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.