Immanuel
Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him, Immanuel.” Isaiah 7:14 (NIV)
“’The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him, Immanuel.’ (which means ‘God with us.’)” Matthew 1:23 (NIV)
Before the baby was born:
Luke 1:26-38 tells us how Mary was informed that she was going to have a baby, a very special baby. Matthew 1:10-22 tells us how Joseph found out about the coming birth of his stepson. Both Mary and Joseph were given the news by angels.
They must have been exceptional people, living in God’s will, but also living in obscurity in the little town of Nazareth. But prophecy said that the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem. How were they going to get to Bethlehem so that Jesus could be born there? Why would they go there? After all, they had to travel 90 miles, and the normal mode of travel in those days was donkey and human foot. Luke 2:1-7 tells us how this improbable journey took place. The Roman governor made a decree that required Joseph to go to Bethlehem for a census and to be taxed. God’s Word said that the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem, so Caesar Augustus just happened to plan for this disruption of Jewish society in time for Jesus to be born in Bethlehem. Let’s just say that God had His way.
All these improbabilities and impossibilities came together to provide us with Immanuel, God with us. God moved heaven and earth to have the Old Testament prophecies concerning the birth of the Messiah to be accurate. In short, God’s will was done.
In Isaiah 7:14 and Matthew 1:23 Jesus is called “Immanuel, God with us.” God seems to be emphasizing the personal coming of God to earth as a man. This encouragement was necessary when Jesus was born, and it is necessary to us, today. That is the message of Christmas, the words spoken by God to His prophet Isaiah: “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son and will call him, Immanuel.” GOD WITH US all the time and everywhere—even today.
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