Immanuel— “God with Us”

by Kenneth E. Ware

Names were of great importance in Jewish antiquity. Jews often gave Hebrew names to their children in relation to the character and nature of God. Because of their covenantal relationship with God, in many cases, the person would live out the meaning of their name, based upon their faithfulness to God. For instance, the name “Jacob,” which means “heal grabber,” “trickster” or “deceiver,” were all bad characters of the patriarch of old, yet God changed his name to Israel— “prince of God.” Many Jews bore the names of God, but not His nature. There may not be anything of significance to your name, but as a Christian, you bear the divine nature of God within (cf. 2 Pet. 1:4). In the gospel according to Matthew, the true essence of Christmas is put on display. God has become Man in the person of Jesus Christ.

Christ is not Jesus’ last name. In fact, in both Old and New Testaments, last names were associated with either the name of the person’s father or the town where they were from. For example, “Joshua the son of Nun” (cf. Ex. 33:11), “Elijah the Tishbite” (cf. 1 Kings 17:1), “James and John the sons of Zebedee” (cf. Mark 10:35), and “Judas Iscariot” (cf. John 12:4).

To be exact, Christ is not a name at all. It is one of the official titles of Jesus. It is equivalent to the Hebrew rendering, “Messiah.” It means, “the Anointed One” (Psa. 2:2). How is He the Anointed One? God anointed Him to fulfill the entire law of Moses, to sacrificially atone for the penalty of man’s sins, to resist Satan’s temptations, to complete the plan of redemption through His substitutionary death on the cross, to heal the sick, to give sight to the blind, to enable the lame to walk, to preach the gospel, to set people free from the power, pollution, and penalty of sin etc. (cf. Isa. 61:1-2; Luke 4:18-19; Heb. 1:8-9). Just as prophets, priests, and kings were anointed to carry out certain tasks, so it was with Jesus Christ. As Prophet, Priest, and King, He, too, was anointed by God. Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the Living God (cf. Matt. 16:16).

During the days of her virginity, Mary was miraculously with child, not by Joseph, but by the Holy Spirit. In fact, Joseph was told the child’s gender—a Son, and His name, Jesus. To be exact, He was given the Hebrew name, Yehoshuah (Yeshuah), which means, “The Lord is Salvation.” It was imperative that Joseph give Him that name because He would save His people from their sins. Salvation is of the Lord (cf. Psa. 3:8; 62:1). There has never been another name in past, present, or future history that offers salvation (cf. Acts 4:12). Jesus, the most unique person in all history, is the only One who can save you from sin (cf. Acts 4:12). Even Jesus Himself 34 // December 2021

states, “For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost” (cf. Luke 19:10).

God gave Ahaz, king of Judah, a sign that a Son would be born to a young prophetess who was a virgin at the time of the prophecy (cf. Isa. 7:14). Later, after the death of Isaiah’s first wife, the same

young woman later became his second wife and bore him a son (cf. Isa. 8:1-4). It was her first child, but Isaiah’s second son.

Isaiah’s son’s name was, “Maher-shalal-hash-baz.” The prophecy instructed to name him “Immanuel,” but Isaiah gave his son a different name. The reason for this is that the prophecy points to Mary and Jesus (fulfilled more than 700 years later), not Isaiah’s wife and her son (cf. Matt. 1:23). This is infallible proof that Jesus is the fulfillment of the Messianic prophecy in Isaiah 7:14.

Jesus has another Hebrew name, “Immanuel,” which means, “God with us.” Jesus is God in flesh (cf. John 1:14; Col. 2:9). Sometimes referred to as the “hypostatic union,” Jesus is absolute deity and true humanity—two natures in one person. God became Man in the person of Jesus Christ. He came from heaven to earth, so that you can one day leave earth and go to heaven. This Christmas season, remember Jesus as “Immanuel—God with us.” He will never leave you nor forsake you, neither in this life, nor in the life to come (cf. Heb. 13:5). He promised to be with you, “always, even to the end of the age” (cf. Matt. 28:20). Have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

About The Author Kenneth E. Ware, M.M., M.A.B.S., M. Div. is a husband, father, pastor of New Scholar Avenue Baptist Church, and graduate of Temple Baptist Seminary. Pastor Ware is also a Christian writer and an Expository Bible Teacher at Samford University Ministry Training Institute in Chattanooga, Tennessee.