“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.”
My Notes
What Does Matthew 1:23 Mean?
Matthew quotes Isaiah 7:14, applying it directly to the birth of Jesus: a virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel — God with us.
The fulfillment is specific: Mary, a virgin, conceives by the Holy Spirit and bears Jesus. The prophecy given seven centuries earlier finds its historical realization in a stable in Bethlehem.
Emmanuel — God with us — is the theological summary of the incarnation. God did not remain distant. He came. Not as a visitor but as one of us — born, vulnerable, dependent, human. With us.
Matthew begins and ends his Gospel with presence: Emmanuel (1:23) and "I am with you alway" (28:20). The entire narrative is bracketed by God being with his people. Presence is the theme.
Reflection Questions
- 1.What does 'God with us' mean for your specific situation today?
- 2.How does the incarnation — God becoming human — change your relationship with him?
- 3.Why does Matthew bracket his entire Gospel with the theme of God's presence?
- 4.Where do you need to believe Emmanuel is still true — that God is genuinely with you?
Devotional
They shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us. The prophecy becomes a person. The ancient promise becomes a baby. God with us — not God above us, not God watching us. With us.
A virgin shall be with child. The mechanism defies biology. The purpose defies comprehension. God chose to enter the world through a teenager's womb. The infinite became finite. The eternal became temporal. The creator became a creature.
God with us. Let those three words sit. Whatever you are going through — the loneliness, the grief, the confusion, the struggle — God is not observing from heaven. He entered. He is with you. Emmanuel.
Matthew opens with God with us and closes with I am with you always. The entire Gospel is a story of presence. Every miracle, every teaching, every encounter — God demonstrating what with looks like.
You are not alone. You have never been alone. The promise made through Isaiah and fulfilled in Jesus is still in effect: Emmanuel. God with you. Today. In this.
Commentary
Trusted original commentary from respected historical Bible scholars and theologians.
Behold, a virgin shall be with child,.... These words are rightly applied to the virgin Mary and her son Jesus, for of…
Behold, a virgin shall be with child - Matthew clearly understands this as applying literally to a virgin. Compare Luk…
The mystery of Christ's incarnation is to be adored, not pried into. If we know not the way of the Spirit in the…
a virgin shall be with child Properly, according to the Greek text and to the original Hebrew, " The virgin shall be…
Cross References
Related passages throughout Scripture