Immanuel: God With Us

Isaiah was one of many to record prophecies about the coming of the promised annointed one, the “Messiah” or “Christ.” In chapter 7 we find the prophet delivering a message to King Ahaz to encourage his faith. The Lord offered to give the King a sign but the King refused. As a result God told him that there would be a sign. A young woman (a virgin) would conceive and bear a Son, and His name would be called Immanuel. Immanuel means literally “God with us.” Applied directly to Jesus in Matthew 1:23, we know that the promise of a future Savior for Ahaz was fulfilled in the birth of Christ. He is “God with us.” This name is used and explained so often that I am afraid that we have lost the awe and wonder of what exactly it means that God became a man! Isaiah 9:6-7 follows along and goes so far as to give us the Savior's Name(s). More than just “God with us,” the Messiah is known by the names “Wonderful Counselor,” “Mighty God,” “Everlasting Father,” and “Price of Peace.”