Jesus, the
The Hebrew title prophesied in Isaiah 7:14 and fulfilled at Christ's birth — God with us in the flesh.
'Immanuel' (also spelled 'Emmanuel') is Hebrew: Imm-anu-El, literally 'with us, God' or 'God with us.' The name appears in Isaiah 7:14 as a prophecy: 'a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.' Matthew 1:23 records the fulfillment in Christ's birth: 'they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.' The name captures the essence of the Incarnation. Before Christ, God's presence with his people had been mediated — through the tabernacle, the temple, prophets, priests, angels. With Christ, God himself came to be with his people in human form. The eternal God became immediately, personally, physically present. The 'God with us' theme runs throughout Scripture. (1) God walked with Adam and Eve in the garden before the fall (Genesis 3:8). (2) God promised to be with Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, Joshua, David. (3) God's presence dwelt in the tabernacle, then the temple. (4) The Incarnation: God himself came to dwell with humanity. John 1:14 — 'the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us.' The Greek skenoo ('dwelt') literally means 'tabernacled' — Jesus is the new tabernacle, God's presence with his people. (5) After Christ's resurrection: the Holy Spirit dwells in every believer (1 Corinthians 6:19), making God's presence personal and continuous. (6) Christ's final promise: 'Lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world' (Matthew 28:20). (7) The final state: Revelation 21:3 — 'the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them.' The biblical story can be told as the story of God making his way to be with his people. Immanuel is the name that captures the climax of that story.
“Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.”
“Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.”
The original prophecy
“...the stretching out of his wings shall fill the breadth of thy land, O Immanuel.”
“And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us.”
“And, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world.”
Christ's closing promise
To call Jesus 'Immanuel' is to confess that you are not alone. The God of the universe has come to be with you — in your fears, your joys, your decisions, your sufferings, your ordinary moments. The God who is with you in Christ is the same God who promised Moses 'I will be with thee' (Exodus 3:12) — except now the presence is intimately personal through the Spirit. The Christian life is not the believer's effort to reach God but the believer's daily reception of God's presence already given.
Immanuel (Hebrew: Imm-anu-El) literally means 'with us, God' or 'God with us.' The name appears in Isaiah 7:14 as a messianic prophecy and is applied to Jesus at his birth in Matthew 1:23. The name captures the essence of the Incarnation: God himself became personally, physically present with humanity through Christ.
Yes. Matthew 1:23 quotes Isaiah 7:14 and applies it to Christ: 'they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.' The name is used as a title declaring who Jesus is, even though most people during his earthly life called him 'Jesus' (his given name) rather than 'Immanuel.' The title captures the theological reality of his identity.
There is no difference in meaning — both are valid English spellings of the same Hebrew name. 'Immanuel' is closer to the Hebrew (Imm-anu-El); 'Emmanuel' follows the Greek transliteration (which appears in Matthew 1:23 in many English Bibles). Both spellings appear in different translations and Christmas hymns ('O Come, O Come, Emmanuel'). The meaning — 'God with us' — is identical.