Immanuel's Hands

by Jeremy Lim, Elder for Men’s Ministry and Discipleship

 

When I was in high school, a friend of mine was tragically killed in a car accident. The night he died, I retreated to my room and cried in a way I had never cried before. I did my best to sob as quietly as I could into my pillow, as I wanted to be alone. It worked for a while until I felt a hand on my shoulder. I didn’t look up to see who was there because I knew it was my dad. He didn’t say anything, but he kept his hand there until my tears eventually ran out.

In this final week of Advent, we celebrate Jesus as Immanuel, God with us. Jesus’ birth ushered in a new era of heaven overlapping with earth in a way the world had never seen before. God wanted to be fully with us, and He was willing to do whatever it took to make this happen. My dad’s hand on my shoulder that night was one of the most tangible experiences I’ve had of God being with me. Clearly my dad is not Jesus, so what was behind this profound experience?

All of you together are Christ’s body, and each of you is a part of it. (1 Corinthians 12:27)

One of the most fascinating realities for each of us who profess faith in Christ is that we don’t just enjoy a personal relationship with Jesus, we get to be Jesus to people who need to know that God is with them! Not only that, we also get to experience God’s presence when we are with others who embrace their role of representing Jesus through the way they live.

As we celebrate the wonder and miracle of Jesus’ birth and acknowledge Him as Immanuel, may we also remember that we, His Church, are His body here on earth. We are the space where heaven and earth overlap and God’s unmistakable presence can be experienced. We are, quite literally, His hands reaching out to remind our broken world that He is with us.

 

Reflection:

  • Can you think of a time when you experienced the presence of God through being with another person? Have you ever been that person for someone else?

  • How did God, through Jesus, interact with the people Jesus lived with? How does God, through you, interact with the people you live with?

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