Emmanuel
When a Cancer survivor meets someone just beginning to get treatment, the survivor can always relate because he or she "has been there". The survivor understands the feelings and thoughts of the person just starting on that road. Jesus had the same experiences as us, but He understood that walking with His Father (and Our Father) was the way to enjoy victory through all the experiences. We are invited to do the same, and Jesus will show the way and as Isaiah writes, Jesus will bring beauty instead of ashes!
"Who Is He? He Is Emmanuel!"
“Who is the King of Glory, how shall we call Him? He is Emmanuel, the promise of ages.”
Emmanuel means: “God is with us!” What comfort that statement alone should give to us!!!
What difference will that make in our lives today? “But the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people.’” (Luke 2: 10 NIV).
Don’t be afraid. There is good news in a troubled world. This good news will bring you great joy!
When we are crying out to God, we are crying out to Emmanuel. This truth is beautifully stated in the following scripture: “The Word (Jesus) became flesh and blood, and moved into the neighborhood. We saw the glory with our own eyes, the one-of-a-kind glory, like Father, like Son, generous inside and out, true from start to finish.” (John 1:14 MSG).
HE IS WITH US! Jesus finished His work through the cross, the resurrection, His return to the Father and the pouring out of the Holy Spirit. And His work continues even to today with you and me!
But, He started as a baby. Why? To experience everything we experience!
Scripture tell us that Jesus, the Savior, would be a Savior in an unsafe world, that he was misunderstood, “acquainted with grief”, that he wept over rejection and the death of his friends, that he experienced physical hardship as well as physical and verbal abuse, that he was not esteemed by those he loved and that in fact his own did not accept him, that he battled against temptation, that he faced fear of death and death itself, and finally that he was betrayed and he died outside “the gate” (meaning he didn’t belong anywhere) in shame.
Does any of this sound familiar to you? Do you think Jesus cried out to the Father as He lived His life from start to finish?
SCRIPTURE
As you read the following Scriptures, consider the real life experiences of Jesus that were similar to your own experiences today. Jesus was a very real person. A person who can bring comfort to you because He experienced the need for comfort in His own human life among us. When you cry out to Him, he hears and responds. You will find He can say to you, “I can understand what you are going through because I have been there.”
WHEN YOU ARE MISUNDERSTOOD
Matthew 9. Here is a story of Jesus entering a home in which a young girl had just died. The professional mourners were told by Jesus that the girl was not dead, just asleep. Of course, they derided and mocked him bitterly because they had seen the dead girl. But although dead, Jesus raised her back to life. They did not understand the power, and care, that Jesus had. If you are seeing only "death" like the mourners, cry out to Him to be able to see "life" just like He does!
Matthew 21. Speaking of misunderstanding the very heart of God, the main temple in Jerusalem was turned into a sellers’ and shoppers’ bazaar, a place to make a financial profit for businessmen. It had morally decayed from its original purpose of prayer and reflection. Jesus went into the temple and cleared out all the business people. He was grieved at their lack of understanding of God’s heart. Perhaps someone has misunderstood your heart as well.
Luke 9. The Gospels tell us of a time when some of the apostles started to argue about which of them was most important, which of them might be in higher positions of power. It’s hard to understand how they could have missed seeing and understanding the servant-heart of Jesus. Jesus had to place a small child in their midst, telling them to be like this small child. Approach Jesus today as a trusting child would.
WHEN YOU ARE BETRAYED BY SOMEONE YOU LOVE
Matthew 26. At the Last Supper, Judas slipped away to betray Jesus. Judas was the money-bag keeper for the apostles, a man given responsibility. But he chose to stay in the shadows and put his trust in money.
Matthew 26. After the Last Supper, when Jesus was put on “trial”, Peter disowned Jesus three times, stating that he never even heard of Jesus. Feeling alone? He's been there!
WHEN YOU EXPERIENCE GRIEF AND LOSS
Mark 6. John the Baptist was beheaded by a drunken, pleasure-seeking king, someone with no sense of a moral compass. John was the cousin of Jesus, and Jesus took his murder as a tremendous loss.
John 11. Lazarus, and his sisters Martha and Mary, were best friends of Jesus. Jesus was often a house guest when in the area. When Lazarus died, Jesus came and, upon seeing the tomb, we find the shortest verse in Scripture: “Jesus cried.” He missed his friend, and he was so moved to see the two sisters in such sorrow. Martha and Mary cried out to Jesus in their sorrow; so can you!
WHEN YOU MAY HAVE EXPERIENCED PHYSICAL ABUSE
All four Gospels. Toward the end of each Gospel, the crucifixion story is told. The amount of pain and suffering, let alone mental anguish, is indescribable.
