031020755X_relation_fm.qxp 9/8/06 2:21 PM Page 1

This page is intentionally left blank

0310276144_immanuel.indd 1

5/17/07 10:23:47 AM

031020755X_relation_fm.qxp 9/8/06 2:21 PM Page 1

This page is intentionally left blank

0310276144_immanuel.indd 3

5/17/07 10:23:48 AM

Immanuel

Copyright © 2007 by Ann Spangler

All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, down loaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of Zondervan.

AER Edition January 2009 ISBN: 978-0-310-53944-5

Requests for information should be addressed to:

Zondervan, Grand Rapids, Michigan 49530

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Spangler, Ann.

Immanuel : praying the names of God through the christmas season /

Ann Spangler.

p.

cm.

Includes bibliographical references.

ISBN-10: 0-310-27614-4 (alk. paper)

ISBN-13: 978-0-310-27614-2 (alk. paper)

1. Advent — Prayer-books and devotions. 2. Christmas — Prayer-books and devotions. 3. God (Christianity) — Name — Prayer-books and devotions.

4. Jesus Christ — Name — Prayer-books and devotions. I. Title.

BV40.S63 2007

242'.33 — dc22

2007001532

All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible: New International Version®. NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.

Internet addresses (websites, blogs, etc.) printed in this book are offered as a resource to you. These are not intended in any way to be or imply an endorse-ment on the part of Zondervan, nor do we vouch for the content of these sites and numbers for the life of this book.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means — electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or any other — except for brief quotations in printed reviews, without the prior permission of the publisher.

07 08 09 10 11 12 • 18 17 16 15 14 13 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

0310276144_immanuel.indd 4

5/17/07 10:23:48 AM

Contents

Acknowledgments

7

Pronunciation Guide to Names

9

A Deeper Wonder 11

Lord — Yahweh, Kyrios

17

Jesus the Savior — Yeshua, Iesous Soter 37

Immanuel — Immanu-el, Emmanouel 59

Child — Yeled, Pais 79

King; King of Kings — Melek, Basileus Basileon 97

Bright Morning Star — Kokab Habboqer 119

Habbahir, Aster Lampros Proinos

Notes 137

About t he Publisher 146

Share Your Thoughts 147

0310276144_immanuel.indd 5

5/17/07 10:23:48 AM

031020755X_relation_fm.qxp 9/8/06 2:21 PM Page 1

This page is intentionally left blank

Acknowledgments

Immanuel is adapted from two books that I have previously written: Praying the Names of God and Praying the Names of Jesus. In both cases, I am indebted to several people who supported me in significant ways throughout the time I

was writing. Associate publisher and executive editor

Sandy VanderZicht has proved both patient and wise as

she critiqued the manuscripts in their original form. Senior

editor at large Verlyn Verbrugge did his best to make sure

that this nonscholar, nontheologian presented the material

in a way consistent with both solid scholarship and sound

theology. In addition, he offered many helpful suggestions

about how best to adapt the material in this book for the

Christmas season. I also want to extend special thanks to

Michelle Espinoza for her creative and careful work on

the interior design of the book. It has made a vital differ-

ence. I am grateful also to Sue Brower and Sherry Guzzy

for their efforts to let the world know about the first two

books, and to Karwyn Bursma for her team and for their

efforts to spread the word about this one.

My hope is that God will use this book both to enrich

your preparation and to enliven your celebration of the

feast of Christmas, helping you to experience his love in

fresh ways.

7

0310276144_immanuel.indd 7

6/6/07 9:00:38 AM

031020755X_relation_fm.qxp 9/8/06 2:21 PM Page 1

This page is intentionally left blank

Pronunciation Guide to Names

Aster Lampros Proinos

as-TAIR lam-PROS pro-i-NOS

Basileus Basileon

ba-si-LEUS ba-si-LE-own

Emmanouel

em-man-ou-AIL

Iesous Soter

yay-SOUS so-TAIR

Immanu-el

im-ma-nu-AIL

Pais

PICE

Kokab Habboqer Habbahir

KO-kab hab-bo-QER

hab-ba-HEER

Kyrios

KU-ree-os

Melek

ME-lek

Yahweh

yah-WEH

Yeled

YEL-ed

Yeshua

ye-shu-AH

9

0310276144_immanuel.indd 9

5/17/07 10:23:48 AM

031020755X_relation_fm.qxp 9/8/06 2:21 PM Page 1

This page is intentionally left blank

A Deeper Wonder

Many children experience Christmas as a time of wonder.

The sounds, smells, and sights of the season add up to a

kind of magic that marks their lives forever. But children

have little idea of how much effort and energy grown-ups

expend to keep the magic going. Even as adults, many of

us are still trying to recapture what we once felt, often

without success.

Remember what happened in the movie version of The

Wizard of Oz when the little dog, Toto, pulled back the curtain and revealed that the great and powerful Wizard

was nothing but a carnival performer, a balloonist from

Omaha who had been blown off course and landed in

Oz? At the end of the story, the man behind the curtain

sheepishly admitted to the disappointed Dorothy and her

friends: “No, I’m afraid it’s true. There’s no other Wizard

but me.” Aren’t we a little like him, standing now behind

our own Christmas curtain, trying hard to perpetuate the

magic?

Despite my misgivings, Christmas is still a big event

in our home. We celebrate in all the usual ways — with

family and friends, with good food, over-the-top decora-

tions, and gifts spread beneath the tree. But rich as it is,

Christmas doesn’t produce the kind of wonder I used to

experience when I still believed in elves and Christmas

11

0310276144_immanuel.indd 11

5/17/07 10:23:49 AM

12 Ann Spangler

legends. Still, whenever I have taken time away from my

frantic pursuits in order to focus on Christmas as a spiri-

tual celebration, I have found a deeper wonder by far.

Like me, many people are beginning to discover or

to rediscover the gift of Advent, a four-week-long season

leading up to the celebration of Christmas. For centu-

ries Chris tians have observed it as a way of reminding

themselves of their hope — that Jesus, who came to us as

a child two thousand years ago, has promised to return,

this time to decisively defeat the darkness that threatens

our world.

You may know that “advent” means “coming” or

“arrival.” Observing Advent is a way of preparing spiri-

tually for Christmas so that our celebration produces a

sense of joy and hope rather than feelings of cynicism and

exhaustion. Advent, then, enables us to celebrate Christ-

mas authentically. But do you know that Christmas itself

was never meant to be merely a one-day event? Traditional

celebrations of Christmas extend for a full twelve days.

So, four weeks for Advent and nearly two weeks for

Christmas add up to six weeks — which is why I’ve put

together six weeks of devotions, drawn from my books

Praying the Names of God and Praying the Names of Jesus, to help you prepare. I want to give you something meaty

to chew on as you consider the true and deep meaning of

Christmas.

0310276144_immanuel.indd 12

5/17/07 10:23:49 AM

Immanuel 13

But why focus on the names and titles of Jesus in this

season? Because in the ancient world names were thought

to express a person’s essential nature, character, or destiny.

This is particularly true when it comes to the names of

God revealed in the Scriptures. By knowing the names

and titles of Jesus — ones like Immanuel, King of Kings,

and Bright Morning Star — we come to know him better.

We begin to perceive how deeply God loves us and how

outrageous his plan to save us truly is.

Think about it — God fathered a child with a human

being. And this child was born like any other — covered

in blood, screaming for air, and attached to his mother

by a fleshy cord. Together, God and a young woman pro-

duced a human being unique in the history of the world.

Even more amazing, this all-powerful, all-holy God

allowed Mary and Joseph to take custody of his child.

Arms that God himself had made would cradle divin-

ity. The plan and purpose of God were accomplished

through weakness, through human limitation, through

dependency — through an infant who was as vulnerable

to harm as anyone has ever been.

This, indeed, is scandal. It overthrows everything we

ever thought about God. No longer is he a God who looks

down on us from unreachable heights, disapproving us,

measuring us, and finding us wanting. Instead, he is a

tender Father, who cannot bear to be separated from his

children, who, in fact, is driven to reveal the extent of his

0310276144_immanuel.indd 13

5/17/07 10:23:49 AM

14 Ann Spangler

love by performing the greatest miracle of all — allowing

his Son to become one of us, to take us by the hand and

lead us out of darkness. This is a miracle we cannot fathom

no matter how often we celebrate it.

I pray this year that your celebration of the feast of

Christmas will be filled with peace and hope and with the

firm assurance that no matter what you face in this world,

you can still rejoice because God is near. Even now, one

heart at a time, he is piercing the darkness with his steady,

unquenchable light.

How to Use This Book

Immanuel is divided into six weeks. Each week is

devoted to studying and praying a particular name of

God. Here is how each week unfolds.

The name page includes the English name of God

and Jesus. Above it is the Hebrew equivalent and

below it is the Greek equivalent.

The next few pages contain a brief overview of

the name as well as key Scripture passages that

contain or pertain to the name.

The Monday section is devoted to reading and

studying. It provides a Scripture passage that

reveals the name, background information, and

a brief Bible study to help you understand the

name.

0310276144_immanuel.indd 14

5/17/07 10:23:49 AM

Immanuel 15

The Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday read-

ings contain devotions to help you pray specific

Scripture passages that contain the name or relate

closely to it. The devotional readings are meant

as a springboard for your own prayer! It will help

to keep your Bible handy while reflecting on the

relevant Scripture passages.

The Friday reading will help you reflect on how

the name connects to God’s promises in Scrip-

ture. It offers key Bible promises that can be read,

reflected on, or even memorized. A section “For

Continued Prayer and Praise” lists additional pas-

sages related to the name that can be prayed on

the weekend.

0310276144_immanuel.indd 15

5/17/07 10:23:49 AM

031020755X_relation_fm.qxp 9/8/06 2:21 PM Page 1

This page is intentionally left blank

h w h y

LordPPP

ku vrioß

0310276144_immanuel.indd 17

5/17/07 10:23:49 AM

18 Lord

The Name

The Hebrew name Yahweh (yah-WEH) occurs more than

6,800 times in the Old Testament. It appears in every

book but Esther, Ecclesiastes, and the Song of Songs. Yah-

weh, translated “Lord” in many Bibles, is the name that is most closely linked to God’s redeeming acts in the history

of his chosen people. We know who God is because of

how he has acted on behalf of his people. When you pray

to Yahweh this Christmas season, remember that he is the same God who draws near to save you from sin’s tyranny

just as he saved his people from their bondage in Egypt.

The Greek word Kyrios, translated “Lord” in the New

Testament, could also at times be translated as “Yahweh.”

As you bow your head this week in prayer before Jesus,

who is the sovereign Lord, remember that you are placing

your life — the worst of your disappointments, the most

protracted of your struggles, the wildest of your dreams —

squarely in his hands. Knowing Jesus as Lord will lead you

to a deeper experience of his presence and his power.

0310276144_immanuel.indd 18

5/17/07 10:23:49 AM

Lord 19

Key Scriptures

God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM. This is what

you are to say to the Israelites: ‘I AM has sent me to

you.’ ”

God also said to Moses, “Say to the Israelites, ‘The

LORD [Yahweh], the God of your fathers — the God of

Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob — has

sent me to you.’ This is my name forever, the name by

which I am to be remembered from generation to gen-

eration.” Exodus 3:14 – 15

Therefore God exalted him to the highest place

and gave him the name that is above every

name,

that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,

in heaven and on earth and under the earth,

and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord,

to the glory of God the Father.

Philippians 2:9 – 11

0310276144_immanuel.indd 19

5/17/07 10:23:49 AM

20 Lord

Monday

GOD REVEALS HIS NAME

PP

P

P

P

The Scripture Reading

PP

Now Moses was tending the f lock of Jethro

P

his father-in-law, the priest of Midian, and he led the

f lock to the far side of the desert and came to Horeb,

the mountain of God. There the angel of the LORD

appeared to him in f lames of fire from within a bush.

Moses saw that though the bush was on fire it did not

burn up. So Moses thought, “I will go over and see this

strange sight — why the bush does not burn up.”

When the LORD saw that he had gone over to

look, God called to him from within the bush, “Moses!

Moses!”. . .

Moses hid his face, because he was afraid to look

at God.

The LORD said, “I have indeed seen the misery of my

people in Egypt. I have heard them crying out because

of their slave drivers, and I am concerned about their

suffering. So I have come down to rescue them. . . .

“I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people

the Israelites out of Egypt.”

But Moses said to God, “Who am I that I should go

to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?”

0310276144_immanuel.indd 20

5/17/07 10:23:49 AM

Monday 21

And God said, “I will be with you. And this will be

the sign to you that it is I who have sent you: When

you have brought the people out of Egypt, you will wor-

ship God on this mountain.”

Moses said to God, “Suppose I go to the Israelites

and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me

to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ Then

what shall I tell them?”

God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM. This is what

you are to say to the Israelites: ‘I AM has sent me to

you.’ ”. . .

“The elders of Israel will listen to you. Then you

and the elders are to go to the king of Egypt and say to

him, ‘The LORD, the God of the Hebrews, has met with

us. Let us take a three-day journey into the desert to

offer sacrifices to the LORD our God.’ But I know that

the king of Egypt will not let you go unless a mighty

hand compels him. So I will stretch out my hand and

strike the Egyptians with all the wonders that I will

perform among them. After that, he will let you go.”

Exodus 3:1 – 4, 6 – 8, 10 – 14, 18 – 20

Today in the town of David a Savior has been born

to you; he is Christ the Lord. Luke 2:11

Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ

Jesus:

0310276144_immanuel.indd 21

5/17/07 10:23:50 AM

22 Lord

Who, being in very nature God,

did not consider equality with God something

to be grasped,

but made himself nothing,

taking the very nature of a servant,

being made in human likeness.

And being found in appearance as a man,

he humbled himself

and became obedient to death — even death on

a cross!

Therefore God exalted him to the highest place

and gave him the name that is above every

name,

that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,

in heaven and on earth and under the earth,

and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord,

to the glory of God the Father.

Philippians 2:5 – 11

Prayer

Lord, you are the same, yesterday, today, and forev-

er — a God who listens to the cries of his people and

who delivers us from our enemies. Thank you not only

for delivering your people from bondage in Egypt but

for delivering your people today from the deepest of

all bondages — from our slavery to sin and death. We

0310276144_immanuel.indd 22

5/17/07 10:23:50 AM

Monday 23

know you now not only as our mighty God but as our

humble Lord, the One who became like us so that we

could become like you.

Understanding the Name

As the sacred, personal name of Israel’s God, the Hebrew

name Yahweh was eventually spoken aloud only by priests worshiping in the Jerusalem temple. After the destruction

of the temple in A.D. 70, the name was not pronounced at

all. Instead, Adonay was substituted for Yahweh whenever it appeared in the biblical text. Because of this, the correct

pronunciation of this name was eventually lost, and older

translations of the Bible incorrectly translated the name

as Jehovah. Modern English editions of the Bible usually translate Adonay as “Lord” and Yahweh as “Lord.”

