December 25th, 2022
by Robert Presson
by Robert Presson
“And they shall call his name Immanuel (which means, God with us)” — Matthew 1:23 ESV
What is the Bible about? When you step back and get the big-picture view of the Bible (what you might call the 30,000-foot-view), the Bible is about God. That’s the main subject of the Bible is that it is a revelation of who God is and what He is like. But it’s not just a revelation of God. It’s a record of how God has interacted with humanity. It’s a book about encounters with God.
The whole Bible from Genesis to Revelation is a portrait of God’s desire to be with humanity. God is relational. He has always wanted to be with us.
In the Garden of Eden, God walked with Adam and Eve in the cool of the day (Gen. 3:8). When they sinned, they were declaring that they were okay with living apart from God. But God was not okay with living apart from them. God has pursued humanity ever since.
In the wilderness, God manifested His presence in a pillar of cloud and a pillar of fire, and established a place of His dwelling in the Tabernacle. Then, in the temple, His presence was said to abide in the Most Holy Place.
Then when Christ came, He was “Immanuel” — God with us. In Him dwelt all the fullness of the Godhead bodily (Col. 2:9). He was God manifest in the flesh (1 Tim. 3:16). God Himself came to visit His people (Luke 19:44). He desires to be with us so much that He lived as one of us, walking among us.
But it didn’t stop there. Jesus sent the Holy Spirit, so we can experience Him now, and one day, in the New Heavens and New Earth, we will be with Him (Rev. 21:3), and we will see His face — the face of Immanuel, the God who wants to be with us.
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This blog is an excerpt from Robert Presson’s devotional book, “Look to Jesus,” available for a donation of any amount at cityrevivalnola.com/give. Please indicate that you would like the book when you give.
What is the Bible about? When you step back and get the big-picture view of the Bible (what you might call the 30,000-foot-view), the Bible is about God. That’s the main subject of the Bible is that it is a revelation of who God is and what He is like. But it’s not just a revelation of God. It’s a record of how God has interacted with humanity. It’s a book about encounters with God.
The whole Bible from Genesis to Revelation is a portrait of God’s desire to be with humanity. God is relational. He has always wanted to be with us.
In the Garden of Eden, God walked with Adam and Eve in the cool of the day (Gen. 3:8). When they sinned, they were declaring that they were okay with living apart from God. But God was not okay with living apart from them. God has pursued humanity ever since.
In the wilderness, God manifested His presence in a pillar of cloud and a pillar of fire, and established a place of His dwelling in the Tabernacle. Then, in the temple, His presence was said to abide in the Most Holy Place.
Then when Christ came, He was “Immanuel” — God with us. In Him dwelt all the fullness of the Godhead bodily (Col. 2:9). He was God manifest in the flesh (1 Tim. 3:16). God Himself came to visit His people (Luke 19:44). He desires to be with us so much that He lived as one of us, walking among us.
But it didn’t stop there. Jesus sent the Holy Spirit, so we can experience Him now, and one day, in the New Heavens and New Earth, we will be with Him (Rev. 21:3), and we will see His face — the face of Immanuel, the God who wants to be with us.
------------------
This blog is an excerpt from Robert Presson’s devotional book, “Look to Jesus,” available for a donation of any amount at cityrevivalnola.com/give. Please indicate that you would like the book when you give.
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