ALL IN THE FAMILY
BY PASTOR CHARLES RICKS, JR.
“Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel.” — Isaiah 7:14 (NKJV)
When we think of “family,” most think of those individuals whom we love and hold dear. However, we can all agree that “family can be messy.” Biblically, we can trace messiness back to the beginning of time. Even as we look at the glorious birth of Jesus, we find the common thread of messiness. Yet, because of Jesus, there’s always redemption and there is always purpose… even for the mess.
There are several facts around Jesus’s birth: Mary and Joseph were engaged. Mary finds out that she’s pregnant by the Holy Spirit. Mary and Joseph had never been intimate, because the Gospel of Matthew specifically points out, “Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: after His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 1:18).
From a natural perspective, this would certainly qualify as a mess!
Just like it took divine intervention for Joseph and Mary to sort through their mess, it takes divine intervention—the Holy Spirit—to help us to sort through our mess. Because of a greater purpose, they had been included in a plan that was prophesied by Isaiah years earlier.
We are included in this plan. We are introduced to a name of Jesus that we can hold on to in a very up close and personal way… Immanuel, which means God is With Us. God gave Jesus this name, which means His presence is here with us. Even though Mary and Joseph were the first ones to have an up close and personal relationship with Jesus on the earth, it didn’t end there. Right in the middle of the messiness of your family and mine, Immanuel is with us. It is not merely His name—it is the embodiment of who He is.
Are you trusting Jesus in an up close and personal way? He was Immanuel then, and He is Immanuel now.
Prayer: Dear Jesus, help me to always be reminded that You are always with me. No matter how messy the situation, help me to see the redemptive promise that I have in Jesus. Amen.
