Is. 63:7-9

1) NIB (p.526) says that "God's attributes of holiness, love, and mercy were fully intermingled and fully present."

2) "Carrying us" is resisted by all of us who are independent, or like to care for others but hate being cared for.

3) Carrying also brings up the frequent image of the child in Isaiah. Patricia Tull has her Smith and Helwys commentary on Isaiah published,(see its web site),  and she alerted me to this motif. It is perfect for the Christmas season. Maybe you have some good children stories from this holiday season.

4) The passage insists that it is the presence of God, one that dwells in Jesus, that is the saving agent. (This is an insuperable textual issue here, apparently). How to speak of Emmanuel the day after Christmas?

5) How does this passage address the thoughts and feelings of the day after Christmas?