The Greatest Present is His Presence

This Christmas message centers on Emmanuel—God with Us—and the joy, peace, and living hope that flow from our reconciliation with God. Long before the first Christmas night, the prophet foretold that the coming Savior would be called Emmanuel, reminding us that God’s heart has always been to dwell with His people.

That promise was fulfilled in Jesus Christ. Through Him, peace with God is now offered to a world separated by sin, and the goodwill proclaimed by the angels reveals God’s loving desire to restore us to Himself.

In Christ, we are invited not only to know forgiveness, but to experience the nearness of God—walking with Him, abiding in Him, and living with the assurance of His presence now and forever.

This message points us beyond the gifts of the season to the greatest gift of all: God with us today and the living hope of dwelling with Him eternally. And because of this gift, our hearts can rejoice with true and lasting joy. Yes, joy to the world—the Lord has come! He has come to dwell with us and to fill our lives with the joy of His presence.