“Jesus, Our Emmanuel”
by Bruce J. Johnson
December 23, 2001
These are a few of the words included by the gospel writer, Matthew, his account of Jesus’ birth:
“Behold, a virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and his name shall be called Emmanuel, which means ‘God with us.”
Those words, of course, were originally uttered by the prophet Isaiah seven hundred years before the birth of Jesus, as Isaiah spoke to Ahaz, King of Judah. Assyria was threatening to run roughshod over the Jewish nation at a time when the political fortunes of Judah seemed doomed. The political stage on which Isaiah plays prophet is far from a peaceful one, but rather was marked by the tragedy of war and the threat of oppression. So, it was a very real and tense scene and Isaiah was well aware of a sense of futility and despair. Yet he proclaims to the perplexed Ahaz that the birth of a child called Immanuel would be a sign that God was with them.
Some seven hundred years later, those words are repeated not as a promise but as a proclamation. Joseph had quite a dream during which he had it all explained to him… a child would be born to them and they would call him Jesus. And all this would happen this way in order to fulfill what God had said through the prophet, Isaiah. He would be a sign for all time—Emmanuel—a sign of God being with us- sharing in our humanity and showing us the way to live and to die and ultimately to live again.
AND TODAY WE YET AGAIN GATHER TOGETHER IN WORSHIP TO PREPARE TO HEAR ANEW THIS SAME MESSAGE TO HUMANITY---GOD IS WITH US!
The other day there was an article in the national newspaper, USA Today, that talked about the celebration of Christmas this year taking place against a backdrop of a profound national sadness and apprehension and a deep need for reassurance. (AND AFTER YESTERDAY’S DIVERTED FLIGHT FROM PARIS TO MIAMI WHICH LANDED AT LOGAN AIRPORT IN BOSTON BECAUSE OF A MAN WHO WAS WEARING AND TRYING TO DETINATE AN EXPLOSIVE SNEAKER—THIS IS ESPECIALLY TRUE.)
This past week. I watched this show that was really gripping. In it there was conducted a number of interviews—one was with a priest and the other policemen and women and fire department personal who lost family members in the World Trade Center tragedy. One particular and deeply personal aspect of the interview involved parishioners who attended that priest’s parish and they talked about attending services on the 12th and then again on that weekend. They came to church hoping to lean on the priest as they dealt with their losses only learn that the priest himself had lost his brother and he leaned on them. What a nice piece it was! The church really being the church.
There were another set of interviews, though, in which
“The Question” was asked:
“Where was God?”
There are no easy answers to that question of course but people of faith, because of the Christian and Christmas proclamation, say without apology… God is with us. And in these times of national sadness and apprehension, isn’t that the essence of who we are and what we have say to our family and friends and indeed, even to the world?
JESUS, OUR EMANNUE REMINDS US THAT----“GOD IS WITH US.”
There was a fascinating report the other day about an analysis of where and how people in the towers had died. Fundamentally, those above the floors where the planes hit died and those below, lived. All but one of the stairwells from the top floors, those above the impact floors, were cut off and reports about decisions made that day about going down toward a billow of smoke or up, hoping for a rooftop rescue were either tragic or triumphant. Down—you lived, up you died. Listening to that report reminded me of an e-mail I had received back on November 14th.
It was titled:
You say that you will never forget where you were when you heard the news on September 11, 2001. Neither will I.
I was on the 110th floor in a smoke filled room with a man who called his wife to say ‘goodbye.’ I held his fingers steady as he dialed. I gave him the peace to say, ‘Honey, I am not going to make it but it is okay. I am ready to go.’
I was with his wife when he called as she fed breakfast to their children. I held her up as she tried to understand his words and she realized he wasn’t coming home that night.
I was on the stairwell of the 23rd floor when a woman cried out to me for help. “I have knocking on the door of your heart for 50 years! I said. Of course, I show you the way home.
I was at the base of the building with the priest ministering to the injured and devastated souls. I took him home to tend to the flock in Heaven. He heard my voice and answered.
I was on all four of those planes, in every seat, with every prayer…
I want you to know that I saw every face. I knew every name …
And now I see your face and I know your name. And I will be in the stairwell of your final moments.
Anonymous
I was at the hospital on Friday afternoon and just happened to enter the room of Connie Culpin while she was taking her last peaceful breaths. When I entered, there was nurse or an aid sitting by her bedside holding her hand and telling her, of all things, the Christmas story. They were very grateful that I had come and quickly relinquished the bedside chair but I assure you that I did no better than that nurse…. Retelling the story of a baby born in Bethlehem, a Savior, who was now taking Connie home with Him!
JESUS, OUR EMMANUEL, WHICH MEANS ‘GOD WITH US!’
There is an account of a man’s search for God that goes something like this:
“The man whispered, ‘God, speak to me.’ And a meadowlark sang. But the man did not hear.
So the man yelled, ‘God, speak to me.’ And the thunder and the lightning rolled across the sky. But the man did not listen.
The man looked around and said, ‘God, let me see you.’ And a star shined brightly. But the man did not see.
And the man shouted, ‘God, show me a miracle.’ And a life was born but the man did not notice.’
So the man cried out in despair, ‘Touch me, God, and let me know you are here.’
Whereupon, God reached down and touched the man. But the man brushed the butterfly away and walked on.’
The Christmas story has all these elements when the angels sing and the star shines brightly and a baby is born and ever so silently and softly are lives are touched by God’s love. Let us not brush aside the story but receive and rejoice in how God speaks to us—reminding us anew that in Jesus, our Emmanuel---God is truly with us.
Amen