Topic: Emmanuel is with us
Scripture text: Matthew 1:18-25
It is not just nationally, but for most of the world people, they are saying that this time of the year is the most festive and for the same reason; but how accurate are they?
You may be asking yourself what is it that I am referring to by saying that the Emmanuel is with us: for that reason, let’s look into the scripture both O/T and N/T to see if we can find any answers: first let us listen to what the prophet Isaiah has prophesied hundreds of years before the birth of Jesus which is recorded for us in the book of the Bible which bears his name, Isaiah 7: 14.
He provided these inspired revelations to us and all this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said to the people through this prophet: the virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel which means God with us. Did you get the answer?
In the New Testament seven hundred years later, we hear these words from Matthew in chapter 1: 22-23; concerning the virgin birth of the promised Messiah. He prophesied that His name should be Immanuel which means God with us, by referencing to the words of Isaiah, Matthew recognized Jesus as Immanuel which means God with us.
God had been with His people always, in the pillar of cloud above the tabernacle, in the voice of the prophets, in the ark of the covenant- but never was God so clearly present with his people as He was through the virgin birth of Jesus the Messiah of Israel.
Ever since man was made in the image of God, God has always been with them until they disobeyed and ate of the forbidden fruit which they were forbidden to eat. (Genesis 3: 8) tells us that after they ate the forbidden fruit, they heard the voice of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God amongst the trees of the garden. God’s presence has always been with man.
The ancient Jews were expecting a Messiah or a deliverer from God as it was told to them through the prophets: at a time when the religious and political climate was hostile, as the Romans ruled over Palestine: Jesus and his family lived in the town of Nazareth which is in the north of Palestine.
Many Jews were expecting the promised Messiah, who was predicted long ago in the Jewish scripture known as the Talmud: they believed that this Messiah was going to have superiority over the angels, he was going to be greater than Moses, he was going to be a man of suffering, and be one who would experience a violent death and finally, he would restore Israel.
They believe in the pre-existence and divinity of the coming Messiah, an eternal being originating from heaven. Their understanding of the coming Messiah’s origins and divinity line up with Christian faith and biblical scripture found in John 1.
The Jewish Rabbis did not believe in the original sin. They believe that all human enter the world innocent and free from sin. Thus, they didn’t believe in inherent sin and much less did they accept mankind’s need for a suffering savior.
In the prophecy of the virgin birth, Isaiah 7:14, the prophet Isaiah declares, The Lord himself will give you a sign: the virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call his name Immanuel. This prophecy had an initial fulfilment during Isaiah’s day, but it ultimately refers to the birth of Jesus, as we see in (Matthew 1:22-23)
There are many names given to Jesus in the Old and New Testaments, and Immanuel is one of them. Isaiah also said He will be called wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father prince of peace: Jesus was never called by any of those names by the people he met in Galilee or Judea, but they are accurate descriptions of who He is and what He does.
There were many titles given to this man, but what was his name? Joseph who was exposed to be married to a virgin by the name of Mary, found that she was already expecting a child, and while he pandered what to do about this situation, he got this answer in a dream recorded in Matthew 1: 20: 22.
But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto you Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost. She shall bring forth a son, and thou (you) shalt call his name Jesus: for he shall save his people from their sins. His name will be Jesus.
All this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet saying, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emanuel, which being interpreted is God with us.
The love of God for man whom he made in His own image has never seen Him in any form at anytime, now He was revealing himself to mankind by the name of Jesus, but called Emanuel meaning that God is with man.
He was born into the world just as any other man, He took on the form of a man as any other man and suffered all the discomforts as any other man while being the All- Mighty creator of all the universe and was called Emanuel, meaning God is with mankind.
We find these words in John 1-1, In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God; verse 14 says the word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the father, full of grace and truth.
To say that Jesus would be called Immanuel, means Jesus is God, that He dwelt among us in His incarnation, and that He is with us. Jesus was God in the flesh, Jesus was God making His dwelling among us, God keeps His promises, The virgin Mary bore a son. Two thousand years ago, in Bethlehem, we see that baby lowered into the hay for a resting place.
That baby, as incredible as it seems, is God. That Baby is God with us, Jesus, as our Immanuel, is omnipotence, omniscience, perfection, and the love that never fails is with us.
Joseph did not name Jesus Immanuel, but Jesus, nature makes Him truly Immanuel, God with us. I Isaiah told us to watch for Immanuel, the virgin born son of God, he will save us.
He will reconcile people to God and restore creation to its original beauty. We know Him as Jesus, but we can also call Him God with us, because that’s exactly who He is.
We know that the prophets in the early days believes and spoke of a coming messiah who would bring relief from the oppression of the Roman empire, they also questioned John the Baptist after seeing his activities, if he was the Messiah, which he denied, so why didn’t they accept Jesus as the promised Messiah?
They could not accept that the Messiah whom they were anticipating could come from such a lowly family and birth even though he did so many miracles and healings.
The seven I am statements of Jesus shown in the book of John is the reason why many of the ancient Jews rejected him as the promised Messiah whom the prophets spoke of.
The seven I am statements of Jesus are, I am the bread of life: I am the light of the world: I am the door of the sheep: I am the good shepherd: I am the resurrection and the life: I am the way the truth and the life: and I am the true vine.
Their conclusion was that he was making himself God, and they did nor see him as the God in whom they believed.