Is God knowable? All the religions of the world would answer “No” – except one. Christianity alone claims that God has made Himself known in history in the person of Jesus Christ. Emmanuel or God with us is a central tenet of the Christian faith. The apostle John shows his excitement as he begins his first letter,
That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched – this we proclaim concerning the Word of life. The life appeared, we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared to us. We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard…
1 John 1:1-3 NIV, emphasis added
(Public domain.)
Emmanuel, the God who is with us, identified Himself as the “lamb of God” and the “good Shepherd.” Islam says their god Allah is “above the limitation of metaphor” (can’t be described in human experience). The ultimate reality in Hinduism (Brahman) is described as a being “without attributes or qualities” (abstract). As I shared in my book, Surprised by Faith, on page 21, the former atheist Dr. Antony Flew expressed in a parable that if the god you claim exists is invisible, intangible, and eternally elusive, how does that differ from an imaginary god or even no god at all?
The difficulty of the knowableness of God has been a problem for humanity. They know from the evidence of design in the natural world THAT an intelligent Creator must exist (Romans 1:18-20). But WHO is it? The Bible affirms this problem, “No one has ever seen God” (John 1:18). The world’s religions have concluded that God is distant, abstract, and not knowable. Desiring to fill the resulting spiritual void, they have invented and named millions of “corruptible personal gods” (see Romans 1:23-25).
Is God’s identity knowable? Actually, not subjectively? With factual and historical knowledge? Not mythological or in legends? YES! YES! YES!
The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a Son, and they will call Him Emmanuel—which means, ‘God with us’.”
Matthew 1:23 NIV, emphasis added
God IS knowable… Because of Christmas! Christmas tells us of Emmanuel, God with us, in every way.
“The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen His glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth”.
John 1:14
“No one has ever seen God, but God the One and Only, who is at the Father’s side, has made Him known”..
John 1:18, NIV
With the astounding angelic announcement, “…today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord” (Luke 2:11), comes a responsibility for Christians. Emmanuel: the God who is with us, has another name, “and you shall call His name Jesus, for it is He who will save His people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21). Christians are to let the rest of the world know who God is, and that He has come to forgive.
But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be My witnesses, telling people about Me everywhere —in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth (Acts 1:8, NLT).
Celebrate and share EMMANUEL: God with us. Christmas is about Him!
