“Look, the virgin shall become pregnant and give birth to a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel,” which means, “God is with us.”—Matthew 1:23
Of the 50 or so names and titles given to Jesus in the New Testament, “Emmanuel” is one of my favorites. It’s only mentioned once (see above), but it packs a punch. The teaching that “God is with us”, as manifested through the life and ministry of Jesus, gives me deeply sustaining assurance as I go through my life.
How is Jesus Emmanuel? In what ways does his life embody the truth that “God is with us?” Here are four reflections based on Jesus’ ministry in Matthew’s gospel.
1) Emmanuel brings the light of hope. Following Jesus’ baptism and temptation, he made his home in Capernaum. Matthew 4:12-17 explains this move as another fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecy, in which Galilee of the Gentiles becomes the place in which “the people who sat in darkness have seen a great light.” Jesus begins preaching repentance and the nearness of God’s kingdom, bringing the light of God’s presence to the region associated with darkness and death during the time of the Assyrian exile.
2) Emmanuel brings rest to the burdened and weary. In Matthew 11:28-30, Jesus offers the opportunity to learn in partnership with him, which he compares with sharing a yoke. Jesus is saying that like a well-paired team of oxen pulling together, he will graciously partner with us as a gentle and humble teacher.
3) Emmanuel would bring restoration and comfort—to those willing to receive it. In his lament over the impending destruction of Jerusalem (Matthew 23:37-39), Jesus weeps over the city’s overall rejection of his message, since his desire was to gather and protect God’s people, as a mother hen gathers her chicks.
4) Emmanuel accompanies God’s people on their mission. The final words of Matthew’s gospel, after Jesus has commissioned his disciples to “go and make disciples of all nations,” is a reprise of the Emmanuel promise that began the gospel: “I am with you always, to the end of the age.” Emmanuel indeed!
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