“I am coming to live among you!”

“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.

Another Outlandish Statement

“And Jesus cried out and said, “He who believes in Me, does not believe in Me but in Him who sent Me.“He who sees Me sees the One who sent Me.” (John 12:44–45 NAS95)

Jesus makes so many of these outlandish statements in John that we almost begin to get numb to them.  The one who believes in Jesus believes in God and the one who see Jesus, sees God.  The interpretation of what Jesus says is not difficult.  He himself is God the Son!  This is why we call it an “outlandish” statement.  This kind of statement was so far out there, so preposterous, that one cannot misinterpret it.  Either the statement was true, or Jesus was one of the most deluded men who have ever lived.

Based upon the fact that, in the last chapter, he raised Lazarus, who had been dead going on four days, back to life, I believe that what Jesus says here was true:  He was God in the flesh; he knew that he was God in the flesh; he was not afraid to tell everyone that he was God in the flesh.

The interpretation of what Jesus said is easy.  Whether or not one believes it?  Not so much.  It takes humility for one thing, and we as humans do not naturally possess much humility.

God With Us

  Matthew 1:22-23 (ESV)

All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet:

 “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son,

and they shall call his name Immanuel”

(which means, God with us).

     From the very first chapter of his gospel, Matthew makes clear that Jesus is not like us.  

• Jesus’ birth was in accordance with prophecy.
• Jesus was born of a virgin
• Jesus would be called “Immanuel” which, Matthew explains, means “God with us.”

      What Matthew wanted us to understand, dear reader, was that Jesus, from his birth, was “God with us.”  Do you believe that?