“Behold, a virgin shall conceive in her womb, and she shall give birth to a son. And they shall call his name Emmanuel, which means: God is with us.” (Matthew 1:23)
From the beginning, the heart of man longs for one essential thing: to know that God is not far away, that He is not absent, that He is present.
In a world marked by fear, uncertainty, and instability, the greatest promise of God is not wealth, power, or success, but His presence.
That is why God gives a name that is in itself a revelation: Emmanuel.
A name that speaks even before actions
The name Emmanuel comes from the Hebrew עִמָּנוּאֵל (ʿImmanû ʾEl) and breaks down as follows:
ʿImmanû (עִמָּנוּ): with us
ʿIm= with
anû= us
ʾEl (אֵל): God
Emmanuel literally means: “God with us.”
It is not just a proper name, but a theological name, a spiritual declaration: God is present in the midst of his people.
It is not either just a proper name; it is a message from God.
God does not merely say, “I will help you.”
He says, “I will be with you.”
In the book of Isaiah, this name is given as a sign to a people threatened and anxious about their future. God reassures His people not by denying their difficulties, but by affirming His presence in the midst of them.
God’s presence is always God’s answer to human fear.
From promise to fulfillment
What was a promise in Isaiah becomes a reality in Matthew.
In Jesus Christ, Emmanuel no longer means only God who supports,
but God who draws near,
God who enters human history,
God who takes on flesh.
Jesus is not only sent by God.
He is God among us.
That means God:
•experienced our limitations,
•shared our pains,
•walked our roads,
•carried our suffering.
God is no longer only above us; He is with us.
A presence that transforms life
If God is with us, then:
•we are never alone,
•our battles are not ignored,
•our tears are not unseen,
•our future is not left to chance.
Emmanuel means that God does not flee our realities,
He enters them in order to transform them.
Even when everything seems silent,
even when God seems absent,
His name remains true: Emmanuel.
For today,
The real question is not: Is God with us?
The Bible clearly answers: Yes.
The real question is:
Do we live with the awareness of His presence?
Because a life lived with Emmanuel:
•does not give in to fear,
•does not walk alone,
•does not lose hope.
PRAYER:
Lord, thank You because You are not a distant God.
Thank You because in Jesus,
You came to live among us.
Help me to live each day
with the awareness that You are with me, in my battles as well as in my victories. Amen.
Apostle Dr Jean-Claude SINDAYIGAYA