“The Lord said, “Sing for joy, people of Jerusalem! I am coming to live among you!”” (Zechariah 2:10, GNB)

So prophesied.  So done.

The very name “Immanuel” means “God with us.”  As we are in the season of Christmas, we are reminded that God was with us in Jesus at the prophecy of the Holy Spirit through prophets like Zechariah.  God had once lived among the people of Israel in the temple, but now God was bringing about a new thing.  The presence of God prophesied by Zechariah is the presence of a person; that person is Jesus.

The temple was for the Jews; Jesus would be for the entire world (John 4.42).  The temple revealed God opaquely, as through a smoke covered glass, Jesus reveals God directly, when we see Jesus we see God.  When we understand Jesus’ character we understand God’s character.  When we know what Jesus was concerned about, we know what God is concerned about.  When we see Jesus’ love, we see God the Father’s love.