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Shaolen
Guest
I’m a little confused by this. If the prophecy was that the child would be named Emmanuel, why was he named Jesus instead?
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Gorgias
Guest
Some thoughts off the top of my head:
In Isaiah, the text of the prophecy – given to Ahaz! – is that “the young woman will conceive and bear a son, and you will call his name ‘Emmanuel’”. Notice the weird construction: it’s not the ‘the young woman’ calls his name Emmanuel, or even that you (plural, as in ‘all of us who hear the prophecy’) will; this is told to Ahaz, singular.
In Matthew, then, the Evangelist quotes the prophecy as saying that “they will call his name Emmanuel”! That is, the name ‘God is with us’ is something that we will call him!
Finally, of course, we should note that in that day, the child’s father is the one who named the child. The angel told Joseph to name him ‘Jesus’ (which means ‘God saves’), and Joseph duly does so.
So, it doesn’t seem that there’s any contradiction here. ‘God is with us’ – Emmanuel – seems to be a prophecy of a title by which the baby will be called; ‘God saves’ – Jesus – is the name that God decrees (through his angel) is the proper name of his son. (This leads to one other very interesting observation: if it the custom of the day is that the father names his son, then ask yourself: isn’t it the case that God himself has named his son?
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In Isaiah, the text of the prophecy – given to Ahaz! – is that “the young woman will conceive and bear a son, and you will call his name ‘Emmanuel’”. Notice the weird construction: it’s not the ‘the young woman’ calls his name Emmanuel, or even that you (plural, as in ‘all of us who hear the prophecy’) will; this is told to Ahaz, singular.
In Matthew, then, the Evangelist quotes the prophecy as saying that “they will call his name Emmanuel”! That is, the name ‘God is with us’ is something that we will call him!
Finally, of course, we should note that in that day, the child’s father is the one who named the child. The angel told Joseph to name him ‘Jesus’ (which means ‘God saves’), and Joseph duly does so.
So, it doesn’t seem that there’s any contradiction here. ‘God is with us’ – Emmanuel – seems to be a prophecy of a title by which the baby will be called; ‘God saves’ – Jesus – is the name that God decrees (through his angel) is the proper name of his son. (This leads to one other very interesting observation: if it the custom of the day is that the father names his son, then ask yourself: isn’t it the case that God himself has named his son?
)
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PJM
Guest
From our catholic Catechism:
452 The name Jesus means “God saves”. The child born of the Virgin Mary is called Jesus, “for he will save his people from their sins” (Mt 1:21): “there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12).
453 The title “Christ” means “Anointed One” (Messiah). Jesus is the Christ, for “God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power” (Acts 10:38). He was the one “who is to come” (Lk 7:19), the object of “the hope of Israel” (Acts 28:20).
454 The title “Son of God” signifies the unique and eternal relationship of Jesus Christ to God his Father: he is the only Son of the Father (cf. Jn 1:14, 18; 3:16, 18); he is God himself (cf. Jn 1:1). To be a Christian, one must believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God (cf. Acts 8:37; 1 Jn 2:23).
455 The title “Lord” indicates divine sovereignty. To confess or invoke Jesus as Lord is to believe in his divinity. “No one can say ‘Jesus is Lord’ except by the Holy Spirit’” (1 Cor 12:3).
EMMANUEL means:
744 In the fullness of time the Holy Spirit completes in Mary all the preparations for Christ’s coming among the People of God. By the action of the Holy Spirit in her, the Father gives the world Emmanuel “God-with-us” (Mt 1:23).
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ClearWater
Guest
Wow!From our catholic Catechism:
452 The name Jesus means “God saves”. The child born of the Virgin Mary is called Jesus, “for he will save his people from their sins” (Mt 1:21): “there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12).
453 The title “Christ” means “Anointed One” (Messiah). Jesus is the Christ, for “God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power” (Acts 10:38). He was the one “who is to come” (Lk 7:19), the object of “the hope of Israel” (Acts 28:20).
454 The title “Son of God” signifies the unique and eternal relationship of Jesus Christ to God his Father: he is the only Son of the Father (cf. Jn 1:14, 18; 3:16, 18); he is God himself (cf. Jn 1:1). To be a Christian, one must believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God (cf. Acts 8:37; 1 Jn 2:23).
455 The title “Lord” indicates divine sovereignty. To confess or invoke Jesus as Lord is to believe in his divinity. “No one can say ‘Jesus is Lord’ except by the Holy Spirit’” (1 Cor 12:3).
EMMANUEL means:
744 In the fullness of time the Holy Spirit completes in Mary all the preparations for Christ’s coming among the People of God. By the action of the Holy Spirit in her, the Father gives the world Emmanuel “God-with-us” (Mt 1:23).
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PJM
Guest
You’re WELCOME!=ClearWater;11527338]Wow!
Have a Blessed Christmas!
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