The Inclusio of Emmanuel

To “behold” something is different than to merely just “see” it. It goes beyond the mere collection of facts or the observation of an event and speaks into the soul, prompting a response as a catalyst to action. To put it another way, it is an invitational moment established by God where the seeing and implication of what’s being seen, go hand in hand. There are elements of the BEHOLD of Christmas that get us to notice them. A celestial body moving into place after hundreds of years of foretelling. A virgin woman having a baby. Events such as the birth location being prophesied in advance. The arrival of the mysterious magi. Once you add in all the visitations of angels and shepherds, the behold really takes shape.But it’s when we look at the heart of the Behold we see what is in it for us. We will probably never stand in a Bethlehem field on a starry night. We will probably never meet prominent wisemen from a foreign country. We will probably never encounter a real virgin with a child. We will probably never own a lot of gold, frankincense, or myrrh, so the Behold for us must be something else. Something that was included with all of that for them, but is just as included for me today, and that's the "Inclusio of Emmanuel." It's something we use in language all the time where ideas said a different way are part of a greater idea that was expressed. In literary terms it's referred to as an "Inclusio literary device." We see it when Disney World is referred to, for example. When someone mentions they're going there we automatically associate it with Animal Kingdom, Magic Kingdom, Hollywood Studios, and Epcot, but it's all included in the name Disney World. Such is the case with the declaration of Emmanuel, where there are things that are inclusio to the BEHOLD of Christ. Things such as Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace, all parts Emmanuel, God is with us, that are as much for us today as they were back then in Bethlehem. Thanks for joining us today! For more information and resources, visit www.crosstownechurch.com or download our free app! Search "Crosstowne" in your app store.