Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel (which means, God with us).
Matthew 1:23

When we first got our Cancer diagnosis earlier this year it didn’t really hit me straight away.  It was the next thing in what felt like a long list of challenges that we as a family had gone through.

We had the impact of covid, my work had completely changed (I now permanently work from home), we had a flood in our house, my Dad passed away and we had extensive home improvement under way. So, for me at least, it felt like just the next thing to deal with. 

For my wife the impact was more immediate.  She carried the weight of it all and all the practical implications involved.  This means she had to give up her job and sacrifice many other things too to support our family.

But it didn’t really hit me until just before the first round of chemo.  Sitting in a hospital room on my own and waiting for it to start.
It just hit me…I’ve got Cancer!

Medically speaking, Cancer is just a generic name for collection of conditions where abnormal cells grow uncontrollably in a specific part of the body.  But for those hearing a diagnosis the word means so much more.  It’s a potent name that carries with it fear, anxiety and weight of sadness that is hard to explain.

The words went over and over in my head.
“I’ve got Cancer, I’ve got Cancer, …”
The full weight of that word and what meant and the impact it would probably have for the rest of my life, rested like a huge weight on my shoulders.  There was fear, anxiety and lots of tears.

I then took a deep breath and reached out to Jesus and, with not much conviction, just repeated “Jesus chose me, Jesus forgave me, Jesus loves me” over and over until eventually the weight lifted and I felt at peace.

There really is something about the name of Jesus that can have a deeply profound effect on us.   The Bible tells us that his “name is above all other names” and that one day “every knee shall bow at his name” Philippians 2:9‭-‬11. One day just the utterance of his name will force us to our knees, whether we believe him now or not.

Jesus’ name means “to deliver or rescue“, in the verses above it says they will call him “Immanuel meaning God with us“.  This perfectly encapsulates what and who Jesus is.  He lived a perfect life, showed us what it means to follow him, died an excruciating death and in doing so, took on himself every wrong thing we’ve done that has separated us from God.  He rose again and left his Holy Spirit to guide us.  God with us!
He broke down every barrier between us and God so we can enjoy relationship with him. Not just now but forever.  This is a big deal!

You may hear the name of Jesus reduced down to an exclamation of frustration or annoyance. But, to us who believe, it is a powerful name that reminds us that God is with us always.  His peace, his love, his forgiveness is just a call away.