Immanuel: God is With Us

Published January 4, 2012 |

Now all this happened in order to make true what the Lord had said through the prophet, “A virgin will become pregnant and have a son, and he will be called Immanuel” (which means “God is with us.”) Matthew 1:23

As we take down the Christmas trees and put away the decorations, let’s remember the child whose birth we celebrated. As we begin this new year, let’s think about name the angel said would be called: Immanuel—God is with us.

God is with us. God: All-powerful. All-wise. Righteous but Merciful Love.

God is with us. Is: The Eternal One not only was; not only will be. God is, right now, in this present moment, in these present circumstances.

God is with us. With: The Lord of Love is not remote, but wanted to be with us, close to us.

God is with us. Us: The Creator of the Universe did not create just one person. He called us to be in community.

Prayer: Immanuel, thank you for the incredible gift of Yourself.

Reflection for Sharing: Our God is with us. What does that mean in your life today and what can it mean throughout the coming year?

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Meditations

But Jesus answered “The scripture says, ‘Human beings cannot live on bread alone, but need every word that God speaks.’” (Matthew 4:4)

All Bible quotes are from the Good News Translation unless otherwise noted.

It is reassuring that Jesus called fishermen and tax collectors to be his followers. These were laymen, not Scripture experts. It is wise to seek guidance from religious scholars and clergy who have studied Scripture to avoid errors in interpretation. But the Bible is also a gift given to each of us, to use as a basis for prayer and meditation.

I’m not a Biblical scholar; I’m an expert only on my own experience. Following the Scripture passage is a brief meditation along with a question or two as a springboard for your own reflections. Please feel free to share your own thoughts or insights on the passage by adding a comment. All comments are moderated, so please allow some time for your comment to be posted.