We all know Him as Jesus Christ, of course, but Jesus is a Man with many names.
It has been suggested that the Bible contains nearly 200 different names and titles given to Jesus, from the Old Testament, which foretells of Him; the Gospels, which share His earthly story; and the rest of the New Testament, which celebrates the resurrected King and Lord of all for who He is and what He has done.
Here are but a few well-known names given to the Messiah:
- The Alpha and Omega, The First and the Last, the Beginning and the End (Revelation 22:13)
- The Bread of Life (John 6:35)
- The Good Shepherd (John 10:11)
- The Indescribable Gift (2 Corinthians 9:15)
- The King of kings and Lord of lords (Revelation 17:14)
- The Light of the World (John 8:12)
- The Rock (1 Corinthians 10:4)
- The Creator Over All (Colossians 1:16-17)
- The Way, the Truth, and the Life (John 14:6)
There are many more. Each name and title is beautiful and powerful, giving us a different glimpse of who He is and emphasizing a different aspect of the Christ we worship.
Each name and title offers a new insight or revelation of His nature, character, and/or glory. By meditating on these many names, we grow in our understanding of who He is and, hopefully, are spurred on to greater worship and awe of the Saviour we are celebrating.
Today is Christmas Eve, and in the buildup to Christmas, I have (as I do every year) been reflecting on what continues to be my favorite name of Jesus:
Emmanuel.
By meditating on these many names, we grow in our understanding of who He is and, hopefully, are spurred on to greater worship and awe of the Saviour we are celebrating.
In the Gospel of Matthew’s Christmas narrative, as Matthew explains how the birth of Christ came about, he unpacks this name for us, quoting from the prophet Isaiah:
“All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: ‘The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Emmanuel’ (which means ‘God with us’).” (Matthew 1.22-23)
Honestly, it moves me every. single. time.
My all-time favorite name of Jesus is Emmanuel—“God with us.”
In Christ, God came down with us (Philippians 2:1-11). God lived with us, walked with us, spoke with us, did life with us.
God traversed time and space, breaking through from the spiritual into the physical, leaving Heaven and embracing Earth, laying aside glory and taking on humility, maintaining divinity but enfleshing Himself amongst humanity.
God with us.
And because of God with us, no one can ever again say that God is far away, distant, or unknowable. Through the baby born in the manger, God has revealed Himself to us in the most authentic and accessible way possible (Hebrews 1:1-3).
Because of God with us, we are not alone.
Because of God with us, we are not forgotten.
Because of God with us, we are not afraid.
Because of God with us, there is forgiveness, freedom, healing, and deliverance.
Because of God with us, we rest in His peace and presence.
And because of God with us, no one can ever again say that God is far away, distant, or unknowable. Through the baby born in the manger, God has revealed Himself to us in the most authentic and accessible way possible (Hebrews 1:1-3).
God has been with us and is with us still, both in Christ’s earthly time and with us by His Holy Spirit. He did not abandon His Creation to sin and death. He came down with us to save us.
As we move into Christmas mode today and tomorrow and enter into what often becomes a whirlwind of activity, family, presents, and food, be sure to pause and rest in the beauty of this Saviour.
Emmanuel. God with us. We celebrate the birth of the One who carries this great Name.
A heartfelt and worshipful Merry Christmas to you and your loved ones from all of us here at Impactus!
May you rest in the peace of Emmanuel this season, and may you love Him and others well during this time of worship and celebration.
About
