Jesus Christ – God and Saviour

The Holy Spirit wants us to see and enjoy the beauty of Christ. To this end, He shows us our Lord from many different angles. Not only are we allowed to accompany Him all along His way, we also receive numerous insights into His divine thinking and His eternal nature. This already begins with His coming into the world.

The announcement of His birth focuses on two names. With these names, the Gospel of Matthew reveals to us the reason for His coming and the mystery of His person.

“And you shall call his name Jesus” (v. 21). This name points to His mission. The Father has given the Son a people from all nations, tribes and languages. However, they are a people who neither know nor love Him. Instead, they are spiritually dead and blind and totally lost in their sin. But because He loves them from all eternity and because they belong to Him into all eternity, Jesus came to seek and save them. The name Jesus does not leave any doubt about the success of his coming. He will save his people from their sins!

“And they shall call his name Immanuel” (v. 23). The name Immanuel teaches us the mystery of His nature. He is God with us. It is right to see a real child in the manger and Jesus as a true man. But this child is also God. He is no less God than the Father. He is as divine and as eternal as God is. Although Christ left behind His glory and dignity when He became man (Phil 2:6-7), He did not leave behind His deity. No one can understand Jesus who does not see Him as God. But the mystery is even greater! While the book of creation shows God above us and the book of the law, because of our transgressions, indicates God against us, the book of the gospel reveals the amazing truth: In Christ (and only there!) God is with us. The name Immanuel is God’s binding declaration to forgive the sin of every person who believes in Jesus and to receive him into God’s family.

It would be a shame to tell the Christmas story to children in such a way that they only see a baby. Let them recognize in this child the eternal true God who is with us and who came to save His people from their sins. Taken together, both names are a powerful invitation from God: Put your trust in Jesus!