WHEN YOU MAY HAVE EXPERIENCED VERBAL ABUSE
All four Gospels. At his trial and crucifixion, Jesus was mocked repeatedly by those he was dying to save.
Luke 11. At one time in his public ministry, he was called the devil incarnate because of his miracles. This kind of verbal abuse twisted who Jesus was and what He was doing.
WHEN YOU EXPERIENCE PHYSICAL PAIN, FATIGUE, HUNGER
Mark 6. Sometimes we think Jesus was always on the go, always teaching or healing. The truth is he got tired, as did his apostles. Sometimes he decided to get away for a brief respite and to recharge His batteries. He understands exhaustion and weariness.
John 4. When Jesus entered the town of Sychar in Samaria, Scripture tells us he was tired and thirsty from a long walk. Even though exhausted, he took time to talk with the town prostitute, at the town’s well, to tell her about the Living Water He would provide to her. This same Living Water is available today, now, to anyone who cries out to Him!
WHEN YOU WORRY ABOUT DAILY LIFE, JOB, INCOME, ETC.
We know that Jesus learned the carpentry trade from Joseph, his earthly father. When Joseph died, Jesus became the bread-winner and ran a small business to support both He and Mary. Every small business owner wears many hats, with a full plate of challenges; so did Jesus. In fact, most of his life was spent running this business; his public ministry took only the last three years of his life!
Mark 12. Here we find an uplifting story of Jesus in the temple, watching people put in their offerings. He made special notice of a widow who put in all the money she had, and her faith moved Jesus tremendously. Not noticed by the temple leaders, she was noticed by Jesus. Do you think God would make sure that widow had something to eat that night? The widow trusted what she could not see: her future. God always responds to this type of trust!
WHEN YOU MAY HAVE EXPERIENCED ABANDONMENT AND REJECTION
Luke 13. Upon entering Jerusalem one time, Jesus groaned in sorrow and frustration that the people had not turned to him for freedom and healing. He compared himself to a mother hen, wanting to protect her chicks under her wing. You can hear the sense of rejection pouring out of the depths of Jesus.
Matthew 13. At the end of this chapter we read about Jesus returning to his hometown, and how the people there were confused and offended that this local person was using such power to teach and heal. They thought they knew him and had pigeon-holed him into someone he actually wasn’t. He was rejected by his own family and friends.
John 6. Jesus was teaching about being the bread of life, about trusting in him for eternal life, and not everyone could or wanted to believe this. The Scripture tells us that many disciples turned back and no longer followed him.
WHEN YOU EXPERIENCE THE WORLD AS UNSAFE
Matthew 12. Jesus went into a synagogue, saw a man with a shriveled hand and made his hand whole and normal. But since this happened on the Sabbath, the temple leaders got angry at what they saw was a major infraction of a man-made rule (not to work on a Sabbath). One can only imagine the real frustration Jesus felt when a rule was placed above a healing of a hurting man. This “rule-first” attitude was unsafe to Jesus as well as to the people, and to us today.
Luke 13. When Jesus was about to enter Jerusalem he was warned not to, for Herod the king wanted to kill Jesus if he could find Him. What could be more unsafe? If you cry out for safety, you will find it!
WHEN YOU EXPERIENCE TEMPTATION
Matthew 4. This chapter begins with the story of Satan tempting Jesus in three ways: to make bread out of stones in order to show His power, to take an action which would result in harm (in this case, jumping off the highest part of a temple), and to long for worldly wealth and power. All of us have dealt with such thoughts as well.
WHEN YOU EXPERIENCE FEAR OF DEATH AND DEATH ITSELF
Matthew 26. After the Last Supper, in the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus prayed three times that another plan, any other plan, could be put in place instead of the crucifixion. He literally sweat blood at the thought of what was coming, and why He must do this.
At the end of various readings in Comfort.Guide, we will have a "Pause", "Reflect" and "Receive" section. The purpose of this exercise is to help you better understand and to personally absorb the encouragement Comfort.Guide offers. If you would like, visit the "HOW TO USE" page for a review of "Pause, Reflect and Receive".
PAUSE … Invite Him to be with you; let Him quiet you with His Love.
REFLECT… What is God saying to you?
* What might it really mean for you to know that Jesus was described as "Emmanuel": God With Us?
* Of the many experiences Jesus had as shown above, which ones are most like your life now?
* Can you begin to see how crying out to Jesus bears fruit, because He's "been there"?
RECEIVE … It's normal for hurting people to need help to even ask for healing! Healing isn't connected to feelings; it starts with a choice. And the choice is simply to ask Him to help you agree and accept what He is saying to you. He has ample Grace available to you now.
Click HERE to go back to "Week 4 Outline".
Click HERE to go to the next reading "Seeing our Losses Clearly - Extended Scale".
