May, 4, 2020
Immanuel “God with Us”
“The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they shall call him Immanuel, (which means “God with Us”).” Matthew 1:23
Some years ago, I needed to be at a meeting to discuss some important issues. The meeting started at 2:00 pm and in order for me to be there on time I needed to leave at 1:15. I was ready and started out the door to my truck around 1:00, and I reached in my back pocket to grab my wallet but it wasn’t there. Desperately, I started looking everywhere. I searched the whole house; it was nowhere to be found. In fear of getting pulled over, I didn’t want to leave without it. Plus, my identity was in there, cash, credit cards, the whole nine yards. The time was now 1:15 and I needed to leave. So, I went back to my truck to gather my thoughts, reached into my jacket, and there it was. My wallet had been with me the whole time. This story reminds me of some verses in Matthew’s gospel 1:22-23. “Now all this took place to fulfill what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet: See, the virgin will become pregnant and give birth to a son, and they will name him Immanuel, which, is translated “God with us.”
The name Immanuel is very interesting. Jesus is the complete revelation of God (Colossians 1:19). No one can skip Jesus and have God (John 14:6). You can’t deny Jesus and know God (1 John 2:23). Jesus is God’s only begotten Son. Jesus is God with us. Jesus is Immanuel. There is no other name that reveals the nature of God like the name Immanuel. This name was given during a time when the adversary was harassing God’s people. The Nation of Judah was spiraling spiritually and headed toward disaster. The name Immanuel came at a time of fear, doubt, and chaos.
In the midst of uncertainty and fear, God sent a message to King Ahaz that He would show him a sign of triumph. This was a sign from Heaven above that a virgin would bear a son (Isaiah 7:1-14). When this sign came, it would be a reminder of God’s powerful presence with His people. Immanuel is a name of comfort when times are at there worst. No matter what you have dealt with in the past and no matter what you are dealing with right now, God is with you. Regardless of how difficult life can get, God is with you. The name Immanuel was given as a promise of God’s presence and victory in the midst of a desperate situation. I needed my wallet, and we need God. Lets praise Him for His presence.
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