Immanuel | December 10, 2023

Rev. Tanner Fox | Isaiah 7:14

How is it that God is with us? What kind of God would He be if He wasn’t sitting, high and exalted above all things? But if He is that kind of God, then how could He possibly be “with us?” How could He be so humble, so small, so weak, so like us? The gods of old were worshiped as gods, far off, transcendent, powerful, but never near. The new gods, our gods, are almost close enough to touch. Celebrities, politicians, the rich, the brilliant… and while it’s nice to have them near, and while they strive for transcendence, we know they are not invincible. They are imminent, close, flesh and blood… but they too will perish. All of this reminds us how impossible it is to have a god with us… until we meet the child, born to the virgin in Bethlehem, given that very name. Immanuel - at last, God with us.