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Subtitles -
Dear brothers and sisters, in this third video, we will focus on a specific word: the word Emmanuel, which means God with us.
Humans have viewed God from two very different perspectives. On one hand, God is the mighty one, to be revered. A distant and transcendent God. He is the Judge who punishes and pays one according to their doing. On the other hand, the name Emmanuel reflects a very different image.
The name Emmanuel reflects the small, weak baby born in a poor stable in Bethlehem to a Virgin Mother. He was born during the Roman occupation in Palestine.
During that time, Caesar Augustus, driven by a thirst for greatness and fame, decreed a census of the whole empire to count his subjects and impose taxes. Yet, these two views of God are not contradictory.
The understanding of the Almighty transcendent God, the Judge, and the understanding of God whose name is Emmanuel, who manifests among us, puts on the flesh just like us and takes our likeness in all things except sin.
Seven centuries before Christ's birth, the prophet Isaiah foretold: "The virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel, meaning God with us."
When God appeared to Moses in the Old Testament, in the Book of Exodus. Moses asked God: "What is your name? If my people ask, 'What am I to tell them?'"
God answered Moses in two ways. First, He said, "I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob," identifying Himself with those He loves. In a similar way to how, in our daily Arabic language, "Father of Issa"— A father is often identified by his son's name. Likewise, God humbly identified Himself through those He loved: He is the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Also, in the Book of Exodus, God introduced Himself once again as "I am who I am."
"I am who I am" means that God is declaring Himself as the eternal Being, existing before creation, the everlasting One, present throughout the ages, The Everlasting and Eternal God. These two definitions complement each other. God is the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and He is also your God—each of us can place our name here. He is the One who is, who always was, and who is coming—present in the past, now, and forever.
Dear brothers and sisters, when we set up the Nativity scene in our churches, halls, and homes. We are invited to approach this God, who drew near to us. We need to speak with Him and express our gratitude for His incarnation. Tell Him how much we appreciate His nearness.
Let us express our gratitude to God, who, despite His vast distance from humanity as the mighty Creator—worthy of all reverence—chose and desired to be the steadfast and close friend to each one of us. There is no contradiction between both perspectives; rather, they complement each other. We bow in reverence to the Almighty God while uniting ourselves with His life through the Seven Sacraments, which bring Him so near to us.
The Feast of Christmas celebrates the nearness of God to mankind—the Almighty God who became a faithful close friend. Amen.
