The God Who Comes Near | Francis Chan

Summary

Podcast Summary: "The God Who Comes Near" | Francis Chan

Podcast: Crazy Love Podcast
Host: Crazy Love Ministries
Episode Date: December 29, 2025
Guest/Speaker: Francis Chan
Theme: The profound meaning of "Emmanuel: God with us"—the God who initiates nearness and love, rather than remaining distant or waiting for our efforts.

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Episode Overview

In this special Christmas episode, Francis Chan draws listeners into the true heart of the season: not tradition or repetition, but the awe of a God who actively initiates intimacy with His people. Exploring Emmanuel ("God with Us"), Chan challenges listeners to move beyond ritual to deeper adoration, embracing the reality that God’s desire is to dwell with, love, and transform us—starting not with our own efforts, but His relentless initiative.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Rediscovering the Meaning of Christmas Songs and Worship

• Timestamp 00:40–01:51
  • Chan reflects on how familiar Christmas songs hold deeper meaning for him now than ever before.
  • Quote:

    “Did I really come with adoration? Like, no, not just I believe in him... but adoring, adoring, adoring. I feel like the adoration keeps getting better in my life. I hope that's true with you...” —Francis Chan (01:05)

2. Reverence for Scripture and its Centrality

• Timestamp 01:52–03:55
  • Chan emphasizes treating God’s Word as sacred, above any sermon or human teaching.
  • Practice:
    • Communion and the reading of Scripture are placed at the center because they are acts of reverence to God’s direct words.

3. Reading and Repeating the Christmas Story (Matthew 1:18–23)

• Timestamps 03:55–05:11, 05:34–06:43
  • The story of Jesus’ birth is read twice, highlighting the miracle and the declared prophecy: "And they shall call his name Emmanuel, which means God with us."
  • Reflection:
    • Chan notes how these words never become “old news”—they should grow in meaning as we grow in faith.

4. Why Did God Come Near?

• Timestamp 06:43–07:52
  • The core answer: “Because he loves us. Because he wants to be with us.”
  • Honest Admission:
    • Chan confesses his own tendency to try to earn closeness with God through effort, forgetting that God is always the one who begins the relationship.
    • Quote:

      “It's almost like I think if I initiate, he'll respond to me. But is that what happened at the birth of Christ? Was it the whole world going, please, God, please send us a savior? No. He initiated.” —Francis Chan (08:12)

5. God as Initiator—Throughout the Bible

• Timestamp 08:12–11:10
  • From Adam and Eve, to Moses, the tabernacle, the temple, and ultimately the Incarnation, God is always the one who starts the move towards humanity.
  • Quote:

    “All these are God initiating, saying, ‘I want to be with you.’ And then He gets to Jesus... He takes on flesh so that He can be with you.” —Francis Chan (09:38)

  • The progress intensifies: from God’s presence “with” to “in” us via the Holy Spirit (see John 14:16–17).

6. The Indwelling Spirit: Closer Than Ever

• Timestamp 10:42–12:38
  • Jesus promised the Spirit would not just be "with" believers but would dwell "in" them—a further act of divine initiative.

7. God’s Hard Pursuit of Us—Personal Testimony

• Timestamp 12:38–16:57
  • Chan describes a new depth in his prayer life from realizing God isn’t waiting for us to chase Him, but is orchestrating events and longing for us.
  • References Acts 17: God determines where and when we are born for the very purpose that we might seek and find Him, “even though He is not far from us.”
  • Quote:

    “He jealously yearns for the Spirit that He put in us.” —Francis Chan (referencing James 4:5, 13:51)

  • Memorable Image:
    • God “knocks” (Revelation 3:20), desiring entry and communion, portraying humans as responders rather than initiators.

8. Misconceptions about Readiness and Grace

• Timestamp 14:31–15:25
  • Many delay spiritual steps (like baptism) thinking they must “get right” first, not realizing God welcomes us amid our brokenness.
  • Quote:

    “That's not the way it works. God's knocking on the door. He's a God of mercy... receiving you even while you were a sinner.” —Francis Chan (15:03)

9. Shifting Posture in Prayer—From Initiator to Responder

• Timestamp 15:25–17:23
  • Chan urges believers: stop seeing yourself as having to chase God; rather, respond to the God who passionately wants to draw near and pour out mercy and love.
  • Quote:

