Immanuel: Life
We have peace with God and can point others to the peace that only comes through Immanuel (God with us) because Jesus is our life. We know the love of God and can love others only because Jesus is Immanuel and he is our life. We know the light of Immanuel and can be his light only because Jesus is our life.
The beauty and glory and majesty of Immanuel – God with us is that we now have new life in Jesus Christ. This is not only a past experience and it is not only a future hope; it is a present reality.
John wrote that life is found in Jesus (John 1:3). Jesus said that whoever gives up his or her own life will find new life (Luke 9:24). Paul wrote that we were dead but have now been made alive in Christ (Ephesians 2:5).
This is the life that was promised long ago when Ezekiel said that God would place his Spirit within us (Immanuel – God with us), and he would remove our dead stony heart and replace it with a living heart (Ezekiel 36:26).
As Christ now lives a new life in and through us, we can also offer new life to others – a life that doesn’t originate from ourselves or from the other person, but a life that originates from Immanuel – God with us. We point others toward the real life in Christ that Scripture calls “eternal life.”
Often, the external (the physical or the fleshly part of us) does not look like life. It is often in our weakness or sickness or oppression or death that true life appears. As Paul wrote:
But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed;Â always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies. For we who live are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. So death is at work in us, but life in you. (2 Corinthians 4:7-12 ESV)
How do we live this life – this Immanuel life? By dying to our own life. How do we demonstrate this eternal life to others? Again, by dying to our own life.
Jesus Christ – as Immanuel – God with us – turns our death into new life. When we forsake ourselves for him, he floods us with living water and turn that death into life. This is the life we have in Christ and the life that we can demonstrate to others. It is not a life that is manufactured by our hard work, but a life that is created by Christ when we die to ourselves.
We live today when Jesus Christ – Immanuel – God with us – is allowed to live through us. We offer that life to others when we die to ourselves.
Immanuel: Light
In the midst of prophesying destruction on Israel, Isaiah points ahead to the coming Messiah. He says, “The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shined” (Isaiah 9:2 ESV) When Simeon saw Jesus after his birth, the old man said, “[M]y eyes have seen your salvation that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to your people Israel” (Luke 2:30-32 ESV).
Similarly, when John was describing the incarnate Word of God, he wrote:
In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. He came as a witness, to bear witness about the light, that all might believe through him. He was not the light, but came to bear witness about the light. The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world. (John 1:4-8 ESV)
Jesus Christ, the Messiah, Immanuel – God with us, was and is the light of God, the light that God shined and continues to shine into the darkness of this world. As Jesus said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life” (John 8:12 ESV)
But, what does it mean for Jesus to be “light”? What does “light” mean in this context? How do we know if someone is in the “light”? Jesus explained it to us earlier in the Gospel of John:
And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their deeds were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his deeds have been carried out in God. (John 3:19-21 ESV)
The person walking in the light is recognized by their deeds, by the way that they live their life. This is very similar to what Jesus said during the Sermon on the Mount:
You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven. (Matthew 5:14-16 ESV)
While earlier we saw that Jesus himself was the light, we now see that we are the light when our lives and actions (our good works) glorify God.
Likewise, Paul exhorted his readers to live as light:
Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. Therefore do not associate with them; for at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light (for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true), and try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord. (Ephesians 5:6-10 ESV)
Notice that in this case, Paul gives the positive exhortation to walk as children of light, which he explains as being found in all that is good and right and true. But, Paul also gives us a negative example. “Empty words” is a trait of the disobedient, not the children of light, who bring glory to God by their actions.
Jesus was the light and is the light, and as Immanuel – God with us, he continues to shine through us so that we also live as children of light, bringing glory to God through our actions.
Spiritual Maturity is not Linear
As many of my readers know, I’ve very concerned that when most churches meet together, their goal is not mutual edification. I believe that whenever we get together with other brothers and sisters in Christ, we should seek to build up one another together.
Also, you may know that I define “edification” or “build up” as helping someone grow in Jesus Christ – that is, helping someone become spiritually mature.
