Isaiah 7:10-16
10 Moreover the LORD spake again unto Ahaz, saying,
11 Ask thee a sign of the LORD thy God; ask it either in the depth, or in the height above.
12 But Ahaz said, I will not ask, neither will I tempt the LORD.
13 And he said, Hear ye now, O house of David; Is it a small thing for you to weary men, but will ye weary my God also?
14 Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.
15 Butter and honey shall he eat, that he may know to refuse the evil, and choose the good.
16 For before the child shall know to refuse the evil, and choose the good, the land that thou abhorrest shall be forsaken of both her kings.

God had been with Israel from the beginning. He’d founded the nation and made it His own. He’d called out Abraham to be the founding father and preserved his lineage through the promised son Isaac and the twelve tribes born from Isaac’s son Jacob. He’d delivered them from Egypt in a powerful, miraculous way. He went before and behind them in the cloud and the pillar of fire. He’d met with Moses on the mountain, gave the law, and showed His glory. His holy presence had filled the tabernacle. Then down through the ages, He’d spoken through His prophets. He gave His Word. He made covenants and promises and kept every one. In a very real sense, He was always with His people. His vow had been to never leave nor forsake. So who is this Immanuel, God with us, that Isaiah talks about?

Matthew 1:18-25
18 Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost.
19 Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a publick example, was minded to put her away privily.
20 But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost.
21 And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.
22 Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying,
23 Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.
24 Then Joseph being raised from sleep did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, and took unto him his wife:
25 And knew her not till she had brought forth her firstborn son: and he called his name JESUS.

Immanuel does not show up over and over again in the Old Testament like many of the other names of God. There are no altars built in the name of Immanuel. There are no psalms proclaiming the mighty name of Immanuel. His name may not be there, but He is there, all through Scripture. He is the promised one, who Isaiah and others foretold would come, God with us as one of us. He is the Messiah. The Savior. The Deliverer. He is a physical, earthly representation of God, begotten of the Father, demonstrating all of those things God had shown Himself to be in a visible, human form.

So here we find Immanuel born to a virgin, to two humble and faith-filled parents from the lineage of David who allowed God to work through them. Here we see the working of God’s Spirit to bring to pass such an impossible thing. Here we see the greatest promise kept, for it had been reiterated over and over to Israel. They had waited with expectation. They had looked forward to His coming. The centuries-long plan had come to fruition in the form of that tiny baby. Mary had held Him in her womb, then in her arms, and then in her heart. God had come to be with all of us.

John 1:1-18
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
2 The same was in the beginning with God.
3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.
4 In him was life; and the life was the light of men.
5 And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.
6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.
7 The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe.
8 He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light.
9 That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.
10 He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not.
11 He came unto his own, and his own received him not.
12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:
13 Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.
15 John bare witness of him, and cried, saying, This was he of whom I spake, He that cometh after me is preferred before me: for he was before me.
16 And of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace.
17 For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.
18 No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.

John 14:6-11
6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
7 If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him.
8 Philip saith unto him, Lord, shew us the Father, and it sufficeth us.
9 Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father?
10 Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works.
11 Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me: or else believe me for the very works’ sake.

Philippians 2:5-11
5 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:
6 Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:
7 But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:
8 And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.
9 Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name:
10 That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;
11 And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Immanuel is, then, inexplicably, fully God and fully man. Here on Earth among His people. Descended from heaven. Forsaking His glory. He walked among the people of Israel. He talked with them. He ate with them. He lived here for a time, doing those ordinary things that only humans do. But then He also went about speaking the Word with authority. Healing the sick. Giving sight to the blind. Casting out demons. Giving life to the dead. Giving hope to the hopeless. Giving truth to the needy. Doing those extraordinary things that only God can do.

