God with Us

Introduction

Even disaster experts are stunned by the devastation in the Honduras this fall.

"I've been to too many disasters all over the world," says Vlatko Uzevski, who arrived in Honduras last week from Macedonia to lead an emergency response team for Project Hope.

"And I have never been to a place that was struck by two hurricanes in two weeks," says Uzevski, a physician who has been doing this type of work for 15 years.

The two Category 4 hurricanes – Eta and Iota — made landfall in Central America on Nov. 3 and Nov. 17 respectively. Even today, the region continues to dig out from mudslides. Aid agencies say nearly 7 million people in a zone stretching from Colombia to Mexico are in need of assistance.

Despite both hurricanes initially coming ashore in Nicaragua, neighboring Honduras appears to have suffered the most damage and the most deaths from landslides and flooding caused by the intense rainfall. The cyclones slowed over Honduras and being the last two named-storms of a record-breaking hurricane season, they dumped precipitation on already saturated hillsides.

The storms destroyed bridges, roads, schools and health clinics. Families lost their homes, farms and businesses to floodwaters. Landslides packed small downtown plazas with mud.

Hundreds of thousands of Hondurans remain homeless. Many are crowded into shelters. Others are staying with friends and relatives.

According to government figures, there are 118 official shelters in the Santa Barbara department, holding nearly 6,000 people. Uzevski has been touring some of them to get a better sense of the needs of people displaced by the storms.

He says one of his first concerns was how COVID-19 might be spreading at the shelters.

President Hernández announced a plan to invest 4 times the nation's annual budget in infrastructure and social programs to help Hondurans recover from the devastating storms.

He said Honduras has been battered this year by a combination of forces like no time in its history.

This week in a nationally broadcast address, Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernández assured his people, "No están solos" meaning "You are not alone."

The name Immanuel is at the heart of Christmas. (Isaiah 7:14; Isaiah 9:6)

Immanuel is the heart of the Christian story. It literally means “God with us.” Jesus is the promise of incarnate deity- God in the flesh. Jesus came to be with us so that we one day could be with Him.

What would this child do? He would one day take the government of mankind on his shoulder and bring order and peace to a world filled with confusion and war. But before he took the government and took a cross and die upon that cross, bearing in his body the sins of the world. What a marvelous world it will be when Jesus returns to take the government upon his shoulders.! But, why wait until we can enjoy his reign. We need to let him govern our lives today. When we do, all that name expresses will be real n our daily experience. This child that we celebrate each year is the God of prophecy-a prophecy that gives us the wonderful counselor, mighty God, Eternal father, and Prince of Peace.

Isaiah preaches in a time of darkness, of evil, and apparent hopelessness. Christmas comes anticipating Christmas lights, decorations, and joy. It also comes to remind us of the light of hope, the glory that overpowers evil, and the aura of Christ that penetrates the gloom of darkness and replaces it with the light of joy. Joy to the world! Isaiah declares Christ's light and hope. Christmas warms the heart.

Christ shined His light (vv. 1-2)

Isaiah continued the theme of light and darkness (8:20–22) by announcing, “There will be no more gloom” (9:1, NIV). The Redeemer will come and bring to the world the dawning of a new day (v. 2; Luke 1:78–79; John 8:12). We know that this prophecy refers to Christ because of the way it is quoted in Matthew 4:13–15. The geographical areas named in Isaiah 9:1 were especially devastated when the Assyrian army moved in, but these areas would be especially honored by the ministry of the Messiah. Jesus was identified with “Galilee of the Gentiles” (Matt. 4:15, NIV), and His loving ministry to the people brought light and joy.

Isaiah anticipated God's light that would come to the people. He preached in a time of gloom because of false prophets, sin, and a downward spiral morally. Isaiah, the son of Amoz, rebuked God's people, Israel. In a time of darkness, faithlessness, and hopelessness, Isaiah proclaimed the hope of God's light.

Like a mountain wanderer searching for the Brown Mountain lights, people today are searching for God's light. They search for hope amid financial struggle, amid personal despair, and family tragedy. Isaiah delivers that hope in the good news of Jesus Christ. After all, the people who have walked in darkness have seen a great light. Under what circumstances does the light overcome the darkness?

During Isaiah’s day there was:

1. World turmoil

Isaiah's message is both universal and timely. Isn't the world in turmoil? From war to corporate battles in business to family squabbles at home, the world is filled with chaos and turmoil.

2. National unrest

Isaiah's day swirled with national unrest. Not only were nations at war against one another, were filled with internal unrest. This caused sleepless nights for leaders, uncertain feelings in those who lived in the nations, and a longing for peace.

3. Personal sin

Isaiah's day also found people living in the darkness of sin. Sin stays in the corners, the dark places, and hurts the missionary and loving heart of God.

Isaiah proclaimed the good news: To those who dwell in the shadow of death, a light will come! Christ's missionary heart overpowers the darkness in the world, among nations, and even in the human heart! Joy to the world!