“Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.”.
– Isaiah 7:14 (NIV)
The Christmas season is a fascinating time for me—one in which I often experience the divine. The stillness of new-fallen snow, the dazzling twinkle of lights, and the joyful, generous spirit many people carry with them during the holidays are like seeing a glimpse of heaven on earth. I love meeting God in little moments, such as the lighting of candles on Christmas Eve or reading the Christmas story.
At the same time, Christmas is deeply, inextricably human, with all the messiness that implies. Our increased generosity during this season forces us to become more aware of the depth of brokenness and need all around us in the lives of those less fortunate. Our desire to spend time with our loved ones during the holidays makes the season difficult for those who cannot do so for one reason or another. At Christmas, the hope and joy of the birth of Christ often crashes head-on into the pain and inherent challenges of the human experience.
In the center of that collision, we find one of experiencing the same emotions. the deepest and most beautiful mysteries of the Christmas season: Immanuel, God With Us. This name for the Messiah was so important that it was prophesied 700 years before his birth. It is a name for Jesus Christ that is so rich and packed with meaning that we can scarcely understand it.
Immanuel reveals to us that the God who created us cares so deeply about every facet of our existence that he was willing to experience human existence himself. He loved us so much that he became a human—one who cried, felt anger, and experienced joy, loss, happiness, and sorrow. Christmas is not joyful despite our human messiness, but because of it. Immanuel embraced the fullness of our existence and came to earth so that we could, in return, take part in his existence. As Saint Athanasius wrote, “He became what we are so that we might become what he is.”
God became human, and the implications of this permeate Christmas. Whether we experience gladness or sorrow during this time, we can rest knowing that Immanuel sits beside us, experiencing the same emotions.