Emmanuel in Exodus is the name of our church’s Christmas Program this season. 

I really hadn’t given the title to our program much thought until Wednesday night when our worship pastor, BJ,  drew our attention to it.  Jesus’ earth-bound name in Matthew 1:23 is Emmanuel, meaning God with us. Exodus simply means a departure. 

Emmanuel indeed made an exodus from heaven in order to dwell with us. He wanted to be a savior who could honestly say He had all the “feels” of the human experience (Heb. 4:15)

When He came, people saw something very different in His loving face other than what organized religion had been offering. Religion, at this point in time, had only been offering truth – which is needful – but truth without grace is harsh my friends.

John 1:14 tells us that when people saw the glory of Jesus, they beheld truth AND grace.  Truth and grace coupled together are healing.

Emmanuel’s exodus from glory was God’s most colossal reach down for us. No matter how many times humanity has tried to reach up to God down through history, He has always had to come down to us. Back in Genesis 11, people tried to build a tower they thought could reach up to God, but He still came down. When Moses climbed Mt. Sinai in Exodus 19, God still had to come down in a thick cloud. It is God’s nature to continually reach down for us, His beloved, fallen creation because He is continually seeking us.

When Emmanuel made the exodus from heaven to dwell among us, He created an entrance for us back into relationship with God. And because Emmanuel was truly God in the flesh, He actually exiled Himself from glory because of His great love for us. He literally became the sacrificial lamb for the sins of the world.

…“Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” John 1:29b

This Christmas season, maybe you need to make an exodus of sorts yourself. Do you need to depart from a life devoid of purpose? Do you need to depart from feelings of bitterness and unforgiveness? Enter into the life of grace that Jesus, Emmanuel, came to gift to you freely. Enter into a relationship with God through His Son that leads to joy unspeakable in the here-and-now and eternal life in the ever-after.

Please join us at Highland Baptist to learn more about Emmanuel in Exodus on December 9 at 6 pm. 

This is one of my favorite songs we are singing. Because Emmanuel was in exodus…We are not alone!
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