OceanSide church of Christ

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EMMANUEL

Victor M. Eskew

 

            God with us.  What a concept!  Yet, this is exactly what happened when Jesus was conceived and born of the virgin Mary.  “And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS:  for he shall save his people from their sins.  Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophets, saying, Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us” (Matt. 1:21-23).

            Mary was pregnant.  She knew she had known no man.  Mary was pregnant.  Joseph knew that he was not the biological father of the child.  Both, however, had received revelations from God about this baby that would be born unto them.  To Mary, these words were proclaimed by an angel of God:  “Fear not, Mary:  for thou hast found favour with God.  And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS.  He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest:  and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of David:  and he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end…The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee:  therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God” (Luke 1:30-35).  To Joseph, the words found in our opening paragraph were spoken.  As the day of His birth drew nigh, both of them must have heard the angelic words ringing in their ears over and over.  “Jesus.”  “Son of the Highest.”  “Son of God.”  “Emmanuel.”

Yet, when he was born, he was just a little baby.  “And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered.  And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn” (Luke 2:6-7).  “And when eight days were accomplished for the circumcising of the child, his name was called JESUS, which was so named of the angel before he was conceived in the womb.  And when the days of her purification according to the law of Moses were accomplished, they brought him to Jerusalem, to present him to the Lord; (as it is written in the law of the Lord, Every male that openeth the womb shall be called holy to the Lord;) and to offer a sacrifice according to that which is said in the law of the Lord, A pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons” (Luke 2:212-24).  “And when they had performed all things according to the law of the Lord, they returned into Galilee, to their own city Nazareth.  And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, filled with wisdom; and the grace of God was upon him” (Luke 2:39-40).  “And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man” (Luke 2:52).  Everything about this infant and little boy said He was a human.  But, he was more than that.  He was also Emmanuel.  He was also God with us.

There may have been some indicators about His uniqueness as He grew up.  He was filled with wisdom.  He had a profound interest in spiritual things.  At the age of twelve His parents found him at the temple.  It was there He said:  “…wist ye not that I must be about my Father’s business?” (Luke 2:49).  Too, his parents must have recognized that His behavior was that of absolute holiness.  Not once in the course of His life did He commit a sin.  Of Jesus, Peter said:  “Who knew no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth” (I Pet. 2:22). 

At about the age of thirty, Jesus began His earthly ministry.  It was then that He began to openly manifest His deity to the world.  After He was baptized, the Father in heaven proclaimed Jesus to be His Son.  “And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water:  and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him:  and lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased” (Matt. 3:16-17).  His teachings manifested an authority unlike that of the scribes and Pharisees (Matt. 7:28-29).  But, it was His miracles that provided the most powerful proof of His deity during His earthly sojourn.  In John’s gospel, he writes of only seven miracles of the Christ.  John chose these for a reason.  “But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name” (John 20:31).  Had the Jews possessed honest hearts, they would have acknowledged the deity of Jesus after witnessing His marvelous works.  Even Jesus pointed them to this witness.  He said:  “If I do not the works of my Father, believe me not.  But if I do, though ye believe not me, believe the works:  that he may know, and believe, that the Father is in me, and I in him” (John 10:37-38).  Still another proof of the divinity of Jesus was His fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy.  In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus said:  “Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets:  I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil” (Matt. 5:17).  On another occasion, he challenged the Jewish leaders with these words:  “Search the Scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life:  and they are they which testify of me” (John 5:39).  Yes, if the Jews would have closely applied the Messianic prophecies to this young man from Nazareth, they would have recognized Him for who He said He was, Emmanuel, God with us.

            The most powerful proof of Jesus’ deity came after His death.  The hadean world could not hold him.  On the third day, He came forth from the grave.  The women who came to anoint His body found an open tomb.  An angel whose “countenance was like lightning, and his raiment white as snow” (Matt. 28:3), said unto them:  “Fear not ye:  for I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified.  He is not here:  for he is risen…” (Matt. 28:5-6).  The apostle Paul affirmed the power of this event in Romans 1:4.  “And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead.” 

            Yes, dear readers, there was a time when God was literally with man on earth.  “Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:  but made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men” (Phil. 2:6-7).  He was just like us.  He ate.  He drank.  He got tired.  He was tempted.  He felt deep sorrow.  He felt pain.  And, he experienced death.  But, He was also God.  Being a God-man enabled Him to die for our sins (Heb. 2:14-15).  In addition, He could occupy the position of a merciful and faithful high priest for us (Heb. 2:16-18).  Dear readers, when you hear the name Jesus, let the name of Emmanuel also echo in your mind.  The one who came to be our Savior was Emmanuel, “God with us.”