One of my favorite Christmas songs of all time is called “God Is With Us” by Casting Crowns. I love the overall melody and sound of the song, especially the minor chords that are used. But deeper than that it is the meaning of the song that draws me to it.

The first verse begins “The skies don't seem to be as dark as usual, the stars seem brighter than they've been before…”. This is a beautiful lyric that quickly sets the context of the song and transports the listener back some 2000 years and puts them in the place of an Israelite who had been anxiously awaiting redemption and freedom from oppression. The verse continues and speaks of what a glorious hope it must have been as news spread of the child born that night in Bethlehem of Judaea. “…The shepherds say they've heard the voice of angels, confirming rumors spread across the land…”

I especially love the beginning line of the chorus, as I feel it captures what was really happening that night. “Love is raining down on the world tonight…” What besides love could explain why God sent His only begotten Son to the world? I believe John 3:16 would agree that love was the reason.

“…God is in us, God is for us, God is with us, Emmanuel…” This is the line from which the song gets its title and it is pulled straight from scripture. “Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.” (Matthew 1:23) Or as the Gospel of John puts it, “And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us..” (John 1:14). God would no longer dwell in a house made with man’s hands, but would now dwell with mankind through a different veil,  the flesh of Jesus of Nazareth. Better yet, the arrival of the babe set in motion a series of events that would result in God dwelling IN the hearts of believers, no longer veiled or through a glass darkly, but face to face. The chorus even mentions this future reality, “…In our humble hearts he will dwell…”

Verse two begins with a statement that I believe every person who has ever had an experience with Jesus can identify with,  “I feel compelled to tell all who will listen, that peace on earth is not so out of reach…”. Luke 2:17 tells us that upon seeing the baby the shepherds spread abroad the things told them concerning Him. We know that the wise men came to Jerusalem asking “Where is he that is born king of the Jews?” I’m convinced that word spread rapidly of the hope that the Messiah had finally arrived.

This of course translates to our day. Just as Phillip said “We have found Him”, and the lady of Samaria cried “Come see a man…”, those of us who have been acquainted with Christ feel constrained to tell it. Peter and John said it best when in Acts 4 they said “For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard.”

There is so much that could be said about the end of this verse, but I will try to keep it brief.

“If we can find grace, mercy, and forgiveness...”

Mercy, grace, and forgiveness were not conceived or initiated when Jesus was born. These are qualities and characteristics of God, thus they are eternal just as God is. While reading the Old Testament we will certainly find instances of these three things scattered throughout, although it is clear that law ruled that age. The first chapter of the Gospel of John tells us that grace and truth “came” by Jesus. You see grace already was, but Jesus brought it down to make it available to all.

We see several instances of mercy and forgiveness during Jesus’ ministry. On one such occasion punishment of death was warranted according to the Law, but Jesus refused to condemn and chose rather to show mercy and grant forgiveness. Yet no other act embodies these characteristics as perfectly and completely as what was still to come when Jesus freely gave himself on the cross to set us free from sin. The verse closes with a perfect summary of the life of Jesus, “…He has come to save, He is all of these.”

What a blessing it is to live in a day where God is not millions of miles above us in the sky, or dwelling in Jerusalem in a building or the flesh of one man, but is with and in all that are His.

Merry Christmas and God bless!

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