I love how Michael Card puts scripture to music. He preaches to us as he sings. I love it and I need it.
Jesus possesses many names and title-designations. All of them are precious and/or powerful. He is called Savior, Lord, Son of God, Son of Man, King, Master, Teacher, Messiah, and the list goes on and on because Jesus is our everything. None is more fitting than Immanuel because God is literally with us in the person, Jesus Christ. He is with us every step of the way from here to heaven. Divinity was not subtracted from Jesus when He left heaven and came to earth – He did not cease being God; rather, humanity was added to Him. Jesus is the God-man.
Matthew begins his gospel by writing, “…Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and shall bear a son, and they shall call His name, Immanuel, which translated means ‘God with us’” (Matthew 1:23).
Immanuel literally means “God with us”. Matthew ends his gospel by recording the words of Jesus, “…teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:20). Jesus is Immanuel – God with us – from beginning to end.
Read Matthew 1:18-25 and listen to the beautiful song Immanuel by Michael Card.
Matthew 1:18-25
Now the birth of Jesus the Messiah was as follows: when His mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be pregnant by the Holy Spirit. And her husband Joseph, since he was a righteous man and did not want to disgrace her, planned to send her away secretly. But when he had thought this over, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife; for the Child who has been conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a Son; and you shall name Him Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.” Now all this took place so that what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet would be fulfilled: “Behold, the virgin will conceive and give birth to a Son, and they shall name Him Immanuel,” which translated means, “God with us.” And Joseph awoke from his sleep and did as the angel of the Lord commanded him, and took Mary as his wife, but kept her a virgin until she gave birth to a Son; and he named Him Jesus.