Unfortunately, the translation “Lord,” which is a

title rather than a name, obscures the personal nature of

this name for God. Though the meaning of Yahweh is

disputed, the mysterious self-description in Exodus 3:14,

“I am who I am,” may convey the sense not only that

God is self-existent but that he is always present with his

people. Yahweh is not a God who is remote or aloof but

One who is always near, intervening in history on behalf

of his people. The knowledge of God’s proper name

implies a covenant relationship. God’s covenant name

is closely associated with his saving acts in Exodus. The

0310276144_immanuel.indd 23

5/17/07 10:23:50 AM

24 Lord

name Yahweh evokes images of God’s saving power in the

lives of his people.

Chris tian ity’s earliest confession of faith consisted of

three short but incredibly powerful words: “Jesus is Lord!”

The Greek word Kyrios (KU-ree-os) is used in the New

Testament to refer to an owner, emperor, king, father, hus-

band, or master. In addition to translating the Hebrew

name Yahweh, it can also translate two Hebrew titles of God: Adonay and Elohim.

When people addressed Jesus as Kyrios or “Lord” in

the Gospels, they were often simply showing respect to

him as a rabbi or teacher, addressing him as “sir” rather

than acknowledging him as God. But after his death and

resurrection, the title “Lord” began to be widely used by

believers.

Remember the apostle Thomas, who at first doubted

accounts of Christ’s resurrection? When Jesus appeared

to him after his death, Thomas instinctively responded

with a confession of faith: “My Lord and my God!” (John

20:28). Over time, the title Kyrios began to take on the characteristics of a name. As such, it clearly identified Jesus with Yahweh, the covenant name of God in the Hebrew

Scriptures. Of the 717 passages in which Kyrios occurs in the New Testament, the majority are found in Luke’s

Gospel, the Acts of the Apostles, and Paul’s writings.

0310276144_immanuel.indd 24

5/17/07 10:23:50 AM

Monday 25

Reflecting on the Name

Look at Exodus 3:1 – 20

What does this passage reveal about what was in the

heart of God in regard to his people?

Moses’ reluctance is not hard to understand. Describe

a time when you were similarly reluctant to do some-

thing you thought God was calling you to do.

Why do you think Moses asked God to reveal his

name?

Look at Philippians 2:5 – 11

How does God’s idea of greatness differ from the usual

definition?

How have you experienced Jesus being Lord in your

life?

0310276144_immanuel.indd 25

5/17/07 10:23:50 AM

26 Lord

Tuesday

PRAYING THE NAME

And God said, “I will be with you. And this will be

the sign to you that it is I who have sent you: When

you have brought the people out of Egypt, you will wor-

ship God on this mountain.” . . .

God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM. This is what

you are to say to the Israelites: ‘I AM has sent me to

you.’ ”

God also said to Moses, “Say to the Israelites, ‘The

LORD [Yahweh], the God of your fathers — the God of

Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob — has

sent me to you.’ This is my name forever, the name by

which I am to be remembered from generation to gen-

eration.” Exodus 3:12 – 15

I am the LORD [Yahweh] your God, who brought you

out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. You shall have

no other gods before me. Exodus 20:2 – 3

0310276144_immanuel.indd 26

5/17/07 10:23:50 AM

Tuesday 27

Reflect On:

Exodus 3:12 – 15 and 20:2.

Praise God:

For revealing himself through powerful

acts of deliverance.

Offer Thanks: That God has freed you from every form

of bondage.

Confess:

Any tendency to forget what God has

done for you.

Ask God:

To help you remember his saving acts in

your life.

“I am who I am.” What do these mysterious words mean?

Was Moses as bewildered as we are by God’s self-disclo-

sure? Or did he realize that God was assuring him he

would always be present to his people — listening for

their cries, answering their prayers, showing his power on

their behalf, responding faithfully even when they acted

faithlessly?

Yahweh. The name couldn’t have clarified things. It

may have sounded odd at first, like a name you warm to

over time, much as an infant warms to the word “Mama,”

gradually equating her with safety, food, and help.

To the Egyptians the name Yahweh would have been

a terror — a name to forget because it conjured plagues,

darkness, defeat, and death. But to Moses and the Israelites

Yahweh would forever mean deliverance, freedom, prom-

ise, and power. God’s people could not invoke his name

0310276144_immanuel.indd 27

5/17/07 10:23:50 AM

28 Lord

without remembering what it was like to walk through

the parted waters of the Red Sea, to gather manna in the

desert, to receive the commandments on Sinai.

The amazing events of Exodus defined who Yahweh

was in extraordinary detail. Yahweh — Israel’s faithful,

wonder-working God, the One who out of pity and love

reached into human history to untie the bonds of an

enslaved people — that was the name by which this God

wanted to be forever known.

Today in this Advent season, when you bow before

Yahweh, thank him for the deliverance he has wrought

in your own life through the work of Jesus. Acknowledge

your continuing need for him and then recommit yourself

to living by the Ten Commandments he gave, the law that

enabled his people to live in his presence, confident of his

care.

0310276144_immanuel.indd 28

5/17/07 10:23:50 AM

Wednesday 29

Wednesday

PRAYING THE NAME

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. She will give birth to a son,

and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will

save his people from their sins.” Matthew 1:20 – 21

Jesus replied [to Jews who accused him of being

demon-possessed], “If I glorify myself, my glory means

nothing. My Father, whom you claim as your God, is

the one who glorifies me. Though you do not know him,

I know him. If I said I did not, I would be a liar like

you, but I do know him and keep his word. Your father

Abraham rejoiced at the thought of seeing my day; he

saw it and was glad.”

“You are not yet fifty years old,” the Jews said to

him, “and you have seen Abraham!”

“I tell you the truth,” Jesus answered, “before Abra-

ham was born, I am!” At this, they picked up stones

to stone him, but Jesus hid himself, slipping away from

the temple grounds. John 8:54 – 59

0310276144_immanuel.indd 29

5/17/07 10:23:51 AM

30 Lord

Reflect On:

Matthew 1:20 – 21 and John 8:54 – 59.

Praise God:

For foreseeing your need for a Savior.

Offer Thanks: For his delivering power.

Confess:

Your continuing need for God’s

forgiveness.

Ask God:

For a living understanding of what Jesus

has done for you.

Christmas means lighted trees, presents, parties, and pag-

eants full of pint-size shepherds and pudgy-faced angels

proclaiming the birth of the Lord. We crane our necks,

hoping our children won’t botch their lines, smiling as they

charmingly reenact the old story. We’re full of Christmas

cheer, happy to celebrate again with friends and family.

It’s a wonderful season. But in all our Christmas frenzy,

we often forget to wonder —

about what it was like for a poor man to find shelter

for his pregnant wife.

about the sound of the woman’s cries as she gave

birth in a dirty stable.

about the audacity of God entrusting his own Son

to two people who seemed hardly able to care for

themselves.

Most of us also fail to wonder about the infant’s name,

given by an angel, a name linked to the holiest name in

0310276144_immanuel.indd 30

5/17/07 10:23:51 AM

Wednesday 31

all of Scripture. For “Jesus” or Yeshua, a form of “Joshua,”

means this: “Yahweh is salvation . ” This time Yahweh was present with his people not in the form of a burning bush

but in the shape of a small child who would later provoke

people to violence precisely because he echoed God’s self-

revelation to Moses in the desert: “I tell you the truth,

before Abraham was born, I am!”

Though Christmas Day may still be a few weeks

away, this is a perfect day to bow down before our faith-

ful, covenant-keeping God, praising him for the gift of

his only Son, Jesus, the One who reminds us still that

“Yahweh saves . ”

0310276144_immanuel.indd 31

5/17/07 10:23:51 AM

32 Lord

Thursday

PRAYING THE NAME

For you were once darkness, but now you are light

in the Lord. Live as children of light (for the fruit of the

light consists in all goodness, righ teous ness and truth)

and find out what pleases the Lord.

Ephesians 5:8 – 10

Reflect On:

Ephesians 5:8 – 10.

Praise God:

Who gives us the grace to follow his Son.

Offer Thanks: For the ways in which the Lord has already reshaped your life.

Confess:

Any tendency to resist the Lord.

Ask God:

To make you eager to experience Jesus as

Lord.

The apostle Paul uses the characteristic phrase “in the

Lord” many times in his letters. He speaks about:

Believing in the Lord

Loving in the Lord

Working hard in the Lord

Boasting in the Lord

Being faithful in the Lord

Being strong in the Lord

0310276144_immanuel.indd 32

5/17/07 10:23:51 AM

Thursday 33

Hoping in the Lord

Standing firm in the Lord

Rejoicing in the Lord

Paul even talks about being a prisoner in the Lord, and the book of Revelation makes it clear that it is possible to

die in the Lord. Clearly, the early Chris tians considered Jesus to be not just their Savior but also their Lord. He

was the atmosphere in which they lived, worked, prayed,

suffered, and loved. They understood that their happiness

depended not on having things their way, but on being

completely aligned with Christ, uniting themselves to his

character and purposes, regardless of the personal cost.

And when Paul spoke about being “in the Lord,” he was

necessarily implying that it is possible to do things “out-

side of the Lord.”

A friend of mine specializes in renovating old houses.

When bidding on a job, Bill always begins by noting any

structural defects or problems he discovers in the house. I

was startled the first time I heard him refer to such defects

as “sins.” But the more I thought about it, the more sense

it made because unless such problems are fixed, the house

can never be restored to pristine condition. Likewise, sin

has created an enormous structural problem in the world

God made, allowing evil to deform it by threading its way

through individuals, families, neighborhoods, institutions,

and nations. To say that creation is off-kilter is to be guilty of an understatement.

0310276144_immanuel.indd 33

5/17/07 10:23:51 AM

34 Lord

But Jesus came to remedy this problem and to restore

fallen creation, freeing it from enslavement to sin. His

mission as Lord is to lead us out of captivity, to break sin’s

power, and he does this by saving us and then taking our

disordered lives and reshaping them into his likeness. But

how much like him we become depends on our giving

constant consent to his lordship.

That’s how we learn to do things “in the Lord.” We

know from Scripture that Christ will continue this work

until the end of the world, when every kind of disorder —

from petty squabbles to world wars, from thunder-

storms to tsunamis, from diabetes to death (the ultimate

disorder) — will cease to exist because everything and

everyone will be exactly as God intends.

It is vital, then, that we know Jesus not only as Savior

but also as Lord because that is the only way we can par-

ticipate in building up his kingdom. Resisting his lordship,

then, is more than a personal tragedy because it not only

impedes the way God wants to work in us but also the

way in which he wants to work through us. Our failures to believe and obey can have grave consequences for others.

Take a few moments today in this Advent season to

be still in the Lord’s presence. Bow your head before him,

acclaiming him as Kyrios, your Lord forever. Then imag-

ine your life in perfect alignment with his and let this pic-

ture become your prayer. Pray that Jesus will be all in all,

working out his plans and extending his kingdom both in

you and through you, world without end. Amen.

0310276144_immanuel.indd 34

5/17/07 10:23:51 AM

Friday 35

Friday

PROMISES ASSOCIATED WITH HIS NAME

What do you have in common with Billy Graham, Osama

bin Laden, Stevie Wonder, and Sandra Day O’Connor? I

can think of only one thing — each of you will someday

bow your head and bend your knee with billions of oth-

ers in the presence of the Lord. In his hands, all great-

ness, power, wisdom, and authority will be consolidated.

Nothing of his power will remain hidden. Nothing will

be held back. And you will see in his eyes either complete

acceptance or complete rejection.

Now we see dimly. Then we will see clearly. Let us

pray in this time of mercy for those who do not yet per-

ceive Jesus as Lord. And let us pray for ourselves so that we

are as ready as we can be for the great day of his coming.

Promises in Scripture

The LORD will be your confidence and will keep your

foot from being snared. Proverbs 3:26

The name of the LORD is a strong tower; the righ-

teous run to it and are safe. Proverbs 18:10

But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With

the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand

years are like a day. The Lord is not slow in keeping his

0310276144_immanuel.indd 35

5/17/07 10:23:51 AM

36 Lord

promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient

with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone

to come to repentance.

But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The

heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will

be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything in it

will be laid bare. 2 Peter 3:8 – 10

You, then, why do you judge your brother or sister?

Or why do you look down on your brother or sister?

For we will all stand before God’s judgment seat. It is

written:

“ ‘As surely as I live,’ says the Lord,

‘every knee will bow before me;

every tongue will confess to God.’ ”

So then, we will all give an account of ourselves to God.

Romans 14:10 – 12

Continued Prayer and Praise

Meditate on God’s self-description. (Exodus 34:4 – 7)

Pray this benediction, which includes the threefold repeti-

tion of Yahweh (“Lord”). (Numbers 6:24 – 27)

Remember that Yahweh is close to the brokenhearted.

(Psalm 34:18)

Follow the Lord. (Mark 10:42 – 45)

Rejoice in the Lord. (Luke 2:8 – 14; Philippians 4:4)

Believe in the Lord. (John 20:24 – 29)

0310276144_immanuel.indd 36

5/17/07 10:23:51 AM

[ ÷W v yE

Jesus the

SaviorPPP

ΔIhsouçß swth vr

0310276144_immanuel.indd 37

5/17/07 10:23:52 AM

38 Jesus the Savior

The Name

Just as Yahweh is God’s personal name revealed in the

Old Testament, Jesus is the personal name of the One we

call Redeemer, Lord, and Christ. His name is intimately

linked to the God of the Hebrew Scriptures because the

name Yeshua means “Yahweh is salvation.”

Indeed, Jesus is Yahweh come to earth. If you have

ever pictured God as a distant, wrathful Being, you will

have to reconsider that portrait in light of Jesus Christ,

who is God bending toward us, God becoming one of us,

God reaching out in mercy, God humbling himself, God

nailed to a cross, God rising up from the grave to show

us the way home. Jesus, name above all names, beautiful

Savior, glorious Lord!

0310276144_immanuel.indd 38

5/17/07 10:23:52 AM

Jesus the Savior 39

Key Scripture

Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior,

who daily bears our burdens. Psalm 68:19

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. She will give birth to a son, and

you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save

his people from their sins. Matthew 1:20 – 21

0310276144_immanuel.indd 39

5/17/07 10:23:52 AM

40 Jesus the Savior

Monday

GOD REVEALS HIS NAME

PP

P

P

P

The Scripture Reading

PP

This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came

P

about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to

Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to

be with child through the Holy Spirit. Because Joseph

her husband was a righ teous man and did not want to

expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce

her quietly.

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. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give

him the name Jesus, because he will save his people

from their sins.”

All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said

through the prophet: “The virgin will be with child

and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” — which means, “God with us.”

When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the

Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his

0310276144_immanuel.indd 40

5/17/07 10:23:52 AM

Monday 41

wife. But he had no union with her until she gave birth

to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus.

Matthew 1:18 – 25

Prayer

Yeshua, my Savior. You are God forever and yet you

became a little child. Thank you for saving me from

all my sins. You reached down from on high to rescue

me. Help me to live with the continual awareness of my

need for your saving grace, now and always. Amen.