However, I do not think that spiritual maturity is linear. What do I mean? Well, when it comes to age, maturity is linear. We grow older in a linear fashion; we never become less old, always more old. (I’m talking about age maturity, not necessarily emotional or mental maturity.)
But, when it comes to spiritual matters, I do not believe that maturity is linear. It is possible for us to be more or less spiritually mature at different times in our lives.
Thus, when we “mutually edify” one another, we recognize that no one has reached a certain level of maturity never to need help again. Instead, we are always seeking to help one another grow through whatever is happening right now in a person’s life. Past experiences can be helpful and can teach us, but they are not a guarantee that a person has grown past that experience.
Why is this important? We need to understand that discipleship is dynamic, flexible, and often repetitive. If we lose sight of this, we can become impatient or even unforgiving. We could think or say something like, “I just helped him with that issue, why does he need help again?”
This is also a good reason for community involvement – the “mutual” part of mutual edification. At any point in time, each person who is part of the community will be dealing with different issues. No one person is always “the spiritually mature” person in the community.
While there may be – and probably should be – a sense that someone is gaining ground in the area of spiritual maturity, we should never view spiritual maturity as a set of steps that, once we take one step we will never have to face that issue again.
Immanuel: Love
When John thought of God, he thought of love. In fact, he wrote, “So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him” (1 John 4:16 ESV) John also ties the love of God to the incarnation of Jesus: “In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins” (1 John 4:10 ESV).
In his Gospel, John also reminds us that the incarnation finds its impetus in the love of God: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16 ESV)
Jesus, as Immanuel – God with us, incorporated God’s love physically. He showed people what the love of God looked like. He touched the untouchables, held the unclean, spoke to the outcasts. He refused to let merciless, unjust people represent God. He met people where they were, and loved them where they were. He taught, healed, cleansed, and released. Jesus loved as God loved.
Jesus even taught that the most important command – the one that wraps up and encapsulates all the Scriptures – is to love God and love your neighbor as yourself.
But, what does this mean for us today? Today, Jesus remains with us. He is still Immanuel – God with us, and he continues to demonstrate God’s love to us. Paul tells us, “God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us” (Romans 5:5 ESV) and “The fruit (production) of the Spirit is love…” (Galatians 5:22 ESV).
Returning to John first letter, the author tells us that we cannot separate the love of God from our love for one another. Consider these few passages:
We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brothers. Whoever does not love abides in death. Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him. By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers. But if anyone has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God’s love abide in him? Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth. (1 John 3:14-18 ESV)
Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. (1 John 4:7-8 ESV)
We love because he first loved us. If anyone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen. And this commandment we have from him: whoever loves God must also love his brother. (1 John 4:19-21 ESV)
The love of God – produced by the Spirit that dwells within us – drives us to love others. And, the absence of love for others – in actions – demonstrates that we are not submitted to the love of God within us.
Jesus, as Immanuel – God with us, loves us and loves through us. As we love others, we are showing that Jesus is still with us.
Immanuel: Peace
One of the titles that the prophets gave to the Messiah was “Prince of Peace.” (see Isaiah 9:6) After the birth of his son John, Zechariah proclaimed that John would be a prophet of the most high (God) who would prepare the way of the Lord. The Lord, according to Zechariah, would guide people in the way of peace. (see Luke 1:79) When the angels announced Jesus’ birth to the shepherds, they announced, “Peace on the earth.” (see Luke 2:14) When Jesus was preparing his followers for his crucifixion, death, burial, and resurrection, he told them, “I give peace to you; I give my peace to you.” (see John 14:27)
Jesus, as Immanuel – “God with us” – is the Prince of Peace. There are certainly several aspects of that peace. Jesus brings peace between God and his children. Jesus also brings peace among his children. Those who were once enemies with one another (or separated) are now brought together in Jesus.
