Emmanuel…God With Us

Emmanuel = God with us.

“Now all this occurred to fulfill what the Lord had spoken through the prophet, a saying, A virgin shall be with child, and will bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel, which is interpreted, God with us.” Mat 1:22-23

These verses go beyond the doctrine of the incarnation. The doctrine of the incarnation is simply that Jesus existed before he was conceived, and that upon his conception, he had a real human body, just like we do, not a “spirit body” or an “appearance” of a body; but the doctrine of the incarnation would not preclude us from saying that Jesus was some sort of lesser god, or created spirit being, who took on a human body.

However, these verses clearly teach two (2) things: 1) that Jesus is God and that he was here with us on earth as God, and 2) that he had a real body when he was with us.

The Bible says about Jesus, “Without question, great is the mystery of godliness: God was revealed in the flesh, …” 1Ti 3:16

It may be a great mystery, something we find hard to understand, and ever believe, but it is true: God was with us. Jesus is God, absolutely God as is God the Father and God the Holy Spirit; he is God the Son.

Regarding Jesus being the Creator of everything, a proof he is God, the Bible says, “For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they are thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers. All things were created by Him and for Him.” Col 1:16

Regarding Jesus being the sustainer of everything, an additional proof he is God, the Bible says, “He is the brightness of His (God the Father) glory, the express image of Himself (referring back to God the Father), and upholds all things by the word of His power.” Heb 1:3 Prior to being born of Mary, Jesus existed in heaven with the Father and the Holy Spirit, and having created all things, for his own purposes, he sustained them. He then continued to do that while here on earth with us, and still continues to sustain the entire Universe this very day.

Regarding Jesus being God while with us on earth, the verse clearly says “God with us.” A person can certainly say they do not believe that, but they cannot say the Bible does not teach that; the Bible clearly teaches that Jesus is God, and that he, as God, was with us. Remember, that you not believing something, does not make it untrue! If it is true, it is true whether you believe it or not. People can say Jesus is not God, but that does not make him not God.

Regarding Jesus having a real human body, the Bible tells us he was born the very same way every human being has ever been born. Those of us who have been present at real births, have seen the mess; it was exactly the same for Mary when she gave birth to Jesus! So here in Mat 1:22-23 we have a clear statement that Jesus is God, that he came to earth, and that he had a true human body, and with that body, as God, he entered history.

To the 1st century Greek this was beyond foolish, it was down-right ridiculous. The humanist of today feels the same way.

But it is true! May the Lord Jesus cause you to understand who he really is.