God With Us I Am With You Matthew
Matthew 1:23 and 28:20
…and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.
…lo, I am with you always, [even] to the end of the world. Amen.
(Matt 1:23 and 28:20, Webster’s Bible)
This one is pretty cool.
The book of Matthew begins and ends with a declaration that God is with us.
After the opening background of three sets of genealogy, Matthew begins his account of Jesus’ life and ministry with a double statement regarding his name. First, an angel instructs Joseph and Mary to give the child the name “Jesus”, and Matthew reminds us of Isaiah’s prophecy regarding Jesus being named “Emmanuel.” The Revised Standard Version translates:
Matthew 1:18-23, RSV: Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child of the Holy Spirit; 19 and her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly. 20 But as he considered this, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit; 21 she will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” 22 All this took place to fulfil what the Lord had spoken by the prophet: 23 “Behold, a virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and his name shall be called Emmanuel” (which means, God with us).
Jesus shall be called “God with us.”
Here is verse 23 in several English translations:
King James: 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.
New King James Version: “Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which is translated, “God with us.”
English Standard Version: “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel” (which means, God with us).
Berean Literal Bible: “Behold, the virgin will hold in womb, and will bring forth a son, and they will call His name Immanuel” which is, being translated, “God with us.”
New American Standard Bible: “BEHOLD, THE VIRGIN SHALL BE WITH CHILD AND SHALL BEAR A SON, AND THEY SHALL CALL HIS NAME IMMANUEL,” which translated means, “GOD WITH US.”
God with us. Hold on to that thought.
Now move to the end of Matthew. At the very end of his book, Matthew crafts a repeat of this statement, however now it comes from the risen Jesus Christ himself. Again, from the RSV:
Matt 28:18-20, RSV: And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, to the close of the age.”
And a sampling of other translations, from verse 20:
New English Bible: … And be assured, I am with you always, to the end of time.
New Jerusalem: … And look, I am with you always; yes, to the end of time.
NASB … and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.
God with us. I am with you always. God with us always. Christ Jesus with you always.
Whatever else Matthew does in his gospel, he exercises good writing craft by placing the key, essential take-away of salvation + sin + evangelism + God + Christ bundled into tight little sentence packages at the very beginning and very end of his account. Christ at the very beginning and very end of his narrative.
Jesus is with us always. God is with us. Amen!
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By the way, Matthew 1: quotes or allusions are from the prophet Isaiah.
Isaiah 7:14, ASV: Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.
Isaiah 8:10, ASV: Take counsel together, and it shall be brought to nought; speak the word, and it shall not stand: for God is with us.
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May God bless you by reading your reading of the actual Bible for yourself!
God’s blessings to you!
If you choose to respond to this post, please cite scripture, pull from good commentary, and remain on the narrow topic. 🙂
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