God With Us: Three Words That Changed Everything

Three simple words hold the entire meaning of Christmas. Before Jesus was even born, He was given a name that would define not just His mission, but ours: Emmanuel. And Emmanuel means God with us.

Say that out loud: God with us.  

In the next few paragraphs, I want to explore what might be the most profound truth you'll hear this season.

God: The Authority of the Incarnation

Let's start with that first word: God.

All phases of life are seasons. If you're going through a hard time, if it feels like the winter season of your life, what may seem like death in your life might not actually be death at all. Winter sometimes feels like death, but we don't realize there's a lot of development going on underneath the soil that you can't see in your life, above ground. God is working even when it feels like nothing is happening.

But here's what I need you to understand about that first word in Emmanuel: Jesus is God. This is not just important, it's absolutely essential. That's what the incarnation is all about. It's God coming down to earth and becoming a human being.

The book of John tells us that "in the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God" (John 1:1). Jesus is the Word. But why is that so important?

Because if Jesus wasn't God, He wouldn't have the authority to live the life that I could not live. He wouldn't have the authority to take my sins upon himself and through his death, in a substitutionary way, take the punishment I deserve and give me freely in exchange the righteousness that only belongs to him. The righteousness that I now get to claim as my own.

If He wasn't God, He wouldn't have the authority to do it. But He is God.

With: The Humility of His Coming

Let's go on to the second word in "God With Us":  WITH.

This is where the manger part of Jesus' story is so important. It's the idea that He relates to us.

My grandfather had one of the poorest jobs you could possibly have. His family, from the late 1800s into the early 1900s when he was born, were sharecroppers in the state of Georgia. They literally owned nothing. They didn't work for money but worked for a place to live and for crops from the person they were working for. They didn't even make money but were working simply to survive.

It's incredible to see how, in just a short few generations, God has brought my family to a place of favor and being able to pour into others' lives. 

If you come from humble beginnings and have ever used it as an excuse, don't.  God sent his only son born in a manger so He could come from nothing and become everything.

That means you have hope. You have a chance. You have a future. He already set the precedent and example for us. 

That's what WITH means. He can relate to our world. He knows what it's like to start with nothing. He knows what it's like to be overlooked, to be born in the least likely place, to come from circumstances that nobody would choose.

"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son" (John 3:16). He didn't send Jesus to a palace. He sent him to a manger. Not because that's all He could do, but because He wanted to show us that your starting point doesn't determine your destination.

Us: The Inclusive Invitation

And then finally, that last word: us.

The word "us" carries a sense of something exclusive, something special. And it means God is not with everyone in the way that He is with us. So, what does that mean?

"For God so loved the world, he gave his only begotten son that whosoever believes in him will have everlasting life" (John 3:16). It refers to the people who put their faith in God. That's the us.

It is exclusive, but it's the most inclusive exclusive invitation that has ever been given.

The inclusive part is the "whosoever." That means anybody. It means that no matter your skin color, no matter your net worth, no matter your mistakes, failures, regret, and shame, none of that matters.

Whosoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved.

We get to be a part of the us. 

The Three Words That Define Christmas

God with us.

God: He has the authority to save you.
With: He understands your journey and relates to your struggles.
Us: You're invited to be part of His family.

The Bible says "now is the time of salvation" (2 Corinthians 6:2). Not tomorrow. Not when you get your life together. Not when you feel worthy enough. Now.

If you've never made that decision to follow Jesus, or if you've walked away and you're ready to come back, I want to invite you to pray with me right now:

"Lord, I ask you to forgive me of my sins. Jesus, I reverence you. Thank you for being born in a manger for my sins, to prove to me that I don't have to have it all together. I don't have to have a head start in life to be who you want me to be. By calling on your name, I declare that I'm a child of God. I am forgiven of my sins because you died on the cross for me and rose again so I could have eternal life. That new life begins today in Jesus' name. Amen."

Welcome to the us. God is with you, now and forever.