When a Cancer survivor meets someone just beginning to get treatment, the survivor can always relate because he or she "has been there". The survivor understands the feelings and thoughts of the person just starting on that road. Jesus had the same experiences as us, but He understood that walking with His Father (and Our Father) was the way to enjoy victory through all the experiences. We are invited to do the same, and Jesus will show the way and as Isaiah writes, Jesus will bring beauty instead of ashes!
"Who Is He? He Is Emmanuel!"
“Who is the King of Glory, how shall we call Him? He is Emmanuel, the promise of ages.”
Emmanuel means: “God is with us!” What comfort that statement alone should give to us!!!
What difference will that make in our lives today? “But the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people.’” (Luke 2: 10 NIV).
Don’t be afraid. There is good news in a troubled world. This good news will bring you great joy!
When we are crying out to God, we are crying out to Emmanuel. This truth is beautifully stated in the following scripture: “The Word (Jesus) became flesh and blood, and moved into the neighborhood. We saw the glory with our own eyes, the one-of-a-kind glory, like Father, like Son, generous inside and out, true from start to finish.” (John 1:14 MSG).
HE IS WITH US! Jesus finished His work through the cross, the resurrection, His return to the Father and the pouring out of the Holy Spirit. And His work continues even to today with you and me!
But, He started as a baby. Why? To experience everything we experience!
Scripture tell us that Jesus, the Savior, would be a Savior in an unsafe world, that he was misunderstood, “acquainted with grief”, that he wept over rejection and the death of his friends, that he experienced physical hardship as well as physical and verbal abuse, that he was not esteemed by those he loved and that in fact his own did not accept him, that he battled against temptation, that he faced fear of death and death itself, and finally that he was betrayed and he died outside “the gate” (meaning he didn’t belong anywhere) in shame.
Does any of this sound familiar to you? Do you think Jesus cried out to the Father as He lived His life from start to finish?
SCRIPTURE
As you read the following Scriptures, consider the real life experiences of Jesus that were similar to your own experiences today. Jesus was a very real person. A person who can bring comfort to you because He experienced the need for comfort in His own human life among us. When you cry out to Him, he hears and responds. You will find He can say to you, “I can understand what you are going through because I have been there.”
WHEN YOU ARE MISUNDERSTOOD
Matthew 9. Here is a story of Jesus entering a home in which a young girl had just died. The professional mourners were told by Jesus that the girl was not dead, just asleep. Of course, they derided and mocked him bitterly because they had seen the dead girl. But although dead, Jesus raised her back to life. They did not understand the power, and care, that Jesus had. If you are seeing only "death" like the mourners, cry out to Him to be able to see "life" just like He does!
Matthew 21. Speaking of misunderstanding the very heart of God, the main temple in Jerusalem was turned into a sellers’ and shoppers’ bazaar, a place to make a financial profit for businessmen. It had morally decayed from its original purpose of prayer and reflection. Jesus went into the temple and cleared out all the business people. He was grieved at their lack of understanding of God’s heart. Perhaps someone has misunderstood your heart as well.
Luke 9. The Gospels tell us of a time when some of the apostles started to argue about which of them was most important, which of them might be in higher positions of power. It’s hard to understand how they could have missed seeing and understanding the servant-heart of Jesus. Jesus had to place a small child in their midst, telling them to be like this small child. Approach Jesus today as a trusting child would.
WHEN YOU ARE BETRAYED BY SOMEONE YOU LOVE
Matthew 26. At the Last Supper, Judas slipped away to betray Jesus. Judas was the money-bag keeper for the apostles, a man given responsibility. But he chose to stay in the shadows and put his trust in money.
Matthew 26. After the Last Supper, when Jesus was put on “trial”, Peter disowned Jesus three times, stating that he never even heard of Jesus. Feeling alone? He's been there!
WHEN YOU EXPERIENCE GRIEF AND LOSS
Mark 6. John the Baptist was beheaded by a drunken, pleasure-seeking king, someone with no sense of a moral compass. John was the cousin of Jesus, and Jesus took his murder as a tremendous loss.
John 11. Lazarus, and his sisters Martha and Mary, were best friends of Jesus. Jesus was often a house guest when in the area. When Lazarus died, Jesus came and, upon seeing the tomb, we find the shortest verse in Scripture: “Jesus cried.” He missed his friend, and he was so moved to see the two sisters in such sorrow. Martha and Mary cried out to Jesus in their sorrow; so can you!
WHEN YOU MAY HAVE EXPERIENCED PHYSICAL ABUSE
All four Gospels. Toward the end of each Gospel, the crucifixion story is told. The amount of pain and suffering, let alone mental anguish, is indescribable.
