“Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel.”
Isaiah 7:14
Throughout the Old Testament we are given different names of God that reveal His character. When we get to Isaiah we come to a unique name of God .This name is only used three times in scripture (twice in the Old Testament and once in the New). The name is Emmanuel. It
is a compound word made up of El (God) and immanu (with us). God reveals through this name that God comes to dwell with man – an amazing revelation. In the Old Testament God visited Israel many times, He even abided with them in the Holy of Holies but the sin of Israel caused God to withdraw His presence. Yet through the name Emmanuel God gives Israel a promise that He will come and dwell with them permanently.
Seven hundred years after Isaiah hears the name Emmanuel, Joseph is struggling with the news that Mary, his fiancé, is pregnant. She explained to him what an angel told her but this is hard for
Joseph to accept. So God sends an angel to him to confirm the truth Mary told him and to tell Joseph to name the baby, “Jesus” (Savior). Matthew then adds (under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit) “So all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying: “Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which is translated, “God with us.”
Jesus fulfilled Isaiah’s prophecy because He was literally “God with us”. What God promised in Genesis, that he would send a man from the seed of a woman, was miraculously fulfilled. That man from God was not only fully human He was also fully God. The theme of “God with us” is an important Biblical promise. God selected the name Emmanuel so that when we look at Jesus and think of his life we will think of the reason He came – He wants to be with us.
First, “God with us” permeates God’s desire to fellowship with man. God created man for he wanted His creation to love Him out
of their own free will. He wants to fellowship with those who want to be with Him. Because He knew we would sin He came to us that despite our sin against Him, we might still have a way to enter into His holy presence. To be with us cost the Lord His life.
Second, “God with us” is a promise that is eternal in nature. Before the Lord ascended into heaven, He reminded His disciples of an important fact. “I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” We are reminded of this truth in Hebrews “I will never leave you
nor forsake you.” Emmanuel tells us that the God who came as a babe is the same God who is with us today through everything
we encounter. He is also the loving God that will be with us throughout eternity.
Second, “God with us” is the basis of God’s command that we fear not. God knows this earth is a fearful place. When He tells us not to fear, He always gives us the reason . “So do not fear, for I am with you.” (Isaiah 41:13) Emmanuel takes away our fear in this life and the fear of where we will live after death
Third, “God with us” verifies God’s promise of heaven. In the upper room the Lord told His disciples, “And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you
may be also“. Emmanuel is the assurance that the Lord Himself shall descend with heaven from a shout and take us into His presence for eternity.. Thank God He is Emmanuel!