Emmanuel: God With Us in Vulnerability and Strength

One of the most beautiful truths of Christmas is the image of the incarnation—God choosing to dwell among us, not waiting for us to become godlike or perfect, but meeting us exactly where we are. We are imperfect, we stumble, and we can never reach the heights of God. Yet in divine humility and boundless love, God came to us, “God with us,” Emmanuel.

But God did not come as a king or a warrior, but as a servant. Jesus himself reminds us: “The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve” (Matthew 20:28). And not only did God come to serve, but God entered this world in the most vulnerable form possible—the body of a baby.

A baby, dependent entirely on the care of others. The Savior of the world, reliant on humanity. Jesus, the Savior, entrusted himself to the arms of a young, poor, and marginalized woman—Mary.

Let us pause and reflect on this: Mary, a virgin, brave and determined, stepped forward with faith, knowing the risks. She faced rejection and potential persecution, not only as a woman in a patriarchal society but as one expecting a child outside of marriage. Yet she carried the Savior of the world in her womb, knowing that God often works through the lowly and despised things of the world to reveal divine glory.

Through Mary, God overturned worldly power. Kings were shamed by the strength of a young woman, and salvation came through the one society would overlook. The persecuted mother cared for her Savior. The one who needed saving nurtured the Savior of us all.

This is the heart of Christmas—the vulnerable God who chose to dwell among the vulnerable, to lift us all. Emmanuel, God with us, shows us the beauty of humility, the power of love, and the hope found in even the smallest and weakest among us.

This Christmas, let us come together to celebrate the birth of Jesus, the Prince of Peace, our Savior, and Servant King.

Warmly,

Rev. David Gaitan – Pastor