During Advent we slow down to look again at the mystery of Jesus’ birth. The Gospel of Matthew gives us two names that open a window into who this child truly is: Jesus and Immanuel. At first glance they seem like two different names — is the Bible contradicting itself? — but Matthew is doing something deeper.
1. Jesus — the Name Given by God
When the angel appears to Joseph in a dream, he gives a very specific instruction:
“She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus,
for he will save his people from their sins.”
(Matthew 1:21 ESV)
“Jesus” (Hebrew ישוע — Yeshua) means “Yahweh saves.” This is not a poetic title. It is the actual name Joseph was commanded to give the child. And the angel explains exactly why: because this child will do what only God can do — save his people from their sins. Advent announces the arrival of the true Savior.
2. Immanuel — the Identity Revealed
Matthew immediately adds a second name — not as an alternative, but as a revelation of who this child truly is:
“Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son,
and they shall call his name Immanuel (which means, God with us).”
(Matthew 1:23 ESV)
“Immanuel” comes from Isaiah’s prophecy (Isa. 7:14). In the Hebrew Scriptures, prophetic names often describe a person’s mission or identity, not the name on their birth certificate. Matthew is not saying the child was called Immanuel by his parents. He is saying:
This child named Jesus is Immanuel.
He is God with us.
Joseph gives him his earthly name in obedience. The people give him his prophetic name as they come to recognize who he truly is: God with us.
In Jesus, God draws near. God steps into our story. God enters the world not in power but in humility, to restore what is broken.
Held Together in Advent
During Advent we hold these two truths together:
- His given name is Jesus — the Savior.
- His revealed identity is Immanuel — God with us.
Together they announce the heart of the gospel: the God who saves is the God who comes near.
That is the gift we remember in Advent. The One who bears the name Jesus is himself the nearness of God — Immanuel.
Featured image: statue of Mary while she was pregnant of Jesus in Migdal, on the short of Lake Galilee (my own photo).
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