It Will be Happy Christmas if You have God with You

“Look! The virgin will conceived a child! She will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel, which means ‘God is with us’” (Matthew 1:23NLT).

Prison Fellowship founder Charles Colson tells of a memorable experience he had while bringing Christmas presents to the children of prison inmates. Colson and his wife met a small boy who told them his name was Immanuel. When Colson opened his Bible to Matthew 1:23 and showed Immanuel that his name meant “God is with us”, the boy jumped up excitedly and said to his mother, “Mommy, God is with us! God is with us!”

I can imagine the scene very well. I could hear the boy shouted excitedly. My cousin’s son named Immanuel. He was born few days after Christmas. He is now a chubby and cute little boy (I already prepared him a present this year). He always shouts, “Uncle! Uncle!” Sometime I replied, sometime I ignored him. Irritate. But normally I replied, “Immanuel! Immanuel! Immanuel!” He smiled. I smiled. What a joyful reminder for both of us (or maybe it just me, for now) – that God is with us this Christmas.

‘Immanuel’ reminds me that God is not totally transcendent. He is not so far removed from the human race. If He, in the person of Jesus Christ, could actually live among us at one time as a real human person, it is not surprising that He can identify with us. He knows us in a human level though He is divine, of our pain and pleasure, sad and happy, grief and joy. He shows (not just say) that He really loves us and care for us. ‘Immanuel’ gives me confidence that God is for us not against us. And the fact that He came to die for our sin means we’re precious to Him and that by redeemed His people, us, back to Himself mean God desires to display His glory for us to enjoy forever – here on earth and fully in heaven. Friends, God is with us!

C.H. Spurgeon (1834 – 1892), one of my heroes of faith, exhorts us excitedly in his sermon The Birth of Christ:

“Now, a happy Christmas to you all, and it will be happy Christmas if you have God with you! I will say nothing, today, against festivities on this great birthday of Christ… Feast, Christians, feast! You have a right to feast. Go to the house of feasting tomorrow! Celebrate your Savior’s birth. Do not be ashamed to be glad – you have a right to be happy… Go your way, rejoice tomorrow, but in your feasting, think of the man in Bethlehem. Let Him have a place in your hearts, give Him the glory, think of a virgin who conceived Him. But think, most of all, of the man born, the child given! I finish by again saying, ‘A happy Christmas to you all!’”

[Quote from The Essential Works of Charles Spurgeon, published by Barbour Publishing, Inc. Used by permission.]

Finally, I want to say the same words and prayer to you too: A Happy Christmas to you all!

Remember Matthew 1:23, “God is with us”.

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.