“Behold, the virgin shall be with child and shall bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which translated means, “God with us.” — Matthew 1:23 (NASB)
“‘Immanuel, God with us.’ It is hell’s terror. Satan trembles at the sound of it. . . . Let him come to you suddenly, and do you but whisper that word, ‘God with us,’ back he falls, confounded and confused. . . . ‘God with us’ is the laborer’s strength. How could he preach the gospel, how could he bend his knees in prayer, how could the missionary go into foreign lands, how could the martyr stand at the stake, how could the confessor own his Master, how could men labor if that one word were taken away? . . . ‘God with us’ is eternity’s sonnet, heaven’s hallelujah, the shout of the glorified, the song of the redeemed, the chorus of the angels, the everlasting oratorio of the great orchestra of the sky. . . .Feast, Christians, feast; you have a right to feast. . . . But in your feasting, think of the Man in Bethlehem. Let him have a place in your hearts, give him the glory, think of the virgin who conceived him, but think most of all of the Man born, the Child given. I finish by again saying, A happy Christmas to you all!” — C. H. Spurgeon
God entered into human history as Jesus Christ — Immanuel, God with us, when he was born in a stable. "...the Word that was with God and that was God (John 1:1) "...became flesh and dwelt among us..." (John 1:14). He lived a sinless life and on the cross was a life poured out; taking upon Himself our sins and giving us His righteousness (double imputation). After His resurrection and ascent to Heaven we are not alone...
"...new covenant believers enjoy God’s constant presence in [their] lives through the Holy Spirit...John Piper says, that the first distinguishing thing about being Christian different from those who are “in the flesh” is that we are an “inhabited” people. And Paul says it three ways in Romans 8:9-10:
- "The Spirit of God dwells in you" (v. 9b)
- "you have the Spirit of Christ" (v. 9c)
- "Christ is in you" (v. 10a)
The different names here all are referring essentially to the same presence. The Spirit is equally the Spirit of God the Father and the Spirit of God the Son, Jesus Christ. Believers are in the presence of Christ all of the time...[as] the constant presence of God, the indwelling Spirit" (Marcia Lichte via It's All About the Presence).
"...And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age” — Matthew 28:20 (b).
Jesus was and is "God with us!"
References/Resources:
Taft Avenue Community Church: Orange, CA > It’s All About the Presence | Christ in You