#DailyDevotion Jesus Is God With Us
Matthew 122All this happened so that what the Lord said through the prophet would come true: 23“The virgin will conceive and have a Son, and He will be called Immanuel,” which means “God-with-us.” 24When Joseph awoke, he did what the Lord’s angel had ordered him to do. He took his wife home with him 25but didn’t have relations with her until she had a son. And he called Him Jesus.
The Living God, the God of the Bible, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, The Father, Son and Holy Spirit God, this God makes and keeps and fulfills his promises. I seriously cannot think of another god that does this. What gods out there even interact with humanity? If there are any they are few indeed.
This passage shows us the LORD keeping his promises and fulfilling the prophecies he has spoken through the prophets. He had sent a message through the prophet Isaiah to King Ahaz, “The virgin will conceive and have a Son, and He will be called Immanuel,” which means “God-with-us.” Now in Joseph’s hearing this prophecy is coming to fulfillment. May, the betrothed virgin of Joseph is carrying a child in her womb. Now this is not any ordinary child. This child was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit.
As the LORD once was with Israel in the pillar of cloud by day and fire by night, God would be with us. As the LORD was with Israel with the Ark of the Covenant and the Tabernacle, God would be with us. As the LORD had placed his name on the Temple in Jerusalem and was with Israel, God would be with us. Now this child in the Virgin Mary in his flesh is God with Us. He is Immanuel.
The LORD had promised the kingdoms of Syria and Israel would be nothing by the time this child is born and can eat, and so it will be. Israel and Syria at the time of Ahaz are no more. So the LORD promises here at the beginning of Matthew is God with us. Jesus in the flesh is Immanuel, God with us, more than that he God for us. Joseph believes the word of the LORD from the angel and takes Mary as his wife. When she gives birth to the child, Joseph names him Jesus.
At the end of the gospel of Matthew, before Jesus ascends to the right hand of the Father he promises his apostles, “Lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” The Church is now the abiding presence of Jesus. Wherever two or three are gathered in my name, Jesus promises, I am in your midst. The Church is Jesus’ presence with us and for us. For as the Church gathers in his name, he bestows his grace upon humanity. Jesus gives us his word in the Church. Jesus baptizes us into his body in the Church. Jesus gives us his body and blood for the forgiveness of sins in the Church. Jesus has his members comfort and strengthen one another through the Church. Jesus absolves the sins of men in the Church and through his pastors. Jesus is and always be God With Us.
Heavenly Father, grant us the abiding presence of your Son Jesus Christ through your Church that we may receive the abiding presence and graces of Jesus to the end we are saved and give you glory. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.
Has the Ark of the Covenant ever been found? Where is the one pictured located?
Not that we know of though some believe it is in a church in Ethiopia. The picture is just an artist represtation of what it looked like. However, Jesus is the true Ark of the Covenant. The one the Israelites had was only a model.