Paul wrote to the Ephesians about these two aspects of God’s peace in Jesus:
Therefore remember that at one time you Gentiles in the flesh, called “the uncircumcision” by what is called the circumcision, which is made in the flesh by hands – remember that you were at that time separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility by abolishing the law of commandments and ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace, and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility. And he came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near. For through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father. So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit. (Ephesians 2:11-22 ESV)
So, in Jesus Christ, we have peace with God and can live in peace with one another.
But, this is not the end of the story. Jesus is still “God with us,” and he continues to bring peace to his people.
Even more pertinent, Jesus continues to use his followers to proclaim his peace and to initiate his peace. Once again, we can see both aspects of the peace mentioned above in the writings of Paul. As Jesus’ followers, we are to continue to proclaim peace with God through Jesus Christ:
All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. (2 Corinthians 5:18-19 ESV)
Paul also encouraged his readers to proclaim and work toward peace with one another:
I entreat Euodia and I entreat Syntyche to agree in the Lord. Yes, I ask you also, true companion, help these women, who have labored side by side with me in the gospel together with Clement and the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in the book of life. Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:2-7 ESV)
Notice particularly the promise that Paul points to: “The Lord is at hand.” This is another way (and near lexical parallel) to what Jesus announced: “The kingdom of heaven is near (at hand).” This is the source and promise of our peace – God is here, right here, with us and within us. Jesus said:
Being asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, he answered them, “The kingdom of God is not coming with signs to be observed, nor will they say, ‘Look, here it is!’ or ‘There!’ for behold, the kingdom of God is in the midst (or within or inside) of you.” (Luke 17:20-21 ESV)
The promises throughout the Gospels and the remainder of the New Testament is that Jesus did not leave his followers when he ascended into heaven after his resurrection. Instead, Jesus sent the Holy Spirit (John 14:16, John 14:26, John 15:26) who would continue to dwell with and in his children (Romans 8:9-11).
The indwelling Holy Spirit – the spirit and presence and power of Jesus Christ – is the source of our peace. He doesn’t change. We may have troubles because of our circumstances or situations, but as long as our focus is Christ, we have peace. And, beyond having peace, we can announce the peace of God to others.
God is with us through the Holy Spirit – the Spirit of Christ – and He gives us peace, and drives us to announce this peace to others.
Pray this Way
How do you pray? Why do you pray like that?
These are honest questions. Questions that I’ve been asking myself for the last few years.
Prayer is extremely important. I’m assuming that most Christians (if not all) would agree with that last statement. But do we pray in a manner that is consistent with what we are told about and what we see modeled about prayer in the New Testament?
Why am I bringing this up now? Well, Steven from “Biblically Speaking” posted the following passage on Facebook:
… praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints… (Ephesians 6:18 ESV)
Here’s a similar passage:
Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 ESV)
These passages, and others like them, teaching something different about prayer than I have been taught (either formally or by example). I was taught with phrases such as…
Bow your head and close your eyes.
Who is going to say grace (the blessing)?
Did you have your quiet time?
Now, Brother Smith will bring our offertory prayer.
Let’s ask God to bless our plans.
Will you add me to your prayer list.
Repeat the following prayer after me.
The phrases above, and similar ones, teach that prayer is something that is sporadic… occasional… intermittent.
And, we see examples of this kind of prayer in Scripture.
But, the passages above indicate that prayer is something that is ongoing, continuous, uninterrupted.
How do we reconcile this?
A natural meal with a supernatural family
Three years ago, I wrote a post called “A natural meal with a supernatural family.” Today, when we think about “the Lord’s Supper” or “Communion” or “the Eucharist,” we tend to picture a supernatural meal. But, in the pages of the New Testament, the meal was a common (ordinary) meal. However, this common meal was now shared by a new kind of family – a supernatural family. I hope you enjoy this post.
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A natural meal with a supernatural family
Scripture tells us that on the day of Pentecost three thousand people were added to the church. As they began to learn what it meant to be God’s people, some things about their lives changed, while other things remained the same. They continued to eat normal food; but the context of those meals changed:
And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts… (Acts 2:46 ESV)
Every day, or at least regularly, the believers met together in their homes to share their food with other people. Family meals were very normal. The meal itself had not changed. But, the family was now completely different.