WHEN YOU MAY HAVE EXPERIENCED VERBAL ABUSE
All four Gospels. At his trial and crucifixion, Jesus was mocked repeatedly by those he was dying to save.
Luke 11. At one time in his public ministry, he was called the devil incarnate because of his miracles. This kind of verbal abuse twisted who Jesus was and what He was doing.
WHEN YOU EXPERIENCE PHYSICAL PAIN, FATIGUE, HUNGER
Mark 6. Sometimes we think Jesus was always on the go, always teaching or healing. The truth is he got tired, as did his apostles. Sometimes he decided to get away for a brief respite and to recharge His batteries. He understands exhaustion and weariness.
John 4. When Jesus entered the town of Sychar in Samaria, Scripture tells us he was tired and thirsty from a long walk. Even though exhausted, he took time to talk with the town prostitute, at the town’s well, to tell her about the Living Water He would provide to her. This same Living Water is available today, now, to anyone who cries out to Him!
WHEN YOU WORRY ABOUT DAILY LIFE, JOB, INCOME, ETC.
We know that Jesus learned the carpentry trade from Joseph, his earthly father. When Joseph died, Jesus became the bread-winner and ran a small business to support both He and Mary. Every small business owner wears many hats, with a full plate of challenges; so did Jesus. In fact, most of his life was spent running this business; his public ministry took only the last three years of his life!
Mark 12. Here we find an uplifting story of Jesus in the temple, watching people put in their offerings. He made special notice of a widow who put in all the money she had, and her faith moved Jesus tremendously. Not noticed by the temple leaders, she was noticed by Jesus. Do you think God would make sure that widow had something to eat that night? The widow trusted what she could not see: her future. God always responds to this type of trust!
WHEN YOU MAY HAVE EXPERIENCED ABANDONMENT AND REJECTION
Luke 13. Upon entering Jerusalem one time, Jesus groaned in sorrow and frustration that the people had not turned to him for freedom and healing. He compared himself to a mother hen, wanting to protect her chicks under her wing. You can hear the sense of rejection pouring out of the depths of Jesus.
Matthew 13. At the end of this chapter we read about Jesus returning to his hometown, and how the people there were confused and offended that this local person was using such power to teach and heal. They thought they knew him and had pigeon-holed him into someone he actually wasn’t. He was rejected by his own family and friends.
John 6. Jesus was teaching about being the bread of life, about trusting in him for eternal life, and not everyone could or wanted to believe this. The Scripture tells us that many disciples turned back and no longer followed him.
WHEN YOU EXPERIENCE THE WORLD AS UNSAFE
Matthew 12. Jesus went into a synagogue, saw a man with a shriveled hand and made his hand whole and normal. But since this happened on the Sabbath, the temple leaders got angry at what they saw was a major infraction of a man-made rule (not to work on a Sabbath). One can only imagine the real frustration Jesus felt when a rule was placed above a healing of a hurting man. This “rule-first” attitude was unsafe to Jesus as well as to the people, and to us today.
Luke 13. When Jesus was about to enter Jerusalem he was warned not to, for Herod the king wanted to kill Jesus if he could find Him. What could be more unsafe? If you cry out for safety, you will find it!
WHEN YOU EXPERIENCE TEMPTATION
Matthew 4. This chapter begins with the story of Satan tempting Jesus in three ways: to make bread out of stones in order to show His power, to take an action which would result in harm (in this case, jumping off the highest part of a temple), and to long for worldly wealth and power. All of us have dealt with such thoughts as well.
WHEN YOU EXPERIENCE FEAR OF DEATH AND DEATH ITSELF
Matthew 26. After the Last Supper, in the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus prayed three times that another plan, any other plan, could be put in place instead of the crucifixion. He literally sweat blood at the thought of what was coming, and why He must do this.
At the end of various readings in Comfort.Guide, we will have a "Pause", "Reflect" and "Receive" section. The purpose of this exercise is to help you better understand and to personally absorb the encouragement Comfort.Guide offers. If you would like, visit the "HOW TO USE" page for a review of "Pause, Reflect and Receive".
PAUSE … Invite Him to be with you; let Him quiet you with His Love.
REFLECT… What is God saying to you?
* What might it really mean for you to know that Jesus was described as "Emmanuel": God With Us?
* Of the many experiences Jesus had as shown above, which ones are most like your life now?
* Can you begin to see how crying out to Jesus bears fruit, because He's "been there"?
RECEIVE … It's normal for hurting people to need help to even ask for healing! Healing isn't connected to feelings; it starts with a choice. And the choice is simply to ask Him to help you agree and accept what He is saying to you. He has ample Grace available to you now.
Click HERE to go back to "Week 4 Outline".
Click HERE to go to the next reading "Seeing our Losses Clearly - Extended Scale".