Understanding the Name

Luke’s Gospel tells us that the infant Christ was given the

name “Jesus” at the time of his circumcision, a name given

him by the angel Gabriel, who appeared to his mother

Mary (Luke 1:31; 2:21).

“Jesus” was a common name in first-century Palestine,

and it has been found on various grave markers and tombs

in and around Jerusalem. The full name of Barabbas, the

insurrectionist Pilate released instead of Jesus, was prob-

ably Jesus Barabbas. To distinguish Jesus from others of

the same name, he is sometimes referred to in the Gos-

pels as Jesus of Nazareth, Jesus the son of Joseph, or Jesus

the Nazarene. Later on, particularly in Acts and the New

Testament letters, he is referred to as “Jesus Christ,” as

though Christ is his surname. By the second century the

name “Jesus” had become so closely associated with Jesus

0310276144_immanuel.indd 41

5/17/07 10:23:52 AM

42 Jesus the Savior

of Nazareth that it nearly disappeared as a name given to

either Chris tians or Jews.

The name “Jesus” (in English ) or Iesous (in Greek) is

the equivalent of the Hebrew Yeshua (ye-shu-AH), itself a contraction of the Hebrew name Yehoshua, translated

“Joshua” in English Bibles. The name Joshua is the oldest

name containing Yahweh, the Israelite covenant name of

God, a name so sacred it was considered too holy to pro-

nounce. Both “Jesus” and “Joshua” mean “Yahweh is help”

or “Yahweh is salvation.” Yeshua is also related to the word yeshu’ah, which means “salvation.”

Soter is the Greek word translated “Savior.” Its Hebrew equivalent is Moshia. In Greek, “Jesus the Savior” is rendered Iesous Soter (yay-SOUS so-TAIR). Through the cen-

turies, the church has affirmed the belief of the earliest

followers of Jesus that “salvation is found in no one else,

for there is no other name given under heaven by which

we must be saved” (Acts 4:12).

Reflecting on the Name

What comes to mind when you hear the name

“Jesus”?

Though Jesus was a common name in first-century

Palestine, God sent an angel to announce the name

to Joseph. Comment on the significance of this.

Why do you think Jesus’ name is linked to the name

of Yahweh, the covenant name of God in the Hebrew

Scriptures?

Describe what salvation means to you.

0310276144_immanuel.indd 42

5/17/07 10:23:52 AM

Tuesday 43

Tuesday

PRAYING THE NAME

Now the tax collectors and “sinners” were all gath-

ering around to hear him. But the Pharisees and the

teachers of the law muttered, “This man welcomes sin-

ners and eats with them.”

Then Jesus told them this parable: “Suppose one of

you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Does

he not leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go

after the lost sheep until he finds it? And when he finds

it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders and goes home.

Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and

says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.’ I tell

you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in

heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-

nine righ teous persons who do not need to repent.”

Luke 15:1 – 7

But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, “Look,

Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the

poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I

will pay back four times the amount.”

Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this

house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham. For the

Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost.”

Luke 19:8 – 10

0310276144_immanuel.indd 43

5/17/07 10:23:52 AM

44 Jesus the Savior

Reflect On:

Luke 15:1 – 7 and 19:8 – 9.

Praise God:

Who is the Seeker of the lost.

Offer Thanks: Because God has pursued you.

Confess:

Any complacency toward those who are

lost.

Ask God:

To align your heart with his purposes.

Rick Warren’s The Purpose Driven Life stunned the pub-

lishing world by selling twenty-three million copies in just

three years. The book’s subtitle, “What on Earth Am I

Here For?” poses a question most of us ask ourselves at

least once a lifetime. But the most purpose-driven person

in history may not have needed to pose the question at all

because his purpose was announced before his birth.

Presumably Joseph, Mary’s anxious husband-to-be,

knew that Yeshua meant “Yahweh is salvation,” but the

angel in his dream was careful to spell it out for him:

“You are to give him [the baby in Mary’s womb] the name

[ Yeshua], because he will save his people from their sins”

(Matthew 1:21). From the beginning the single purpose

of Jesus’ life was to seek out sinners and then to save them.

He was God hunting souls, not to hurt them but to help

them — and that is still his purpose.

I wonder how many of us really believe this. Do we

have the slightest idea of how driven Christ is to dwell

with the least attractive among us, with people who not

0310276144_immanuel.indd 44

5/17/07 10:23:52 AM

Tuesday 45

only look bad but are bad? And if he has this drive to

dwell with the worst and the lowest, doesn’t that say some-

thing about his commitment to being with us when we

are at our worst?

Theologian and writer Robert Farrar Capon has an

interesting take on the parable Jesus told to disgruntled

scribes and Pharisees about the shepherd who leaves ninety-

nine found sheep in order to search for one lost sheep. The religious leaders had been grumbling about Jesus. How

could a man with friends like tax collectors and sinners

presume to teach them anything? It was against the back-

drop of their self-righ teous ness that Jesus told them the

parable, asking how they would respond if they owned a

hundred sheep and one got lost.

Capon begins by pointing out that most shepherds

wouldn’t think of leaving ninety-nine sheep to go in

search of one lost sheep because to do so would be to

leave the rest of the flock vulnerable to predators. Instead,

as Capon writes:

You cut your losses, forget about the lost

sheep, and go on with the ninety-nine. . . . In this

parable, Jesus never goes back to the ninety-nine

sheep. The ninety-nine sheep are a set-up. Jesus

has divided the flock into one sheep and ninety-

nine sheep. . . . I think the real meaning of the

one and the ninety-nine is that the one lost sheep

0310276144_immanuel.indd 45

5/17/07 10:23:52 AM

46 Jesus the Savior

is the whole human race as it really is. And the

ninety nine “found” sheep who never get lost are

the whole human race as we think we are.

No wonder Jesus liked to hang out around sinners.

That’s the only kind of people there are. As the parable

implies, Jesus can do little for the strong and the self-righ-

teous who don’t even know they are lost. It’s the poor,

the weak, the addicted, the troubled, and the fractured

people — those who have an inkling of how off course

their lives have become who are often the most responsive

to grace. This principle applies even after our conversion.

Jesus seeks to bless the people who admit their need, not

the ones who act as though they know it all and have it all.

Blessed are the poor in spirit, the meek, those who hunger

and thirst. Blessed are the empty, not the full.

Pray today, in this Christmas season, for the grace to

know how much you still need Jesus. Ask him for the

grace to see beyond your wants to the things you really

need — more compassion and less harsh judgment, more

generosity and less fear, more patience and less irritability,

more faith and less doubt. Pray that Jesus will enable you

to move beyond the kind of selfish praying we all do so

that you can pray in a way that reflects his heart, letting

whatever moves him move you. Then pray for the privi-

lege of joining him as he seeks out and saves those who

are lost.

0310276144_immanuel.indd 46

5/17/07 10:23:53 AM

Wednesday 47

Wednesday

PRAYING THE NAME

Once when we were going to the place of prayer,

we were met by a slave girl who had a spirit by which

she predicted the future. She earned a great deal of

money for her owners by fortune-telling. This girl fol-

lowed Paul and the rest of us, shouting, “These men

are servants of the Most High God, who are telling you

the way to be saved.” She kept this up for many days.

Finally Paul became so troubled that he turned around

and said to the spirit, “In the name of Jesus Christ I

command you to come out of her!” At that moment the

spirit left her. Acts 16:16 – 18

Reflect On:

Acts 16:16 – 18.

Praise God:

For manifesting his power and authority

through Jesus, his Son.

Offer Thanks: For the surpassing power of Jesus Christ.

Confess:

Any occasions on which you have taken

the Lord’s name in vain.

Ask God:

To lift up the name of his Son in your

life.

0310276144_immanuel.indd 47

5/17/07 10:23:53 AM

48 Jesus the Savior

There’s power in the name of Jesus, even wonder-working

power. But the name “Jesus” is not some kind of magical

incantation. Invoking it is not like rubbing a lamp to con-

jure a genie. No, the power of the name of Jesus is released

when people earnestly cry out to him and when they live

in submission to him.

I’ve heard many stories that drive this home. One was

told by a woman in my church. While walking to her car

in a deserted garage one night, a thug accosted her, knife

in hand. Though she was terrified, this woman managed

to command her would-be mugger, carjacker, rapist, mur-

derer, or whoever he was: “Get away from me in the name

of Jesus!” To her astonishment, though they were alone

in the garage, the man backed up as though someone had

just threatened him with a knife. Then he turned and

fled.

Then there’s the story of E. P. Scott, a missionary to

India. One day Scott decided to visit a mountain tribe

who had never heard of Jesus. But as he approached the

mountain, a band of angry tribesmen surrounded him

with spears pointed straight at his chest. On impulse, the

missionary took out the violin he was carrying, closed

his eyes, and began playing and singing a hymn in their

native language. When Scott finally found the courage to

open his eyes, he was amazed to see that his attackers had

dropped their spears and that several of them had tears

in their eyes. Scott spent the rest of his life preaching and

0310276144_immanuel.indd 48

5/17/07 10:23:53 AM

Wednesday 49

serving the people of that tribe, many of whom became

believers. What was the hymn he sang? “All Praise the

Power of Jesus’ Name!”

Jim Cymbala, pastor of the Brooklyn Tabernacle, tells

a more recent story about a homeless heroin addict named

Danny Velasco. Though his friend Wanda had shared the

gospel with him, Danny dismissed it as so much non-

sense. After living on the street for three years he had con-

tracted Hepatitis A, B, and C, and his 108-pound body

was covered with sores. Passersby could hear him talking

like a crazy man to the swarm of voices that screamed in

his head. This is what happened when Danny landed in a

hospital in the Bronx, seemingly on his deathbed:

When I woke up, I found myself in a bed,

covered in my own vomit. Suddenly all the voices

in my head started screaming, creating total chaos

within me. I was so disoriented, I wanted to die!

But I couldn’t jump out a window because they

were barred.

Then, in the midst of all my pain, something

or someone whispered words I had heard before:

The day you call on the Lord, he will set you free.

All the other voices tried to drown it out, but they

couldn’t! I don’t know if it was an angel or the

Holy Spirit, but the words came through clearly:

“The day you call on the Lord, he will set you

0310276144_immanuel.indd 49

5/17/07 10:23:53 AM

50 Jesus the Savior

free.” In absolute desperation I screamed from my

bed, “Jesus help me! O God, help me with every-

thing! You’re my only hope, so please help, Jesus!” I

didn’t understand anything about prayer, so I even

used “personal references” as I cried out: “Jesus,

Wanda said that when I called on your name, you

would deliver me. So help me now, O God.”

At that moment Almighty God swept over me

and around me. I knew he was real because all

the voices in my head suddenly stopped their hell-

ish screaming and the ball of fear that had been

weighing on me lifted. I knew everything had

changed even though nothing outwardly had — I

was still lying in my vomit in a hospital bed in the

Bronx. But I was a million miles from where I had

been before I said that prayer.

Eleven years later, Danny is alive and well, a million

miles from the hopeless addict he had been before he

cried out to Jesus. The demons that plagued him could

not withstand the power of the name of Jesus. His story

affirms the words of another popular hymn, reminding

us that “at the name of Jesus, every knee shall bow, every

tongue confess him, King of glory now!”

0310276144_immanuel.indd 50

5/17/07 10:23:53 AM

Thursday 51

Thursday

PRAYING THE NAME

[The angel said to the shepherds,] “Today in the

town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the

Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will

find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”

Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host

appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,

“Glory to God in the highest heaven,

and on earth peace to those on whom his favor

rests.” Luke 2:11 – 14

With this in mind, we constantly pray for you, that

our God may count you worthy of his calling, and that

by his power he may fulfill every good purpose of yours

and every act prompted by your faith. We pray this so

that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you,

and you in him, according to the grace of our God and

the Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Thes salo nians 1:11 – 12

0310276144_immanuel.indd 51

5/17/07 10:23:53 AM

52 Jesus the Savior

Reflect On:

Luke 2:11 – 14 and 2 Thes salo nians

1:11 – 12.

Praise God:

For the greatness of his glory.

Offer Thanks: Because God has created you to be his image bearer.

Confess:

Any tendency to be more concerned for

your glory than for God’s.

Ask God:

To fulfill his primary purpose for your

life.

My daughters love things that sparkle — stars that glow in

the dark, rainbow stickers, pink glittery wands. Through

the years I have had to fend off many a request for gaudy

red shoes “just like the ones Dorothy wore in Oz.” I trace

these attractions not so much to feminine stereotypes as

to a basic human yearning. Boys display their own form of

this yearning when they wear superhero capes and bran-

dish plastic swords. But what is this yearning? It’s a long-

ing for something beautiful and shining and powerful, for

something beyond ourselves that we can make a part of

ourselves. It’s a yearning for glory.

But what does this yearning have to do with Jesus

as Savior? To begin with, it is important to realize that

Jesus’ saving work has both negative and positive dimen-

sions. First, we are saved from something — Jesus rescues 0310276144_immanuel.indd 52

5/17/07 10:23:53 AM

Thursday 53

us from God’s wrath directed at our sins. Second, we are

saved for something — Jesus saves us so that we can fulfill the primary purpose for which God made us. Think for a

moment of a time when you sat by the edge of the ocean

or by a lake, transfixed by the beauty of the waves as sun-

light danced across them. That’s a picture of how we are

meant to reflect God’s glory to the world. We are to shine

with his presence, power, and love.

Scripture is full of this notion. The book of Daniel

tells of a time when those who belong to God “will shine

like the brightness of the heavens . . . like the stars for ever and ever” (Daniel 12:3). Paul assures the Roman Christians: “I consider that our present sufferings are not worth

comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us”

(Romans 8:18). Additional passages speak of “the Lord of

glory,” “Christ in you, the hope of glory,” and “the crown

of glory that will never fade away.”

This craving for glory seems to be imbedded in our

spiritual DNA. It is something God has hardwired into

our souls. But sin has so distorted the human genome

that our search for glory is often misguided. We look for

it in flimsy, temporal things, such as success, money, rela-

tionships, personal charm, and beauty — none of which

can ultimately satisfy. No matter how many sparkling red

shoes we own or how many superhero capes we don, we

find they are never enough.

0310276144_immanuel.indd 53

5/17/07 10:23:53 AM

54 Jesus the Savior

Carol Cymbala, director of the Brooklyn Tabernacle

Choir, gives us a glimpse of what it means to seek true

glory.

The Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir doesn’t per-

form. We haven’t provided backup to musical

superstars or sung at national political conven-

tions, even though we’ve been asked to more than

once. Our call, our greatest joy, is to worship God,

and to lead other Chris tians to experience him in

worship. We also want to sing the message of the

gospel to those who don’t know Christ. So week

after week, we open our hearts to him eagerly wait-

ing, painfully aware that if God doesn’t come to

meet us, we will never accomplish our purpose.

We are not naïve about the dangers that come

with apparent success, because we know that self-

aggrandizement displeases God. And God won’t

bless us if we’re out to please ourselves. I tell the

choir, “God has allowed us to win six Grammys.

