“Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel” (which means, God with us). Matthew 1:23 (ESV)
Imagine with me a situation where a close friend or family member is really sick. It looks like from their illness, they may not make it and may die. Your heart is aching because you love them so very much and you can’t be with them. They live in a different part of the country. To be with them would be very costly because traveling there will be expensive. You will have to leave your job to spend time with them to help them through. If you make this decision, everything as you know it will change - and not necessarily for the better.
As you ponder this decision, your heart is breaking. Being with them is the only thing you want and yet, it seems so huge to make this decision. It’s crazy. People don’t do this kind of thing. Finally, you can stand it no longer. You go all in and make the move. You quit your job, charge the very expensive ticket and sacrifice to love.
Saying I love you over the phone has meaning. But saying it in person is tangible. A phone call is not the same as an in person touch. When you show up in person, the impact on the receiver is profound.
God knew this. That’s why he came to be “With us.”
God saw our predicament. He realized the pain we were in and the uncertainty that surrounded us. His heart ached for us because he loves us so very much. Jesus lived in a different place (a much better place than here) but he left that to move near so we could see tangibly, personally, how much we are loved.
The cost to him was great. There would be no going back to the way things were. The sacrifice was immense.
All this, so God could shout out loud, with tangible evidence, “I love you.” I love you more than anything I have. There is no price too great or a circumstance so insurmountable that I cannot get to you.
Lean into this. Lean in and remember what this season really means. It’s about a God who gives all of his heart for what his heart loves. And then go and do the same.