Our God came down to live with us some 2,000 years ago in the body of a man named Jesus. Jesus was “Emmanuel,” which means “God with us.” Jesus was the final answer to God’s plan to reconcile judgment with love. You see, God is both loving and judging. You ask how can that be? Well, we love our children and yet we judge their bad behavior and allow consequences for that behavior as a way of teaching them right from wrong.
How then is God so much different? Given the magnitude of our corporate wrongs as humans from the first human on through time, God has a lot of judging and lessons for us.
But God is so loving that he just wants to pull us into his arms, like a hen gathers her chicks under her wings. How can he be all loving and full of justice at the same time?
Jesus, Emmanuel, God with us. The often quoted John 3:16, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” is so true. God gave himself to take our punishment, so that we might live with him forever. He loved us that much.
Jesus came and showed us what God was like, and how he wants us to live. Then he willingly gave his life up as the sacrificial lamb. But, and here is the best part, he rose again from the dead. He not only paid the price for our guilt, but he conquered death on our behalf. We can now live with our loved ones forever.
Just don’t miss that one part of John 3:16, “that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” God has given us free will. Making us puppets that march to his command would not be love. Love has to be freely given. So, God gave us the freedom to believe or refuse to believe. It is our choice, yours and mine.
I hope you will visit this website often, and learn what is is like to chose to believe in Jesus, after Emmanuel, living, seeking following.
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After Emmanuel 