But there are better choirs out there. The only

reason he’s blessed us is so he can use us to reach

more people. So just remember who you are, and

I’ll remember who I am. Apart from God we’re

nothing.”

Carol means what she says. She understands that

worldly glory is like tinsel compared to God’s glory. In

0310276144_immanuel.indd 54

5/17/07 10:23:53 AM

Thursday 55

this Advent season as you worship Yeshua, the Lord of

glory, give in to your appetite for glory by praying the

refrain from Graham Kendrick’s well-known song:

Shine, Jesus, shine!

Fill this land with the Father’s glory.

Blaze, Spirit, blaze!

Set our hearts on fire.

Flow, river, f low!

Flood the nations with grace and mercy.

Send forth your word,

Lord, and let there be light.

0310276144_immanuel.indd 55

5/17/07 10:23:54 AM

56 Jesus the Savior

Friday

PROMISES ASSOCIATED WITH HIS NAME

The hurricane that devastated New Orleans in the fall of

2005 left us with images we will never forget. Day after

day, we saw people perched on rooftops, desperately wait-

ing for someone to rescue them. Many of them must have

wondered if their world was about to end. Everywhere

they looked — death, destruction, danger. The scenes

were pitiful, heartrending, frightening.

This is a powerful picture of what life would be like

were it not for Jesus, who is himself the greatest of all

the promises in the Bible. Even his name is a promise —

Yahweh is salvation. He is rescue, help, deliverance.

Remember this in your times of trial. Call on his name.

Trust in his name. Live in his name. Let the name “Jesus”

be the first prayer you pray in the morning and the last

prayer you say at night. Jesus, the only name by which we

can be saved.

Promises in Scripture

Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one

of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness

of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy

Spirit. The promise is for you and your children and for

0310276144_immanuel.indd 56

5/17/07 10:23:54 AM

Friday 57

all who are far off — for all whom the Lord our God will

call.” Acts 2:38 – 39

Jesus did many other miraculous signs in the pres-

ence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book.

But these are written that you may believe that Jesus

is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you

may have life in his name. John 20:30 – 31

Continued Prayer and Praise

Believe in the power of Jesus’ name. (Matthew 12:15 – 21;

John 3:16; Acts 3:1 – 10; 4:1 – 12; Romans 5:9 – 11)

Rejoice when you are found worthy to suffer for the sake

of the name. (Acts 5:40 – 42; 21:10 – 14)

Do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus. (Colossians

3:15 – 17)

Trust in Jesus for salvation. (Titus 3:3 – 8)

0310276144_immanuel.indd 57

5/17/07 10:23:54 AM

031020755X_relation_fm.qxp 9/8/06 2:21 PM Page 1

This page is intentionally left blank

l a e W n M ;[i

ImmanuelPPP

ΔEmmanouh vl

0310276144_immanuel.indd 59

5/17/07 10:23:54 AM

60 Immanuel

The Name

The name “Immanuel” appears twice in the Hebrew

Scriptures and once in the New Testament. In Greek, it is

rendered “Emmanouel.” One of the most comforting of all

the names and titles of Jesus, it is literally translated “with us is God” or, as Matthew’s Gospel puts it, “God with us.”

When our sins made it impossible for us to come to him,

God took the outrageous step of coming to us, of making

himself susceptible to sorrow, familiar with temptation,

and vulnerable to sin’s disruptive power, in order to can-

cel its claim. In Jesus we see how extreme God’s love is.

Remember this the next time you feel discouraged, aban-

doned, or too timid to undertake some new endeavor. For

Jesus is still Immanuel — he is still “God with us.”

0310276144_immanuel.indd 60

5/17/07 10:23:54 AM

Immanuel 61

Key Scriptures

Then Isaiah said, “Hear now, you house of David! Is

it not enough to try the patience of human beings? Will

you try the patience of my God also? Therefore the Lord

himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive

and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.”

Isaiah 7:13 – 14

All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said

through the prophet: “The virgin will conceive and give

birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which

means “God with us”). Matthew 1:22 – 23

0310276144_immanuel.indd 61

5/17/07 10:23:54 AM

62 Immanuel

Monday

GOD REVEALS HIS NAME

PP

P

P

P

The Scripture Reading

PP

This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came

P

about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to

Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to

be with child through the Holy Spirit. Because Joseph

her husband was a righ teous man and did not want to

expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce

her quietly.

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. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give

him the name Jesus, because he will save his people

from their sins.”

All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said

through the prophet: “The virgin will be with child

and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” — which means, “God with us.”

Matthew 1:18 – 23

0310276144_immanuel.indd 62

5/17/07 10:23:54 AM

Monday 63

Prayer

Immanuel, I praise you for your faithful love — drawing

near when I was far from you. Instead of casting me

away from your presence, you came to call me home.

Instead of punishing me for my sins, you came to free

me from them. Immanuel, my God, you are here with

me today. Live in me and glorify your name, I pray.

Understanding the Name

The name “Immanuel” (im-ma-nu-AIL) first appears in

Isaiah 7:14 as part of a prophetic word that Isaiah spoke

to King Ahaz of Judah (the southern kingdom) at a time

when Syria and Israel (the northern kingdom) had formed

a coalition against Assyria, the region’s greatest power.

They wanted Judah to join their uprising. The prophet

Isaiah counseled Ahaz to trust in the Lord rather than to

appeal to Assyria for help against Syria and Israel, who

were threatening to invade Judah for refusing to join

them. Then he invited Ahaz to ask the Lord for a sign

to confirm the prophetic word, but the unfaithful king

refused, having already decided to place his trust not in

the Lord but in Assyria.

In response to Ahaz’s refusal to trust God, Isaiah pro-

claimed: “Hear now, you house of David! Is it not enough

to try the patience of human beings? Will you try the

patience of my God also? Therefore the Lord himself will

0310276144_immanuel.indd 63

5/17/07 10:23:54 AM

64 Immanuel

give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and give birth

to a son, and will call him Immanuel” (Isa. 7:13 – 14).

Shortly after that Syria and Israel were soundly

defeated, exactly as Isaiah had prophesied. Many years

later the southern kingdom of Judah was destroyed by

Babylon, its people taken captive.

Matthew’s Gospel recalls Isaiah’s prophecy, applying

it to the child who would be born of Mary, the virgin

betrothed to Joseph. The sign given hundreds of years ear-

lier to an apostate king was meant for all God’s people. In

fact the Bible is nothing if not the story of God’s persis-

tent desire to dwell with his people. In Jesus, God would

succeed in a unique way, becoming a man in order to

save the world not from the outside, but from the inside.

Immanuel, God with us, to rescue, redeem, and restore our relationship with him.

Reflecting on the Name

How have you experienced “Immanuel” — God being

with you, in your life thus far?

Matthew begins and ends his Gospel (see Matthew

28:20) with the promises that God is with us. How

would your life be different if you began and ended

each day with the firm belief that God is with you?

What does this title of Jesus reveal about his nature?

0310276144_immanuel.indd 64

5/17/07 10:23:54 AM

Tuesday 65

Tuesday

PRAYING THE NAME

“Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!”

Luke 5:8

Where can I go from your Spirit?

Where can I f lee from your presence?

If I go up to the heavens, you are there;

if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.

If I rise on the wings of the dawn,

if I settle on the far side of the sea,

even there your hand will guide me,

your right hand will hold me fast.

Psalm 139:7 – 10

Reflect On:

Psalm 139:7 – 10 and Luke 5:8.

Praise God:

For his promise to be with you.

Offer Thanks: For God’s persistence in pursuing you.

Confess:

Any pattern of sin in your life.

Ask God:

To increase your confidence in his desire

to be with you.

One of the most profound of all the promises in the Bible

is this: I am with you. Matthew implied it about Jesus in the Christmas story, and Jesus said it to his disciples (and

0310276144_immanuel.indd 65

5/17/07 10:23:55 AM

66 Immanuel

to us) at the end of that same Gospel: “Surely I am with

you always, to the very end of the age.” If the Lord is with

us, what do we have to fear? What do we lack? How can

we lose? The same Lord who walked on water, healed the

sick, and rose from the dead is saving us, watching over

us, guiding our steps. Knowing this, why don’t we dance

in the streets and throw more parties? Why do we instead

often act as though God is not only not with us but that he is nowhere in the vicinity?

There may be many reasons why we feel God’s absence

in our lives. One of these is surely that our “spiritual sen-

sors” don’t work very well. We are like malfunctioning

radar that can’t spot a supersonic jet flying straight over-

head. But another common reason is that we are the ones

who go AWOL, not God.

Consider Peter. One day Jesus climbed into Peter’s

boat, telling him to row out into the lake and cast his

nets out despite the fact that Peter had been up all night

fishing with nothing to show for it. But this time when

Peter threw out the nets, he caught so many fish that his

boat began to sink. Instead of jumping with joy, Peter fell

down and implored Jesus to leave him, saying, “Go away

from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!”

There’s something right about Peter’s response. Jesus is

holy and sin is his implacable enemy. Still, the Lord didn’t

leave Peter. Instead he stayed and transformed his life. And

that’s what Jesus wants to do with our lives. We make a

0310276144_immanuel.indd 66

5/17/07 10:23:55 AM

Tuesday 67

mistake when we let our sin drag us down and away from

the One who has promised to be with us. Instead of run-

ning to him, we let a cloud settle over us. Finding it hard

to pray, we move farther away. In a thousand different

ways, we say, “Depart from me, O Lord!”

At times like this we need to recall the words of Psalm

139:11 – 12:

If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me

and the light become night around me,”

even the darkness will not be dark to you;

the night will shine like the day,

for darkness is as light to you.

If you are troubled by some persistent failing, by some

entrenched sin, don’t run away from Jesus. Instead express

your sorrow and ask for his forgiveness — and then receive

it. After that pray this famous fourth-century prayer

known as St. Patrick’s Breastplate:

Christ be beside me, Christ be before me,

Christ be behind me, King of my heart;

Christ be within me, Christ be below me,

Christ be above me, never to part.

Christ on my right hand, Christ on my left hand,

Christ all around me, shield in the strife;

Christ in my sleeping, Christ in my sitting,

Christ in my rising, light of my life.

0310276144_immanuel.indd 67

5/17/07 10:23:55 AM

68 Immanuel

Christ be beside me, Christ be before me,

Christ be behind me, King of my heart;

Christ be within me, Christ be below me,

Christ be above me, never to part.

0310276144_immanuel.indd 68

5/17/07 10:23:55 AM

Wednesday 69

Wednesday

PRAYING THE NAME

I am with you and will watch over you wherever

you go, and I will bring you back to this land. I will not

leave you until I have done what I have promised you.

Genesis 28:15

You have been a refuge for the poor,

a refuge for the needy in his distress,

a shelter from the storm

and a shade from the heat. Isaiah 25:4

Reflect On:

Genesis 28:15 and Isaiah 25:4.

Praise God:

Because he is present, even in the midst of

great suffering.

Offer Thanks: For all the ways the Lord has watched

over you.

Confess:

Your inability to reflect Christ’s presence

without his grace.

Ask God:

To open your eyes to the ways he is at

work in the world and in your own life.

What if God had jurisdiction only in your city, county,

or state? Leaving the area would mean leaving behind his

protection and care, putting yourself outside the circle of

0310276144_immanuel.indd 69

5/17/07 10:23:55 AM

70 Immanuel

his influence. At such times you wouldn’t even bother

praying to him because he could neither hear nor help you.

Odd as it sounds, that’s precisely how many ancient people

thought about their gods. They believed in gods whose

power was limited to a particular region or locality.

But listen to what God said to Jacob when he was on

the run from Esau, the brother whose birthright he had

stolen: “I will watch over you wherever you go.” Clearly,

this God was not confined to a particular territory or

region. His protection and power were available wher-

ever his people went. Indeed, as they were to discover, his

power extends over the whole earth.

Many of us are taught this truth as little children,

barely able to mouth the bulky words — God is omni-

present and omnipotent, everywhere and all-powerful.

Yet as we grow older, some of us find ourselves restricting

him, shrinking him down, setting boundaries around his

ability and his love. I caught myself doing this a couple

of years ago as I listened to media reports of a tropical

storm that slammed into Haiti. More than 1,500 people

drowned, and another 1,300 were missing, many of them

swept out to sea or buried beneath debris. Of those who

survived, many of the 300,000 homeless were perching on

rooftops or living on debris-strewn sidewalks where the

water had subsided.

But it got worse. Unburied bodies, raw sewage, and

animal carcasses were everywhere, and there was not

0310276144_immanuel.indd 70

5/17/07 10:23:55 AM

Wednesday 71

enough food to feed the living. Without adequate roads

and supplies, relief efforts seemed like Band-Aids pasted

over gaping wounds. How could anyone, I wondered,

solve Haiti’s intractable problems? It seemed like such a

God-forsaken place.

As I prayed, I began to realize that God isn’t the one

who is absent in Haiti or in any other part of the world. It

may only seem that way because so many of us are absent,

withholding our prayers because of our little faith, with-

holding our gifts because of our little love. True, we can’t

do everything, but we can do something. We can tackle

the problem that is in front of us, helping to bring God’s

presence to those who suffer.

If we want to experience Immanuel, “God with us,”

we need to be where he is, to do what his love compels,

to reflect his image to the rest of the world. Today, I pray

that Christ will pierce my heart with the things that pierce

his. I ask for the grace to look for him in the midst of the

world’s suffering, whether close to home or far away. I

pray that he will give you and me the faith to join him

there, transforming our prayers, our time, our talents, and

our financial resources into evidence of his presence in the

world — Immanuel, a God who is truly with us, in this

Christmas season and every day of the year.

0310276144_immanuel.indd 71

5/17/07 10:23:55 AM

72 Immanuel

Thursday

PRAYING THE NAME

As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you.

Now remain in my love. If you obey my commands,

you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my

Father’s commands and remain in his love. I have told

you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy

may be complete. My command is this: Love each other

as I have loved you. John 15:9 – 12

Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple

and that God’s Spirit lives in you? 1 Co rin thi ans 3:16

Reflect On:

John 15:9 – 12 and 1 Co rin thi ans 3:16.

Praise God:

For calling you to be his image bearer.

Offer Thanks: That God lives in you.

Confess:

Any failures that mar the image of God

in you.

Ask God:

To show you how to bear his image, to mag-

nify him by expressing his love to others.

Randy Frame was part of a team of journalists and busi-

ness leaders invited to Haiti in the mid-1990s to view its

problems close up. Trained as a reporter to maintain his

0310276144_immanuel.indd 72

5/17/07 10:23:55 AM

Thursday 73

distance, Randy wasn’t prepared for what happened on

the last day of his trip.

That day the group visited La Cay Espwa, the “House

of Hope,” a refuge for starving children cared for by a

small group of nuns. As soon as Randy entered the two-

room structure, a nun by the name of Sister Conchita

approached, offering him the child she cradled in her

arms. Reluctant at first to take the child lest he violate his

role as an objective observer, Randy finally gave in, decid-

ing it would be rude to refuse.

