Emmanuel: God-With-Us and Us-With-God
Preacher: The Rev. Andrew Van Kirk
Scripture: Isaiah 7:10-16
God is not Alenuel (God-Against-Us), Tachteynuel (God-Under-Us), or "Menuel" (God-Away-From-Us), but Emmanuel (God-With-Us), with us in Christ through every aspect of existence from birth to death. Because He is fully "God-With-Us," He secures our eternal hope and identity as "Us-With-God."
Reflection Questions
"Emmanuel" isn't just a title, but a description of reality: God is with us in the rain, on a train, in a box, with a fox. Think about your daily routine—your commute, your office, your home, your errands. Where is the most mundane or unexpected place you need to be reminded that God is actually with you right now?
For high-achieving professionals or those used to performance reviews, it’s easy to feel like God is Alenuel, just another boss grading our work. In what areas of your life (parenting, career, morality) do you struggle with the feeling that God is against you or disappointed in you, rather than for you?
How can we tell the difference between truly following God and just making God a mascot for our own views, our Tachteynuel? Can you share a time when God’s word actually challenged a strong opinion or preference you held, proving He isn't "under" you?
If you are currently feeling distant from God, if God feels like Menuel, what comfort does it bring to know that Jesus went "all the way"—even through death—to ensure He is with us in the darkest places?
Because He is God-With-Us, we are given the new eternal name Us-With-God. How does knowing that your identity is permanently linked to God—before birth, through life, and after death—change how you view the temporary stressors of this holiday season or the uncertainties of the coming new year?
