Immanuel, God With Us: How Watching for Him Changes Everything

The angel watches over us from her crooked perch atop the Christmas tree, and it takes everything within me not to climb on top of the TV stand in an effort to straighten her out. As if to compensate for the lop-sided angel, a dozen candy canes adorn a tiny section near the bottom of the tree. Could it be that Immanuel, God with us, smiles at our efforts to celebrate his birth?

I’m still chasing perfection in far too many areas of my life, but leaving the candy canes and the crooked angel are signs that I’m moving toward the life I long to live.

For several years now, I’ve been pondering some of the last words ever recorded by John Wesley. Wesley looked back on his life and remarked, “The best of all is, God is with us.”

God with us.

Matthew 1:23 records the birth of Christ and reads, “And they shall call his name Immanuel, which means God with us.”

People are talking about Immanuel this time of year. They’re singing about him and holding candles while children wait to dive into piles of gifts wrapped in shining paper. He has come: Immanuel, God with us.

Immanuel, God with us

As I’ve pondered Immanuel throughout the past season, I’m struck by the fact that Matthew both begins and concludes his gospel with this concept of God with us.

Matthew mentions Isaiah’s prophecy that Jesus will be called Immanuel in the first chapter of his gospel.

Nearly 30 chapters later, he concludes with the final words spoken by Jesus before his ascension into heaven: “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:19-20).

Matthew begins with an introduction to Immanuel, and he concludes with the promise that Immanuel is still with us.

Counting the Encounters

In a sermon on Immanuel, Timothy Keller justified spending an entire sermon on just one word in this way: “Some people have spent their entire lives on that word and have not considered it enough time.”

Something moved in my heart after sitting under these teachings. I decided to make a list of the times and places I saw Immanuel, God with us, show up in my ordinary life.

I started by seeing him in cicadas at dawn, sunsets, children playing in sprinklers, and sunflowers standing tall against an emerald backdrop.

As the weeks wore on, I realized he was there in the midst of the beauty, but he was also in the pain. He was there when we stood over the freshly shoveled earth after saying goodbye to the puppy we lost. He was there when we refused to take offense that he permitted her death. Immanuel was there when the doctor handed us difficult news. He was there when we were down and out with the virus we couldn’t seem to shake.

I soon realized that watching for Immanuel changes everything. Here are a few of the shifts I discovered as I sought his face:

Freedom from Fear

When we realize that Immanuel is always with us, we are set free to live without fear. We don’t need to fear a bad prognosis, sudden disaster, or worst-case scenario because we trust that even if the worst-case scenario becomes reality, our Shepherd will stick with us through the valley.

Deeper Gratitude and Joy

As we watch for the Lord, he opens our eyes to the abundance of his gifts surrounding us (see James 1:17). We stop taking butterflies, fields of wildflowers, snowy winter mornings, and sunsets for granted. Seeing God’s hand in all things opens our hearts to praise him and live with gratitude. Greater gratitude always yields greater joy.

Sacred Rest

When I forget that Immanuel is with me, I tend to take matters into my own hands. I try to control outcomes. I am anxious and strive for perfection. However, as I learn to see God amid my struggles, I can rest in him. I trust that he will fulfill his promise to work all things for my good and his glory. This sort of trust leads me to a sacred kind of rest. I rest in him as I trust that nothing will reach me without passing through his protective wings first.

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