“Her name Maria,” the Sister said with broken English

and a quiet smile.

Frame writes:

I took Maria into my arms, gingerly at first.

She seemed so fragile: I could practically see the

skeleton beneath her skin. Only her eyes seemed

to have escaped the circumstances of her young

life. Her eyes were deep brown and as shiny as any

healthy child’s ought to be. She focused them not

on me, but on Sister Conchita. It was clear I was

“second string.” Perhaps my arms were not as soft

or comfortable. Yet she didn’t cry. Maybe she was

too weak to protest being held by a stranger. Or

perhaps she was glad to be in anyone’s arms. How

could I tell?

0310276144_immanuel.indd 73

5/17/07 10:23:55 AM

74 Immanuel

After they left, Randy’s tour guide explained that on

average one in four of the children in the House of Hope

dies because of the damage that chronic hunger wreaks

on the body. You can spot the ones who won’t make it.

Lethargic, with pale, rigid skin, their hair has a reddish

hue. The guide could have been describing Maria.

Despite being warned about the danger of venturing

out alone in Port-au-Prince, Randy left the security of his

hotel that night to make the two-mile trek back to the

House of Hope. When he found Sister Conchita, she was

still sitting on her rocker with Maria in her arms.

As I approach Sister Conchita, she stands,

sensing exactly why I have returned. She says

nothing, but offers me the child. And also her

chair. . . . I have arrived at the place where I want

to be. And as I live out what I’d earlier in the day

envisioned, I am suddenly and fully aware of my

weaknesses, my limitations. And aware also of the

limitations and shortcomings of humanity, which

has somehow failed this child and many others

like her. . . .

I am utterly powerless to determine whether

this child, who bears the image of God, will live

or die this night. But I do have power — complete

power — to make certain that if and when her frail

body finally yields, she has felt the security, the

0310276144_immanuel.indd 74

5/17/07 10:23:56 AM

Thursday 75

comfort, of someone’s loving arms. Tonight they

are my arms. It’s the least I can do for her, and

also, perhaps, the most. Her weak but gracious

eyes look up to mine. And hold their gaze. And in

the sacred silence of this moment, there is no other

power I crave, no other purpose I desire.

Randy’s story made me sad — and happy. God’s love

is so evident. It is “God with us,” “God with Randy,”

“God with Maria” — the Lord expressing himself to and

through human beings. Like Randy, we are called to be

Christ-bearers, to reflect God to others. Today let us ask

for the grace to make Immanuel known, to allow his light

and his life to shine through us.

0310276144_immanuel.indd 75

5/17/07 10:23:56 AM

76 Immanuel

Friday

PROMISES ASSOCIATED WITH HIS NAME

What does it mean to say that God is with us? Surely it

doesn’t mean our lives will be easy. It doesn’t mean we will

be insulated from failure or doubt or that God will take

our side in every argument. But it does mean we will never

face even a single struggle alone. It means the Lord will

never withhold the help we need to do his will. It means

that ultimately we will come out on top even if we feel

we’re living most of our life on the bottom.

What difficulties are you facing? Chronic illness?

Troubled children? A broken marriage? Financial hard-

ship? Take a moment today to stop imagining yourself

surrounded by all your difficulties and instead begin

to envision yourself as you really are — surrounded by

the presence of your faithful God. Invoke his name —

Immanuel. Decide today to do everything in your power

to follow him. Then ask for his peace, pray for his protec-

tion, and open your life to his power.

Promises in Scripture

But Moses said to God, “Who am I, that I should go

to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?”

And God said, “I will be with you.” Exodus 3:11 – 12

0310276144_immanuel.indd 76

5/17/07 10:23:56 AM

Friday 77

I will never leave you nor forsake you. . . . Have I not

commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be

terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God

will be with you wherever you go. Joshua 1:5, 9

When you pass through the waters,

I will be with you;

and when you pass through the rivers,

they will not sweep over you.

When you walk through the fire,

you will not be burned;

the f lames will not set you ablaze.

For I am the LORD, your God,

the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.

Isaiah 43:2 – 3

Surely I am with you always, to the very end of

the age. Matthew 28:20

Keep your lives free from the love of money and be

content with what you have, because God has said,

“Never will I leave you;

never will I forsake you.”

So we say with confidence,

“The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid.

What can human beings do to me?”

Hebrews 13:5 – 6

0310276144_immanuel.indd 77

5/17/07 10:23:56 AM

78 Immanuel

Continued Prayer and Praise

Pray this verse when you are afraid. (Joshua 1:9)

Be encouraged because no one can prevail against you if

God is with you. (Isaiah 8:10)

Remember that Jesus will not leave us orphans. He

will show himself to those who love him. (John

14:15 – 21)

0310276144_immanuel.indd 78

5/17/07 10:23:56 AM

d l ,y<

ChildPPP

paiçß

0310276144_immanuel.indd 79

5/17/07 10:23:56 AM

80 Child

The Name

A child was always at the heart of the biblical covenant.

Already in the garden of Eden God promised that Eve’s

offspring would crush the head of the serpent, who

beguiled her. Later God made a covenant with Abraham,

promising that Sarah would bear him a child who would

be the first of countless descendents. Then Isaiah spoke

of a child who would be born of a virgin and be given the

name “Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting

Father, Prince of Peace.” The New Testament tells of the

fulfillment of that promise in the Christmas stories, and

Jesus presents children as the model for his followers to

emulate. The only way to enter the kingdom is with the

humility and trust of little children.

0310276144_immanuel.indd 80

5/17/07 10:23:56 AM

Child 81

Key Scripture

For to us a child is born,

to us a son is given. . . . Isaiah 9:6

Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth

in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David,

because he belonged to the house and line of David. He

went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be

married to him and was expecting a child. While they

were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and

she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him

in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there

was no room for them in the inn. Luke 2:4 – 7

0310276144_immanuel.indd 81

5/17/07 10:23:56 AM

82 Child

Monday

GOD REVEALS HIS NAME

PP

P

P

P

The Scripture Reading

PP

In those days Caesar Augustus issued a

P

decree that a census should be taken of the entire

Roman world. (This was the first census that took place

while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) And everyone

went to his own town to register.

So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth

in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David,

because he belonged to the house and line of David. He

went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to

be married to him and was expecting a child. While

they were there, the time came for the baby to be born,

and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped

him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because

there was no room for them in the inn.

And there were shepherds living out in the fields

nearby, keeping watch over their f locks at night. An

angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the

Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But

the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you

good news of great joy that will be for all the people.

Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to

0310276144_immanuel.indd 82

5/17/07 10:23:56 AM

Monday 83

you; he is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you:

You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a

manger.” Luke 2:1 – 12

Prayer

Lord, you were cradled in human arms and laid in a

manger. How can I begin to understand a gift so unex-

pected? That someone so great would allow himself to

become so small? Help me to follow you, like a little

child, laying aside my pretensions and admitting my

need. Help me to love you, trust you, and lean on you

today, and thank you for showing me the way into your

kingdom.

Understanding the Name

Though the Israelites considered children a great bless-

ing, they occupied the bottom rung of the social ladder.

Entrusted with the solemn responsibility of teaching and

disciplining them, parents were accorded nearly absolute

authority over their children. To be a child was to be

powerless, dependent, subservient. Yet even little children

and young infants could receive wisdom from God and

their lips could praise him. The prophet Isaiah spoke of a

child, or yeled (YEL-ed), who would one day be born of

a virgin and sit on David’s throne. Luke’s Gospel tells us

that Mary, while she was yet betrothed, was expecting a

0310276144_immanuel.indd 83

5/17/07 10:23:56 AM

84 Child

child, or pais (PICE), and that she gave birth to him in Bethlehem.

Reflecting on the Name

What images come to mind when you think of the

child Jesus?

Why do you think Luke mentions that Jesus was born

in Bethlehem and that he was Mary’s son?

Why do you think God allowed his Son to be born

in such humble circumstances and to be placed in a

manger?

0310276144_immanuel.indd 84

5/17/07 10:23:57 AM

Tuesday 85

Tuesday

PRAYING THE NAME

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given.

Isaiah 9:6

In a loud voice she [Elizabeth] exclaimed: “Blessed

are you among women, and blessed is the child you will

bear!” Luke 1:42

Reflect On:

Isaiah 9:6 and Luke 1:26 – 45.

Praise God:

For keeping his promise to his people.

Offer Thanks: That God’s ways are so much higher than

ours.

Confess:

Your tendency to rely more on yourself

than you do on God.

Ask God:

For the grace to depend on him like chil-

dren depend on their father and mother.

One of the reasons I find the gospel so convincing is that

it’s nothing I would have dreamed up. Think about what

God did. He became a human baby, who like any other

infant had to be fed, burped, and bathed. He allowed

himself to get the flu, to be teased, to stub his toe like

any other little kid. To be thought the illegitimate son of

a teenage mother. To have for his main defense against an

0310276144_immanuel.indd 85

5/17/07 10:23:57 AM

86 Child

irate king a human father without an ounce of political

pull. And that’s just the beginning.

What if I had been God? Would I have devised an

all-loving strategy to woo my people back to myself, devel-

oping a plan that would require weakness, humility, and

dependency on the part of my child? I doubt it. My strat-

egy would probably have involved more power than love

because power seems less risky.

From a distance of two thousand years, it can be dif-

ficult to comprehend how shocking the incarnation was

and still is. It’s true that the Jewish people had been await-

ing a child who would become Israel’s deliverer, usher-

ing in a golden age in which God’s people would finally

come out on top. No more oppression. No more bondage.

Little wonder that every woman wanted to be that child’s

mother. But even in her wildest dreams, no Jewish woman

would have thought that would have meant cradling God

in her arms. God’s gracious plan was beyond anything his

people could have imagined.

The apostle Paul speaks of Christ’s crucifixion as “the

foolishness of God.” But surely God’s foolishness began

when he allowed his Son to be born in a stable and laid in

a manger. In fact, the life of Jesus was nothing but divine

foolishness at work, trumping human wisdom and expos-

ing it as folly.

Jesus puts it to his disciples like this: “Unless you

change and become like little children, you will never

enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever hum-

0310276144_immanuel.indd 86

5/17/07 10:23:57 AM

Tuesday 87

bles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom

of heaven” (Matthew 18:3 – 4). Like everything else he

demanded of his disciples, Jesus lived the pattern before

he asked it of them. But what does it mean to become like

little children?

Most children don’t have much money. They don’t

have a lot of power. They often lack wisdom. And they

aren’t afraid to ask for help. Hasn’t Jesus already made it

plain? If you want to be big in God’s kingdom, become

small in this world. If you want to save your life, be will-

ing to lose it.

During the Advent season, God is calling you to

become like a little child, asking you to follow him with

humility and trust. Decide to embrace his “foolish-

seeming” plan for your life, confident that his strength

will be perfected through your weakness. Guard against

self-reliance and self-promotion. Try to find ways to hum-

ble yourself, committing yourself to following Christ in

childlike trust and obedience.

0310276144_immanuel.indd 87

5/17/07 10:23:57 AM

88 Child

Wednesday

PRAYING THE NAME

When they [the Magi] had gone, an angel of the

Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. “Get up,” he said,

“take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt.

Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search

for the child to kill him.”

So he got up, took the child and his mother during

the night and left for Egypt, where he stayed until the

death of Herod. And so was fulfilled what the Lord had

said through the prophet: “Out of Egypt I called my

son.”

When Herod realized that he had been outwitted

by the Magi, he was furious, and he gave orders to kill

all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity who were two

years old and under. Matthew 2:13 – 16

Reflect On:

Matthew 2:13 – 20.

Praise God:

For never abandoning his plan to save us.

Offer Thanks: Because even as a child, Jesus shared our suffering.

Confess:

Any tendency to hide your faith for fear

of opposition.

Ask God:

To increase your understanding of the

gospel.

0310276144_immanuel.indd 88

5/17/07 10:23:57 AM

Wednesday 89

Christmas — it’s not about a baby! That was the surpris-

ing message of a talk I listened to a few years back. I don’t

remember everything the speaker said, but I am certain he

must have opened one too many Christmas cards depict-

ing the Christ child as a cherubic babe, surrounded by vel-

vety soft animals more suited to the pages of a children’s

book than a stable. He didn’t want the celebration of the

great feast of the incarnation to be reduced to something

sentimental and saccharine. In fact, the Lord’s birthday

story is a dramatic and richly layered narrative that bears

careful rereading. You could say it contains the DNA of

the gospel, linking the child Jesus to Israel’s past as well as to its future. It is like a seed that encapsulates the unfold-ing story of salvation — past, present, and to come.

For instance, Matthew’s Gospel begins with a long

genealogy linking Jesus to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, David,

and Solomon. Then, after recounting Jesus’ birth and the

visit of the Magi, the story shifts because already oppo-

sition to the Christ child is rising. An angel appears to

Joseph in a dream, warning him that Herod is searching

everywhere for Jesus, intending to murder him. So Joseph

flees with Jesus and Mary to Egypt. Like Moses, the child

Jesus is rescued only in the nick of time. Enraged that

the Magi have left without telling him the precise loca-

tion of the newborn king, Herod orders all the boys of

Bethlehem two years old and under to be slaughtered,

0310276144_immanuel.indd 89

5/17/07 10:23:57 AM

90 Child

echoing Pharaoh’s decree that every Hebrew male infant

be drowned in the Nile River.

It’s the Exodus story in miniature. From the very

beginning, Jesus is linked to the suffering history of his

people, to their exile and oppression. His life recalls the

words of Hosea: “When Israel was a child, I loved him,

and out of Egypt I called my son” (Hosea 11:1).

The nativity story links Jesus not only to his people’s

past but also to their future. To shepherds tending their

flocks outside Bethlehem, an angel proclaims: “I bring

you news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today

in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is

Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find

a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger” (Luke

2:10 – 12). The shepherds were amazed, telling everyone

about him. They had seen their long-awaited Savior, the

desire of all nations, the One who would one day refer to

himself as the Good Shepherd.

So Christmas, the great feast of the incarnation, is

about a baby after all. And it’s not about a baby. It’s about the great story of God’s love as it stretched across the

centuries toward its climax in the life of the child Jesus.

No wonder Simeon held the boy in his arms when his

parents brought him to the temple, speaking these words

to Mary: “This child is destined to cause the falling and

rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spo-

ken against, so that the thoughts of many hearts will be

revealed” (Luke 2:34 – 35).

0310276144_immanuel.indd 90

5/17/07 10:23:57 AM

Wednesday 91

Even as a child, Jesus created turbulence in the world.

His mere existence demanded a response. Either love him

or hate him, accept his message or try to quash it. Why

then should we be surprised when we encounter opposi-

tion because of our faith? If we bear the image of Christ

within us, we will certainly cause offense to some. But

many others will welcome the Jesus they see in us. Pray

today that Christ will shine more brightly in your heart

and in every heart that belongs to him because God wants

to reveal his Son to a world that is dying to know him.

