Immanuel

It's that time of year again... Happy Hanukkah and Merry Christmas!! Do you know that without Hanukkah there would be no Christmas? The savior of the world would come from a specific people chosen by God. The promise was that He would come from the tribe of Judah, of the descendants of Abraham, the Jewish people. So if there were no Jewish people, there would be no Messiah, or so the enemy thought. And so, throughout the Bible we read about those who tried to wipe out the Jewish people, unsuccessfully. What does that have to do with Hanukkah? Everything. Read my blog Happy Hanukkah! from December 2022 where I talked about the history and significance of Hanukkah for the survival of the Jewish people. And so, about 165 years after the first Hanukkah the much awaited Jewish Messiah was born in Bethlehem, Judea.

Isaiah, the prophet, 700 years before Jesus's birth said a child would be born who would be called Immanuel (Isa 7:14). Immanuel in Hebrew is actually made up of two words meaning with us, God. In Hebrew, with us is one word imanu (עִמָּנוּ) and God is el (אֵל). It's as if I was saying Jack's with us. It's a simple phrase with enormous implications. It signifies who this baby is. He is God with us. He has come to live among us. He has come to eat with us. He has come to laugh with us, and cry with us. He has come to teach us. He came to grab our hand as we were sinking under the waters. He came to reunite us with the Father through His death and resurrection. I do not know of any other religious entity of whom you can say he came to be with us, live with us, and die for us. There is none!

Jesus once asked Peter "Who do you say I am?" It is the most important question you will ever be asked. I was asked this question by someone recently. My response was He is Immanuel.

As you celebrate Hanukkah or Christmas, or both, ask yourself why am I celebrating this and who do I say Jesus is?

As always, remember to pray for the peace of Jerusalem, the city of the great King (Psalm 48).