Immanuel — God with Us

While I (Ray) can’t remember the year, there is a distinct Christmas memory I will never forget. My wife Carolyn and I had just celebrated Christmas with our extended families. As the sun set on Christmas Day, I stepped outside to catch a breath of fresh air. Suddenly, in the midst of a wonderful Christmas celebration, I felt a sadness I couldn’t explain. Why this sadness at a time when we are singing Christmas carols like “Joy to the World” and “We Wish You a Merry Christmas”?

That mix of joy and sorrow has stayed with me, becoming even more vivid in the years since. At the time, I wasn’t experiencing significant personal pain or loss, but I couldn’t ignore the collective brokenness and conflict in the world around me. 

Today, in a time of growing division and uncertainty, that tension remains. Yet, Advent reminds us of the hope we have in Christ—the Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6) and the Light of the World (John 8:12). It points us to His first coming and invites us to anticipate His return when He will make all things new.

The Promise of His Presence

The miracle of Christmas is that Jesus humbled himself to become a human being, to be present with us, to die for our sins, and now is present with us through the Holy Spirit. Matthew captures it well in his gospel when he writes: 

Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel, which means ‘God is with us.’

Matthew 1:23 (NLT)

At the end of his gospel, Matthew reminds us that this promise continues. Jesus tells His disciples:

“I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

Matthew 28:18-20 (NLT)

God’s Dwelling Place

Through His Spirit, Christ’s presence extends beyond individuals and into the Church as a whole. Paul writes in Ephesians:

Together, we are his house, built on the foundation of the apostles and the prophets. And the cornerstone is Christ Jesus himself. We are carefully joined together in him, becoming a holy temple for the Lord. Through him you Gentiles are also being made part of this dwelling where God lives by his Spirit. 

Ephesians 2:20–22 (NLT)

God built His Church to be where His relational presence dwells. Scott Duvall and Daniel Hays describe this beautifully in their book God’s Relational Presence: The Cohesive Center of Biblical Theology:

Consequently, as part of the new-covenant community, they are identified as God’s family, the Spirit’s temple, and Christ’s body—all images that stress God’s relational presence. Jesus is the husband or bridegroom of his bride, the church. God intends for this divine marriage to result in an eternal love relationship between himself ​and his people. In Christ all individual believers also form one body, with Christ as the head. As the temple of the living God, the church fulfills what the tabernacle and temple attempted to facilitate, though imperfectly: to locate God’s presence permanently among his people. The church is now that building in which God lives by his Spirit. As living stones, they are being built into a spiritual house or temple to be a holy priesthood with eternal access to God’s presence (1 Pet. 2:4–5). This new humanity, created in Christ, now reconciled to God, is indwelt by God’s personal presence. He is the shepherd; we are his flock. He is the vine; we are the branches. As he has loved us, so also we should love one another.

The heart of Christmas is that Jesus came to dwell among us. And just as He entered the brokenness of the world to live among us, He calls us to reflect His presence as salt and light in our world.

Being Salt and Light

Jesus describes this calling in the Sermon on the Mount when He says:

You are the salt of the earth. But what good is salt if it has lost its flavor? Can you make it salty again? It will be thrown out and trampled underfoot as worthless.

You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.

Matthew 5:13-16 (NLT)

What does it mean for the Church to be salt and light? Christ calls His followers to preserve what is good and illuminate what is true. Salt preserves and enhances, preventing decay and sustaining life. Likewise, the Church upholds truth, advocates for justice, and promotes virtues that lead to flourishing.

Light reveals and guides, dispelling darkness and exposing hidden things. In a world of confusion and fear, the Church illuminates hope and truth through God’s Word, directing lives toward the virtues of truth, beauty, and goodness that reflect Christ’s character.

To be salt and light means reflecting Christ in word and deed, showing compassion, humility, and justice. It means engaging with the world’s brokenness, offering hope and peace. When the Church lives out this calling, she becomes that city on a hill that transforms communities through God’s power.

Seeking His Presence

Francis A. Schaeffer once wrote in No Little People:

The church of the Lord Jesus Christ, individually or corporately, [tends] to do the Lord’s work in the power of the flesh rather than of the Spirit.

True success in God’s kingdom doesn’t come from human effort but from Christ’s presence working in and through us. When we seek His presence to be His presence, we fulfill His purposes and bring real hope and transformation to our communities.

Christ’s presence in us ensures that His kingdom will endure, no matter the circumstances. This truth anchors our mission, calling us to reflect His love and truth, even in uncertain times. In this mission, we must remain faithful in seeking His presence and bringing it wherever we go. Together, we can be the salt and light that ushers in a season of renewal and revival in Arkansas.

Preparing for Christmas

This Advent season, we are deeply thankful for the churches in Arkansas that are faithfully working together to display the light and presence of Christ through the proclamation and demonstration of Christ’s love for our cities. Whether feeding the hungry, providing shelter and clothing for the homeless, mentoring students in our schools, fostering children, loving and helping to restore those in and out of prison, and sharing the good news of Christ’s love, the presence of Christ is being shared and felt. Check out the companion article to learn more about specific stories of churches being salt and light in our cities.

As you prepare for Christmas this Advent season, would you consider helping to build “God’s holy temple” by praying for the unity of the Body of Christ and visiting with your church leadership about how you can use your spiritual gifts to build up the church and to display the light of Christ more brightly?

Advent reminds us that the hope, joy, love, and peace we long for are found in Jesus, Immanuel—God with us. May we carry His presence into our communities this Christmas, shining His light for all to see. 

That Christmas evening, as I stood outside in the stillness of the fading day, I felt both joy and sadness. In that moment, I began to understand how Christ’s presence doesn’t erase our sorrow but transforms it, bringing hope in the midst of brokenness and light in the depths of darkness.

Let us go and do the same for others.