0310276144_immanuel.indd 91

5/17/07 10:23:57 AM

92 Child

Thursday

PRAYING THE NAME

So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth

in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David,

because he belonged to the house and line of David. He

went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be

married to him and was expecting a child. While they

were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and

she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him

in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there

was no room for them in the inn. Luke 2:4 – 7

Reflect On:

Luke 2:1 – 20.

Praise God:

For speaking to us through his Son.

Offer Thanks: For all the ways God has provided for

you and your family, materially and

spiritually.

Confess:

Any failure to value God’s Word enough

to read it regularly.

Ask God:

To nourish you through his Word.

Remember the lyrics to the Christmas hymn “Silent Night”?

Silent night! holy night!

All is calm, all is bright

0310276144_immanuel.indd 92

5/17/07 10:23:57 AM

Thursday 93

Round yon virgin mother and child,

Holy infant, so tender and mild —

Sleep in heavenly peace,

Sleep in heavenly peace.

A story is told of a first grader who drew a picture

of the nativity for his Sunday school class. After compli-

menting him on his artistic ability, his teacher inquired

about the round figure lurking in the corner of his draw-

ing. Surprised that she hadn’t recognized him, the boy

responded, “Oh, that’s round John Virgin!”

At a distance of two thousand years, it can be easy

to get some of the details wrong. How many of us, for

instance, picture Mary riding a donkey into Bethlehem?

But the Bible never tells us whether Mary walked or rode

on an animal. The only donkeys in the story are the ones

that populate our crèche sets. And what about the three

Magi who worshiped the infant in the stable? The Bible

never specifies how many Magi were there, though it does

say they presented Jesus with three gifts. But at least we

know they worshiped the infant in the stable, right? Sorry!

Matthew’s Gospel says Jesus was living in a house by the

time the Magi arrived in Bethlehem. Some biblical schol-

ars think he may have been a two-year-old by the time

they caught up with him.

While none of these details significantly alters the

meaning of the story, we sometimes miss details that do.

0310276144_immanuel.indd 93

5/17/07 10:23:58 AM

94 Child

Take the manger, for instance. There’s no disputing the

fact that the Bible says Mary placed her baby in a feeding

trough shortly after his birth. This detail highlights the

humble circumstances surrounding his birth. We know

that. But how many of us have ever wondered if there’s

more to it — another reason why God’s Son began his life

in a feeding trough? Could God have been telegraphing

a message, hoping we would understand that Jesus would

become a source of nourishment for his people, feeding

and sustaining us throughout our lives?

As you read Scripture today remember that Jesus wants

to nourish you — to share his life with you. Take time to

meditate on what you are reading, asking his Spirit to

give you understanding. As you meditate on God’s Word,

remember that meditation simply means to ponder or to

chew on something. Instead of going away hungry, ask

God today to help you feed on his Word, to let it satisfy

your longings and fill up your empty places.

0310276144_immanuel.indd 94

5/17/07 10:23:58 AM

Friday 95

Friday

PROMISES ASSOCIATED WITH HIS NAME

I was forty-six when I adopted my first child — not as old

as the biblical Sarah but a far sight older than Mary, the

teenage mother of Jesus. But no matter how old you are or

how long you’ve waited, a child can be one of life’s greatest

blessings, opening you again to wonder, renewing your

amazement at God’s good plan for the future.

Little wonder that a child was God’s first promise to

the world. After Adam and Eve sinned, as they were being

forced from their garden paradise, God made the most

hopeful of all his promises, assuring them that Eve’s off-

spring would one day crush the serpent whose temptation

had pushed them out of Eden and into so much misery.

No wonder Mary has sometimes been called the new Eve,

her obedience a striking reversal of Eve’s disobedience.

And as for the Christ child — he has always been identi-

fied as the fulfillment of God’s promise to crush Satan,

our worst enemy, and as the one who would lead us back

to paradise.

Promises in Scripture

So the LORD God said to the serpent, “Because you

have done this,

0310276144_immanuel.indd 95

5/17/07 10:23:58 AM

96 Child

“Cursed are you above all the livestock

and all the wild animals!

You will crawl on your belly

and you will eat dust

all the days of your life.

And I will put enmity

between you and the woman,

and between your offspring and hers;

he will crush your head,

and you will strike his heel.” Genesis 3:14 – 15

Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The

virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son,

and will call him Immanuel. Isaiah 7:14

Continued Prayer and Praise

Praise God for promising a child who would reign forever

with his justice and righ teous ness. (Isaiah 9:6 – 7)

Strive to be the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. (Mat-

thew 18:2 – 4; Luke 9:48)

0310276144_immanuel.indd 96

5/17/07 10:23:58 AM

Ë l ,m ,

King;

King of KingsPP

P

basileu©ß

basile vwn

0310276144_immanuel.indd 97

5/17/07 10:23:58 AM

98 King; King of Kings

The Name

The Israelites believed that Yahweh was Melek, or King —

not just over Israel but over every nation on earth. They

understood that the temple in Jerusalem was the earthly

symbol of God’s heavenly throne, and they expected a

coming Messiah who would one day save his people from

their enemies, establishing his rule over the whole world.

The New Testament presents Jesus as the King of

kings, whose perfect obedience ushered in the kingdom of

heaven. Though he entered the world humbly, as an infant

born in Bethlehem, Magi from the east still recognized

him as the newborn king. And though his reign unfolds

in hidden ways, he has promised to come again, at which

time he will reveal himself unambiguously as “King of

kings and Lord of lords.” When you pray to Jesus, the

King of kings, call to mind his mastery not only over human beings but over nature, disease, and death itself.

0310276144_immanuel.indd 98

5/17/07 10:23:58 AM

King; King of Kings 99

Key Scripture

For the LORD is the great God,

the great King above all gods. Psalm 95:3

On his robe and on his thigh he has this name

written:

KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.

Revelation 19:16

0310276144_immanuel.indd 99

5/17/07 10:23:58 AM

100 King; King of Kings

Monday

GOD REVEALS HIS NAME

PP

P

P

P

The Scripture Reading

PP

Endow the king with your justice, O God,

P

the royal son with your righ teous ness.

He will judge your people in righ teous ness,

your aff licted ones with justice.

The mountains will bring prosperity to the people,

the hills the fruit of righ teous ness.

He will defend the aff licted among the people

and save the children of the needy;

he will crush the oppressor.

He will endure as long as the sun,

as long as the moon, through all generations.

He will be like rain falling on a mown field,

like showers watering the earth.

In his days the righ teous will f lourish;

prosperity will abound till the moon is no

more.

He will rule from sea to sea

and from the River to the ends of the

earth. . . .

All kings will bow down to him

and all nations will serve him.

0310276144_immanuel.indd 100

5/17/07 10:23:58 AM

Monday 101

For he will deliver the needy who cry out,

the aff licted who have no one to help.

He will take pity on the weak and the needy

and save the needy from death.

He will rescue them from oppression and violence,

for precious is their blood in his sight.

Long may he live! Psalm 72:1 – 8, 11 – 15a

As they approached Jerusalem and came to Beth-

phage on the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples,

saying to them, “Go to the village ahead of you, and at

once you will find a donkey tied there, with her colt by

her. Untie them and bring them to me. If anyone says

anything to you, tell him that the Lord needs them, and

he will send them right away.”

This took place to fulfill what was spoken through

the prophet:

“Say to the Daughter of Zion,

‘See, your king comes to you,

gentle and riding on a donkey,

on a colt, the foal of a donkey.’ ”

Matthew 21:1 – 5

I saw heaven standing open and there before me

was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and

True. With justice he judges and makes war. His eyes

0310276144_immanuel.indd 101

5/17/07 10:23:58 AM

102 King; King of Kings

are like blazing fire, and on his head are many crowns.

He has a name written on him that no one knows but

he himself. He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and

his name is the Word of God. The armies of heaven

were following him, riding on white horses and dressed

in fine linen, white and clean. Out of his mouth comes

a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations.

“He will rule them with an iron scepter.” He treads the

winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty. On

his robe and on his thigh he has this name written:

KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.

Revelation 19:11 – 16

Prayer

Lord, help me in this Advent season to seek first your

kingdom, forsaking my desire to build my own small

kingdom. Give me the grace to actively await your com-

ing by loving my enemies, doing good to those who hate

me, serving the poor, and spreading the good news of

your kingdom wherever I go.

Understanding the Name

Compared to surrounding nations, the Israelites were rela-

tively late in adopting monarchy as a form of government.

Instead, they thought of Yahweh as their King. Once the

monarchy was established, it was understood that the king

0310276144_immanuel.indd 102

5/17/07 10:23:59 AM

Monday 103

received his power from God and was therefore respon-

sible for ruling according to God’s laws. David, Israel’s

second king, for the most part represented the ideal of

how a king should rule. But most of the kings of Israel and

Judah fell far short of the ideal, leading people away from

God by forging ill-fated alliances with foreign powers and

by sanctioning the worship of false gods.

Because the Jewish people longed for a king who would

be descended from David, it is hardly surprising that the

crowd who greeted Jesus as he entered Jerusalem hailed

him as the “Son of David.” They expected their messianic

king to restore Israel’s freedom and former glory. In the

passage from Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus fulfills the messi-

anic prophecy of Zechariah 9:9 by riding into Jerusalem

on a donkey, an animal that symbolized both peace and

humility.

The passage from Revelation 19, which speaks of a

time when Christ’s kingly rule will be fully established,

presents Jesus riding not on a lowly donkey but on a mag-

nificent white horse, as befits the greatest of all kings.

Throughout the New Testament Jesus is variously referred

to as “King,” “King of the ages,” “King of the Jews,” “King

of Israel,” and “King of kings” — this last one translated

from the Greek phrase Basileus Basileon (ba-si-LEUS ba-si-LE-own). Even today some Chris tian churches are called

“basilicas,” a phrase meaning “the hall of the king.”

0310276144_immanuel.indd 103

5/17/07 10:23:59 AM

104 King; King of Kings

Reflecting on the Name

Look at Psalm 72

This psalm may have been a coronation prayer for one

of the Davidic kings. Though it doesn’t directly refer

to God as the King, it does reflect the values of our

heavenly King. Describe these.

Look at Matthew 21:1 – 9 and Revelation 19:11 – 16

Why do you think Scripture presents the reign of Jesus

in two such different ways, as in the above passages?

Write a list of qualities that would describe the perfect

king. Now compare and contrast these with the lives

of today’s rulers.

What do you think it means to have Jesus as your

king? How have you experienced his reign in your life

thus far?

What would life on earth look like today if Jesus’ reign

was perfectly established?

0310276144_immanuel.indd 104

5/17/07 10:23:59 AM

Tuesday 105

Tuesday

PRAYING THE NAME

A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse;

from his roots a Branch will bear fruit.

The Spirit of the LORD will rest on him —

the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding,

the Spirit of counsel and of power,

the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the

LORD. . . .

Righ teous ness will be his belt

and faithfulness the sash around his waist.

The wolf will live with the lamb,

the leopard will lie down with the goat,

the calf and the lion and the yearling together;

and a little child will lead them. . . .

The infant will play near the hole of the cobra,

and the young child put his hand into the

viper’s nest.

They will neither harm nor destroy

on all my holy mountain,

for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the

LORD

as the waters cover the sea.

Isaiah 11:1 – 2, 5 – 6, 8 – 9

0310276144_immanuel.indd 105

5/17/07 10:23:59 AM

106 King; King of Kings

Reflect On:

Isaiah 11:1 – 9.

Praise God:

For he is the true King.

Offer Thanks: For the ways God has already used you to build up his kingdom.

Confess:

Any tendency to live as though this world

is all there is.

Ask God:

To fill the earth with the knowledge of

him.

Several years ago I nearly met a king. I was touring Israel

and Jordan with a small group of editors and writers inter-

ested in learning more about the intractable problems of

the region. During our time in Amman, Jordan, our tour

director attempted to arrange a meeting with His Majesty

King Hussein bin Talal, known to his people as Al-Malik

Al-Insan, “The Humane King.” But the king was busy

that day. So we met, instead, with his younger brother,

His Royal Highness Prince El Hassan bin Talal, who was

then the crown prince. Afterward, we crowded around on

the steps of the palace to have our photograph taken with

him, commemorating our one brief brush with royalty.

Like most Americans, I find the idea of royalty exotic,

romantic, and rather antiquated. And no wonder. Mon-

archs and monarchies have suffered a long decline through-

out the world. If you doubt it, try an Internet word search

for “king.” You are more likely to turn up “Burger King,”

0310276144_immanuel.indd 106

5/17/07 10:23:59 AM

Tuesday 107

“B. B. King,” “Martin Luther King,” “Stephen King,”

The Lion King, or even “Elvis Presley” than the name of a reigning monarch.

But the Bible pictures God as the greatest Monarch of

all. Far from being in decline, God’s rule extends over the

entire universe. Though challenged by the one Jesus called

“the prince of this world,” God still reigns.

Isaiah presents a shocking though beautiful image of

what the world will be like when God’s rule is perfectly

and permanently established: “The infant will play near

the hole of the cobra”; “the wolf will live with the lamb”;

“the leopard will lie down with the goat”; and “a little

child will lead them.” The world in perfect harmony. No

violence, no hatred, no hurt. Nothing out of sync, out of

control, off kilter. The weak and the strong living happily

together, world without end. Evil will vanish, becoming

merely an archaic word in the celestial dictionary.

Next time you read the newspaper or watch the nightly

news, contrast Isaiah’s vision of the world as it will one day

be with your vision of the world as it currently is. Pray for

the grace to perceive more deeply and to participate more

fully in the work God is doing to build up his kingdom

right now. Remember the words of Jesus shortly before his

death: “Those who love their life will lose it, while those

who hate their life in this world will keep it for eternal life.

Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my

0310276144_immanuel.indd 107

5/17/07 10:23:59 AM

108 King; King of Kings

servant also will be” (John 12:25 – 26). Then join your

prayer to his:

Our Father in heaven,

hallowed be your name

your kingdom come,

your will be done

on earth as it is in heaven. Matthew 6:9 – 10

0310276144_immanuel.indd 108

5/17/07 10:23:59 AM

Wednesday 109

Wednesday

PRAYING THE NAME

God is the King of all the earth. Psalm 47:7

Jesus told them another parable: “The kingdom of

heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field.

But while everyone was sleeping, his enemy came and

sowed weeds among the wheat, and went away. When

the wheat sprouted and formed heads, then the weeds

also appeared.

“The owner’s servants came to him and said, ‘Sir,

didn’t you sow good seed in your field? Where then did

the weeds come from?’

“ ‘An enemy did this,’ he replied.

“The servants asked him, ‘Do you want us to go

and pull them up?’

“ ‘No,’ he answered, ‘because while you are pulling

the weeds, you may root up the wheat with them. Let

both grow together until the harvest. At that time I

will tell the harvesters: First collect the weeds and tie

them in bundles to be burned; then gather the wheat

and bring it into my barn.’ ” Matthew 13:24 – 30

0310276144_immanuel.indd 109

5/17/07 10:23:59 AM

110 King; King of Kings

Reflect On:

Psalm 47 and Matthew 13:24 – 30.

