By what title, taken from the prophet Isaiah, does Matthew refer to Jesus?
Isa. 7:14; Matt. 1:22, 23. The title means literally ~God with us.” It introduces us to Matthew’s strong conviction regarding the identity and mission of Jesus. God saves us by literally becoming one of us in the person of Jesus. In Jesus we encounter God as the companion of our lives, the fulfillment of our human yearnings. He is God’s presence become flesh. He is divine compassion in human form and feeling, the ultimate revelation of God as companion to humanity. Jesus reveals a God who loves generously, compassionately, and calls us to a new way of living so that we can find true fulfillment. Study the apostle John’s description of God with us. John 1:1-5, 9-18. We will never really know God as a compassionate God if we do not understand with our hearts and minds that “He lived among us.” He committed Himself to identify with us, to suffer all of life with us, to share in our joys and pains. In Jesus, God’s compassion became visible. Jesus not only said. “Be merciful as your Father
