Prior to Bethlehem God gave us his messengers, his teachers, his words. But in the manger God gave us himself. Extraordinary, don’t you think? I imagine even Gabriel scratched his head at the idea of “God with us.” Gabriel surely was not one to question his God-given missions. When God sent, Gabriel went.

And when word got out that God was to become a human, Gabriel was no doubt enthused. He could envision the moment: The Messiah in a blazing chariot. The King descending on a fiery cloud. An explosion of light from which the Messiah would emerge. What he never expected, however, was a slip of paper with a Nazarene address. “God will become a baby,” it read. “Tell the mother to name the child Jesus. And tell her not to be afraid.”

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Jesus understands you. He’s faced hunger, sorrow, and death and wants to face them with you. The Bible says Jesus “understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin” (Hebrews 4:15 NLT).

If Jesus understands our weaknesses, then so does God. Jesus was God in human form. He was God with us. That’s why Jesus is called Immanuel. Immanu means “with us.” El refers to Elohim, or God. So Immanuel is not an “above-us God” or a “somewhere-in-the-neighborhood God.” He came as the “with-us God.” All of us.

“I am with you always, to the very end of the age” (Matthew 28:20 NIV). Search for restrictions on the promise, and you’ll find none. There’s no withholding tax on God’s “with us” promise. God is with us. What great news!

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John 1:14 (MSG) says, “The Word became flesh and blood, and moved into the neighborhood.”

Let’s begin where the earthly ministry of Jesus began—in the womb of Mary. The God of the universe, for a time, kicked against the wall of that womb. He was born in the poverty of a peasant, spent his first night in the feed trough of a cow. He didn’t have to, did he? Jesus could have become a voice—a voice in the air. Jesus could have become a message—a message in the night. Jesus could have become a light—a light in the night. But he became flesh. Why?

Jesus came to be near you. And any concerns you might have about his power and love were removed from the discussion the moment he became flesh and entered the world. What a beginning. What an entrance. And what a moment.

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Jesus. J-E-S-U-S. Five letters. Six hours. One cross. Three nails. We live because of Jesus. We live because he lives, hope because he works, and matter because he matters. To be saved by grace is to be saved by Jesus—not by an idea or doctrine or creed or or church membership, but by Jesus. Our redeemer himself, who will sweep into heaven anyone who so much as gives him the nod.

Timid Jesus? Not on your life. Timid Jesus happens only on Christmas and Easter. The real Jesus claims every tick of the clock. Timid Jesus winks at sin, but the real Jesus nukes it. Timid Jesus is a lucky charm crucifix on a necklace. Jesus is a tiger in your heart. Do you know this Jesus? Let’s talk about Jesus.

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You know, the Jesus of many people is small enough to be contained in an aquarium that fits on the cabinet. Never causes any trouble, never demands any attention. Now if you want a goldfish bowl of Jesus, you need to steer clear of the real Jesus because he changes everything.

Now he doesn’t make you sexy, skinny, or clever. He doesn’t change what you see in the mirror, but he changes how you see what you see. He will not be silenced, packaged, or predicted. He is the pastor who chased people out of church. He’s the prophet who had a soft spot for crooks and whores. He’s the king who washed the grime off the feet of the betrayer—his betrayer. He turned a bread basket into a buffet and a dead friend into a living one. And most of all, he transformed the tomb into a womb out of which was born life—your life.

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Is Peter speaking to us when he urges, “Friends, this world is not your home, so don’t make yourselves cozy in it” (1 Peter 2:11 MSG)? We know our Father’s name, and he has claimed us, but he has yet to come for us. So here we are, caught between what is and what will be. No longer orphans but not yet home. What do we do in the meantime?

Indeed, it can be just that—a mean time. Time made mean with disease, deceit, death, and debt. How do we live in the mean time? How do we keep our hearts headed home? “Let us look only to Jesus, the One who began our faith and who makes it perfect” (Hebrews 12:2 NCV). Look to Jesus. Ponder his life. Consider his ways. Meditate on his words. Jesus, just Jesus.

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God sought you. He searched you out. Before you knew you needed adopting, he’d already filed the papers. Listen to this passage from Romans 8:29 (NLT): “For God knew his people in advance, and he chose them to become like his Son, so that his Son would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters” What’s more, he covered the adoption fees. “God sent him,” speaking of Christ, “to buy freedom for us who were slaves to the law, so that he could adopt us as his very own children” (Galatians 4:5 NLT).

You see, the moment we accept his offer we go from orphans to heirs. Heirs with a new name, new home, new life. Heaven knows no stepchildren or grandchildren. You and Christ share the same will. What he inherits, you inherit. You are headed home.

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These words are found in the Book of Psalms: “The Lord directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives. Though they stumble, they will never fall, for the Lord holds them by the hand” (Psalm 37:23–24 NLT). Do the words of the psalmist surprise you? Where did we get this idea of a God who does not care, who is not near? We certainly didn’t get it from Jesus.

Jesus Christ is the perfect picture of God. Want to know how God feels about the sick? Then look at Jesus. What angers God? Look at Jesus. Does God ever give up on people? Does he stand up for people? Find the answer in Jesus. Hebrews 1:3 (AMP) says, “The Son is the radiance and only expression of the glory of [our awesome] God…he is the exact representation and perfect imprint of His [Father’s] essence.”

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Are you open to the idea of a Father, a heavenly Father, who knows you? A soon-to-be home that awaits you? Would you consider this life-changing idea: the almighty and all-knowing God has set his affection on you. Every detail about you he knows. Your interests, your hang-ups, your fears, your failures. He knows you.

About his children God says, “The Lord searches every heart and understands every desire and every thought” (1 Chronicles 28:9 NIV). King David wrote, “When my spirit was overwhelmed within me, you knew my path” (Psalm 142:3 NKJV). Do you know this God who knows you? He knows your name, and he can’t wait to get you home. The ever-recurring, soul-lifting message of heaven: “The Lord delights in you” (Isaiah 62:4 NKJV).

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God keeps his promises. Shouldn’t God’s promise-keeping inspire yours? People can exhaust you. There are times when all we can do is not enough. When a spouse chooses to leave, we can’t force him or her to stay. And you’re tired, you’re angry, you’re disappointed. This isn’t the marriage you expected or the life you wanted. But looming in your past is a promise you made. Whatever that is, may I urge you to do all you can to keep it? To give it one more try? Why should you? So you can understand the depth of God’s love.

You see, when you love the unloving, you get a glimpse of what God does every day for you and me. When you keep the porch light on for the prodigal child, you do what God does every single moment. Pay attention. Take notes on your struggles. God invites you to understand his love by loving others the way he does.

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