Praise God:

The King of the whole earth.

Offer Thanks: For God’s patience.

Confess:

Any complacency you may have regard-

ing the return of the King.

Ask God:

To hasten the coming of his Son.

If God is King of the whole world, why is the world such a

mess? Couldn’t an all-powerful God do something about

the poverty, crime, and suffering that have been part of

the world’s story from the beginning? Wouldn’t an all-lov-

ing God want to?

The question nags. It’s hard to ignore. It demands our

attention. Perhaps it will help if we consider two things:

First, there’s opposition. Satan (the word means “Adver-

sary”) is a spiritual being, a fallen angel, who opposed

God’s rule and in so doing ushered sin into the world.

And sin is at the root of every misery the world has ever

suffered.

Second, though God could have instantly destroyed

Satan and sinners (that’s all of us), he decided to take

the long way round, quelling the world’s rebellion not by

brute force but by the power of divine love. That strategy

requires restraint. It takes patience. It means justice in a

final sense has to be delayed. It means evil is played out to

the bitter end so that love can draw as many people as pos-

0310276144_immanuel.indd 110

5/17/07 10:23:59 AM

Wednesday 111

sible into the kingdom. To say it another way, the weeds

and the wheat are allowed to grow up together until the

world’s last day.

On that day Jesus will no longer hide himself but will

step boldly into history, not veiling his power but appear-

ing in all his brilliance as King of kings and Lord of lords,

judging the world with his justice and establishing his

reign on the earth.

As we wait for the King’s return (remember that

“advent” means “coming”), let’s spread the kingdom by

sharing the good news, feeding the hungry, serving the

poor, and loosening the bonds of the oppressed. Also, let

us allow the values of the kingdom to shine forth in us

by the way we think and act and pray. Then, anticipating

that final day of the Lord, let us bow down and worship,

proclaiming Jesus as our King and Lord forever.

0310276144_immanuel.indd 111

5/17/07 10:24:00 AM

112 King; King of Kings

Thursday

PRAYING THE NAME

Our Father in heaven,

hallowed be your name,

your kingdom come,

your will be done

on earth as it is in heaven. Matthew 6:9 – 10

Then he said to his disciples, “The time is coming

when you will long to see one of the days of the Son of

Man, but you will not see it. People will tell you, ‘There

he is!’ or ‘Here he is!’ Do not go running off after them. For the Son of Man in his day will be like the

lightning, which f lashes and lights up the sky from one

end to the other. But first he must suffer many things

and be rejected by this generation. Luke 17:22 – 25

Reflect On:

Matthew 6:9 – 10 and Luke 17:22 – 25.

Praise God:

Because he is a perfect Ruler.

Offer Thanks: That Christ has promised to come again.

Confess:

Any complacency in your relationship

with Christ.

Ask God:

To stir up your longing for his coming

again in glory.

0310276144_immanuel.indd 112

5/17/07 10:24:00 AM

Thursday 113

King Farouk of Egypt once wryly predicted the end of his

reign, remarking that “in a few years there will be only

five kings in the world — the king of England and the

four kings in a pack of cards.” But Farouk, the last real

king of Egypt, was leaving out the greatest King of all.

Last year as Christmas approached, I wanted to avoid

making the same mistake. But what does Christmas

have to do with acknowledging Jesus as King? In many

churches throughout the world, Advent is observed as a

season in which we prepare spiritually to celebrate Christ’s

first coming. It is also a season to prepare our hearts for

his second coming, when every knee will bend and every

tongue will confess that he indeed is King and Lord.

I wanted to find a way to make Advent a central part

of our family’s celebration of Christmas. To do this, I had

to make some practical decisions. A few years ago, I was

surprised to learn that my grandparents never trimmed

their Christmas tree until the night before Christmas.

Apparently, it was a common practice back then. So,

for me that was the first order of business — to resist the

urge to decorate and shop and party as though Christ-

mas arrived the day after Thanksgiving. No more nonstop

Christmas music. No more franticness. I decided to let the

season’s meaning unfold in calmness.

Despite the protests of my children who saw everyone

else’s decorations going up, I was determined that Advent

would not become an endangered species in our house. I

0310276144_immanuel.indd 113

5/17/07 10:24:00 AM

114 King; King of Kings

did allow them one concession, but it played perfectly into

my Advent scheme. I made the traditional candy house,

the delectable one my mother had made for me as a child,

placing it as always in a prominent spot in the living room.

And as always I reminded them of rule number one: no

eating — not one bite — until Christmas morning. There

were the usual murmured complaints, but I knew my chil-

dren were learning the Advent discipline of waiting with

eager expectation.

For my part, I made no superhuman efforts to observe

the season, but simply made sure I finished most of my

Christmas shopping before Thanksgiving. Then I prayed

a little more. In the morning and evening I read Scrip-

tures that expressed a longing for the Messiah, for peace

on earth, for captives to be set free, for the lion and lamb

to lie down together. I read about the Bright Morning

Star and the Light of the World. And I read the news —

the kidnappings, the beheadings, the battles, the political

wrangling, and the poisoning of a political opponent. I

read about the man in a wheelchair who had frozen to

death in my city because of people’s carelessness — and I

interceded with anguish for Christ to set things right, to

bring justice and peace, forgiveness and mercy. I prayed

with longing and tears that he would come with his power

and his wisdom to reign over us.

As Christmas draws near this year, I find that I am

glad for the baby born in Bethlehem, but that I am long-

0310276144_immanuel.indd 114

5/17/07 10:24:00 AM

Thursday 115

ing for the greatest of kings. I see how broken the world

is, how broken I am, without him. As I have prayed in

the weeks leading up to Christmas, I find my thoughts

returning to the day in which the World Trade Center

towers collapsed. I remember sitting in a hospital room

with my daughter, who was about to undergo a medical

test. We sat transfixed in front of the TV, watching as

New York came under attack — planes crashing, people

jumping out of buildings, the city devastated. We watched

the Pentagon burning. It seemed surreal, so sudden and

impossible — the financial heart and the power center

of the greatest country on earth both under attack. Like

everyone else who watched, it changed our perception of

the world.

Since then, I have not found it difficult to believe in

Christ’s sudden coming. In an instant, in a flash, in the

twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet — the dead will

be raised imperishable and we will all be changed, and the

greatest of all kings will ascend his throne.

Maranatha! Come, Lord Jesus!

0310276144_immanuel.indd 115

5/17/07 10:24:00 AM

116 King; King of Kings

Friday

PROMISES ASSOCIATED WITH HIS NAME

Jesus promised his followers that they would inherit the

kingdom of God, prepared for them since the beginning

of time. Take a few moments to consider what your life

would look like if you really believed that in just a few

short years, you were going to inherit a kingdom, filled

with everything your heart desired. This would be a place

so marvelous that in it you would never be lonely, con-

fused, or bored. A place so peaceful that you would always

love and be loved, understand and be understood. Every

need, every desire would be perfectly fulfilled.

Wouldn’t this knowledge put things in an entirely dif-

ferent perspective? Would life be nearly as frantic? Would

you expend so much energy stockpiling the goods of this

world? Or would you find a new ease settling into your

soul and a growing desire to get ready for the world to

come by reflecting its values right here and right now?

Promises in Scripture

The LORD will be king over the whole earth. On

that day there will be one LORD, and his name the only

name. Zechariah 14:9

The righ teous will shine like the sun in the kingdom

of their Father. Matthew 13:43

0310276144_immanuel.indd 116

5/17/07 10:24:00 AM

Friday 117

Then the King will say to those on his right, “Come,

you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheri-

tance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation

of the world.” Matthew 25:34

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the

first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and

there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the

new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God,

prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband.

And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Now

the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with

them. They will be his people, and God himself will be

with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear

from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourn-

ing or crying or pain, for the old order of things has

passed away.” Revelation 21:1 – 4

Continued Prayer and Praise

Pray for the increase of God’s government. (Isaiah

9:6 – 7)

Worship the King of glory. (Psalm 24)

Prepare for the King’s return. (Matthew 24:9 – 14; Luke

19:11 – 26; 1 Tim othy 6:11 – 16; 2 Peter 1:5 – 11)

Approach the throne of grace with confidence. (Hebrews

4:16)

Envision the throne of God and of the Lamb. (Revelation

22:1 – 5)

0310276144_immanuel.indd 117

5/17/07 10:24:00 AM

031020755X_relation_fm.qxp 9/8/06 2:21 PM Page 1

This page is intentionally left blank

r y hi B;h/ r q,Bo h/ b k/„ K

Bright

Morning

StarPPP

a jsth ©r lampro ©ß

prwi>no vß

0310276144_immanuel.indd 119

5/17/07 10:24:00 AM

120 Bright Morning Star

The Name

In the last chapter of the book of Revelation, Jesus calls

himself the “bright Morning Star.” In ancient times, the

morning star was thought of as a herald of the new day,

signaling the dawn of hope and joy. The brightest object

in the sky aside from the sun and moon, it is a fitting type

for Christ, who ushers in a new day for the entire world.

When you call on Jesus, the Bright Morning Star, you are

calling on the One from whom all darkness flees.

0310276144_immanuel.indd 120

5/17/07 10:24:01 AM

Bright Morning Star 121

Key Scriptures

The oracle of one who hears the words of God,

who has knowledge from the Most High,

who sees a vision from the Almighty,

who falls prostrate, and whose eyes are

opened:

“I see him, but not now;

I behold him, but not near.

A star will come out of Jacob;

a scepter will rise out of Israel.”

Numbers 24:16 – 17

I am the Root and the Offspring of David, and the

bright Morning Star. Revelation 22:16

0310276144_immanuel.indd 121

5/17/07 10:24:01 AM

122 Bright Morning Star

Monday

GOD REVEALS HIS NAME

PP

P

P

P

The Scripture Reading

I see him, but not now;

PPP

I behold him, but not near;

A star will come out of Jacob;

a scepter will rise out of Israel.

Numbers 24:17

Behold, I am coming soon! My reward is with me,

and I will give to everyone according to what he has

done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the

Last, the Beginning and the End.

Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they

may have the right to the tree of life and may go

through the gates into the city. Outside are the dogs,

those who practice magic arts, the sexually immoral,

the murderers, the idolaters and everyone who loves

and practices falsehood.

I, Jesus, have sent my angel to give you this testi-

mony for the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring

of David, and the bright Morning Star.

Revelation 22:12 – 16

0310276144_immanuel.indd 122

5/17/07 10:24:01 AM

Monday 123

Prayer

Lord, you are the brightest of all stars. I pray that you

will chase away the world’s darkness and the shadows

that linger in my life. Help me to await your coming

with hope and confidence and to long eagerly for the

new day that will never end, the day in which your

kingdom will be finally and fully established.

Understanding the Name

What the Bible refers to as the morning star is actually

the planet Venus, known since prehistoric times. As the

second planet from the sun, it is also one of the hottest.

A relatively young planet, it is Earth’s closest neighbor

and is often called our sister planet. Because of its appear-

ance in the eastern sky before dawn, it was thought of as

the harbinger of sunrise. The title Aster Lampros Proinos

(as-TAIR lam-PROS pro-i-NOS) presents a powerful and

beautiful image of the One who is also known as “the

light of the world.”

Though this title does not appear in the Hebrew

Scriptures, the book of Numbers refers to a coming star,

a scepter that will rise up out of Israel. Kokab Habboger

Habbahir ( KO-kab ha-bo-QER ha-ba-HEER) is Hebrew

for “Bright Star of the Morning.”

Reflecting on the Name

Jesus says that he is coming soon. In what ways do you

think his second coming will differ from his first?

0310276144_immanuel.indd 123

5/17/07 10:24:01 AM

124 Bright Morning Star

Describe your attitude toward the second coming —

fear, doubt, hope, joy? Why do you feel the way you

do?

What kinds of people is Jesus describing in the pas-

sage from Revelation?

0310276144_immanuel.indd 124

5/17/07 10:24:01 AM

Tuesday 125

Tuesday

PRAYING THE NAME

After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during

the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to

Jerusalem and asked, “Where is the one who has been

born king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and

have come to worship him.” Matthew 2:1 – 2

I, Jesus, have sent my angel to give you this testi-

mony for the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring

of David, and the bright Morning Star. Revelation 22:16

Reflect On:

Matthew 2:1 – 12 and Revelation 22:16.

Praise God:

For shining his light into our world.

Offer Thanks: For the ways God has shed his light on

you.

Confess:

Any hidden sins, which fester in the

darkness.

Ask God:

To make you eager for the new life he

gives you.

“Light therapy” is the treatment of choice for a depressive

condition called Seasonal Affective Disorder, commonly

known as SAD. Though the diagnosis may sound trendy,

anyone who lives in a climate that gets only a little winter

0310276144_immanuel.indd 125

5/17/07 10:24:01 AM

126 Bright Morning Star

sunlight is not likely to doubt it. Many of us would be the

first to patronize a restaurant like the one in Helsinki, Fin-

land, that from October to March serves bright light with

breakfast. Every morning the Café Engel places light boxes

throughout the restaurant so that, along with a Danish

and coffee, patrons can get their fix of light.

It seems obvious that our bodies are wired for light.

Without enough of it, some of us are prone to weight gain,

irritability, anxiety, sleeplessness, and stress. But it’s not

only our bodies that suffer in the darkness. Our souls long

for the light as well. Perhaps that’s why the story of Jesus

is associated with light from start to finish.

Remember the brilliant star that led the Magi from

the east to the child Jesus in Bethlehem? Some scholars

think the “star” was the light produced by the conjunction

of Jupiter and Saturn, which happened three times in 7

BC. Such a celestial event would have been of particular

interest at that time because Jupiter was commonly associ-

ated with kingly rule and Saturn with the Jewish people.

To the Magi, the star of Bethlehem was a sign that a glori-

ous kingdom was about to dawn.

So, the life of Jesus begins with a “star,” and you can

say that it also ends with a star, because in the last chapter

of the Bible the risen Lord calls himself the “bright Morn-

ing Star,” a reference to the planet Venus, the brightest

object in the predawn sky except for the moon — the sure

sign that dawn will soon break over the world.

0310276144_immanuel.indd 126

5/17/07 10:24:01 AM

Tuesday 127

Two thousand years later, we can echo the words of

the Magi concerning the newborn king: “We saw his star

when it rose and have come to worship him” (Matthew

2:2). Because of Jesus, a new day, bright with promise,

has dawned on the entire world. Or, to put it another way,

Jesus is the most powerful light therapy ever invented. He

is the One who destroys our darkness by the light of his

presence.

This week, try imprinting this name on your heart by

choosing a day to rise early. As you watch the sun come

up, you may even spot Venus rising in the east. In those

predawn moments, praise the risen Christ, the Bright

Morning Star, who has come to shine his light on you.

0310276144_immanuel.indd 127

5/17/07 10:24:01 AM

128 Bright Morning Star

Wednesday

PRAYING THE NAME

I see him, but not now;

I behold him, but not near.

