The Old Testament names that one day there will be a child born of a virgin, and his name will be Emmanuel, which means God with Us. That’s such a churchy phrase, God is with us. As the prophet Isaiah spoke those words, it was a game changer. God would be involved in our day-to-day life, God would become a human like us in a grand act of love to save humanity from ourselves. God would step into our story in a concrete way, and still walk with us in the highs and lows of everyday life.
In our new series this fall, we are going to be talking specifically about what it means to be a disciple of Jesus, and alongside what we are calling it. We see in the calling of the first disciples and in the ministry of John the Baptist, that part of that is inviting people to be part of a movement that points our lives and focus towards someone else (Jesus and serving those around us).
Today we start our vision series looking at what it means to be radical in love. Jesus paints a picture in John 15 of radical love being sacrificial, placing others and their needs before our own.
John starts his gospel by telling us that the word became flesh and dwelt among us. Of all the ways Jesus could have entered into this world, it matters that Jesus became a human. His arrival tells us about his mission and purpose.