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“Rejoice, Rejoice, Emmanuel. Shall come to thee, O Israel.”
The chorus of this traditional Christmas hymn was sung boldly by my six-year old nephew during the worship service on Sunday morning. His exuberance was matchless and his faith exemplary. The fact that he mumbled through the words to the verses did nothing to quench the Spirit-filled way in which he rejoiced in each chorus.
My soul echoed with the cry of his heart, “O Come, Emmanuel!” We rejoice in the fact that “God with us” was a foretold prophecy (Is. 7:14) and a fulfilled promise (Matt. 1:22-24). The beautiful thing is that it was not a “one and done” kind of thing.
Through the Holy Spirit, Emmanuel is celebrated daily for those who believe and have been baptized, welcoming “God with us” to be “God in us.”
Emmanuel, for me, has become an invitation and reminder to keep God at the forefront of my thoughts and actions. Also, if God is for me, who can be against me?
O Come, O Come, Emmanuel.
Be the author of my life.
Rescue my captive soul.
Comfort and convict,
Redeem and remind.
O Come, O Come, Emmanuel.
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Meditating on Isaiah 9:6, I realized the significance of the fact that the child was born “to us.” It was “to us” a son is given.
“For to us a child is born,
to us a son is given;
and the government shall be upon his shoulder,
and his name shall be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
The zeal of the LORD of hosts will do this.” (Isaiah 9:6)
On October 3, 1977, the doctors declared that born to David and Jocelynn Goff was a daughter, whom they named, Michelle Joy Goff.
On November 19, 2018, the judge decreed that to my friends Jeff and Amanda, a son was given, Ezekiel Matthias, “Zeke.”
A child is born to her parents... A son is given in adoption...
In both cases, there was anticipation and rejoicing, intensive labor and sacrifice. Both families have since made sure that these babies would be cared for, protected, and loved.
Child Services and adoption agencies do background checks and other reviews on potential parents and their homes before allowing an adoption to proceed.
However, if the world had been put through the kind of extensive testing that prospective adoptive parents go through while seeking approval to receive a child, we would have failed miserably. “To us,” an unkind, brutal world that would later betray and kill Him on a cross?
Yet God sent His Son...
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16)
Out of love for a dying world, a Savior...
“For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.” (Luke 2:11)
Unto you, cruel world, is born a child.
To you, confused people, I have entrusted my innocent baby boy.
And not just any child, not just anyone’s son: God the Father honored us with the gift of His one and only Son. Because this Son had a purpose, embodied by the names these same verses proclaim (Is. 9:6; Luke 2:11; John 3:16):
And not just any child, not just anyone’s son: God the Father honored us with the gift of His one and only Son. Because this Son had a purpose, embodied by the names these same verses proclaim (Is. 9:6; Luke 2:11; John 3:16):
Wonderful Counselor, Almighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace, Eternal Life, Savior, Christ the Lord.
God was at His most vulnerable when He sent His Son “to us,” as a baby. The plan was perfect, but the plan required a sacrifice in order that we might have the opportunity to be in relationship with the Wonderful Counselor, the Almighty God, our Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace, our Savior, Christ the Lord, who is and gives Eternal Life.
Which of these names are you most grateful for?
How does it impact you knowing that “unto us” a child was born, and a son was given?
#IronRoseSister #namesofGod #MichelleJGoff #Savior