A star will come out of Jacob;

a scepter will rise out of Israel. Numbers 24:17

He [Jesus] replied, “When evening comes, you say,

‘It will be fair weather, for the sky is red,’ and in the

morning, ‘Today it will be stormy, for the sky is red and

overcast.’ You know how to interpret the appearance

of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the

times.” Matthew 16:2 – 3

Reflect On:

Numbers 24:17 and Matthew 16:2 – 3.

Praise God:

For giving us signs of his presence.

Offer Thanks: For all the ways God has guided you.

Confess:

Any confusion that comes from taking

your eyes off Jesus.

Ask God:

To help you stay the course by fixing your

eyes on him.

Have you ever wondered how ancient mariners were able

to navigate without using a compass? One trick was to

watch the flight paths of birds. Norse sailors knew that a

seabird with a full beak was heading to its rookery on land

0310276144_immanuel.indd 128

5/17/07 10:24:01 AM

Wednesday 129

while a bird with an empty beak was probably heading out

to sea in search of food.

The Phoenicians, like many seafaring peoples that fol-

lowed, were sophisticated enough to rely on the sky to get

them through the treacherous seas. By watching the sun

in its path, they knew whether they were heading east or

west. They could also locate their position by gazing at the

night sky, aware as they were that individual stars appear

at fixed distances above the horizon at any particular loca-

tion and time of year. Even today, satellites use a similar

technique, marking their position in space by using “star

trackers,” instruments that use groups of stars as reference

points.

What does any of this have to do with Christ as the

bright Morning Star? Remember that the morning star

was considered the harbinger of dawn. When Jesus called

himself the “bright Morning Star,” he was saying that he is

our reference point — the sign that a new day is dawning

on the world. Scripture tells us that this will be a day that

will never end. Its light will be so steady, strong, and fixed

that darkness will finally be banished from the earth. No

more sin, no more sorrow, no more tears. If the first com-

ing of Jesus is like the star that announces the dawn, his

second coming will be like lightning, bringing the swift

fulfillment of his kingdom.

Like the ancient mariners, who were able to read the

skies, we need to remember to look up, to lift our faces to

0310276144_immanuel.indd 129

5/17/07 10:24:02 AM

130 Bright Morning Star

the Bright Morning Star, because it is only when Jesus is

our reference point that we understand our true location

in space and time.

Jesus faulted the religious leaders of his day for failing

to interpret the signs of the times. Let us pray today for

the grace to be like wise seafarers, joyful when they saw

the morning star rising in the east.

0310276144_immanuel.indd 130

5/17/07 10:24:02 AM

Thursday 131

Thursday

PRAYING THE NAME

We did not follow cleverly invented stories when

we told you about the power and coming of our Lord

Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty.

For he received honor and glory from God the Father

when the voice came to him from the Majestic Glory,

saying, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am

well pleased.” We ourselves heard this voice that came

from heaven when we were with him on the sacred

mountain.

And we have the word of the prophets made more

certain, and you will do well to pay attention to it, as to

a light shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and

the morning star rises in your hearts. 2 Peter 1:16 – 19

Reflect On:

2 Peter 1:16 – 19.

Praise God:

For bringing you into the light of his

presence.

Offer Thanks: Because God has a unique purpose for

your life.

Confess:

Any tendency to resist God’s purpose

because of fear or insecurity.

Ask God:

To strengthen your hope.

0310276144_immanuel.indd 131

5/17/07 10:24:02 AM

132 Bright Morning Star

I graduated from college during the midst of a recession.

Armed with a combined degree in psychology, sociology,

and political science, my résumé didn’t place me at the top

of any employer’s wish list. For the first few months, the

best job I could find was at a small spring and wire factory

serving the auto industry. The work was so monotonous I

thought I would lose my mind. And I wasn’t the only one.

Every night when the bell rang, workers stampeded to the

exits to see who could be the first out. Worse yet, the day

started before sunrise and ended after sundown. The daily

commute in the darkness seemed like a metaphor for my

life. In contrast to friends who had landed promising jobs

in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Washington, DC, New

York, and Dallas, I felt futureless. Stuck in the Midwest

with a meaningless job, I couldn’t have scripted a more

depressing start to the rest of my life.

Back then I didn’t realize my life was a story God

was writing. As far as I knew, I had grabbed the pen right

out of his hand, refusing to believe he even existed. I was

intent on enjoying life on my terms, determined to write

my life the way I wanted it to be. Trouble was, I seemed

to be suffering from writer’s block.

Looking back, I realize God hadn’t entirely let go of

the script. He was using the shadows — my insecurity and

fears — to drive me toward his light. When I finally admit-

ted the truth — that I was headed nowhere unless God led

the way — I felt my fear about the future suddenly lift. I

0310276144_immanuel.indd 132

5/17/07 10:24:02 AM

Thursday 133

didn’t have to face it alone. God was real and he cared

about me. Instead of being depressed, I felt excited. Life

had a purpose — my life had a purpose. I had ideas about

where I was headed and how to get there. In the midst of

my conversion I felt suddenly transported from midwinter

darkness to midsummer light.

William D. Watley, pastor of St. James A.M.E. Church

in Newark, New Jersey, captures the kind of transforma-

tion I am talking about:

We usually think of stars as nighttime lumi-

naries, but the morning star announces the begin-

ning of a new day. Who can testify that “since I

met Jesus, it’s a new day now”? I used to be bound

by the devil, but since I met Jesus, it’s a new day

now. I used to have low self-esteem and was in a

constant self-destruct mode, but since I met Jesus,

it’s a new day now. I’ve put down my blues guitar

and picked up a tambourine of praise. It’s a new

day now. People and things that used to upset me

don’t bother me anymore. It’s a new day now. Fear

that used to paralyze me and guilt that used to

beat me up have lost their hold upon me. It’s a

new day now. Glory, glory hallelujah since I laid

my burden down — it’s a new day now.

It is a new day for anyone who belongs to Christ. We

still have problems. We still struggle. But good stories

0310276144_immanuel.indd 133

5/17/07 10:24:02 AM

134 Bright Morning Star

never develop without conflict. The truth is that Christ

has set us on a new course, infusing our lives with his

light, his presence, and his purpose.

Join me today in hailing Jesus, our Bright Morning

Star, the One who fills us with expectation for a day that

will never end, when darkness and death will be words we

barely remember. Together, let us lift up our hands, throw

away our caution, and shout out aloud: “Glory, glory hal-

lelujah! It’s a new day now!”

0310276144_immanuel.indd 134

5/17/07 10:24:02 AM

Friday 135

Friday

PROMISES ASSOCIATED WITH HIS NAME

Some things never change. Imagine what bedtime must

have been like a few thousand years ago. The children

are snugly tucked into their corner of the cave. “Dad,”

a terrified voice cries out, “something’s crawling up my

leg!” “This bearskin is scratchy!” “Mom, she’s hitting me.

Make her stop!” And then the inevitable: “I’m thirsty.

Can I have another drink of glog . . . pleeeease!” The cho-

rus continues until their weary-to-the-bone cave parents

finally assert their authority and everything is quiet but

for the rustle of a few bat wings.

Little people always seem to resist the ending of the

day. Come to think of it, I sometimes stay up way past

my bedtime. Maybe the problem is a primeval fear of the

darkness — we resist closing our eyes lest we will never

open them again. I wonder, did human beings panic

when they saw the sun go down for the very first time?

Were they heartened by a brilliant white light hanging

low in the western sky? If so, they were probably gazing at

the evening star, which just so happens to be the second

planet from the sun. Yes, Venus is both the morning and

the evening star, a steady brightness that reminds us of

the One who lights up our darkness and chases away our

gloom.

0310276144_immanuel.indd 135

5/17/07 10:24:02 AM

136 Bright Morning Star

Promises in Scripture

If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me

and the light become night around me,”

even the darkness will not be dark to you;

the night will shine like the day,

for darkness is as light to you.

Psalm 139:11 – 12

In that day the deaf will hear the words of the

scroll,

and out of gloom and darkness

the eyes of the blind will see.

Once more the humble will rejoice in the LORD;

the needy will rejoice in the Holy One of Israel.

Isaiah 29:18 – 19

Continued Prayer and Praise

Hold fast to Christ and he will give you the morning star.

(Revelation 2:26 – 28)

Remember that Jesus is the radiance of God’s glory.

(Hebrews 1:3)

Be glad because Jesus shines on those living in darkness.

(Luke 1:77 – 79)

0310276144_immanuel.indd 136

5/17/07 10:24:02 AM

Notes

Jesus the Savior

Page 46 Robert Farrar Capon, “The Lost Sheep and the Lost Coin,”

Program #4012, first aired December 29, 1996, posted on

www.30goodminutes.org/csec/sermon/capton_4012.htm.

Page 49 The story of this hymn is told in greater detail by Kenneth Osbeck, 101 Hymn Stories (Grand Rapids: Kregel, 1982).

Posted at www.webedelic.com/church/hailt.htm (accessed

September 14, 2005).

Page 50 Jim Cymbala, Breakthrough Prayer (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2003), 40 – 41.

Page 54 Carol Cymbala and Ann Spangler, He’s Been Faithful (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2001), 15 – 16.

Page 55 Graham Kendrick, “Shine, Jesus, Shine,” copyright ©

1987 by Make Way Music (administered by Music Ser-

vices in the Western Hemisphere). All rights reserved.

Used by permission.

Immanuel

Page 75 Randall Frame, “Fixing Haiti,” posted on the Power of Purpose Awards website, www.templeton.org/powerof

purpose/winners/summaries.html ( accessed November 21,

2005).

Bright Morning Star

Page 133 William D. Watley, Exalting the Names of Jesus (Valley Forge, PA: Judson, 2002), 94.

137

0310276144_immanuel.indd 137

5/17/07 10:24:02 AM

Praying the

Names of God

A Daily Guide

Ann Spangler

A twenty-six-week devotional study

by the bestselling coauthor of

Women of the Bible.

Names in the ancient world did

more than simply distinguish one person from another,

they often conveyed the essential nature and character of

a person. This is especially true when it comes to the names

of God recorded in the Bible. Praying the Names of God

explores the primary names and titles of God in the Old

Testament to reveal the deeper meanings behind them. It

offers a rich program of daily prayer and study designed to

lead people into fresh encounters with the living God.

The book is also available as an Abridged Audio Pages®

CD.

Hardcover, Jacketed: 0-310-25353-5

Pick up a copy today at your favorite bookstore!

0310276144_immanuel.indd 138

5/17/07 10:24:03 AM

Praying the

Names of Jesus

A Daily Guide

Ann Spangler,

Bestselling Author of

Praying the Names of God

Joy, peace, and power—these are

only some of the gifts promised to

those who trust in the name of the Lord. Praying the Names

of Jesus will lead readers into a richer and more rewarding relationship with Christ by helping them to understand

and to pray his names on a daily basis. They will also begin

to see how each of his names holds within it a promise:

to be our Teacher, Healer, Friend, and Lord — to be God-

with-Us no matter the circumstances. Each week provides

a unique devotional program designed for personal prayer

and study or for use in small groups. In ways both surprising

and profound this book reveals a rich portrait of Jesus that

will move readers toward a deeper experience of his love

and mercy.

Hardcover, Jacketed: 0-310-25345-4

Pick up a copy today at your favorite bookstore!

0310276144_immanuel.indd 139

5/17/07 10:24:03 AM

Mothers

of the Bible

A Devotional

Ann Spangler

and Jean E. Syswerda

Children need the love, wisdom,

and nurture that mothers are

uniquely capable of giving. Mothers of the Bible can help you fulfill your own calling as a mother by offering insights

from God’s Word. Exploring the lives of women in the Bible

can help strengthen your faith and your effectiveness as a

mother. Like you, these mothers wanted the best for their

children. And like you, they sometimes faced difficulties

that challenged their faith. Looking to them can help

deepen your understanding of Scripture, enabling you to

experience more of God’s love so you can reflect that love

to your children.

Hardcover, Printed: 0-310-27239-4

Pick up a copy today at your favorite bookstore!

0310276144_immanuel.indd 140

5/17/07 10:24:03 AM

Fathers of the Bible

A Devotional

Robert Wolgemuth

When we take a Bible in our hands,

we are actually holding a user’s

manual for fathers. Story after story,

it reveals our heavenly Father’s love

for his Son—and for us. It also shares

the accounts of earthly fathers

whose examples we’ll want to either imitate or avoid.

The twelve chapters in Fathers of the Bible offer slices from the biblical stories of men who were fathers. From

them, we can learn something about the tasks, privileges,

challenges, and failures of fatherhood. We’ll discover the

faithfulness of Noah, the conniving of Jacob, the unbridled

passion of David, and the quiet confidence of Joseph,

Jesus’ earthly father. This book will help you ground your

relationship with your children on God’s Word.

Hardcover, Printed: 0-310-27238-6

Pick up a copy today at your favorite bookstore!

0310276144_immanuel.indd 141

5/17/07 10:24:03 AM

031020755X_relation_fm.qxp 9/8/06 2:21 PM Page 1

This page is intentionally left blank

031020755X_relation_fm.qxp 9/8/06 2:21 PM Page 1

This page is intentionally left blank

We want to hear from you. Please send your comments about this

book to us in care of zreview@zondervan.com. Thank you.

0310276144_immanuel.indd 144

5/17/07 10:24:03 AM

We want to hear from you. Please send your comments about this

book to us in care of zreview@zondervan.com. Thank you.

0310276144_immanuel.indd 144

5/17/07 10:24:03 AM

About the Publisher

Founded in 1931, Grand Rapids, Michigan-based Zondervan, a division of HarperCollins Publishers, is the leading international Christian communications company, producing best-selling Bibles, books, new media products, a growing line of gift products and award-winning children’s products. The world’s largest Bible publisher, Zondervan (www.zondervan.com) holds exclusive publishing rights to the New International Version of the Bible and has distributed more than 150

million copies worldwide. It is also one of the top Christian publishers in the world, selling its award-winning books through Christian retailers, general market bookstores, mass merchandisers, specialty retailers, and the Internet. Zondervan has received a total of 68 Gold Medallion awards for its books, more than any other publisher.

Share Your Thoughts

With the Author: Your comments will be forwarded to

the author when you send them to zauthor@zondervan.com.

With Zondervan: Submit your review of this book

by writing to zreview@zondervan.com.

Free Online Resources at

www.zondervan.com/hello

Zondervan AuthorTracker: Be notifi ed whenever your

favorite authors publish new books, go on tour, or post

an update about what’s happening in their lives.

Daily Bible Verses and Devotions: Enrich your life

with daily Bible verses or devotions that help you start

every morning focused on God.

Free Email Publications: Sign up for newsle ers on

fi ction, Christian living, church ministry, parenting, and

more.

Zondervan Bible Search: Find and compare

Bible passages in a variety of translations at

www.zondervanbiblesearch.com.

Other Benefi ts: Register yourself to receive online

benefi ts like coupons and special off ers, or to participate

in research.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments