23 “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son,
and they shall call his name Immanuel”
(which means, God with us). Matthew 1:23
Matthews account of the birth of Jesus highlights and points his audience to the idea that the birth of Jesus was God coming to be with His people. This is a huge historical event that is often forgotten or overlooked.
In our busy lives full of things and people that we consider incredibly important we often forget or fail to realize who God is. God is the creator of all things. God is all powerful. God is all knowing. God is sovereignly in control of all things. God never makes a mistake. God never fails. The best human on their best day do not come close to that which God can do. As we consider the great accomplishments of men we need to remember that these accomplishments pale in comparison to that which God does.
This God who stands infinitely above us is a God who chooses to live with us. God comes to live with us so that He might save us from our sin. This should be above and beyond our comprehension. This should astound us and place us in awe. As Matthew quotes Isaiah in his account of the birth of Jesus this is what Matthew is communicating. God coming to be with us is a huge deal. Each Christmas this is what we celebrate and remember. This truth about God is one that we should not only remember at Christmas, but it is one that we should think about on a regular basis. Too often we shrink God to be someone that we think we can understand. Too often we overlook the reality that God has come to be with us so that He might ultimately die for our sins.