What does Immanuel mean?

The name Jesus means JEHOVAH SAVIOUR. Likewise the Holy Child was called IMMANUEL, which being interpreted means GOD with us (Matt. 1:23). Our Lord clearly claimed to be Jehovah, the I AM of the Old Testament, when He said, “Before Abraham was, I AM” (John 8:58).

Here was something that had never occurred in all the history of the world, that a virgin should bear a child. Immanuel signifies God with us. We read the answer to this in the New Testament: “Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, 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” (Matt. 1:22-23).

Long before the Lord Jesus came into the world, the Spirit of God announced His coming to the wicked king Ahaz through His servant Isaiah. The forces of the kings of Samaria and Syria were confederate against Judah, and the Lord was about to deal with these kings, and while speaking of them, and of the deliverance that He would bring to His unfaithful people, He introduced into the scene the Name of the One who would bring deliverance to His people at a later date. Immanuel, as we learn from Matthew 1:23, means “God with us,” and this is interpreted for us as being the Name Jesus, the One who would save His people from their sins.

Further: Isaiah 9:6-7 are the climax of a prophecy which began in Isaiah 7, when Isaiah encountered Ahaz, King of Judah, and gave him a sign from the Lord. The sign was, "Behold a virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel" — Immanuel meaning "God with us," as explained in Matthew 1:23.

The same divine truth — the deity in connection with the humanity of our Lord — is seen in the Prophets: Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a Son and shall call His name Immanuel," "which being interpreted is, God with us" (Isa. 7:14; Matt. 1:23). Here again it is Jesus — the acacia wood, with which this divine title is connected.

It was as Oshea that God caused Joshua to be called, which means Saviour, for God had charged him to bring Israel into the land of Canaan. It is God Himself, it is Jehovah, who comes as Saviour. It is the first thing that is presented to us: "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." What a great and precious truth - "God with us!" Then God, so to speak, begins over again with man.

Now Isaiah 7:14, prophesied that the child of the Virgin should be called Immanuel, which Matthew 1:23 tells us means, “God with us.” Modernists seek to fritter away the tremendous meaning of this by saying that it means, “God is with us but this is not so.

Names of the Messiah prophetically announced, meaning "God with us." The introduction of this name is remarkable. Ahaz king of Judah, being attacked by Rezin king of Syria, and Pekah king of Israel — and there being also a disposition to form a confederacy to set up the son of Tabeal, and so reject the son of David, which Ahaz was — Isaiah was sent to tell him to be quiet and fear not. Jehovah then told Ahaz to ask for a sign, either in the deep or in the height above; but Ahaz refused to ask; therefore the Lord gave him this sign, "Behold, the virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. Butter and honey shall he eat, that he may know to refuse the evil, and choose the good." Isa. 7:14-15.

When God took the special name of Jehovah with Israel, it meant that He was going to approve Himself to them in that character, as the immutable God, the I AM, upon whom they could rely to keep the covenant. So Christ is Immanuel, "God with us," and in order that that prophecy may be, or shown to be fulfilled, He is called "Jesus," His people's Saviour from their sins. God could not be with us except our sins were met, and none but a Divine person could meet them, — salvation must be of God: and this is all expressed in that name "Jesus."

But we today are in the happy position of knowing that this desire for the presence of God has been answered first in another way. Earlier Isaiah had foretold the coming of the One, whose name should be, Immanuel, and in the opening of Matthew's Gospel we are told the meaning of that name - God with us. The heavens were rent upon Him just as He came forth in public service. He came amongst us, "full of grace and truth;" not doing, "terrible things," but rather suffering Himself the terrible things, when He died as the Sacrifice for sin.