He is up above us in heaven, where he is praying for us, and where, on the day of our death, our perfected spirits will see him and fly to him with inexpressible joy.
He is up ahead of us in the World to Come, which he himself will create at his return, when he raises the dead, judges the world in righteousness, and welcomes the saints to eternal life with God in the new heavens and the new earth.

Hinting broadly at the deity of the promised Messiah, the prophet Isaiah spoke of Jesus Christ as Immanuel, which means “God with us” (Isaiah 7:9). A few Christmases back, that name got me to thinking about the many fascinating ways in which our Immanuel is related to us. Here are a few of the choicest:

• He was before us—together with the Father and the Holy Spirit—prior to the time when time began and the world was created through him.
• He was ahead of us, when, for four millennia, the Old Testament prophets longingly foretold his coming.
• He was down here among us after he left heaven and, through the Spirit’s work, took up residence as a true human being in a virgin’s womb.
• He was out there among us, when, in the days of his flesh, he lived, worked, taught, and ministered (miraculously) to the children of Israel.
• He was in behalf of us, when, through all of the above, he obeyed every divine command, fulfilled every law, and passed every test, thereby attaining a perfect righteousness that God will credit to all who believe in him.
• He was instead of us, when, on the cross, he endured the sentence of suffering and death for all who would place their trust in him for the forgiveness of their sins.
• He is now over us, having risen from the dead, ascended into heaven, and taken his seat at God’s right hand as King of the Cosmos and Head of the Church.
• He is now in front of us in the person of his people and their proclamation of the Gospel, through whom and through which he urges everyone who hears to receive him by faith as Savior and Lord
• He is within us (and at work within us) through the gift of the Holy Spirit, if and when we do receive him.
• He is up above us in heaven, where he is praying for us, and where, on the day of our death, our perfected spirits will see him and fly to him with inexpressible joy.
• He is up ahead of us in the World to Come, which he himself will create at his return, when he raises the dead, judges the world in righteousness, and welcomes the saints to eternal life with God in the new heavens and the new earth.

How is Immanuel with us? In these and many other ways. May he be with you in them all.

Dean Davis is the Director of Come Let Us Reason. This article is used with permission.