God with us

The cross is identification, not just that we identify with Jesus, but He identifies with us in our humanity. God sent His Son and allowed Him to suffer, to be rejected and despised. The Bible describes Him as a man of sorrows, acquainted with grief. Jesus was not born in a palace, but in a filthy animal stable. He never owned a house or received a salary or pension. God sent Jesus to reconcile us, to bring us back to Him, and so that we can understand sometimes suffering leads us back to God.

For over 50 years I have been visiting the former concentration camps, all across Europe. I have seen the names and wept over them, just as I have wept over the concentration camps. I want the Holocaust Survivors to have their names written in another record - God's Book of Life.

Jesus is called 'Immanuel', meaning 'God with us'. When I was in a communist prison, the one thing that comforted me more than anything else when I was crying out to God and praying for Him to release me, was when I realised, God is my Father! I want to remind you that God is not just 'God' or a 'Holy God', He is a Father, He is your Father. When I was in my prison, crying out, "Oh God, help me!" - I was angry with God! I said, "Oh God, You are in Heaven, paradise, no shortage of food, no torture, no death! But I'm in a prison!" I am sure that so many Jews in their suffering, echoed those words. Then I was reminded, God saw my suffering. God saw their suffering. That's why He sent His Son into this world to suffer with us, to die, in order that He might deliver, rescue and give eternal life.

The greatest message I can give you is that you are not alone! Wherever you are, God is with you. The Son of God, Immanuel, is always with us!

Listen to this week's podcast: How Great God's Love



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