The third expository work of Rev. Sang Ho Bae on the Gospel of Matthew is based on a popular New Testament text:

The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel (which means “God with us”)(Matthew 1:23).

Scripture proclaims Jesus Christ as “Immanuel.” Immanuel means “God is with us.” In the Old Testament, there is also the expression that “God was with David,” but that referred to God being with him in the sense of helping and protecting him. However, the Immanuel fulfilled in Jesus is a completely different dimension of God’s being with us. It is a personal and actual presence in which God and humanity are truly united together in Jesus.

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The Incarnation

The incarnation is the event in which God Himself took on a human body. Jesus is true God and, at the same time, became true man. This mysterious incarnation is the complete realization of Immanuel. The reason the Lord had to possess both divine nature and human nature is that He had to become the Redeemer. Because the wage of sin is death, sin can be atoned for only through death. If Jesus had possessed only divine nature, then God—who is eternal life itself—could not experience death and therefore could not bear our sins in our place. On the other hand, if He were only a man with human nature, the death of one person would not have sufficient worth to bear the sins of all humanity. Jesus, being God, could bear all sin and, being man, could actually accomplish redemption through death. Therefore, Jesus alone is the only Savior. John Calvin said:

The union of Christ’s humanity and divinity is the foundation of our salvation.

Immanuel is not merely the comfort that God is beside us; it reveals the central truth of the gospel—that God became man in order to save us.

The True Temple

Jesus is the true temple because He is Immanuel. The temple is the place where God dwells, and God dwells fully in Jesus. Paul proclaims:

For in Him all the fullness of deity dwells bodily (Col. 2:9).

The true temple is not a building made of stone and wood, but Jesus Christ Himself, in whom God personally dwells. The temple of the Old Testament was a shadow symbolizing God’s presence, but Jesus is the substance of the temple. Just as God and the sinner are reconciled in the temple through the sin offering, so in Christ, the true temple, God and the sinner are reconciled; therefore, Christ alone is the sole mediator who bridges God and the sinner.

Universal Significance

Immanuel was not confined to a historical event in Bethlehem. Even today the Holy Spirit dwells within us, guiding and comforting our lives. This is the true Immanuel that has now been realized within us. Augustine confessed:

God is not only beside us but also in us, and He places us in Himself.

The fact that God is with us is our greatest comfort, our hope, and our glory.

Personal Response of Rev. Angelito Carillo

When Matthew tells us that Jesus is Immanuel, he is teaching us more than a doctrine—he is inviting us to see life differently. God is no longer distant or silent. In Jesus, God steps into ordinary human life. He is born into a family, grows up in obscurity, and even stands in the waters of baptism with sinners. This teaches us that God meets us not only in holy moments but also in everyday realities.

One important truth we learn is that Jesus is both God and man. This is not just theology; it means He truly understands our weakness. When we struggle, Jesus does not look at us from heaven with indifference—He knows hunger, fatigue, sorrow, and temptation. Practically, this invites us to come to Him honestly, without pretending to be strong.

Another truth is that Jesus came to save, not merely to inspire. Because He is God, His sacrifice is sufficient for all sin; because He is man, He can die in our place. This means our forgiveness does not rest on our effort but on His finished work. In daily life, this frees us from guilt-driven religion and leads us to grateful obedience. Matthew also shows us that Jesus is the true dwelling place of God. We no longer have to search for God in places or rituals. To know Christ is to meet God. Practically, this teaches us that our relationship with God is personal, not merely religious.

Finally, Immanuel did not end with Jesus’ earthly life. Through the Holy Spirit, God now dwells within believers. This assures us that in loneliness, suffering, and uncertainty, we are never abandoned. God is with us—guiding us, strengthening us, and walking with us until the end. Immanuel means this: God came close, stayed faithful, and remains present in our lives today.