What Does it Mean to Call Christ, “Immanuel”?

Matt 1:22–23 – Daniel Baker – Christmas – December 25, 2022

Introduction

Merry Christmas!

Reading of Matthew 1:17–25.

Our sermon today is about a question, “What does it mean to call Christ, ‘Immanuel’”? The text gives us the basic answer, “Immanuel” means “God with us.” Today we’ll try and unpack this idea.

That idea “God is with us” can hit us in different ways.

• Some of us hear that and know it’s true, “God with us.” You see the present under the tree with your name on it—and you believe it’s for you and it’s good. You just want to understand it better.
• But others might struggle to believe, “God is with us.” You’ve got some sense of unworthiness. Or you doubt God’s love or goodness. You see the present under the tree with your name on it—but you’re not so sure it REALLY belongs to YOU. You think, “Probably just a mistake.”
• Or others think it’s no big deal that “God is with us.” You’ve lost the sense of what it means. You see the present under the tree. It’s got your name on it. You know it’s for you. But you aren’t sure you really WANT IT.

However you hear that word, “God with us,” may you leave with a greater sense of what good news it is.

This morning we’ll look at (1) “God is With Us” in Christ; and, (2) “God is With Us” in all things.

Prayer

I. “God is With Us” in Christ

A lot of this story probably sounds familiar.

• Joseph and Mary—engaged (betrothed) and committed to marriage.
• And then... “She was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit” (v. 18).
• Sometimes the Bible is really understated, isn’t it?
• Doesn’t record that text from Mary, “Uh, Joseph. Can we talk tonight? I have something to share with you.”
• Joseph assumed this was the end for them as a couple.
• Until an angel told him in a dream this was from the Lord.
• Joseph is told she would have a son and to name him “Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.”
• Logic confusing till we remember “Jesus” is Greek word for Hebrew “Joshua.”
• Mary and Joseph would have been chasing after a little boy named “Joshua.” Hundreds and hundreds of little boys at that time likely named “Joshua.”
• Because Joshua was a hero in the OT—and its meaning, “Yahweh saves.”

Then we get to our verses, Matthew 1:22–23. Read again.

• “All this” fulfilled what was spoken by the prophet...ISAIAH. Israel’s greatest writing prophet.
• He spoke this in the late 700s BC, 7 centuries before Jesus was born.

We all know about anticipating a birth—for months, maybe years for some of us. But Jesus? Isaiah’s birth announcement went out 700 years before it happened. Several OT prophecies are even earlier.

• Would be like an Englishman in some ancient Medieval village predicting George Washington as the President of the United States.
• Not just “difficult” but “impossible” apart from the Holy Spirit.

Originally Isaiah spoke the word to King Ahaz, one of Israel’s wicked kings.[1] It was a rebuke, because Ahaz was doubting God’s ability to save Israel.

13 And he said, “Hear then, O house of David! Is it too little for you to weary men, that you weary my God also? 14 Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.” (Isa 7:13–14)

• The name is the sign. “Immanuel” = One word in three parts: Im–manu–el, which is “with–us–God.”

Likely there was a historical fulfillment in Isaiah’s day. But Jesus is the MUCH-GREATER-FULFILLMENT.

MUCH GREATER because of HOW it happened. In Isaiah’s day probably an unmarried woman who then got married and had a child. In that sense, “the virgin” would have a child.

• But with Jesus it’s the MUCH-GREATER-FULFILLMENT.
• He’s “conceived in her” (Matt 1:20) without any involvement of Joseph.
• Jesus was conceived by the Holy Spirit.

And he’s MUCH-GREATER because of WHO he is.

• The child born in Isaiah’s day was a reminder that “God is with us.”
• You’d like at him and hear his name and think, “That’s right. I need to remember that God really is with us.”
• But with Jesus it’s different.
• He’s not a reminder of something that’s true and good to remember.
• He IS himself, in his very person, God-with-us.

To have Christ is to have “God with us”—

• All that God is, is with us in Christ.
• God’s power with us
• God’s love with us
• God’s presence with us
• God the Father with us, God the Son with us, God the Holy Spirit with us
• All that God is, is with us in Christ.

That’s the good news of Immanuel: God is with us.

II. “God is With Us” in All Things

Now we want to see just how much Jesus is “WITH US” when we call him, “God With Us.” He’s “God With Us” in all things.

Here we step into the unfathomable mystery of the Incarnation: Christ is all that God is but at the same time able to enter life fully as a man, fully “with us.” We’ll look at 4 ways this is true.

