An Undeniable Truth

See, the virgin will become pregnantand give birth to a son,and they will name him Immanuel, which is translated “God is with us.”

Matthew 1:23 (CSB)

Today, when a parent names their child, it's perhaps because they like the name or because someone they admire or who has done them good bears that name. It's therefore a name chosen somewhat randomly. In the time of the New Testament, naming a child was not a matter of chance. The name had to correspond to a family reality or to the child's future destiny. It was a decision to which God Himself attached paramount importance.

For a long time, God had abandoned the people of Israel to their desires and idolatrous practices. Those who still valued God's precepts and prayed to Him could no longer hear His voice, for God had remained silent. However, God had not completely abandoned them. He had a plan of restoration that would open the door of salvation to humanity. That is why the angel who announced the pregnancy to Mary instructed her to name the child Emmanuel, which means "God with us."

If, in the Book of Isaiah, the child was a sign that God's time had come to save humanity, in the New Testament, He reveals, through His name, the meaning of the birth of the child Jesus. During His earthly ministry, Jesus demonstrated through His teachings and miracles that He was truly God made man, living among men. One can reject the divinity of Jesus, but one cannot deny the power of His works and the impact of His words on people's lives. If this reality cannot be denied, then, whether one likes it or not, one will ultimately have to admit that He was and is the Son of God, therefore God Himself. Jesus lived among us and is still with us through the Holy Spirit. This is an undeniable truth.

May the grace and peace of God be with you.