Find Hope: Matthew 1-4Exemplo

Where Did Your Name Come From?

Was it something that held special significance for your parents? Are you named after someone?

In the ancient world, and particularly in the Bible, names are significant; they communicate something of the context into which a person is born and the hopes attached to that person.

Many of the prophecies surrounding Jesus' birth emphasized different aspects of who he was by pointing to different titles or names that he would represent and embody. Having shown us that Jesus was human in the genealogy of Jesus, Matthew now wants to equally emphasize that he is divine. A virgin birth, a Holy Spirit conception, and a really important name—Immanuel—which means God with us.

There is so much to marvel at in the birth of Jesus, but right at the center of it are three glorious words—God with us!

The God who created all things, the God whom we rejected, the God who gave us over to our sinful ways has come near in the person of his Son. From Genesis 3, the whole of Scripture is the pursuit of God dwelling with his people. Redemption is required, reconciliation is required, and radical transformation is required, but the story will end in Revelation 21 with God face to face with his people.

For us, Jesus has come, has died, and is risen. And having ascended to the throne, he has poured out the promised Holy Spirit so that God is still with us and will never leave or forsake us.

It is through Jesus and by the Holy Spirit that we continue to live in the reality of Immanuel. God is with us.

Today, ponder this: As you go through today, remind yourself of Immanuel—that God is with you—and see how that impacts the good, bad, and challenging moments throughout your day.