Hard times are a drag, but they do clarify who your people are. If you’ve ever experienced a crisis, you’ve probably learned that some people show up on your doorstep while others you thought you could count on are glaringly absent. Ask anyone who has experienced a long season of struggle, and they’ll quickly tell you they learned brutal truths about their relationships in their darkest hours. Showing up for people is a big deal. You can pretend to care, but you can’t pretend to show up.
Prior to Jesus’ birth, an angel appeared to Joseph in a dream to assure him that she was indeed carrying the Christ-child conceived by the Holy Spirit (Matt. 1:20). This message fulfilled prophecy and it was a message Joseph undoubtedly was desperate to hear (Matt. 1: 22). The Christ-child would be named Immanuel, which means, “God is with us” (Matt. 1:23).
Why does it matter that “God is with us?”
Jesus is sovereign—He could’ve chosen to stay in the comforts of heaven and deal with humankind from a distance, but that’s not what He did. Jesus cared enough to take on flesh and inhabit a world littered with sin. And keep in mind, that baby born in the manger was headed for a Roman cross. The apostle Paul described it this way:
Instead he emptied himself
by assuming the form of a servant,
taking on the likeness of humanity.
And when he had come as a man,
he humbled himself by becoming obedient
to the point of death—
even to death on a cross (Phil. 2:7-8).
Jesus cared enough to show up at a tremendous personal cost. Even now, Jesus continues to be ‘Immanuel’ —God with us, and He remains present today through the presence of His Holy Spirit (John 14:18-19). If you study other world religions, you’ll find followers attempting to get to pagan gods. The gospel of Jesus Christ tells a story of God coming to humankind.
Maybe this season you are in right now is smooth sailing. The sky above you is blue, you and your people are healthy, and there is money in the bank. Or maybe it’s raining bullets at your house. Each day brings a new disaster worse than the last. You thought you’d hit rock bottom, but it was a trap door. Regardless of the scenario that you find yourself in, you can count on the reality that Jesus is with you. He is Immanuel—”God with us.” This Advent season, the best gift you can give yourself is to contemplate Jesus’ presence. Why? If you think about Jesus’ presence in your life long enough, your dragons will lose their teeth.
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