Matthew 1: Jesus, the Christ, Immanuel

Matthew 1:16, 21, 23 "...and Jacob the father of Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom Jesus was born, who is called Christ. . . .She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins. . . .Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel."

In Matthew 1, Matthew gives us three titles for Jesus. What do they all mean, and why are they all significant?

First, let us start with Jesus' personal name, that is, Jesus! We say this word so often, but do we know what it actually means? Jesus is a transliteration* of the Hebrew word "Yeshua" which literally means "Yahweh saves." "Yahweh" is the personal name for God given to us in the Old Testament, as we see translated "LORD" in our modern scriptures. So in other words, "Jesus" literally means "the personal God of the Israelites is the same God who will save." But who will "Jesus" save, and what will "Jesus" save his people from? Well, Matthew tells us: "for he will save his people from their sins." Note that Matthew does not merely state that Jesus will save "the Israelites" from their sins, but his people from their sins. Backing up to the genealogy in verses 1-17, we see that Matthew is speaking here of how God plans to save both Jews and Gentiles alike, that is, all who are truly his. Furthermore, this "Jesus" will save his people from their sins. Men's sins have kept them captive and in bondage, but Yahweh has sent his son down to set them free. All of these truths are wrapped up in the singular name: "Jesus."

Second, let us consider Jesus' personal title, the Christ. Quickly, let us note that "Christ" is not Jesus' last name, but rather his title. If I was to refer to my general manager at Culver's, I would speak of him as "Harry, the general manager." The first name "Harry" is his personal name, but "general manager" is his title. Likewise, I Christ is Jesus Christ's title, but what does it mean? "Christ" is the Greek word for the Hebrew "Messiah" which means "Anointed One." Through the Old Testament, we see many "anointed ones" who would rise up and fulfill the purposes of God (such as David). However, Jesus is the ultimate anointed Messiah who all the others were pointing towards. He was and is the Christ, that is, the one who fulfilled the Old Testament scriptures perfectly and fully. Jesus' title as "the Christ" thus referred to his prophetic fulfillment, as the one who was promised all the way back in Genesis 3:15 has now come.

Third, let us consider Jesus' function in the name "Immanuel." Before we do so, we need to have a biblical theology lesson to talk about how God's presence with his people is one of the main themes in scripture. In the perfect Garden of Eden before the fall, God dwelt perfectly with man, walking with them in the cool of the day. However, when Adam and Eve sinned, they were cast out of the Garden, fully apart from the presence of Jesus. However, hope was not lost, as we see the entire book of scripture pointing towards God's plan of restoration. In the Old Testament, God before his restoration work by being in the presence of his people in a tabernacle and then in a temple. However, in the person of Jesus Christ, God would come to dwell with his people in human form. This is what we speak of in the term Immanuel, which is a Hebrew word from Isaiah 7:14 which literally means "God with us." Thus, in the coming of Jesus Christ we see God's next stage of redemptive history, as he has come to dwell (lit. "tabernacle") with his people. Amen!

*Transliteration = the process of transferring a word from the alphabet of one language to another. If that still doesn't make sense, don't worry about it. However, if you want to know what it means, give me a phone call, I'd love to explain it to you!