Of course, this relationship change had be described earlier by Jesus. His disciples were simply following his lead:
While he was still speaking to the people, behold, his mother and his brothers stood outside, asking to speak to him. But he replied to the man who told him, “Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?” And stretching out his hand toward his disciples, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.” (Matthew 12:46-50 ESV)
Jesus instituted a new family – not created by bonds of flesh and blood, but created by bonds of Spirit and faith. The new followers of Jesus did not merely accept this theoretically and then go on with their lives as usual. Instead, their new brothers and sisters became part of their lives, sharing everything with them – from the most extraordinary to the most ordinary. They shared their possessions, their meals, their time, their very lives. The meals that they shared were quite ordinary – natural meals. But, the family with whom they shared these meals was extraordinary – a supernatural family.
To do this, we have to be willing to open up time in our busy schedules for other people – to be willing to spend time with brothers and sisters that we may not know very well so that God can bind us together through his Spirit. It means that we will need to go to baseball games and dance reviews and award nights and picnics and vacations that are important to our brothers and sisters. We will need to consider them before we consider ourselves – which is almost impossible to do. It means we may need to turn off the TV or put down the book or open up our “family night” in order to invite in our true family – brothers and sisters who have been adopted into God’s family together with us.
During this time of Christmas, it is normal for us to spend time with our natural families. But, what about your supernatural family? Share your time and some meals with your supernatural families as well. And, when you do, share some of your experiences with us here. Let’s celebrate natural meals with supernatural families together!
This little light of mine
Don’t you hate it when one little comment gets the wheels in your mind spinning? And, isn’t it worse when those spinning wheels make you realize that something is wrong with your life?
(Okay, actually I like it, and I appreciate it, and I thank God when it happens. But, while I like it, I don’t really like it, if you know what I mean.)
So, in response to my post “Missing Hymns,” Sondra mentioned the song “This Little Light of Mine.” Innocent song, right? Except that I started thinking about what Scripture says about being light and shining.
John wrote the following about Jesus:
In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. (John 1:4-5 ESV)
According to Matthew, Jesus said:
You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven. (Matthew 5:14-16 ESV)
Paul wrote:
Do all things without grumbling or questioning, that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, holding fast to the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I may be proud that I did not run in vain or labor in vain. (Philippians 2:14-16 ESV)
In each case, the light of Jesus is supposed to shine through those of us who are his children. But, notice in particular, that Jesus’ light is supposed to shine through us IN THE DARKNESS.
I have to admit that I sometimes only allow Jesus’ light to shine through me when I am around others who are reflecting Jesus’ light.
This little light of mine… I’m gonna let it shine…
Let it be so, Lord. Let your light shine through me in the darkness of this world.
Where are you allowing Jesus to shine his light?
The Great Commandment in the OT: Love Others
So, far, as we’ve looked at Jesus great commandment to love God and love your neighbor, I’ve concluded that Jesus definitely could have found the “Love God” part as a focus of the Old Testament. (See my posts “The Great Commandment in the OT: Preview” and “The Great Commandment in the OT: Love God.”)
But, Jesus was clear in Matthew 22:37-40 that “all the Law and the Prophets” depends upon both the command to love God and the command to love your neighbor as yourself.
So, where did Jesus get the part about loving your neighbor? Is it as clear as the “love God” portion of the command?
To begin with, we do find that Jesus quoted the second half of a sentence from Leviticus:
You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against the sons of your own people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the Lord. (Leviticus 19:18 ESV)
In fact, the sentence above closes out a section of Leviticus that specifically deals with neighborly relations:
You shall not oppress your neighbor or rob him. The wages of a hired servant shall not remain with you all night until the morning. You shall not curse the deaf or put a stumbling block before the blind, but you shall fear your God: I am the Lord. You shall do no injustice in court. You shall not be partial to the poor or defer to the great, but in righteousness shall you judge your neighbor. You shall not go around as a slanderer among your people, and you shall not stand up against the life of your neighbor: I am the Lord. You shall not hate your brother in your heart, but you shall reason frankly with your neighbor, lest you incur sin because of him. You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against the sons of your own people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the Lord. (Leviticus 19:13-18 ESV)
While this is a lengthy passage, we do not find the same prolific use of “love your neighbor” the way that we found the use of “love God.”
