I am not the first, and certainly not the most eloquent, writer who has reflected on Emmanuel as one of the names for Jesus, the Messiah.

This reflection, in no small part, has be influenced by the movie “The Best Christmas Pageant Ever” which was released a little while ago.

If Jesus is Emmanuel, God with us, then that truth changes everything. Having grown up with this knowledge has desensitized me to it somewhat, but the truth remains. The fact of this reality changes everything whether I realize and act upon it or not.

If Jesus created the world we see around us (Colossians 1:16), can he not do amazing things in our world today?

Can he not rearrange DNA to heal a genetic disorder?

Can he not overthrow tyrants and criminals who perpetrate genocide and promote evil?

Can he not provide a job for the person who remains unemployed or underemployed?

The list of such questions is endless. Jesus warned us that we will have tribulation (John 16:33) and certainly this is one prediction for which we have ample evidence that it is true.

The conclusion I draw is that when life doesn’t go the way I think it ought, God has a higher purpose that I cannot see from my perspective.

I have new found fascination with the idea that God entered human life in the same way that you and I did. He was born as a helpless baby who was totally dependent upon his parents for his physical existence.

He had to be burped, comforted, bathed, and fed just like every other baby that has been born on this planet. He chose to experience life exactly the way we do. He went from creating everything we see to becoming completely dependent upon Mary and Joseph.

While all of this is interesting to reflect upon, we can’t lose sight of the reason why Jesus chose to come as that helpless baby. The writer of Hebrews tells us that he came to have joy in being in relationship with us by enduring the cross (Hebrews 12:2).

One of the last things that Emmanuel said to us before he departed is that he will be with us always, even to the end of the age (Matthew 28:20). God was with us in the manger, and remains with us today.

Have you ever sat through a sermon on a Sunday, thinking that the preacher was doing well, only to walk away not remembering the point of the sermon? I have experienced a sermon or two after which I remembered the opening joke or a touching illustration but did not remember anything about the Biblical text for the message.

In contrast, I have also experienced “meat and potatoes” preaching that was not flashy or great oratory but helped me learn Scripture and apply it to my life.

I have often wondered what made the difference between memorable and forgettable preaching. Perhaps I was given a clue about answering this question when I read this:

“The one who speaks on his own authority seeks his own glory; but the one who seeks the glory of him who sent him is true, and in him there is no falsehood.” (John 7:18, ESV)

Is it safe to say that anyone who fills the pulpit on a Sunday must first wrestle with his motivation for being in the pulpit? The same would be true of anyone who has any teaching ministry in the church.

Honesty requires me to admit that I have never done anything from entirely pure motives. Pride sneaks in to steal some of the glory. I assume that this is true of others also.

The question for those of us who presume to teach (or write blog posts) in the church is “Why am I doing this?” Or as Jesus puts it, “Whose glory are you seeking?

Am I writing or speaking to glorify God and encourage people into deeper relationship with him or am I trying to display my knowledge and look brilliant?

In the end, the closer I can get to seeking only God’s glory in what I do, the more worthwhile is the doing of it.

There are so many problems in our culture that it is easy to become overwhelmed just by listening to the news. Certainly, to get improved ratings the news curators pick stories based on their shock value, so things are likely not as bad as what the media outlets portray. But still, our own experience validates the fact that there is much brokenness in our world.

As I listened to a reading from Chapter 6 of the Gospel of John this morning, I tried to put myself in the shoes (sandals?) of the disciples as Jesus challenged them to provide food for the crowd which numbered 5,000 men plus women and children.

There were no food trucks queuing up to park around the meeting place. They could not call a food delivery service for 10,000 sandwich boxes. The disciples had no idea how to provide food for the crowd.

The only resources available were five loaves of bread and two fish.

Andrew, who discovered this resource then asked the crucial question, “. . . but what are they for so many?”

If I am honest, I have to ask the same question when faced with the issues of my daily life. I don’t have the resources to improve, let alone fix, the problems I see around me. I have limited time, limited talent, limited knowledge, and limited financial resources. I look at the resources I have and have to ask God, “What are they for so many?”

The lesson I should learn from John 6 is that I don’t need to feel pressured to fix everything. It is not my responsibility to fix much of anything. I’m called to be obedient to do the next thing.

If I am sensitive to the leading of the Holy Spirit, and if I am obedient to that leading, God will make it enough.