In Christ we see the fullness of God, a total representation of the total person of God. The names of God reveal the Word of God. We see His almighty power over all creation. Even the wind and waves obeyed Him. We see that He is eternal and everlasting. We see He is the Most High, King of kings and Lord of lords. We see the one who sees all and knows all. The one who is jealous for His bride. The provider. The banner. The Holy One. The Rock. He is all that God is but in a form that we can see. He is the Word, spoken, revealed, expressing the Father to us in a way our human minds can comprehend.

In Christ, too, we see the fulfillment of those covenants, from Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to Moses, to David, to the visions of Isaiah and the other prophets. He is the full realization of the prophecies and types from the Old Testament, the end result of what everything else pointed to. He is the better sacrifice, the Lamb slain before the foundation of the world. He is the Great High Priest, ever engaged in His work of intercession. The never-dimming light. The true manna from heaven that fills and satisfies the deepest hunger. The water from the Rock that quenches an unending thirst. The mighty warrior. The King on His eternal throne.

But then Christ, meaning “anointed,” takes on that name Jesus, meaning “Savior,” because He came to give His life. As that Lamb of God, He is the only perfect and acceptable sacrifice for sin. So then He’s the wounded one. The pierced one. The bleeding one. The dying one. The resurrecting one. The forever-living one. He is the way, the truth, and the life. The Son of God and the Son of man. The Great Physician and the Good Shepherd. Redeemer. Helper. Healer. Friend of sinners. Righteous Judge. Name above all names. And it is to Him we must look to have any hope of salvation, forgiveness of sin, eternal life, and a home in heaven.

Revelation 19:11-16
11 And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war.
12 His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself.
13 And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God.
14 And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean.
15 And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.
16 And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.

But then Jesus is so much more than we saw of Him here during His short time on Earth. He’s coming again, in power and victory and the fullness of His glory. He’s coming to bring an end to all evil and darkness and sin once and for all. To have the final say. To achieve the ultimate victory. Here we see Him as He will be, executing judgment as the only one who could rightfully be called Faithful and True. He is the Word of God, for it is by His Word that He overcomes all who stand against Him. He is the sword in the hand of Almighty God. He is the Most High— King of kings and Lord of lords—who reigns eternally.

There is so much in Immanuel. And it means so much that He came to be with us at all. There He was, up close and personal, walking the streets of Jerusalem and the countryside of Galilee. There He was teaching in the synagogue and in the wilderness. There He was in the temple and by the tombs. In the midst of clamoring crowds and then alone in the garden of sorrow. Challenging the Pharisees and encouraging His disciples. Riding triumphantly on the donkey into Jerusalem and heaving His cross up to Calvary. There He is building up the broken. Carrying our burdens. Leaving His example. Humbling Himself. Feeding the multitudes not just bread, but the Word of God. Joining us in our deepest sorrows and our greatest joys. God with us. God among us. God near to us. God knowing what it is to be us.

What other God would dare to stoop so low? Would willingly give His own life in exchange for the wretched, defiled souls of those who can’t help but be so wrong, rebellious, and undeserving of such a thing? None other but Immanuel would go to the city knowing a betrayer was in the midst, would stand silently as the rulers brought false accusation after false accusation, would submit Himself to a scam of a trial, would go forward to the soldiers, the beating, to the wounds, to the pain, the humiliation, and the cross. None but Immanuel could stretch out His arms and invite the nails, cry out, “Forgive them,” experience the Father turning away, and, with the full measure of God’s power, dismiss His own spirit and give His life. Only Immanuel could descend to the grave and then walk out three days later, alive, glorified, conqueror over death and hell and sin forevermore.

Only Jesus could. Only Jesus would. And He did for each one of us. To give us life. To give us hope. To give us freedom. To give us that place prepared where we can go to be with Him where He is forever and ever, never to be lost again or lonely again or broken again or unwhole again. This is God, full of unfathomable greatness, eternal, infinite, beyond our grasp and our understanding, and yet so very near, as near as our own heart. This is our Immanuel, God with us. With you. With me. Where we are and where He is all at once, never to leave nor forsake.