    “I go in as a responder... with a faith going, God, you are crazy about me. You're... jealously yearning for me. This is insane.” —Francis Chan (17:23)

10. The Experience of God’s Love—Now and Eternally

• Timestamp 17:31–19:57
  • The Spirit can reveal realities beyond our senses or comprehension—God pours His love into our hearts now, a foretaste of what is to come (Romans 5:5, 1 Corinthians 2).
  • Quote:

    “There's some way that God can reveal things to our spirit, to our souls, that we don't get to see with our eyes... but somehow He reveals it internally to us.” —Francis Chan (18:32)

11. Exhortation: Receiving the Nearness of God

• Timestamp 19:57–21:29
  • Chan closes with a prayerful hope that listeners will believe in the active, loving nearness of God in their lives every day, not just at Christmas.
  • Vision:
    • One day we will see God face to face, but even now, we can deeply experience His presence in the spirit.

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Notable Quotes & Moments

• On Adoration:

  “Did I really come with adoration?... I feel like the adoration keeps getting better in my life. I hope that's true with you...” (01:05)

• On God’s Initiative:

  “Was the world going, ‘please, God, please send us a savior?’ No. He initiated. He wanted to be with us. He loves us... We love because He first loved us.” (08:12)

• On Human Effort:

  “It's almost like I think if I initiate, he'll respond to me. But is that what happened at the birth of Christ? Was it the whole world going, please, God, please send us a savior? No. He initiated...” (08:03–08:12)

• On God’s Desire:

  “He jealously yearns for the Spirit that He put in us.” (13:51)

• On Prayer:

  “I go in as a responder... God, you are crazy about me. You're... jealously yearning for me. This is insane.” (17:23)

• On Experiencing God:

  “There's some way that God can reveal things to our spirit...that we don't get to see with our eyes... but somehow He reveals it internally to us, and He ministers to our very spirit.” (18:32)

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Key Segment Timestamps

• Familiar Songs Take Deeper Meaning: 00:40–01:51
• Scripture Reading: 03:55–06:43
• Why God Came Near: 06:43–08:12
• God as Initiator Throughout Bible History: 08:12–11:10
• Shift in Prayer Posture: 15:25–17:23
• Experiencing the Spirit’s Love: 17:31–19:57
• Closing Exhortation: 19:57–21:29

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Episode Takeaway

Francis Chan thoughtfully re-centers the Christmas story around the truth that God’s greatest desire is to be with, love, and transform us—not waiting for us to deserve it, but actively crossing every gap to reach us. Our role is not to initiate but to receive, respond, and remain in awe of the God who comes near—at Christmas, today, and forever.

Transcript

[Podcast Host]

Welcome to the Crazy Love Podcast. At Christmas, we celebrate more than a moment in history. We celebrate a God who came near. In this special Christmas message, Francis Chan reflects on the meaning of Emmanuel God with us and reminds us that from the very beginning, God has been the one who initiates. This is the good news of Christmas. God is near. He is knocking, and he wants to pour his love into our hearts.

[Francis Chan]

Hey, I don't know about you. I feel like I've sung those songs my whole life, but they meant more this year than ever. I just. I don't know, I'm picturing the angels singing. I'm picturing, you know, as they're, you know, shouting together to the shepherds and that he's here, and I don't know, the words just meant so much more. Even the come, let us adore him. It's like, did I really come with adoration? Like, no, not just. I believe in him. Oh, I'm going to celebrate Christmas. I'm going to sing this song, but adoring, adoring, adoring. I feel like the adoration keeps getting better in my life. I hope that's true with you, because I feel like a lot of times it's the opposite. It's like, oh, this Christmas song again. And it becomes less and less every year rather than, gosh, it's more and more meaningful each time. I mean, even when I say the Lord's Prayer, it means more to me now.

And so I'm going to read from.

Matthew, chapter one, the Christmas story, you know, and I love that David, when he started us off, was talking about Emmanuel God with us, because that's exactly what I'm going to be talking about today. And we don't plan these things. We don't have time to plan. We just. It's like, lord, what are you putting on my heart? And it's like, Emmanuel God with us. It's Matthew, chapter one. So please, let's listen to the word of God and not go, oh, I've heard this before. I've heard all my life. But each year when we hear these stories, hopefully we've grown so much in the Lord that it means even more to us every year. That's what communion, which we're going to celebrate in a little bit. It can't become a meaningless tradition or ritual. It should mean more each time. So, actually, honey, why don't you read it? I don't read real well. Matthew 1:18 to 23. And let's. If you notice, we keep communion at the center because that's sacred When I read from the Bible. We read here because the word of God is sacred. When I teach, I teach from the side because I'm not sacred. This is what we revere. God is about to speak. And so we honor these words differently than how we honor any human being. Or any sermon. Or any thoughts from a preacher.

