Behold Emmanuel, God With Us

by Rick Warren — December 24, 2022
From Behold! The Best News Ever

“Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here, for he has risen, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples that he has risen from the dead, and behold, he is going before you to Galilee.”

Matthew 28:5-7 (ESV)

If Jesus had not come back to life, then nobody in the world would be celebrating Christmas. Why? Because Jesus would’ve been a liar and a fake.

Jesus claimed to be God, which a lot of people in history have done—but only Jesus proved it. He defeated death by raising himself back to life.

The resurrection is the most important event in history—so significant that every other event in history is dated in relationship to it. It’s even more important than Christmas; without the resurrection, Christmas wouldn’t matter.

On that first Easter morning, several women who loved Jesus came to his tomb to anoint his body with spices. A large stone had been placed at the opening of Jesus’ tomb. Suddenly there was an earthquake as an angel of the Lord came down from heaven. He rolled away the stone, sat on top of it, and said to the women, “‘Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here, for he has risen, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples that he has risen from the dead, and behold, he is going before you to Galilee . . . So they departed quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, and ran to tell his disciples.

“And behold, Jesus met them and said, ‘Greetings!’ And they came up and took hold of his feet and worshiped him. Then Jesus said to them, ‘Do not be afraid; go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee, and there they will see me’” (Matthew 28:5-10 ESV).

Jesus didn’t immediately return to heaven after he came back to life. Instead, he spent the next 40 days meeting and eating with people. He even preached a sermon to 500 people!

After 40 days, Jesus gave these last instructions before he went back to heaven: “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:19-20 ESV).

God came to Earth at Christmas because he is Emmanuel, God with us. And he is still with us today.

Through his birth, death, and resurrection, Jesus showed you how much he loves you. And he promises to be with you today, no matter what you’re going through. You are not alone.

Behold, the best news ever!   

Talk It Over

  • Why is it so amazing that Jesus is Emmanuel, God with us?
  • How are you obeying Jesus’ last instructions to go and make disciples?
  • What are some ways you can intentionally design your Christmas celebrations so that they also remind you of the hope of the resurrection?

Have you ever opened your heart to Emmanuel?

Jesus is Emmanuel, God with us. But he won’t force himself into your life. You have to make the choice to accept him as your Savior and Lord. If you’re ready to do that today, pray this prayer of faith:

“Dear God, I hear you knocking at the door of my heart, and I want to open it up to you. I confess that I have sinned and that I need your forgiveness and mercy. Thank you for loving me so much that you sent Jesus to die for my sins, so that I can be forgiven.

“Jesus, you promised that anyone who believes in you will not perish but have everlasting life and eternity with you in heaven. I believe in you and accept you as my Lord and Savior. I want to allow you into all the rooms of my heart and spend the rest of my life serving you. Amen.”

If you just prayed to accept Jesus, please email me at [email protected] and let me know about it. I’d like to send you some free materials to help you start your journey with Jesus.


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