Christmas: Immanuel and Incarnation

So as I was thinking about today being Christmas, two words popped into my head, Immanuel and Incarnation. They are both defined by the coming of Jesus that we celebrate today. Immanuel means "God with us" and comes from this prophetic message from Isaiah 7:14 NIV: "Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel." The absolute literal translation of that name is "with us is God". That is an astounding truth, and one that is true today and everyday since His birth. Jesus is the very Son of God present here on earth.

Incarnation means " the embodiment of a deity or spirit in some earthly form : the union of divinity with humanity in Jesus Christ" Webster's dictionary. We celebrate the fact that Jesus, the very Son of God, came to earth and became just like us, flesh and blood, a man born of a woman. We celebrate the fact the He was fully God and fully man. In doing so, Jesus was able to take our place under the law, and fulfill all of its requirements. It is because He was fully man, that we are able celebrate salvation and the forgiveness of our sins. Paul writes of this in his letter to the Philippians 2:5b-11:

[5]..."Christ Jesus: [6] Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; [7] rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. [8] And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death---even death on a cross! [9] Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, [10] that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, [11] and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."

The author of the Letter to the Hebrews also writes about Jesus becoming fully human - Hebrews 2:17 NIV: "For this reason he had to be made like them, fully human in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people."

We also celebrate the fact that Jesus was fully God, for now He sits in Heaven making intercession for us at the throne of God (Rom 8:34), and ultimately is the King over all (1 Cor. 15:24-27). He is our God, and yet He knows our state, our humanness, and has compassion for us all.

It truly is right to celebrate Jesus coming to earth. He is Immanuel. He is the incarnation of God! The best part is that this is not a historical event that we celebrate but rather the present reality, for Christ is alive and in our midst today! He is and will always be fully God and fully man!

Amen!