Mary will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus,
because he will save his people from their sins.”All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet:
Matthew 1:21-23
“The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son,
and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”).
The Twelve Days of Christmas, also known as Twelvetide or in some churches, Christmastide, is a celebratory Christian season celebrating the birth of Jesus. The twelve days of Christmas are usually December 26 through January 6 which is known as Epiphany. In celebration of the twelve days of Christmas, I am reposting previous writings on the names of Jesus, as a way to continue focusing on the significance of His birth.
Jesus was His common name. We don’t have a record of anyone calling Him Immanuel. Instead, Immanuel was, is, a title, the name identifies Jesus as our Messiah.
Notice that the name, Jesus, tells us what He would do – He will save His people from their sins. The name, Immanuel, tells us who Jesus is – He is the God who has made His dwelling with us. John 1:14a says, “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.”
God himself is with us:
Gerhardt Tersteegen, Verse 1, God Himself is With Us
let us now adore him,
and with awe appear before him.
God is in his temple–
all within keep silence,
prostrate lie with deepest reverence.
Him alone
God we own,
him, our God and Savior;
praise his name forever.
We have a sense that God is omnipresent – everywhere, all the time. “God with us” is similar and yet different. He isn’t just out there somewhere, He isn’t distant from us. No, He is with us, like us, involved with us, God is for us!
God himself is with us:
Gerhardt Tersteegen, Verse 2, God Himself is With Us
hear the harps resounding!
See the crowds the throne surrounding!
“Holy, holy, holy”–
hear the hymn ascending,
angels, saints, their voices blending!
Bow thine ear
to us here:
hear, O Christ, the praises
that thy church now raises.
God’s presence with us, His nearness is cause for joy, for praise, for thanksgiving! His presence calls for our submission, bending our wills to His will – allowing His presence to permeate our lives!
And it’s not just about Christmas! Matthew ends his book with Jesus’s words, “And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (Matthew 28:20).
Jesus is Immanuel, God with us, now, and forevermore!
O thou fount of blessing,
Gerhardt Tersteegen, Verse 3, God Himself is With Us
purify my spirit;
trusting only in thy merit,
like the holy angels
who behold thy glory,
may I ceaselessly adore thee,
and in all,
great and small,
seek to do most nearly
what thou lovest dearly.
As you pray today, thank God that He is with you! You are in Him, and He is in YOU!
