This Child is God – Part 3

By Steve Clark

December 18, 2025

Matthew 1:23 … they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.

God wants to have a human relationship and a holy relationship. Now let’s see how God wants to have a holistic relationship. Holistic means looking at the complete rather than the individual parts. He desires a complete relationship with us.  

If God had only sent us a man, he could have only sympathized with us. If God had only come to us as God, He could’ve only come to judge us and condemn us. He couldn’t have saved us in our filthy condition. 

But God came down to us as both. Jesus Christ is 100% God and 100% Man. It might sound confusing, but God is powerful enough to do anything. I don’t have to understand everything, but I know that is the only way He could save us. That is the only way He could have a relationship with us without tainting His holiness.  

What we celebrate this Christmas season is an awesome event!  

We celebrate the fact that over 2000 years ago, the infinite Creator God, stepped into history.  He stepped into time—that He created but is not bound by.  He reached down through His infinite power, majesty, might, and glory and cried that first helpless cry of a newborn baby.  He was fully God and He was fully man. 

Jesus is no longer a helpless, crying baby in a manger in Bethlehem. He grew up.  He lived and taught for 33 years.  Most of the people rejected Him, rejected Him to the point of hanging Him on a cruel, Roman cross.  

But that was God’s plan all along. The baby whose birth we’re celebrating was born to die.  He was born to die so you wouldn’t have to. But not only was He born to die, He was born to live again. And that makes it possible to have a relationship between us and God the Father.  And why? Because this Child is God!

Reflection—There’s no withholding tax on God’s “with” promise.  He is WITH us.