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I am sure you know the importance of presence. FaceTime just is not the same as sitting down for coffee together, nor is Zoom a substitute for meeting with a group of people; and this is the case with many things. We cannot imitate presence. The Holidays -- Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's -- show us the importance of presence. We get together with family and friends with little more on our agenda than simply being together. Even in times of difficulty, words are often meaningless and what matters is simply that you are there. Presence has significance, which is why we need to consider the promise that Jesus is with us.
Matthew 1:22-25 (ESV) says, "All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet: "Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel" (which means, God with us). When Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him: he took his wife, but knew her not until she had given birth to a son. And he called his name Jesus."
In this passage, we see the significance of presence. The expected Messiah will be Immanuel, which means, "God with us." Jesus came to this earth to be with us by being like us. He took on flesh so that his perfect life could be applied to us by faith. He entered the world through the womb of Mary to identify with us. The long-expected Messiah, as foretold by Isaiah, would be with us! God promised that the Offspring of the Woman would, in some way, crush the head of the serpent (Gen 3:15).
What we see Isaiah prophesying gives us clarity as to what the Offspring will be like. He says he will be named Immanuel, which is a helpful clue as to what he will be like. Jesus will be "God with us." What we celebrate is that God is with us.
Isaiah's prophecy took place roughly 1,000 years before the birth of Christ. We learn from this and can be sure that God is faithful. God fulfilled his promise, and now, because Jesus came to this earth, we can experience the presence of God in our lives through Immanuel, the Lord Jesus. Know that God has kept his promise to crush the serpent, know that Jesus is truly God and truly man, and know that He is with us. Though the holidays are over, Christmas has come and gone, remember that Jesus is still present with us.
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Aaron Batdorf is associate pastor of discipleship at Big Woods Bible Church in Lock Haven.