Emmanuel (Matthew 1:23)

Christmas is coming. Emmanuel, as usual, becomes one of the most preached or discussed topics/words among Christians during this time of the year. It was the topic of my devotion today. But today, the word brought more questions than assurance to me. What the word truly means to Christians in their mundane everyday lives? Do Christians use the word only when they need to "feel" some level of comfort in the midst of difficulties? Or to invoke some courage when facing uncertainties or challenges? Or to make themselves sound religious? Can Christians confidently and unequivocally "prove" the presence of God in their own everyday lives makes all the difference? Many non believers give much much better responses to challenges/difficulties (even evil and suffering) in life than Christians do. How then Emmanuel becomes the realest thing in Christians's lives?

I would like to hear from Christians here on this particular topic and how Emmanuel really makes impact on their lives

Comfort comes from the scriptures . Trusting the promises in his word .

Hello Ita, as a non-Christian, the idea of God always being right here with us, and of His knowing EVERYTHING about us, was hardly something that I relished or that gave me a sense of comfort.

However, since becoming a Christian, knowing that He (our loving Abba) is always here with me, and that He literally knows everything about me (more than I could ever hope to know about myself, in fact), is perhaps the most comforting thing in my life This is why I find what Psalm 139 tells us about Him and about His relationship with us to be some of the most comforting words in the Bible (and why I now agree so whole-heartedly with the psalmist's words in v6 below ).


You continue.

There are many in the church who are CINO (Christians In Name Only) .. e.g. Matthew 7:22-23, 13:24-30, 36-43, those who are very interested in all of the blessings that God has to offer them, but who, at the same time, have no interest in/true love for the Blesser Himself. I am certain that these things you describe above are often true of them.

On the other hand, I would hope that would rarely, if ever be true of the saints of God, of those of us who are His very own, His sons/daughters by adoption. You continue:

Ita said:

Can Christians confidently and unequivocally "prove" the presence of God in their own everyday lives makes all the difference?

Click to expand...

I would certainly hope so. If we are truly walking with God (in righteousness), our lives will demonstrate that fact, and our words certainly should (people in this world take notice of such a life because it's simply not the way that the world normally operates). As the Apostle Paul told Timothy, if you even "desire" to live a godly life in Christ Jesus, you will be persecuted .. 2 Timothy 3:12.

Satan and his demons will always oppose and attempt to thwart any effort that we make to obey God/to do what is pleasing in His sight/to do what is glorifying to Him and what advances His Kingdom (so persecution for our faith can be a very good indicator of just how closely to God .. or how far away from Him .. we are walking in the moment). In fact, I remember talking with the head of our Crisis Pregnancy Center here in town (years ago as a young Christian) and was surprised to find out that one of the things that she looked for (as an additional way of confirming that the Center was moving in the direction that God wanted it to) was the opposition of Satan and the level of persecution that resulted for the Center because of it (figuring that if Satan was taking the time to try to disrupt a new direction that they were choosing to take, that he was doing so because God was at the very center of it ).

We do not become fully sanctified on the day that we become believers (of course), and since it is the "wicked/ungodly" (not the righteous) who God saves .. e.g. Romans 4:5 cf Mark 2:17, many of us have a very LONG way to go

That said, do you have any real life examples of the "many non-believers" who respond to difficulties/evil/suffering in life better than we Christians do (so that I can get a sense of the reality of what you are saying).

Thanks

God bless you!

~Deut

The decisiveness of our Lord Jesus' DEITY is totally underestimated among Christians. There are TWO grand reasons why it is so important.

(1)
In Genesis 1:11-12 God set forth an immutable Law. Anything living that has its seed within itself, would produce the same KIND. Matthew 1:18 and Luke 1:35 give the ORIGIN of the Seed that Mary received as the Holy Spirit. This makes Jesus God - the same KIND as the seed. Equally valid is that He was "seed of the woman". That would make Him 100% Man-KIND.
If Jesus was just a man, He could have died for His generation. If He was deity, anything He did as a man would become eternal and apply to all men of every generation.

(2)
Romans 5:23 says that because Adam's seed was corrupted and headed for death, by the same Law as Genesis 1:11-12, all who come out of Adam are corrupted and headed for death. If Jesus was Seed of the MAN, He would be the same KIND as Adam - corrupt. He might have kept the Law and have been able to die for His intrinsic sin (singular - Jn 1:29), but He could not pay for another man, or for ALL men. Jesus HAD to avoid the male part. God stepped in instead and made Jesus God.

