CHRISTMAS VIGIL: EMMANUEL: WHEN GOD TOOK OUR FAMILY TREE
- Vincent Arisukwu
- 5 minutes ago
- 2 min read
Taking a DNA test can be surprising. You discover connections to places you never imagined, and suddenly you realize your story is bigger than you thought. You belong to something wider and deeper.
Christmas asks a similar question: What would a spiritual DNA test reveal? The answer is simple: Emmanuel—God is with us.
Many of us struggle with Matthew chapter 1. It feels like a long list of names. Yet this genealogy tells us something extraordinary: God chose to enter our world through a family. He did not stay distant. He stepped into human history—into real names, real stories, real families.
Jesus is called the son of David and the son of Abraham. As son of David, he fulfills God’s promise to Israel. As son of Abraham, he fulfills God’s promise to all nations. As St. Paul says, “From this man’s descendants God brought to Israel a savior, Jesus.” This means salvation is not an idea; it is born into a family.
Joseph plays a quiet but powerful role. When the angel says, “Do not be afraid to take Mary into your home,” Joseph welcomes God into family life. By naming Jesus, he places him in the line of David. Through Mary and Joseph, God chooses a home. This is the heart of Christmas, and even a child can understand it: At Christmas, God didn’t just visit us—He became part of our family.
Jesus had a real family tree—grandparents, ancestors, stories, struggles—just like ours. That means God knows family life from the inside: joy and confusion, love and growth, laughter and tears.
So when we say Emmanuel, we mean:
God is with us in our homes
God is with us at school and at work
God is with us when we are joyful
God is with us when we are afraid… all the time!
Jesus did not come as a superhero from the sky. He came as a baby into a family, so no one would ever feel forgotten.
Isaiah captures what this means for us: God gives us a new name, restores our dignity, rejoices in us, and binds himself to us in love. In baptism, we belong to God’s family.
That is why everything feels different at Christmas. Homes feel warmer. Families gather. Light shines brighter in the darkness. As the prophet says, “The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light.”
That light is Emmanuel. God is with us. God is in our family. God has become a huge part of our identity and our story. This is a great privilege. We can sing: Silent night, holy night… Christ the Savior is born.
Readings: Is 62:1–5; Acts 13:16–17, 22–25; Mt 1:1–25
Reflection Questions
If Jesus chose to join a family, what does that tell us about how important families are to God?
What does it mean to believe that God wants to dwell in your family?