12/25/2025
Amidst your Christmas carols and beautiful Christmas songs may come one that is very familiar to many of us...
"O Come, O Come Emmanuel" – an absolutely beautiful hymn, sung millions of times in churches, concerts, and homes all around the world during the Christmas season.
Emmanuel means God with us and first appears in scripture in Isaiah 7:14.
"Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign; The virgin will conceive, and give birth to a Son, and will call him Emmanuel."
The act of Jesus coming into the world was by the grace of God and through nothing we could do or have done on our own. God gave us this child, so he literally could be God with us.
Fast forward to Matthew where we read about Mary and Joseph's marriage and how Mary became pregnant by the power of the Holy Spirit.
But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, "Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins."
All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: "The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Emmanuel," which means "God with us." – Matthew 1:20-23
God knew what we needed... He always does. He knew we needed His grace. He knew we needed saving from our sins. He knew we needed a way to have a direct and intimate connection with Him. And knowing these things, He sent His son to live among us and then die for us, so we could have eternal life with the Father.
This year may have come with some difficult challenges for you... illness, family challenges, stress, anxiety…But remember, just as it has been true since the day our Savior was born...
God is with us.
As you celebrate Christmas this year, remember that there is one thing that holds true and that is that God is with you in every moment. Yes, through every trial, through every circumstance, through every challenge, and also through every victory!
merry Christmas!
