy of Holies” – the Glory of God. This was called by Jewish rabbis the “Shekhinah Glory”; “the visible presence of God among men”. God decided to room among a people who rarely loved Him or fully devoted themselves to Him.  In the Book of John, God is announced as again pitching His tent, but this time the Tent was in human form, “Immanuel”; God with us. Spurgeon warns us about our attitude about the new neighbor, Immanuel, “Do not let us live as if God were a long way off.” 

LIVED WITH US IN ORDER TO DIE

Immanuel did not come as judge and executioner. All of us already were guilty before Him and were doomed to everlasting punishment. John Piper writes: “The Word, the Son, who is God, became flesh to reveal a divine glory that is “full of grace and truth.” The Word of God became flesh to be gracious to us.” “Grace” is “God’s favor toward the unworthy”. In His grace, God is willing to forgive us and bless us abundantly, in spite of the fact that we don’t deserve to be treated so well or dealt with so generously. Piper continues, “The Word became flesh so that this graciousness to us would come in accord with God’s truthfulness. This is a righteous, God-exalting, costly grace. It led straight to Jesus’ death on the cross. In fact, this is why he became flesh. He had to have flesh in order to die.”

HE WILL LIVE WITH YOU

God has come close to you in Jesus Christ. He is Immanuel. You don’t have to struggle to make a connection with this new Neighbor, just invite Him in. He will come to you. God is in the House! This Neighbor has rocked my world.  I will never be the same.  He lives in my apartment, my heart, my soul.  He has promised to never leave me or forsake me.  I don’t have to go searching for someone else. That sign announcing room for rent has gone down, because God has made His Home with me for eternity.   

In case you want to read further about this New Neighbor, click Revelation 19:11-16