In the beginning was the Word (the Son of God), and the Word was with God, and the Word was God….The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us. He came from the Father, full of grace and truth….No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is Himself God and is in closest relationship with the Father, has revealed Him. (John 1:1,12,18)
We’re the Same
One Dad, call him Bill, tells this true story about his son Daniel. “Daniel is an adult now, but when he was 5 years old, he loved for us to dress alike. At a Philadelphia Phillies baseball game, we got matching red hats and Daniel commented, ‘Look! We’re the same!’ When I wrestled with him on the floor, Daniel didn’t like me to stand because I’m tower over him. He liked it when I kneeled and he stood. When I was down at eye-level, Daniel put his hand on my shoulder and said, ‘Now, Dad—we’re the same again.’ He liked these everyday connections. One time, I scraped my elbow doing plumbing repairs and later that week, Daniel scraped his elbow playing. He pointed at my scab, then showed me his, and remarked, ‘Hey, we’re the same again.’”1
Daniel’s desire to connect with his dad reminds us of human beings’ longing for the Lord Jesus. Blaise Pascal (1623-1662) wrote that there is a God-shaped hole in the heart of every person which cannot be filled by any created thing, but only by our Creator God.2
If I find in myself a desire which no experience in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that I was made for another world. (C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity)
Jesus’ In-flesh-ing
God the Holy Trinity, one God in three persons, is the one and only true and living God. He created and upholds everything that exists. The three members of the Trinity have loved, enjoyed, and had fellowship with one another since before the beginning of time. The Trinity is the original Holy Family.
But God the Son didn’t stay on His Heavenly throne. The Bible tells us in detail that 2,000 years ago, the Lord went the second mile to demonstrate that He is not detached, distant, or indifferent to our pains and problems. Just as Bill knelt down next to Daniel, God the Son got down at eye-level with us when Christ was born, and He stayed at our level His entire time on earth.
Jesus didn’t pretend to be human. He truly became one of us, His brothers and sisters. Living a completely human life, yet without sin, enabled Christ to carry away the sins of His people. Jesus understands our ways and weaknesses because He faced all the same troubles we do.3 Over His thirty-three years on Earth, Christ experienced firsthand living in a poor family, going hungry, feeling exhausted, being tempted, feeling disappointed, feeling lonely and misunderstood, being abandoned, hearing people lie about him, and even being physically and emotionally abused. Jesus gets us!
Christ’s Name is Immanuel
700 years before Jesus was born, the Lord’s prophet Isaiah foretold that the Messiah would be named Immanuel, meaning “God is with us.” The New Testament tells how Christ came to fulfill this prophecy by being born to a human mother, Mary.4
But God the Son did not just come to live at our level. He was born to rescue us by His death, like a soldier jumping on a live grenade to save his friends. In this ultimate act of commitment, Jesus took our place on the Cross, taking our punishment for sin upon Himself. That’s how much He loved us and still does!
There is a fountain filled with blood, Drawn from Immanuel’s veins.
And sinners, plunged beneath that flood, Lose all our guilty stains.5
In addition to Jesus’ once-and-for-all sacrifice for us, He is now risen and still spiritually present with His followers now in life-giving ways. Here are two of those ways.
Christ Carries Us
God (Father, Son, and Spirit) was faithful to the Hebrews as He emancipated them from Egypt and led them into the Promised Land. Deuteronomy 1:31 says, “The Lord your God carried you, as a father carries his child, all the way you went until you reached this place.” Likewise, Jesus rescued us, His followers, by His cross and resurrection. But He doesn’t stop there. He promises, “I will never leave you or forsake you.” He carries us through every trial by His Spirit. So no matter what comes, we can say, “The Lord is my helper. I will not be afraid.”6 Christ is never absent from us for a minute.
