The coming of Immanuel, Jesus Christ, is the concrete assurance that God is always with us as our strong deliverer.
The name Immanuel is a combination of the Hebrew:
Immanu – with us
El – God
Isaiah 7:14
“Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.”
God with us—Jesus is our God.
God with us—Jesus is our Help.
The promise of God’s presence is a thread that runs from the beginning of Scripture to the end of Scripture, and it culminates in Christ.
Garden of Eden - Genesis 3
God’s presence with Israel in the pillar of cloud and fire - Exodus 13:21, 22
Ark of the Covenant - Exodus 25:10–22
God’s presence with Joshua - Joshua 1:9
The presence of God in Christ’s coming - Matthew 1
Promise of Jesus’s continual presence through the Spirit – Matthew 28:18–20
Matthew 28:19-20
“And Jesus came and said to them, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.’ ”
The promise of God’s presence for believers eternally - Revelation 21:1–4
Revelation 21:1-4
“Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”
Romans 8:35-39
“Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? As it is written, “For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.” No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
God with us—Jesus is our Deliverer.
Hebrews 2:14-15
“Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is the devil.”
Immanuel means, no matter how alone we feel, Jesus is with us.
Immanuel means, though we struggle with sin, Jesus is our deliverer.
Immanuel means, in the middle of our suffering, Jesus will never let us go.