A Pregnant Virgin

A VIRGIN WILL BECOME PREGNANT AND HAVE A SON, AND HE WILL BE CALLED EMMANUEL WHICH MEANS, "GOD WITH US". Matthew 1.23

When we part with one another, we often say, “God be with you!” It gives us and those departing from us much comfort and hope. We say that not only when we embark on a distant and long journey but even on a short one, like going out for the day’s work. Our family prays this before we part with one another for our day’s commitments. When someone is in trouble and bearing it alone, we say to them also for encouragement, “May God be with you”.

It is the Christmas season and I was considering the implication of the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ as a babe in Bethlehem. In the Old Testament times, the unseen God was present with His people, though often they did not perceive it. Even Moses, the great leader, when he approached the burning bush, did not know that God was there! Hence God had to warn him that he was standing on holy ground and that he needed to take off his shoes! In the wilderness, on the way to Canaan from Egypt, God let Himself be present with His people by the ‘pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night’. Every time they saw these, the people knew that God was with them. Even then, when problems arose, they were overcome with fear instead of turning to God in the cloud and fire! Their problem was that they still couldn’t see the form of God! Hence they couldn’t put their trust in Him.

It was then God condescended to send His only Son to come and dwell with men so that we could “see, touch and feel” Him for the first time! John the disciple and the others had that experience and hence he wrote, “And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father's only son, full of grace and truth” (Jn 1.14).

This could be the experience of all those who would care to have a relationship with Jesus. Not only did God send His son to be born of a virgin but He gave Him the name, “Emmanuel” which means “God with us!” Every time we call Jesus, ‘Emmanuel’, we assure ourselves that God Himself is with us in the person of Jesus Christ.

I was speaking to an old friend at a Christmas party at our home. When I asked how things are with him, he replied “Life has its problems!” With God’s Christmas gift in mind, I told him, “That’s why God gave us His Son Jesus whom He named, ‘Emmanuel’ meaning, “God with us!” What more do we need?

Dear believer, Jesus told us before He left us to go to the Father, “In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world” (Jn 16.33). He will never leave us nor forsake us in our trouble. He is with us to deliver us out of trouble or He will help us to go through it! He is Emmanuel, God with us. If you are still not sure, just call out “Emmanuel!” Jesus is our ‘spiritual genie’, if I could say that most reverently, to a generation that is familiar with such idioms. Don’t be mistaken or be too naïve to use it as a magic word! Let your mind stay on Christ, your Emmanuel, God with you.

Pray and practise with me: Dear Lord, I thank You for You are my Emmanuel – God Himself with me! If God is with me, who or what can be against me? Lord, make that a present reality to me and not mere head knowledge. Amen.