When I heard that my father was preaching in his church on Christmas Eve, I asked him what his sermon was about (Sermon). He replied that the text given to him from the gospel of Matthew was about the names of Jesus. This got me thinking about names. Today we live in a Shakespearean world where names really don’t have any particular significance. Listen to the famous lines that Shakespeare says to Romeo through Juliet:
"Oh, Romeo, Romeo, why do you have to be Romeo? Forget about your father and change your name…It’s only your name that’s my enemy. You’d still be yourself even if you stopped being a Montague. What’s a Montague anyway? It isn’t a hand, a foot, an arm, a face, or any other part of a man. Oh, be some other name! What does a name mean? The thing we call a rose would smell just as sweet if we called it by any other name. Romeo would be just as perfect even if he wasn’t called Romeo. Romeo, lose your name. Trade in your name—which really has nothing to do with you—and take all of me in exchange."
And yet, it is the names of Montague and Capulet, the great houses to which Romeo and Juliet belonged respectively, that give life and equally death to the great tragedy of Romeo and Juliet. Despite Shakespeare, names do matter even in the Shakespearean world.
The name that captured my imagination and commanded my reflection this Christmas season is the name Immanuel, that Matthew reveals to us his readers as the name of Jesus. After he narrates the event of an angel appearing to Joseph and asking him to give the name ‘Jesus’ to the baby that his fiancee Mary would bear, Matthew reflects on the ancient prophecy found in Isaiah about this other name - Immanuel, for the baby boy Jesus.
Simply translated, Immanuel means - God with us. There is an immediate powerful message of hope and encouragement for all of us here - that in Jesus, God is with us. He is there with us through our tough times as well as through times of sorrow and grief. God is with us, we are not alone. We will never walk alone, because, in Jesus, God is with us. He is not a faraway god or a god that appears once in a while, but he is God with us, a God who dwells within us.
And yet, there is a deeper insight in the name Immanuel - God with us. While we can indeed take encouragement in the message of God being with us, this is a derived meaning of Immanuel. The primary meaning is that the one called Immanuel, Jesus, in himself, is God with us. In other words, Jesus is God with us. Jesus, the baby whose birth we celebrate on Christmas is none other than God with us. What does it even mean for Jesus born as a human baby to Mary to be God with us? This points to the great mystery of a transcendent god being made immanent in Jesus. There is a blurring of the lines between transcendence and immanence. Jesus - perfect man, one of us, and yet God - indeed, a man-god! Centuries of debates have followed on this dual nature of Jesus and till now this remains shrouded in mystery without a final word.
This awesome paradox of incarnation is wonderfully captured by the lyrics of the song ‘Mary did you know’ by Pentatonix.
The name that captured my imagination and commanded my reflection this Christmas season is the name Immanuel, that Matthew reveals to us his readers as the name of Jesus. After he narrates the event of an angel appearing to Joseph and asking him to give the name ‘Jesus’ to the baby that his fiancee Mary would bear, Matthew reflects on the ancient prophecy found in Isaiah about this other name - Immanuel, for the baby boy Jesus.
Simply translated, Immanuel means - God with us. There is an immediate powerful message of hope and encouragement for all of us here - that in Jesus, God is with us. He is there with us through our tough times as well as through times of sorrow and grief. God is with us, we are not alone. We will never walk alone, because, in Jesus, God is with us. He is not a faraway god or a god that appears once in a while, but he is God with us, a God who dwells within us.
And yet, there is a deeper insight in the name Immanuel - God with us. While we can indeed take encouragement in the message of God being with us, this is a derived meaning of Immanuel. The primary meaning is that the one called Immanuel, Jesus, in himself, is God with us. In other words, Jesus is God with us. Jesus, the baby whose birth we celebrate on Christmas is none other than God with us. What does it even mean for Jesus born as a human baby to Mary to be God with us? This points to the great mystery of a transcendent god being made immanent in Jesus. There is a blurring of the lines between transcendence and immanence. Jesus - perfect man, one of us, and yet God - indeed, a man-god! Centuries of debates have followed on this dual nature of Jesus and till now this remains shrouded in mystery without a final word.
This awesome paradox of incarnation is wonderfully captured by the lyrics of the song ‘Mary did you know’ by Pentatonix.
Mary did you know that your baby boy will one day walk on water?
Mary did you know that your baby boy will save our sons and daughters?
Did you know that your baby boy has come to make you new?
This child that you've delivered, will soon deliver you
Mary did you know that your baby boy will give sight to a blind man?
Mary did you know that your baby boy will calm a storm with his hand?
Did you know that your baby boy has walked where angels trod?
And when you kiss your little baby, you have kissed the face of God
Mary did you know, Mary did you know, Mary did you know
The blind will see, the deaf will hear and the dead will live again
The lame will leap, the dumb will speak, the praises of the lamb
Mary did you know that your baby boy is Lord of all creation?
Mary did you know that your baby boy will one day rule the nations?
Did you know that your baby boy is heaven's perfect Lamb?
This sleeping child you're holding is the great I am
Mary did you know, Mary did you know, Mary did you know
It is this powerful mystery of the birth of Jesus, named Immanuel - the God-man, that we celebrate on Christmas. This name is a mystery that is not yet resolved. It is the mother of all mysteries that demands our complete attention. And Jesus as Immanuel - God with us, as the living symbol, is this great mystery waiting to be unravelled. What does it really mean for Jesus to be God with us, and if he is indeed God with us, then what does it entail for us and our being human? Perhaps, this God-man is a visible representation of God's relationship with the world, and what if in seeking this mystery we unleash potentialities and possibilities previously unknown to humans? This mystery demands a lifetime of pursuit and in this seeking, even if the haze continues, we might find something, perhaps ourselves. And hopefully in this seeking and finding, the name Immanuel envelopes and embraces us.
Merry Christmas 2017!
Merry Christmas 2017!
A Christmas Gift by my Thai Buddhist friend Gypsy Jingle Bells
Very encouraging post, Dr Prince. You've got yourself a sermon there :)
ReplyDeleteIt's interesting that you mentioned "Mary Did You Know". In my recent pregnancy, I often wondered about the future of my son, and have played this song on repeat many times. Mary's journey has been a deep comfort and inspiration for me. I do love Pentatonix, too :)
On a side note, the song was written by Mark Lowry and here he is, singing with a choir - https://youtu.be/uaRpeMT1tjQ
Blessed Christmas to you and your family!