However, there are other indicators that loving your neighbor was an important aspect of the Old Testament.
For example, while teaching about the tithe, Moses says to take the tithe and throw a feast for those who have no inheritance:
At the end of every three years you shall bring out all the tithe of your produce in the same year and lay it up within your towns. And the Levite, because he has no portion or inheritance with you, and the sojourner, the fatherless, and the widow, who are within your towns, shall come and eat and be filled, that the LORD your God may bless you in all the work of your hands that you do. (Deuteronomy 14:28-29 ESV)
This idea of caring for those in need or oppressed – especially “the sojourner, the fatherless, and the widow” – is found throughout the OT. In fact, throughout the Prophets, caring for the needy and the oppressed is closely tied to ritual worship, so close, in fact, that ritual worship is worthless in God’s eye without care for the needy.
For example, Isaiah writes:
What to me is the multitude of your sacrifices? says the Lord; I have had enough of burnt offerings of rams and the fat of well-fed beasts; I do not delight in the blood of bulls, or of lambs, or of goats. When you come to appear before me, who has required of you this trampling of my courts? Bring no more vain offerings; incense is an abomination to me. New moon and Sabbath and the calling of convocations- I cannot endure iniquity and solemn assembly. Your new moons and your appointed feasts my soul hates; they have become a burden to me; I am weary of bearing them. When you spread out your hands, I will hide my eyes from you; even though you make many prayers, I will not listen; your hands are full of blood. Wash yourselves; make yourselves clean; remove the evil of your deeds from before my eyes; cease to do evil, learn to do good; seek justice, correct oppression; bring justice to the fatherless, plead the widow’s cause. (Isaiah 1:11-17 ESV)
Notice how closely the passage from Isaiah (above) parallels Mark’s version of the great commandment episode:
And one of the scribes came up and heard them disputing with one another, and seeing that he answered them well, asked him, “Which commandment is the most important of all?” Jesus answered, “The most important is, ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” And the scribe said to him, “You are right, Teacher. You have truly said that he is one, and there is no other besides him. And to love him with all the heart and with all the understanding and with all the strength, and to love one’s neighbor as oneself, is much more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.” And when Jesus saw that he answered wisely, he said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” And after that no one dared to ask him any more questions. (Mark 12:28-34 ESV)
So, while the command to love your neighbor as yourself is not as prolific in the OT as the command to love the Lord your God, the idea of loving others and caring for them – especially the needy and oppressed – is both expressly commanded in the Law and is given special place (even above ritual worship) in the Prophets.
From this, we can see that Jesus found both parts of his great commandment – both “love God” and “love neighbor” – in the OT.
Missing Hymns
I’ve been thinking about this for quite some time, but I realized recently that I’ve never written about it. What is the “it” that I’m talking about? Missing hymns and songs.
You see, according to Scripture, there are several directions of focus for someone who is following Jesus. We are to focus on God. We are to focus on ourselves. We are to focus on other believers in community. And we are to focus on the nations (those without Christ).
As I see it, the hymns and songs that I know primarily help us with the first two focuses: God and ourselves. Most of these songs point toward our need for God and our individual relationship with God.
There are a few songs that help us focus on our responsibility to take the gospel to and serve the nations and those who are not believers.
But, there are very, very few songs that help us focus on our relationships and responsibilities toward one another in Christ.
(Perhaps, since most people get their theology from their songs, this is one explanation of the individualism rampant in today’s church – or perhaps its a symptom.)
Do you know any songs/hymns that help us focus on community in Christ?