[Reader (Bible Reader)]

Amen. Now, the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph. Before they came together, she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame. Resolved to divorce her quietly. But as he considered these things, Behold. An angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife. For that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins. All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son. And they shall call his name Emmanuel. Which means God with us.

[Francis Chan]

Let's read it again, honey. There's just something about God's Word that can minister to us. It's living and active. And somehow these words are different than all the other words on the earth. Because this came straight from the Lord. So let's just receive this again.

[Reader (Bible Reader)]

Now. The birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph. Before they came together, she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame. Resolved to divorce her quietly. But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife. For that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son. And you shall call his name Jesus, for He will save his people from their sins. All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son. And they shall call his name Immanuel. Which means God with us.

[Francis Chan]

God with us. Why is God with us right now? Think about that word. Why? Why is God with us, Emmanuel? God with us. Why do you think he's here with us today? Any answers?

Because he loves us.

Because he loves us. Amen. That was it. Wow. You nailed it. It's kind of the same thing, but because he wants to be with us. I was writing that down this week. Like so much of my life, I've. I just noticed something about me, and it's. It's off where I keep trying to.

Like, be more holy and be more reverent and be more devout. Let me get up earlier. Let me spend more time with him. Let me make sure everything's out. And maybe if I do all of.

This, then he's going to bless me. Like, I would never kind of say.

That out loud or necessarily.

It just kind of happens.

It's almost like I think if I initiate, he'll respond to me. But is that what happened at the birth of Christ? Was it the whole world going, please, God, please send us a savior? No. He initiated. He wanted to be with us. He loves us. What does one John tell us? We love because he first loved us. He decided to send his son to die for the sins of the world. He wasn't responding to us. He was initiating. I mean, David in the beginning was talking about Adam and Eve. Why did he create Adam and Eve? He wanted to. And he wanted to walk in the garden with them. He wanted to be with them. Then, even after they sinned against him and rebelled against him, he says, no, I'm going to send a savior one day because I'm going to be with you. I want to be with you. And the story ends with the new heavens and the new earth.

And God says, and I'm going to walk with you again. I'm going to be with you.

Look, think through history. Was Moses crying out to God. Therefore, God responded, no. God initiates in that burning bush and calls to Moses. Then he tells Moses, I want you to make this tent of meeting because I want to meet with you. I want you to build this tabernacle because I want to tabernacle. I want to dwell amongst you and this ark of the covenant, because I want my presence there. Then I want this temple, because these are all God initiating, saying, I want to be with you. And then he gets to Jesus and it says that he came and he dwelt, or the word tabernacled amongst us.

He says, no, I want to be closer. I want to be closer. I want to be closer.

And then there's the amazing truth in John 14, where Jesus says, the Holy.

Spirit is with you, but then he's going to be in you. And he says in John 14, verses 16 and 17, he says, I'll ask the Father and he'll give you another.

Helper to be with you.

Forever.

Even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor. Nor knows Him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you. You see the progress. You know, it's like in the garden, he was with them, but then they rebelled. And he says, oh, you know, but I'm going to. I'm going to send. I'm going to send. I'm going to send. I'm going to. I'll put an ark there so my presence will be there with you. And then, no, I'm going to go further. I'm going to put Jesus my. So he's going to take on flesh so that he can be with you. And then he says, now the Holy Spirit is with you, but there's going to come a time when he'll actually be in you. And then a few verses later, in verse 23, Jesus answered, if anyone loves me, he will keep my word and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. This isn't a response. This is God initiating. I mean, this has been something God's been teaching me this year. These last two months, my prayer times.

Have hit another level. My enjoyment of God has been in.

Another place because he's finally just revealed.

Like, just shown me at the core of my being that he wants me and that he loves me. And I look back now at everything in my life and I go, oh, that's why you did that. You were coming after me even back then. What does Acts 17 teach? It says, he determined the time and the place where you would be born.

