Have you ever had times when you wondered, “Where is God?” The ancient Israelites asked this question when they were wandering in tough circumstances in the wilderness. But God gave them a decisive answer—an answer that would come to its ultimate expression in Jesus Christ.

The gospel of John says, “The Word [Christ] became flesh and dwelled among us. God is in our midst! The gospel of Matthew, in recounting the Christmas story, likewise says that “all this took place to fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet [Isaiah]: ‘Behold, a virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call him Emmanuel.”

עִמָּ֫נוּאֵ֫ל—immanu-el—is Hebrew that means “God is with us.” This is the good news of Christmas—that no matter how tough or uncertain our circumstances may appear, and no matter how flawed we may find ourselves to be, God is with us! We need not despair, but we can put our trust in God.

In the wilderness, God showed that God was in the midst of the people by instructing Moses to build a large tent, called the tabernacle, where the people would worship God; the tabernacle was the clear sign of God’s presence, and the people could experience God’s glory as they came to the tabernacle in faith and praise. Now, in a far greater way, God has shown that God is in the midst of all humanity by coming to us in Jesus Christ. We can experience the glory of God’s love for us as we come to Christ in faith and praise.

In this Christmas season, our world is full of troubles; but we find real hope in the good news of Immanuel—God is with us!

Sunday’s Scripture Readings
Exodus 29:42–46
Exodus 40:16–34
John 1:14

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