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Matthew 1:21-23, “…you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.’ All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet: ‘Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call His name ‘Immanuel’ (which means God with us.)”
In the evenings this week I’m working to put together a sermon for Christmas Eve, and Matthew 1:21-23 is the text that I plan to preach.
In this passage we are told that Christ will be called both “Jesus” (which means YHWH Saves) and ”Immanuel” (which means God With Us). How does that work? How is His name being Jesus a fulfillment of His name being Immanuel? Well, the heart of the message I’m preparing is this: “YHWH Saves” IS “God With Us.”
God enters History as Savior, He dwells with His people as Redeemer, He interacts with brokenness as Healer, so that when God dwells with us, He comes as “YHWH Saves.”….you might, in very broad strokes, say that “God With Us” is the What of the Incarnation, and “YHWH Saves” is the Who of the Incarnation.
So, in today’s picture I tried to portray both “names” of Christ. “God With Us” is written in text, but “YHWH Saves” is pictured in the descending nature of the text, as well as the depiction of Christ crucified (and the hint of His resurrection in the sun/open tomb above the manger).
Note also that “Us” is superimposed over the crucifixion. It is because of “Us” that the dwelling of God with His people in love entails the outpouring of His life on the cross….that is how “YHWH Saves.”
And note lastly that the image can be “read” from top down: “God – with – us” so that the “with” parallels the manger. But it can also be read from bottom up: “us – with – God” so that the “with” parallels the opened tomb. YHWH descends through death to us, so that He might raise us up from death to Himself.
