By Andrew Williams
Series: He Is (Week 4: The Ultimate Revelation in Christ)
Opening Prayer
Immanuel, thank You for closing the distance between heaven and earth, for choosing to be God with us.
Today’s Scripture (NLT)
Matthew 1:23
“‘Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel, which means ‘God is with us.'”
Matthew quotes the prophet Isaiah to give Jesus one of His most profound and comforting names: Immanuel. The name is a simple, breathtaking declaration: “God is with us.” This is the ultimate fulfillment of the promise we saw in Yahweh Shammah (“The Lord is There”).
This name reveals the incarnation—the mystery that the infinite, all-powerful God (Elohim) put on human flesh and came to live among us. He is not a distant, untouchable deity. In Jesus, He walked on our dusty roads, felt our human pain, and experienced our temptations. He closed the gap between the divine and the human.
To know Jesus as Immanuel is to be set free from the loneliness of a godless existence. It is to know that God understands you, not just from a distance, but from personal experience. In your joy, in your sorrow, in your mundane, God is not just watching from heaven; He is with you. Jesus is the tangible, historical, and personal presence of God in our world.
Disciple’s Life Tip: Interact with Jesus as Immanuel. Throughout your day, especially in moments when you feel alone, pause and whisper the name, “Immanuel.” Let it be a simple reminder that in Christ, God is right there with you.
Closing Prayer: Immanuel, what a wonder that You are God with us. Thank You for leaving the glory of heaven to enter our broken world. May the reality of Your presence be our greatest comfort today. Amen.
