HALLELUJAH; GOD WITH US (MATTHEW 1:18-25)

Many people celebrate Christmas without Jesus. This Christmas is a great remind that without the savior, Christmas is empty. The name Emmanuel signifies the presence of God with in all circumstances of our lives. Matthew presents these events as fulfilling the prophecy of a virgin giving birth to a son named Immanuel, meaning “God with us” in Isaiah 7:14. Joseph complies with the angel’s instructions even when he had contemplated abandoning Mary.

Emmanuel brings out the reality of incarnation representing the divine and human natures of our Lord Jesus Christ. It further reveals to us the assurance of God’s presence in our lives as declared in the great commission in Matthew 28:16-20; “I will be with you till the end of the age”.

The presence of Christ in our lives is revealed and experienced when we accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Saviour. The Bible says in Matthew 1:20-21 “ 20 But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21 She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus,[a] because he will save his people from their sins.” The significant role of Christ in our lives is to save us from sin. Deliverance from sin is the greatest miracle ever.

A person can be healed from sickness, or delivered from demonic forces or escape an accident. Some people come to church every Sunday but without a personal acknowledgement of Jesus Christ as Lord, one will never fully experience the presence of Christ; God Emmanuel.

My prayer during this Christmas day is that we can open our hearts to allow Jesus in our lives. His presence brings transformation and total change in the lives of believers.

In the Prophesy of Isaiah 9:6, the people who walked in darkness saw the light but also the new born son was a Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. The Kingdom was on his shoulders. He alone is able to make governments run, he makes families function, he causes peace to prevail when there is war. To ask Jesus to come into your life and experience the power of his presence, you need to believe
in your heart and confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord. Romans: 10:8-10 “ 8 What it says is this: ‘God’s message is near you, on your lips and in your heart’-that is, the message of Faith that we preach. 9 If you confess that Jesus is Lord and believe that God raised him from death, you will be saved. 10 For it is by faith that we are put right with God; it is by our confession that we are saved. 

I wish each one of you a blessed Christmas and blessed New Year.

God Bless you
The Very Rev. Canon Dr. Rebecca Nyegenye
Provost