Added to this, God's Promise to Israel was (i) a Land for an "everlasting possession", (ii) that IN One of their Seeds would come One Who would bless all the families of earth, and (iii) that One of their Seeds would "possess the Gates of his enemies". God alos Promised that He would dwell AMONG, or WITH Israel. Thus, the Kingdom of Israel, having God as their King, would be part of "The Kingdom of God". God dwelt with Israel from the Tabernacle of the Wilderness until Nebuchadnezzar arrived to besiege Jerusalem. And again He dwelt WITH Israel for 33½ years, but He was rejected and replaced by idols up to Nebuchadnezzar, and was rejected at His trial because Israel chose Caesar as their king. So when our Lord Jesus returns and dwells in Jerusalem, Israel have GOD WITH THEM - Emmanuel, and He is both Man - "Seed of David", and God - "Root of David" (Rev.5:5, 22:16).

In closing, I know it is widespread, but I would not connect Emmanuel to Christmas. It was for this very reason that Israel lost Emmanuel and became "LO-Ammi - you are NOT my People" (Hos.1:9). We read in Jeremiah 10:1-4:

1 "Hear ye the word which the LORD speaketh unto you, O house of Israel:
2 Thus saith the LORD, Learn not the way of the heathen, and be not dismayed at the signs of heaven; for the heathen are dismayed at them.
3 For the customs of the people are vain: for one cutteth a tree out of the forest, the work of the hands of the workman, with the axe.
4 They deck it with silver and with gold; they fasten it with nails and with hammers, that it move not."

Within minutes of starting an Internet search, every Christian will know that Christmas is a high-heathen Feast to the Sun-god Ra. And don't let some try to fool you by saying they think of Jesus at Christmas time. That's exactly what Israel did with the Golden Calf ...

"And he received them at their hand, and fashioned it with a graving tool, after he had made it a molten calf: and they said, These be thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt" (Exodus 32:4)

.... and God's response was that He wanted to kill all Israel except Moses (Ex.32:10).

Who is the man or woman who will bring the beautiful name of Jesus into connection with Ra - a demon god?

I would think that anyone who speaks the name Jesus is speaking Emanuel. Jesus is His name and, as He is fully God, Emanuel is His name. Jesus/Emanuel I believe are one in the same.

Matthew, 1:21-25

Jesus spoke of this as well, more than once. When He said things like.......if you have seen me, you have seen the Father....

Because of His all-inclusiveness, any Name, or combination of names is fitting. Jesus is the name of a Man. Emanuel is a designation that tells of God being present with men. Christ is His Office - His job designation. Savior is His work. Son of man shows His humanity, while Son of God shows His deity. All are vitally important.

The reason that our Lord Jesus has so many designations is partly because we created so many problems with our rebellion, and mostly because God, in His unbending righteousness, must solve them to HIS satisfaction. Have you ever wondered why there are so many different Offerings? Did you ever notice that of the five main Offerings, the first three do not even address sin and sins. We have so many problems we don't normally know about, but our Lord Jesus, in each designation, is solving them to the Father's satisfaction. And they are dedicated to the problem. A Canaanite woman approaches Jesus as "Son of David" - and He ignores her. Why? Because the cursed Canaanites have only one destiny with David - to be annihilated. But then she cleverly changes tactics - and Name. She calls Him "Lord" and so addresses Him in His rightful position as it pertains to the Whole World. Suddenly, from mortal enemy, she becomes His responsibility - all based on Name.

In Matthew 1:1, as Jesus is introduced, He is given a twofold designation. "Son of Abraham" and "Son of David". In Abraham he becomes King of kings (Rom.4:13) and is everything to the Gentiles. In David He is King of the Jews and is dedicated to Israel ALONE. But as Lamb of God He is given to Israel, but takes away the "sin of the whole world" (Jn.1:29). Each of His magnificent designations is full of meaning.

Having God with me comforts me whatever I may go through. He faced the most terrible things that could happen and overcame them and sustains his followers no matter what happens. And the believer gives him thanks for holding him up. No unbeliever can give a better tesponse.

Y'sure do make some beautiful panels about Him though.

Just to stir the pot a bit, what think ye all that Emmanuel is primarily for Israel. God had Israel built a "house made with hands" so that He could dwell WITH them. And so He did. But the New Testament does not only have God WITH us, but God IN us.

I propose that Emmanuel is an Israeli thing. Isaiah 7:14, 8:8 and 9:6-7 predict Immanuel to Israel. John 14:10 "Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works." And then I Lord predicts a certain DAY in verse 20, "At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you." That "DAY" was resurrection day in John 20:22.

Is not "Christ IN you, the hope of glory" much greater than Emmanuel?

Psalm 8:1-4

Try this - if you want to.

Acts 4:12

"Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved."

Thank you for the suggestion...

Hmmm, my documents' file has only one Acts' verse panel



^ ^ That's a good reminder Thanks again!

That'll do just fine.

I redesigned it

Acts 13:38-39

Here is my latest panel with some of His alternate "names/titles." (I designed it yesterday )



Wishing you peace and joy this Christmas season

Right back atcha! May the Lord bless you and yours abundantly.