Emmanuel is so much more than some sort of complex cosmic troubleshooting process God underwent with creation over the course of human history. It wasn’t something God “had to do”. Being “with us” was what God wanted to do all along. God’s life to live, God’s truth to tell, God’s world to rule, God’s choice to make, God’s love to give. Emmanuel is the gospel-toned voice with which Jesus tells God’s story (John 14:3,6).