Jesus Treasures Us
Deuteronomy 32:11 says, “The Lord shields and cares for us. He guards us as the apple of His eye.” Apple in this verse means the pupil of the eye. Jesus watches over, shelters, and protects us just as we care for and defend the delicate center of our precious eyes. The Lord cherishes us! Psalm 136 says 26 times, “His love endures forever.” Christ’s lovingkindness, graciousness, mercy, and compassion for us are unshakeable and unbreakable. The Lord says: “I have swept away your offenses like a cloud, your sins like the morning mist. Return to Me, for I have redeemed you.”7 He’s the God of Second, Third, and millioneth chances. We are Jesus’ prized possessions and He will never let us go.
Elisabeth Elliot said: “Restlessness and impatience change nothing except our peace and joy. Peace does not dwell in outward things, but in the heart prepared to wait trustfully and quietly on God who has all things safely in His hands.”8
That’s our foremost need right now, dear ones: to cast all our anxiety, fear, and worry on Jesus because He treasures us.9 I need to be reminded of that all the time.
We Are Tempted to Doubt
In hard times, we may feel, “Lord, you don’t understand what we’re going through. You have no idea how bad we’re hurting.” Christ responds, “Yes, I do.” Then He points to our wounds – in our hearts, minds, and bodies – and then to His own wounds in His hands, feet, and side. Jesus says, “Look, we’re the same. Me, too. I entered your world and lived there. I know how you feel and I will never forget it. I have been there and I am with you now through My Holy Spirit. I treasure you and will carry you, so call on Me for help.”
A True Story
Billy Joel is an American singer-songwriter and pianist. On his daughter Alexa’s 12th birthday she was in New York City, and Billy was in Los Angeles. Billy phoned his daughter, apologizing for his absence, but told her to expect a large package delivered later that day. Alexa answered the doorbell to find a seven-foot-tall, brightly wrapped box. She tore it open and out stepped her dad, just off the plane from the West Coast. Imagine her surprise!10
God’s Better Present
The Father’s greatest gift to us, Jesus His Son, came in the flesh too! Christ came down from Heaven to be with us forever! The God Most High became the God Most Nigh (near to us). The greatest gift the Lord gives us is the present of His presence.11
Jesus fills the God-shaped hole in our hearts that Pascal described. By Christ’s sacrifice, He opened a way for us to be close to God forever. By His Scriptures, the Lord reveals Himself to us. Through His Spirit, Christ pours His love into our hearts. In Heaven, we will experience Immanuel completely and permanently. We will be His people, and Christ Himself will be visibly present with us. The Lord will wipe every tear from our eyes with His own finger.12
Christ came from Heaven to earth to show the way,
From the earth to the cross my debt to pay,
From the cross to the grave, from the grave to the sky.
Lord, I lift Your name on high.13
Prayer
Lord Jesus, thank You for coming down to our eye level. You understand our every weakness, hurt, and struggle. You brought Yourself low to die in our place and raise us up to God. You promise that if we trust in You, You will walk through every moment of life with us, and one day we will see You face to face and be with You forever. What a day that will be! What a wonderful Savior You are! Amen.14
Notes (various Bible translations used): 1 Bill’s true story was suggested by Matt Proctor’s “Carols for Any Season of Suffering.” 2 Blaise Pascal, Pensees, 1670. 3 Heb 2:17-18, 4:15. 4 Isaiah 7:14; Matt 1:23. 5 William Cowper, “There is a Fountain Filled with Blood,” 1772. 6 Heb 13:6. See also Deut 31:6,8; Joshua 1:5, Psalm 118:6-7. 7 Isaiah 44:22. 8 Elisabeth Elliot Newsletter, July/August 1994. 9 1 Peter 5:6-7. 10 Max Lucado, Next Door Savior, 2006. 11 Mike Duran, “God Most Nigh,” Oct 15, 2005. 12 Rom 5:5; Gal 4:6; Rev 21:4. 13 Rick Founds, “Lord, I Lift Your Name On High,” 1989. 14 Prayer based on 1 Cor 13:12; 1 John 3:1-3; Rev 22:4-5.