Supernatural Marriage and Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel. Isaiah 7:14 (NSFLB)
Immanuel. God-With-Us. Near. Personal.
Jesus, the Son of God came with us in the flesh 2000 years ago that we could experience the character and the love of the Father. Today we can all encounter Him through the Spirit of Jesus. One encounter with the living God changes everything. James, the brother of Jesus, is a great example for us. His epiphany dramatically changed history.
James was radically transformed by one divine appointment. It is interesting how he could grow up in the same house without really knowing or recognizing his older brother as the promised Messiah (John 7:5). But later, James had his Immanuel moment.
We read in 1 Corinthians 15:3-7 that post-resurrection Jesus was seen by over 500 brethren, then "after that He was seen by James." This encounter, this Immanuel moment, radically rocked James' world forever.
The next time we see James in scripture (Acts 1:14) he is faithfully waiting, watching, praying in the upper room, anticipating the coming Holy Spirit. He became a leader in the early church (Galatians 1, Acts 15) and a contemporary of Paul (Galatians 1,2).
Late in life James penned the New Testament epistle that bears his name. His writing has a different flavor from those written by the other apostles who experienced Jesus during His three years of ministry, and Paul who supernaturally encountered Jesus on the road to Damascus. As the younger brother of Jesus, Imanuel, for 33 years James' knowledge of Him was unlike any other person who has ever lived. The book of James shares his unique perspective on Christian faith and life that no other author could have written. Through decades of being near to Jesus, James grew to intimately know God in body, soul and spirit.
Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. James 4:8 (NSFLB)
History tells us that James' faith in Immanuel remained strong until he was martyred (Josephus and others confirm that he was stoned to death). Encountering his brother, Jesus, resulted in a transformed life that has helped shape countless lives in the generations that followed, and will continue to bless all believers through eternity to come.
Skeptic. Believer. Church leader. Writer. Martyr. James' Immanuel moment forever changed him.
In this beautiful Christmas season as we celebrate the birth of Jesus, let us remember with wonder our own personal Immanuel moments. Ponder THE moment when God revealed Himself to you. Savor it. Thank Him for your epiphany. Then, ask Him for another.
God is generously granting close encounters, Immanuel moments, NOW! Wait and watch expectantly in your upper room. Jesus will meet you there. And you, like James, will be forever, radically changed.
Dr. Dan & Linda Wilson
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