Matthew 1:22, 23 - HIS NAME IS IMMANUEL.
Matthew 1:22, 23 (NKJV) So all this was done
that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by
the Lord through the prophet, saying: "Behold,
the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son,
and they shall call His name Immanuel," which is
translated, "God with us."
COMMENTARY PEARL
God With Us
"The virgin will conceive and give birth
to a son, and they will call him Immanuel"
(which means "God with us"). Matthew 1:23
God is always near us. Always for us.
Always in us. We may forget him, but God will never
forget us. We are forever on his mind and in his
plans. He called himself " 'Immanuel' (which means
'God with us')."
Not just "God made us."
Not just "God thinks of us."
Not just "God above us.'
But God with us. God where we are: at the
office, in the kitchen, on the plane. He breathed
our air and walked this earth. God with
us!
God is always near us. By the way,
Bethlehem was just the beginning. Jesus has promised a
repeat performance. Bethlehem, Act 2. No silent
night this time, however. The skies will open,
trumpets will blast, and a new kingdom will begin. He
will empty the tombs and melt the winter of
death. He will press his thumb against the
collective cheek of his children and wipe away all
tears. The manger invites, even dares us to believe
the best is yet to be. [Max Lucado Daily
Devotional at maxlucado.com]
COMMENTARY
I love the whole Christmas story in the
Bible, but if I had to pick a favorite Christmas
verse, Matthew 1:23 would be it. There's just
nothing else that expresses what really happened -
what Christmas means - like "God with us."
We have a tradition in our family that
illustrates the beauty of this concept. Every Christmas
Eve, the whole Triple F Ranch family gathers at
my house. We make cookies, turtles, Mexican
food, and mischief of one kind or another. The
culminating event is a live nativity play, which is cast
and directed by all of the children. The
best-laid plans are always perfect until the play
starts - and then chaos ensues. Crowns fall off,
angels fight for positions, baby Jesus cries, and
Joseph ends up smacking somebody with his staff. It
is always a comedy of errors - a complete zoo.
Not unlike life.
Wasn't your spouse perfect before you got
married? Your vacation perfect before you took it?
What about retirement? My kids were perfect
before I had them. So was my job. In my head,
church is perfect, and so are friendships, and so
am I. And then there is what happens outside my
head, in real life. But Jesus enters into the
mess, the joy, the heartache, the accidents, the
headaches, the good choices, and the bad. He is with us
through it all. Gwen Ford Faulkenberry
Faith Step: As you decorate your house
for Christmas, put baby Jesus somewhere
prominent. Every time you see Him, remember the name
"Immanuel": God came to be with you. [Mornings With
Jesus 2022 Devotional by Guideposts and
Zondervan]
How You Can Get to the Heart of Christmas
As a kid, I used to love getting up on
Christmas morning and rushing into the living room to
get ready to hopefully receive all the gifts I
had requested. But as I look back as an adult on
those Christmases, something sticks out as much
more important and much more treasured than just
opening presents: opening the Word of God.
Every Christmas morning before any of
those presents were opened, our family would spend
some time opening Gods Word, reading the story
of that first Christmas, and praying and
thanking God for the gift He had given us in His
Son.
Its so easy in our day and age for
Christmas to become more and more about whats under
the tree. But lets never forget the real
reason for the season: Jesus Christ. Hes the one
the prophecies of the Old Testament pointed
towards, and the one who ushered in the covenant of
the New Testament.
As you and your loved ones prepare to
celebrate Christmas, I want to encourage you to take
the step of reading Gods Word together as a
part of your celebration. Dont neglect the
heart of the Christmas season. Put Christ first in
your Christmas and youll create memories that
last forever!
Open Gods Word With Your Loved Ones
This Christmas Season And Experience The Heart Of
What Christmas Is Really About. [PowerPoint Today
by Jack Graham;
https://www.crosswalk.com/devotionals/powerpoint/]
PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS
Stillness is increasingly hard to come by
in this restless, agitated world. You must
fight to carve out time for Me. Distractions come
at you from all sides when you try to sit
quietly with Me. But our intimate connection is
worth fighting for, so don't give up! Set aside
uninterrupted time to spend with Me. Focus on a favorite
scripture, and breathe deeply to help yourself unwind.
Remember that I am Immanuel - God with you. Relax in
My peaceful Presence, letting your concerns
slip away. Be still, My loved one, and know that
I am God.
The longer you gaze at Me, the more you
can rejoice in My majestic splendors - and trust
in My sovereign control. Though the earth give
way and the mountains fall into the heart of the
sea, I am your Refuge. There is transcendent
stability in My Presence. As you ponder the vastness
of My Power and Glory, your perspective will
change, and your problems will look smaller. In this
world you will have trouble. But take heart! I
have overcome the world. (Mat. 1:23; Psa. 46:10;
46:1, 2; John 16:33) [Jesus Always by Sarah
Young]
My Savior-God,
Help me to rest deeply in You, forgetting
about the worries of the world. May Your living
Presence envelop me in Peace as I focus on You -
Immanuel. I find comfort in Your eternal security,
knowing that You are the same yesterday, today, and
forever.
Sometimes I live too much on the surface
of life - focusing on ever-changing phenomena.
If I consistently live this way, I eventually
reach the point where I echo the sentiment of
Solomon: "Meaningless! Meaningless! Everything is
meaningless."
I'm learning that the way to instill
meaning into my days is to live in collaboration
with You. I need to begin each day alone with You
so I can experience the reality of Your
Presence. As I spend time focusing on You and Your
Word, I ask You to open up the way before me step
by step. When I arise from this peaceful time
of communion and begin my journey through the
day, I'm aware that You go with me. I hold on to
Your hand in deliberate dependence on You - and
You smooth out the path before me. Thank You,
Jesus!
In Your strong, dependable Name, Jesus,
Amen. (Matthew 1:23; Hebrews 13:8 NKJV;
Ecclesiastes 1:2; Proverbs 3:6 NASB [Jesus Listens by
Sarah Young]
LINKS FOR FURTHER STUDY
Matthew 1:22, 23 - MERRY CHRISTMAS!
http://www.abible.com/devotions/2019/20191224-0748.html
http://www.abible.com/devotions/2018/20181225-0801.html
YOUR COMMENTS
If anyone has a paraphrase, commentary or
testimony on this passage of Scripture, either
personal or otherwise, I would be interested in
hearing from you. Thanks in advance and let's keep
uplifting Jesus that all might be drawn to Him. Fred
Gibbs
LINKS WORTH CHECKING OUT
https://abible.com/links/
