His Name Is Immanuel Charlie Brown
Luke 2: 7 And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.
8 And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.
9 And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.
10 And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.
11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord.
12 And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.
13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,
14 Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men
Matt. 1:22 So all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying: 23 “Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which is translated, “God with us.”
When I said “yes” to Jesus at age 43 and received Him as Lord of my life, one of the first things I remembered was Linus’ speech from “A Charlie Brown Christmas” telling Charlie Brown and all the little kids who ridiculed him the true story of the birth of Our Savior from the Gospel of Luke. He ended by saying, ”…and that, Charlie Brown, is what Christmas is all about”. The year I first heard this was 1965 and I was a 13 year old Jewish boy who had recently gone through my “Bar-Mitzvah”. I remember hearing the words of Luke in Linus’ little innocent voice and having a moment of hope that Messiah had come. That hope was delivered 30 years later when I stopped resisting and said “yes” to my Lord through the orchestration and power of the Holy Spirit. The Bible says that faith comes by hearing the Word of God. …and so it was for me.
We often hear people say at Christmas time that “Jesus is the reason for the season” and we who believe and follow Him know that this is true. He is truly Immanuel, “God with us”. He promised us, His disciples, that He would never leave us or forsake us. Moreover, He extended His invitation to eternity and the Abundant Life of the power and joy of the Lord in this life and forever to EVERYONE, such as would receive Him as Lord of their lives.
Jesus is all that the Bible represents Him to be. The eternal God, having taken on the form of a man, tempted as we are yet sinless before the Father, having come into human life as a helpless babe, to grow in stature before God and faithful men, to be reviled and hunted by religious power-mongers who refused to recognize Him but tested Him, tortured Him and finally killed Him and Who, in victory, finally and forever, was resurrected to be the Risen Lord who rules and reigns from the Throne of Grace. His gift of salvation and the Holy Spirit is available to everyone, without exception. All anyone has to do is believe and confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, and then walk that out in Love.
Here is what I desire to bring to the unbelieving world in this coming year… That in me they may get a view through the window of Heaven, that I would be a vessel of His Grace and Mercy to be poured out on all those that the Lord puts in my path, to be an ambassador of the true Kingdom, extending His Hand of Grace at the end of my own arm to the undeserving, as He did for me.
This is the message I will bring:
What we are all longing for, deep down inside, is not just Christmas, but Christ; not only merriment, but the Messiah; not our own goodwill, but God’s Will; not expensive presents, but His Presence in our lives. Anyone or anything short of that will disappoint, but He will never disappoint.
For Him it is all about you. For us, let it be all about Him by loving each other this Christmas and throughout the year. That is what this season is all about Charlie Brown. It is about Immanuel, God is with us.
In the Power of His Love and Truth,
John Henry Raskin
Roadhouse Rabbi