First, He’s “God With Us” in our weakness.

Christ experienced the weaknesses we experience.

He faced hunger; he faced tempations and attacks by the devil (Matt 4:1–11).

He was “tempted as we are, yet without sin” (Heb 4:15).

He felt desperation—in Gethsemane:

“He fell on his face and prayed, saying, “My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will.” (Matt 26:39)

He faced:

• Betrayal and abandonment of friends.
• Misunderstanding of family.
• False accusation and complete injustice.
• And then ultimately, death.

And so Christ can do what the author of Hebrews said he can do, “sympathize with our weaknesses” (Heb 4:15).

That’s amazing, isn’t it? The Son of God entered our world so much that now he can “sympathize with our weaknesses.” For almost everything we might face, he can truly say, “I’ve been there.”

Second, He’s “God With Us” in our sickness.

Early in Jesus’ ministry we read an encounter he had with a leper. To appreciate what happens we need to remember what life was like for lepers at the time.

OT law commanded that when a leper saw someone, they needed to cry out, “Unclean, unclean.” And they were also commanded to live alone (Lev 13:45–46). It was a life of personal torment and isolation.

But listen to what Jesus does:

A leper came to him and knelt before him, saying, “Lord, if you will, you can make me clean.” 3 And Jesus stretched out his hand and touched him, saying, “I will; be clean.” And immediately his leprosy was cleansed. (Matt 8:2–3)

When Jesus encountered this leper he did something that likely no one had ever done: “Jesus stretched out his hand and touched him.”

Of all the ways to heal him, he healed him by touching him. It was personal and physical. It was Jesus being WITH US in sickness.

He’s ALWAYS with us in our sickness. Sometimes he’s with us in power to HEAL. At other times he’s with us in power to SUSTAIN us. If he chooses to let a sickness continue it’s because he wants to use it for a good purpose in our lives. He will not waste it. But for as long as the sickness endures, Christ will be with us.

Third, Jesus is “God With Us” in our sinfulness.

His name Joshua/Jesus because “he will save his people from their sins” (Matt 1:21). The WAY he saved us was another picture of Christ being “WITH US.”

“Then two robbers were crucified with him, one on the right and one on the left” (Matt 27:38).

• That image captures a lot, doesn’t it?
• Jesus suspended on a Roman cross between two people just like us—condemned sinners.
• They were experiencing what all sins deserve—judgment and death.
• Our sins are no better.
• By our words and actions and thoughts we show we’re no better than these men crucified with Jesus.
• But Jesus is “GOD WITH US” right there on the cross we deserve.
• Receiving the punishment for sins that we deserve.
• As he died WITH US on that cross, he died FOR US and saved us.
• He died as a “RANSOM” (Matt 20:28) payment to deliver us.
• He dies—so we can live. He takes God’s wrath—so we can receive God’s grace. He takes our sins all the way to the grave—so we can take his righteousness all the way to the throne of judgement and be declared, “Righteous!”

Fourth, He’s “God With Us” in our dailiness.

Last sentence of Matthew is another Immanuel promise:

“And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
Matthew 28:20

• Matthew’s language here is rich and very intentional.
• Jesus says, “I AM with you,” not, “I will be with you.” “I AM” is more emphatic. More immediate. Vivid present-tense idea.
• “Always” is our translation and correct—but the Greek here is more vivid, “I am with you ALL THE DAYS.” “All the days” in the Greek is something like “I am with you throughout all of every day till the end of the age.”[2]
• Not just a daily check-in—but throughout the whole of every day.
• Days don’t come to us as days. They’re come as moments.
• And the promise to us by Jesus in each of those moments, “I AM with you.”

Conclusion

The Christmas promise of Immanuel is such “gospel,” such “good news”:

• God is with us in Christ—It means all that God is, is with us in Christ.
• God is with us in all things—with us in weaknesses, sicknesses, sinfulness, dailiness.

If you’re in Christ—you’ve placed your trust in him, committed to him as your Lord and your Savior—then may the full glory of Jesus as “God With Us” fill your heart this Christmas.

And if you’re not a Christian, haven’t placed your trust in him as your Savior and Lord, then hear the invitation from Jesus,

“Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” (Matt 11:28–30)

Prayer and “Come Behold the Wondrous Mystery”

[1] See 2 Kings 16:1–4.

[2] The Greek accusative in this case is describing the fullness of the span of time and not just answering how long it’ll last. Cf. D.A. Carson’s commentary on Matthew (EBC) and Daniel Wallace’s Greek Grammar Beyond the Basics under the accusative case.