Matthew’s gospel account begins with an angel explaining to Joseph how his betrothed, Mary, could be pregnant: she was carrying the Christ. He had been conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit, fulfilling the ancient prophecy of Isaiah 7. “‘Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel’ (which means, God with us),” the apostle recorded (Matt. 1:22-23). When Matthew explained “which means”, notice how he made sure all of us non-Hebrew speakers appreciated that Immanuel is more than a name: it is a description. And “God with us” describes Jesus perfectly.
We see “God with us” when His Spirit rested on Jesus after His baptism (Matt. 3:15-17). We hear “God with us” as Jesus preached that “the kingdom of heaven is at hand” and as God Himself declared, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to Him” (Matt. 4:17, 17:5). We feel “God with us” when Jesus “stretched out His hand and touched” the leper or when He laid hands on and prayed with the little children (Matt. 8:3, 19:13-15). Everything about Jesus showed “God with us”! It’s how He taught with astonishing authority (Matt. 7:28-29). It’s how He healed suffering and cast out demons with just a word (Matt. 8:8, 16). As “God with us”, Jesus took our illnesses and bore our diseases – and then He defeated sin and death through His own death, burial, and resurrection (cf. Matt. 8:17; 26:1-28:10). Appearing to Matthew and the other apostles, our risen Savior commissioned them to go make disciples, baptizing them in the Father, Son, and Spirit’s name, and teaching them to observe all He commanded (cf. Matt. 28:18-19). Then do you remember His final words recorded by Matthew? “And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age” (Matt. 28:20). Did you catch that? “I am with you always.” The gospel literally begins and ends, “God with us”.
What’s more, “God with us” doesn’t just describe Jesus: it describes the life of real relationship with God we get to live as followers of Jesus. Remember, why did Jesus teach His disciples not to be anxious? It wasn’t because food, drink, and clothing are unimportant: it was because our “heavenly Father knows that you need them all” (Matt. 6:31-32). That’s relationship – a relationship with God so significant that it changes how we see daily life. It’s relationship when Jesus invites us, “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matt. 11:28).
This is what the gospel is all about. “God with us” is who Jesus is. “God with us” is what our lives become when we truly follow Him.
It is not good to be alone. Through Jesus Christ, God gives us a way to experience real relationship. Learn how to experience it along with us at https://www.georgetownchurchofchrist.com/real-relationship.