Immanuel

Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel (which means, God with us).

A mom walks into her daughter’s room and finds her curled up in the bed, holding a photo of her dad, tears streaming down her face. It’s Christmas Eve and her dad is a soldier, deployed overseas during the holidays. He has kept in touch with letters, video calls, and recordings of bedtime stories. But it’s not the same. She looks at her mom and says, “I miss him. I wish he was here for real.”

She’s feeling the absence of someone she loves. Even with video calls, nothing can really fill the void of someone’s presence. We feel the distance… we feel the absence and we don’t like that feeling. It reminds us that something isn’t right about this world. Absence makes us feel lost.

I have a framed picture of my grandmother on my nightstand. I miss her at Christmas more than ever. But that’s not a bad thing. It’s a very human thing, to miss the people you love. God understands that feeling and speaks directly to it.

Christmas tells us that God Himself is not absent or distant. He is with us! His presence brings the comfort, security, and peace we are longing for.

God Himself bridged the gap between absence and presence. His nearness is the heart of the Christmas story.

From the very beginning, humanity has known the ache of God’s absence. In Genesis 3, after Adam and Eve sinned, they hid from God, and the close fellowship they once enjoyed with Him was broken. They had never felt absence before that moment.

The Bible describes a world groaning under the weight of this separation. Even the people of God have felt it, as evidenced by many of the Psalms:

Why, O Lord, do you stand far away? Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble?

Even today, in our darkest moments, God can feel distant. When sickness or injury happens, when relationships become a struggle, when the bills start to pile up… we start asking where is God?

It’s because of sin that we feel this absence… It’s not because of God. But Christmas is God’s resounding declaration that sin will not have the last word.

Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel (which means, God with us).

This is not just a comforting idea; it’s a present reality. God has already closed the gap. He has already stepped into our world, not as a distant observer, but as a fully present Savior.

And nothing else is going to work. Nothing us is going to help.

Think of a child lost in a store, frantically searching for a parent. They may be surrounded by strangers offering help and promising safety, but nothing is going to calm that child down until they see their mom or dad. They don’t want to hear a stranger’s words—they need mom or dad’s presence.

When Jesus was born in Bethlehem, God wasn’t sending help from a distance. He wasn’t sending another prophet. He was coming for us Himself.

His presence among us means we are not alone in our fears, our struggles, or our questions. The transcendent God became imminent—near, physical, knowable.

And His presence is not temporary; it’s eternal. In Jesus, the separation caused by sin is undone. Through His life, death, and resurrection, Jesus has opened the way for God to dwell with us forever.

Jesus didn’t just come to visit; He came to stay. His presence is with us now through the Holy Spirit, and one day, we will experience it fully in the new heavens and new earth.

Revelation 21:3 announces God’s plan:

And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God.

He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.

This is the ultimate answer to absence—eternal communion with God. Imagine the finger of Jesus personally wiping away your tears, because that’s the promise! …

There’s a tradition in some cultures during the holidays where an empty chair is left at the table, symbolizing a loved one who couldn’t be there.

On that first Christmas night, the “empty chair” of God’s apparent distance was filled. In the most unexpected way—in the form of a baby—God Himself took His seat at the table of humanity. The Creator entered creation to be with us.

He didn’t just send prophets or angels to speak on His behalf; He came in person, bridging the gap between heaven and earth.

This matters because His presence gives us peace. When life feels overwhelming, we can rest in the assurance that God is not far away. As Psalm 34:18 reminds us:

The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.

His presence also gives us purpose. We are not aimless wanderers in a meaningless world. God’s nearness transforms our daily lives into opportunities to walk with Him, reflect His glory, and share His light.

And finally, His presence gives us hope. In a world where absence often feels more real than presence, Christmas reminds us that God has come and will come again. The promise of Immanuel means that even in the darkest valleys, we are never alone.

As we gather this Christmas Eve, let us remember that the heart of the gospel is not just what God has done for us but that He is with us. His presence is the antidote to absence, the fulfillment of our deepest longing, and the greatest gift we could ever receive.

Perhaps you came here tonight feeling distant from God or unsure of His nearness. If that’s you, know that God’s name is Immanuel because He refuses to be absent from His people. He doesn’t just tolerate our presence; He delights in being WITH US.

So, as we light candles, sing carols, and reflect on the miracle of the manger, let us marvel at this: the God of the universe is not far off. He is here.