Immanuel (Encore)

Of course, this Christmas season, there are nativity displays decorating churches and homes. And Who is in these nativity scenes? It’s the Baby Jesus. Baby Jesus- He’s not just another Christmas ornament, created to make our home décor prettier. You and I know the familiar passage from Luke: “But the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people; for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger. And suddenly there appeared with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, ‘Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased.’ When the angels had gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds began saying to one another, ‘Let us go straight to Bethlehem then, and see this thing that has happened which the Lord has made known to us.’" Luke 2:10-15 Did you catch that last bit? Let’s see this thing that has happened that the Lord has made known to us, as noted in Luke 2:15. So, what does that mean to each one of us? Is this Baby Jesus, indeed, our Savior? Or is He just a decoration? Matthew 1:23 describes the birth of Jesus, stating that His very Name, Immanuel, literally means “God with us.” How do we feel about that? Can we believe that God is really with us? We come now to the close of another calendar year. It’s a time of “new beginnings.” Dare, then to invite God into your life now; dare to invite Him into showing you what a new beginning means to you. He’s so much more than the statue of a baby. He’s real, He’s alive- and He IS with you and for you! Therefore, dare to tap into what Immanuel means, uniquely, personally, for you! God bless you all, Merry Christmas and much love from our family to yours! Copyright © 2013 by Sheryle Cruse