And it says that he would orchestrate the events of your life. It says, so that you might feel your way towards him and find him, even though he's not far from you. Amen. That's him. James 2. No. James 4, verse 5 explains that he jealously yearns. So God jealously yearns for the Spirit.

That He put in us.

Revelation 3, verse 20 says, he knocks on the door. Who's initiating? It's like, I'm knocking. Please, please, if anyone will hear my voice. If anyone hears me knocking, he goes, then I'll come and I'll eat with you. It's like, I want to be with you. If someone's knocking on your door saying, please let me in, you're the responder in this.

You know, I've been a pastor for like, 40 years now, and. I hear a lot of people. I've heard a lot of people say, I'm not ready to get Baptized yet. I want to get some things in order before I get baptized. I'm not ready yet. Once I get these sins out of my life, then I'll be ready. I don't want to just say, I'm.

Gonna commit to the Lord. I want to get these things right first.

And it's like, no, that's not the way it works. God's knocking on the door. He's a God of mercy. He's a God of grace. And when you recognize his kindness receiving you even while you were a sinner, that he loved you even when you.

Were a sinner, that the world was.

So ugly at the time when Christ came, it was not a world that was seeking him. There were a couple. You know, there's always a few. You had Anna, who was waiting. You had Simeon, who was waiting. Yet a few that believed. But really, it says that he came to his own, and his own didn't even receive him. But to those who did receive him, he gave them the right to become children of God. You know, it's just this amazing story. So here's what's changed in my prayer life. When I go in my prayer room just to seek the Lord, rather than going in and just believing like, okay, God, I'm going to go after you. I mean, I still do that, but it's. I go in ready to receive. Because God is the one that's jealously yearning for me. He tells Moses, I'm the Lord, the Lord, a God, merciful and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in steadfast love. This is what I am. I'm just. I'm rich in mercy. So I'm like, I want to forgive. That's God's desire.

He wants to forgive us. He's a God of grace.

He wants to give to us.

He's abounding over, overflowing with steadfast love. So he just wants to pour his love on us. And so, coming before God, I don't go in as an initiator. I go in as a responder. I go in and with a faith.

Going, God, you are crazy about me. You're, like, jealously yearning for me. This is insane.

You are knocking on the door right.

Now asking if you can come in. And I'm just going, that'd be the.

Stupidest thing I could ever do is.

To say, no, I'm going to keep that door closed. I just say, come in. Come, Lord. Come, Lord Jesus. Pour your mercy on me. Pour your grace on me. I need you. Yes, God, I receive you. I receive your love. I receive your grace. And I'm just learning that God can minister to the core of your being. He wants to. He's jealously yearning for this. And that means like in First Corinthians 2, he says, what no eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind.

Has conceived what God has prepared for.

Those who love Him.

But God has revealed these things to us by his spirit. So he says, there are things that no eye has seen. So your eyes have not seen what's in store for us. Your ears have not heard what's in store. In fact, he says, no mind has conceived what God has prepared. So it's not like in your mind you can see what heaven is like. No mind has seen that. No one has seen this future. Your mind has not conceived it. But then he says that peculiar thing, but God has revealed it to us by his spirit. So there's some way that God can reveal things to our spirit, to our souls, that we don't get to see with our eyes. We may not hear a voice from heaven, our minds may not intellectually understand anything new, but somehow he reveals it internally to us, and he ministers to our very spirit. And there's some way that my spirit connects with God, and He just pours. Pours this love into me. That's what Romans 5:5 is about, that he pours his love into our hearts.

And we actually get to taste somehow this peace and this love, this joy. And it's like, oh, this is what the future is all about, what I'm tasting right now in this room of God, ministering to my soul, where I am in his presence and he is in me, and there is nothing to fear. I get to feel that exponentially. And then one day, my eyes will see also, and my ears will hear his voice, and my mind will finally get it. Because right now, I just see in a mirror dimly. But one day, I'm going to see face to face. But that doesn't mean that we don't actually get to experience him right now. There's just something spiritual that goes on. And I'm praying for this, for all of us this year, that we would have faith when we come in the presence of God, that He's there. He's been waiting for us, and he wants to minister to you. He wants to minister to your soul. This is the good news. God is with us, and he just wants to be even closer, closer, closer, till we see his face.

[Podcast Host]

Thank you for listening to the Crazy Love Podcast. Join us next week for a new episode. But until then, for more resources from Crazy Love Ministries or to support the work of Crazy Love, please visit our [e-mail].