"Emmanuel"

Haggai 1.13-14 NKJV

 

“Then Haggai, the Lord’s messenger, spoke the Lord’s message to the people, saying, ‘I am with you, says the Lord.’ So the Lord stirred up the spirit of Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and the spirit of Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and the spirit of all the remnant of the people; and they came and worked on the house of the Lord of hosts, their God,…”

A minor prophet made a major pronouncement: “I am with you, says the Lord.” His words seared the conscience, kindled action, and fueled a movement. Haggai’s hearers refused to dawdle. Governor Zerubbabel and Reverend Joshua’s hearts were tender and quick to heed “the Lord’s messenger.” “The Lord stirred up the spirit” of the leaders and “all the remnant of the people.” Under the inspired preaching of prophets Haggai and Zechariah an entire community of faith rose to the sacred occasion about five hundred years before the birth of Christ and rebuilt a testament to God’s glory… the Holy Temple of God.

“Then Haggai...spoke the Lord’s message... 

‘I am with you, says the Lord.’”

“So the Jewish elders continued their work, and they were

greatly encouraged by the preaching of the prophets Haggai and

Zechariah.... The Temple was finally finished.”
Ezra 6:14-15 NLT

What great things might I accomplish if I fully grasped the prophetic truth of Christmas... God is with me? I’ve heard and read the birth narratives of Christ from the gospels of Matthew and Luke hundreds of times, several times this past week already. I could easily grow cavalier, indifferent, and apathetic. Sadly, it is actually possible to treat the incarnation of Christ, “Emmanuel... God with us,” with only casual interest.

This morning, I stirred from my sleep and remembered what moment it was... my seventh holiday season in twenty-five years without my beloved Adonica. Both joy and sorrow engulfed my soul. In a few days on this, the day before the best day of the year, I will gather with my children, grandkids, in-laws, and friends for our traditional celebration at Christmas. On that special day, stockings will pour forth their treasures, colorful wrapping and ribbons will fly everywhere, gleeful sounds and delicious smells will fill the air. We will acknowledge the memory of our wife and mother at a quiet prayer before dinner and I spend the day reawakening old memories and making new ones. 

In this spirit of excited anticipation, I must pause to deeply hear Haggai’s voice which “spoke the Lord’s message to the people, saying, ‘I am with you, says the Lord.’” Isaiah recorded this very same truth centuries before Haggai, and Matthew made the identical promise centuries after the Haggai...

“All this took place to fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord through
the prophet: “Look, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall
name him Emmanuel,” which means, ‘God is with us.’

Matthew 1.22-23 NRSV (from Isaiah 7.14)

Jesus Christ is with us! It is my greatest Christmas season ever!

_____________________

I found the beautiful painting of Mary, Joseph, and baby Jesus at the top of this post on the Photo Bucket website by "God's Cowboy" (http://media.photobucket.com/image/painting%20of%20mary%20joseph%20and%20jesus/GodsCowboy/Religious%20Pictures/MaryJosephandthebabyJesus.jpg).