What is Emmanuel?
Emmanuel is the Hebrew name for “God with us.” In church, we often sing the phrase, “Emmanuel, God with us,” but it can leave us wondering what does God with us mean? In the scriptures, there are only three Emmanuel Bible verses. The name Emmanuel is mentioned wice in the Old Testament book of Isaiah (Isaiah 7:14, 8:8) and once in the book of Matthew in the New Testament (Matthew 1:23).
In the Old Testament, a prophecy unfolds:
Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel. - Isaiah 7:14
This prophecy is later echoed in the New Testament:
“The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Emmanuel” (which means “God with us”). - Matthew 1:23
However, the concept of God being with us echoes throughout the scriptures. God has written a plan of redemption, love, and family that no other religion offers. Through Jesus, we have freedom from sin and death. While we walk through life on earth, God promises to be with us, even saying He will never leave us or forsake us in Hebrews 13:5:
Keep your life free from the love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you. - Hebrews 13:5
Is It Emmanuel or Emmanuel?
Is there a difference between Emmanuel and Immanuel? Should we spell it, Immanuel or Emmanuel? This debate is quickly settled: both spellings are correct! Immanuel is the original, Hebrew spelling of the name “God with us”. Emmanuel is the Greek transliteration of the Hebrew spelling, replacing the ‘I’ for an ‘E’. So, take a deep breath: it’s not Emmanuel vs. Immanuel, it’s more like Emmanuel or Immanuel. Whichever one feels right to you!
God is With Us When We Feel Alone
In those moments when solitude enwraps us, when we feel heavy with grief or loneliness, we may feel like we are completely alone. Many of us feel this way during the holiday season due to broken relationships or loss. As everyone around us is celebrating and being merry, we may feel forgotten or excluded.
God is with us in those quiet corners of our lives. His whisper can comfort us and break the thick silence we feel. God is ever-present and with us on the journey. He knows your hurts, your doubts, your pain.
In scripture, God’s people sometimes felt forgotten and alone. They were under Roman rule and oppression. Where was God?
God became flesh and dwelt among them. He made His presence known. God became tangible, real, and lived in their very presence.
He lived alongside them. Jesus felt joy, pain, anger, and sadness. He experienced rejection, loneliness, loss, and abuse. He knows what you’re going through, and He is with you in the midst of it.
Emmanuel, God With Us, comes close when we feel alone. He is an ever-present help and comfort. You are never alone when the very presence of God, through the Holy Spirit, dwells not just among you, but within you.
Related Post: 7 Bible Verses for When You Feel Alone
God is With Us in Our Messiness
At the time before Jesus’s birth, God’s chosen people were not perfect. They were messy, sinful, desperate people. What did God do?
He came CLOSER.
There were a bunch of messy, broken people. God didn’t run away – He came closer by sending Emmanuel, God With Us. He sent Jesus to dwell among our broken humanity.
News flash: We are all messy, broken people. That may not be much of a surprise to hear!
But, have you ever felt so messy, or so broken, that you thought you were unlovable? That you pushed everyone away, because you didn’t want a single soul to know who you really were and what you really did?
Many of us have felt that way at one point in our lives, and it is tempting to keep others at a distance in those moments.
But God, in His perfect, unconditional love for you, comes CLOSER. He’s not running away. He’s not intimidated by your brokenness. There’s nothing too broken for God to heal.
If your life is messy right now and you don’t know where to turn, there is no place safer than God’s presence. Run to God. His presence is filled with comfort, peace, and healing.
Related Post: 6 Ways to Show God's Love This Christmas
God is With Us to Save Us
God’s great story, throughout all of humanity, is one of restoration. As people, we have been rebelling against God for generations. Desperately lost and broken. God could have given up on us long ago, but here is what He did instead:
For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost. - Luke 19:10
He CAME. But, Jesus didn’t stop there. He didn’t just enter the world, He also sought after us for a purpose: to save us.
We are all in desperate need of rescue. We are lost, broken, and headed for destruction. What will keep us from despair and death? Jesus. When there doesn’t seem to be a way out, Jesus comes. He comes, looking for us.
Jesus is not seeking after us in order to condemn or judge us. He’s not an angry parent coming to chew us out. No, He comes to save us.
For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. - John 3:17
Jesus left heaven, took on flesh, and dwelt among us to sacrifice Himself for us. He came to be with us, live alongside us, and die in our place.
Related Post: 10 Bible Verses Every New Christian Should Know
God is With Us to Love Others
What does Emmanuel, God With Us, mean this Christmas in our relationships with others?
Just like Jesus, don't shy away from other people's messiness.
In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death— even death on a cross! - Philippians 2:5-8
To be “God with us” to others, we need to follow the example of Jesus. We need to make ourselves nothing, taking on the nature of a servant. We need to humble ourselves and be obedient to what God has called us to do.
Emmanuel reminds us to be present in the lives of those around us, care for the broken, come near to those who are in crisis. When others are shying away, we need to come closer. Lean in to those who desperately need God’s love and hope.
For us, Emmanuel isn’t just a name we sing at Christmas. It is our very source of hope and comfort. Emmanuel, God with us, is our rescue. In moments of isolation, despair, or uncertainty, knowing that God is with us provides solace and strength.
Was God With Us Before Eden?
In the Bible, Emmanuel, God with us was always active and never passive. God is infinite, timeless, omnipresent, and omniscient, so He has had us in mind from the very beginning. God knew that Adam and Eve would listen to the serpent, eat the apple, and have sin enter the world in Genesis 1. But thankfully, God had a plan and knew how to restore us to right standing with God! Our Emmanuel is thorough. God is with us at all times, in every season, past, present and future. Thank you Lord for being Emmanuel, God with us!
Conclusion
As we wrap up our exploration of Emmanuel, the God who is with us, let's carry this powerful message into our lives. Whether you prefer Emmanuel or Immanuel, the core truth remains: God is not distant or aloof, but truly present with us in the Christmas season and beyond! From the very beginning, God has been actively involved in our story, even foreknowing our struggles and offering a plan of redemption through Jesus. This Christmas, as we celebrate the birth of Emmanuel, remember that He is with us in our loneliness, our messiness, and our brokenness. He came to save us, to heal us, and to empower us to love others as He loves us. Emmanuel is more than just a name; it's a promise, a comfort, and a call to action. May we all experience the profound reality of Emmanuel, God with us!
Related Post: How to Love Difficult People Over the Holidays
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