The names of our kids have meaning and significance to us. Our boys both have family names, they are named after their grandfathers and their great-grandfather. For our daughter, who is adopted, we kept her Taiwanese name as her middle name. Every time Nicole and I call our children by name it’s a reminder of their heritage…their names remind us of where they are from.
Every time I read the account of Jesus’ birth in Matthew 1, I can’t help but think about Joseph & Mary. They must have been awestruck every time they called their son by name. The name, referred to by Matthew, was first given to the Christ child by the prophet Isaiah 700 years before Jesus was born. Every time Joseph & Mary would call his name they would have been reminded of his heritage…his name reminded them of where he came from.
In this one name, everything changed! This remarkable name, which we often refer to at Christmas, literally means “God with us.” The angel was telling Mary and Joseph that the child she would bear would be God Himself coming down to live among men. Find renewed hope this Christmas in the fact that Jesus Christ is Immanuel, “God with us”!
Eric Echols 