Why wasn’t Jesus named Immanuel?

Answer

In the prophecy of the virgin birth in Isaiah 7:14, the prophet Isaiah declares, “The Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.” This prophecy had an initial fulfillment during Isaiah’s day, but it ultimately refers to the birth of Jesus, as we see in Matthew 1:22–23: “All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: ‘The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel’ (which means ‘God with us’).” However, this does not imply that the Messiah’s actual given name would be Immanuel.

There are many “names” given to Jesus in the Old and New Testaments, and Immanuel is one of them. Isaiah elsewhere prophesied of the Messiah, “He will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace” «For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. », (Isaiah 9:6). Jesus was never addressed by any of those “names” by the people He encountered in Galilee or Judea, but they are accurate descriptions of who He is and what He does. The angel stated that Jesus “will be called the Son of the Most High” «He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: », (Luke 1:32) and “the Son of God” (verse 35), but neither of those was His given name.

The prophet Jeremiah writes of “a King who will reign wisely” «Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch, and a King shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice. », (Jeremiah 23:5).

In the earth, (Jeremiah 23:5), prophesies about the coming Messiah and reveals His name: “And this is the name by which he will be called: ‘The LORD is our righteousness’” «In his days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely: and this is his name whereby he shall be called, THE Lord OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS. », (Jeremiah 23:6, ESV). Jesus was never referred to as “The Lord Our Righteousness” as a name, but we can use this title for Him! He brings God’s righteousness to us. He is God incarnate, the One who makes us righteous (1 Corinthians 1:30;2 Corinthians 5:21).

George Herman Ruth was named George, but he was also known by other titles such as “Babe,” “the Bambino,” “the Sultan of Swat,” or “the Colossus of Clout.” Babe Ruth acquired various names due to his personal history and exceptional talent on the baseball field. Similarly, we can refer to Jesus by His given name or as “Immanuel,” “Wonderful,” “Counselor,” “Prince of Peace,” or “The Lord Our Righteousness.” The names attributed to Jesus Christ are numerous because of His divine essence and miraculous deeds.

Calling Jesus “Immanuel” signifies that He is God, who dwelt among us in His incarnation and remains ever-present with us. Jesus was God in human form. Jesus was God who dwelt among us «In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. », (John 1:1,14) «And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth. », (

John 1:1, 14). God fulfills His promises. The virgin Mary gave birth to a son. Two millennia ago, in Bethlehem, we witnessed the birth of that baby who was then placed in the hay for a crib. That infant, astonishing as it may seem, is God. That infant is God among us. Jesus, as our Immanuel, embodies omnipotence, omniscience, perfection, and unfailing love—among us.

No, Joseph did not name Jesus “Immanuel,” but Jesus’ essence truly makes Him Immanuel, “God among us.” Isaiah foretold the coming of Immanuel, the Son of God born of a virgin. He will deliver us; He will reconcile humanity to God and renew creation to its original splendor. We recognize Him as Jesus, yet we can also refer to Him as “God among us,” for that is precisely who He is.