But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”
All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”).
When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife.
This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit. Because Joseph her husband was faithful to the law, and yet did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly.
(Matthew 1:18-23)
Background
It had been a long time – over 400 years in fact – since the Israelites had received a direct word from the prophet Malachi. Direct prophetic communication had been elusive since.
But this was going to change. In a big way. It was time for an angelic encounter.
The strategic plan must have invited awe from every zip code of heaven. Virgin birth. No room at the Inn. Born in a stable. Shepherds among the first visitors. It reflected God’s upside-down kingdom perspective at every turn. The angels must have shrieked with excitement upon learning the specifics. The inverse nature of the plan’s logic made little sense to those limited by earthly intellects. But it made all the sense to Him.
It was time for Jesus to enter the world. And these next 30 years were going to be unlike anything the world had yet seen.
Joseph had been designed for a critical kingdom purpose. It was his time. But the circumstances in front of Joseph made little sense. In fact, it felt like all was falling apart. Ever been there? Circumstances pointed to only one possible origin. Betrayal. Joseph was hurt. Really hurt.
This disconnect between God’s big plans and the intersection of common sense is not unusual. Especially for a divine author who appears to relish infusing surprise and awe into many of scripture’s biggest moments. It is part of His creative process.
He surely wasn’t going to hold back as this most central heavenly chapter was going to be written.
An angel encountered Joseph in a dream. To cast a vision for a circumstantial origin that connected little to logic. There was a carefully crafted plan. There always is. Isaiah foreshadowed the significance in a prophecy hundreds of years before – His name would be called Immanuel. “God with us”.
The name was fitting. Jesus had been waiting from the beginning of time to personify this longing. To paint a real-life picture that would stretch our imaginations. This was no ordinary vision of a god. This God was not satisfied with maintaining residence in heaven. Nope. He yearned to be close. And He was coming.
Jesus was trading the comforts of a heavenly throne for an inauspicious stable start. He was exchanging heaven’s comfort for a new posture. Closeness to earthly men. Closeness to earthly women.
As difficult as the assignment, Jesus had been looking forward for this encounter from the beginning. Actually, He had been yearning for it.
He would forever forward be remembered as an intimate connector.
He would forever forward be known as Immanuel. “God with us”.
Reflections
Earlier today I had a chance to babysit my new one year old grandson, Beckett. Watching Beckett maneuver from my perch on the couch or from my chair at the dinner table wasn’t good enough. I wanted to be close. On his level.
Most of the afternoon was spent crawling on my knees throughout the house. Holding him on my lap. Wrestling. Carrying him around and showing him all the stuff that I thought he would find interesting. Some stuff that would even capture his imagination. Open his eyes wide.
I simply wanted to be close. He received my intimate attention.
Many of us have adopted thinking of God as being distant…a long ways away. Maybe even detached to our worlds. Our current needs. Our emotions. Maybe slightly disinterested. We imagine that He is in the throne room and deservedly receiving worship. Or possibly working in a situation room on some of the bigger issues requiring immediate attention. Political elections. Persecuted church. Injustice.
It is easy to forget the Immanuel nature of this God offers an additional function. He is “God with us”.
This world can be painful. Or at times hope can feel elusive. In these times it is important to remind ourselves that God is close. And He is with us.
In a sense, similar to this imperfect Grandfather’s love for his grandson. Who yearns to be close. And to be intimate.
Immanuel is much more than a Christmas message. It is an everyday message. A message that when fully absorbed can reframe how we engage with Him. And reimagines how He engages with us.
Lord, help me to remember that you aren’t just “God of the heavens” but you are “God with us”. Help me to understand that you are here. Right now. You care. And through-out my day you long to be included. To be whispered to. To be drawn in. Help this view of You activate a more real time relationship with you. Help me not to diminish your capabilities to multi-task on both the big and the small. Because I have no intellectual grid to understand the same. Give me greater imagination. Help me to live like you are here. Right now. Amen.
What if we lived a life that imagined that God is truly with us at every moment? Would we communicate with Him more often? Would our actions possibly reflect new behaviors?
What if we leaned into this unique quality of God and sought to chase a dynamic relational intimacy with Him that wasn’t necessarily constrained by prearranged meeting times for prayer? But added more dynamic discussions throughout each day?
What if... 