Blog Search Results

The Deity of Christ in the Gospel of Matthew - Part 2

...the name Immanuel and sees the birth of Jesus as necessary for its ultimate fulfilment. Matthew 1:23: “Behold, the virgin will conceive and give birth to a Son, and they shall name Him Immanuel,” which translated means, “God with us.” Matthew also ends his gospel, following the resurrection, with this promise of Jesus; (Matthew 28:20): “…teaching them to follow all that I commanded you; and behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” Matthew emphasises the point at both beginning and end that Jesus is “with us”. First, in 1:23 he combines this with calling Jesus God. Second, he records Jesus as claiming his perpetual presence wit...

The Deity of Christ in the Gospel of Matthew - Part 1

...name Him Immanuel,” which translated means, “God with us.” Regarding the proper translation of the Hebrew word here translated as “virgin”, a great deal has been said by others, it is not my purpose here to weigh in on that dispute, for a solid treatment of it I suggest Dr Michael L Brown[2]. Since I am concerned instead here with an exegetical analysis of what Matthew teaches about the deity of Christ, my focus is on the use that Matthew makes of Isaiah 7:14 as is relevant to that. He is stating that the events just described directly before were necessary for the fulfilment of this prophecy. “The virgin”, that is Mary, has conceived by the Ho...

Immanuel, God with us

...I had been thinking about what to write this coming Christmas time, when I came across this quote the other day. I thought it sufficient enough, rather than go into a long theological treatise! So without further ado, here is a quote/excerpt by David H. Petersen, author of God With Us: “The Savior is born unto you in Bethlehem, the house of bread, on earth. It is no coincidence that He lacked a crib and was placed instead into a feeding trough. He was born unto you to be bread: bread for beasts, bread for wolves, and bread for sheep. He comes in His body to feed you into life, to slake your thirst, to satisfy your soul. He is put into a manger, not only b...

Lent Day 40: Leo the Great: Sermon LXXII: ON THE LORD'S RESURRECTION, II

...name him Immanuel” (Isa 7:14), which means “God with us”. But even in Christ's ascending, he has not forsaken us, because even though he sits at “the right hand of God” (Acts 2:32-33), he also dwells within the whole Body of believers (Eph 1:22-23). “Christ's victory is assuredly ours” then, just as we should expect since Jesus has “conquered the world!” (Jn 16:33). Whatever we battle against in this world, whether lust or greed, or heresy, “let us arm ourselves always with the Lord's Cross” so that our “Paschal feast will never end” by abstaining from the “leaven of wickedness” and having the mind of Christ (1 Cor 2:16). The n...