Online Resource Library
Commentary Index | Return to PrayerRequest.com | DownloadJabez Burns Sermons: 852. Isa 7:14. "Immanuel."
Subjects in this Topic:
Isa_7:14. "Immanuel."
"Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold a virgin shall conceive, and bear a eon, and shall call his name Immanuel."—Isa_7:14.
To Christ, it is said, all the prophets gave witness; but none so clearly, fully, and evangelically, as Isaiah. He dwells largely on Christ's person, offices, work and sufferings, and also on the glory that should follow. He points to his righteous kingdom, his gracious conquests, and final supremacy. From his prophecy, it would not be difficult to give an outline of Christ's ministry, and of the world's redemption.
But the text gives one view of Christ. It is the name most befitting his character—"Immanuel"—which being interpreted, signifies "God with us."
Now there are three leading ideas in the text,
I. Christ's deity. He is God.
II. Christ's gracious nearness to us. He is "God with us."
And,
III. Christ's claims arising from these views of his character.
I. Christ's deity.
He is Immanuel, "God." Now as to Christ's deity, we inquire,
1. As to its clear signification.
By it we mean that he is more than a messenger from God; more than a prophet; higher than the loftiest angel or seraph. That he is indeed in truth, in essence and nature, God. That he is essentially one with the Father; that he is God in the most supreme sense of the word. That his divine titles, attributes, and glory, are not those of a subordinate being, not merely official, but involve his real true Godhead.
Then consider,
2. As to the possibility of the doctrine.
Why should not God dwell in the tabernacle of the Redeemer's humanity? He did give the manifestation of his presence and glory in the cloud over the mercy-seat; and in the fiery pillar and cloud that went before Israel; and as possessing all resources, there is nothing incompatible with his power, to dwell in all his fulness in the manhood of Jesus bodily. To dispute the possibility of this, is to limit the Holy one of Israel. If God is Almighty, and can do every thing wise and just to be done, then he can most confessedly, tabernacle in our flesh, and be Immanuel, "God with us."
3. As to the apparent probability of the doctrine.
Look at Christ's attributes, and what he assumed. For instance, he was invested with all power. "All power," said he, "is given to me both in heaven and on earth." He was to impart all blessings. To give repentance to the sinner; pardon and regeneration to the believer; and eternal life to all his faithful disciples.
He was also to judge all men. All judgment, he said, was committed to him. He is to raise the dead; sit on the great tribunal; pass sentence on all intelligences—men and angels.
Now, do these seem offices likely to be delegated to a mere creature? Rather are they not the prerogatives of the supreme and ever blessed God?
Then note,
4. As to the absolute certainty of the doctrine.
The prophets say Christ is God. "How beautiful, upon the mountain are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace; that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation; that saith unto Zion, thy God reigneth."—Isa_53:7. Now it is clear that Christ is the glorious being here to be beheld, for he alone is King in Zion. Then nothing can be more direct than the anticipatory exclamation of the same Prophet—"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."—Isa_8:6. So Jeremiah, in a prediction more expressly directed to Jesus, says—"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 in the earth. 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."—Jer_23:5-6.
Evangelists and apostles say he is God. If the introduction to St. John's gospel is a revelation, and not a mystification, then Christ is truly God." "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." "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."—Joh_1:1 and Joh_1:14. This plain testimony is corroborated in every particular by the apostle Paul. "Who is the image of the invisible God, the first-born of every creature. And he is before all things, and by him all things consist."—Col_1:15 and Col_1:17. "Whose are the fathers, and of whom as concerning the flesh Christ came, who is over all, God blessed forever."—Rom_9:5 "Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God."—Phil, Rom_2:6.
So Peter concludes one of his epistles in the following ascriptions to Jesus—"But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever. Amen."—2Pe_3:18.
Christ professed to be God. Hear his own testimony: "I and my Father are one."—Joh_10:30. And again, "Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? He that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou, then, show us the Father."—Joh_14:9. And once more—"And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self, with the glory which I had with thee before the world was."—Joh_17:5.
So the Jews understood Christ, and therefore they charged him with blasphemy. The Father also declared Christ to be God. "For unto which of the angels said he at any time, thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee? And again, I will be to him a Father, and he shall be to me a Son. And again, when he bringeth in the first-begotten into the world, he saith, and let all the angels of God worship him. And of the angels he saith, he maketh his angels spirits, and his ministers a flame of fire. But unto the Son he saith, thy throne, O God, is forever and ever: a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of thy kingdom."—Heb_1:5-8.
And as such the hosts of heaven understand it; and hence they worship Christ as God. For John, in his celestial vision, bears, witness thus—"And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne and the beasts and the elders; and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands; saying with a loud voice, worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honor, and glory, and blessing. And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying, blessing, and honor, and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb forever and ever."—Rev_5:11-14.
Here, then, the doctrine of the Redeemer's godhead is most clearly and fully established.
But notice,
II. Christ's gracious nearness to us.
"God with us." In his own essence—He is God above us, beyond our ken, or means of finding out. As the Governor of the world, he is God around us; and, therefore, everywhere present.
As the holy Legislator of the moral creation, he is God justly displeased with us on account of our iniquities. As Immanuel, he is God "with us."
1. God in our humanity.
The son given, and the child born—the creator, and the creature—the eternal, and the one sent forth in the fulness of the times—the perfect, and the finite. He assumed our nature—took it upon him—was clothed with it—made of a woman, and was in all respects a man. Not only arrayed in our flesh, but also having a reasonable soul, and thus a perfect man—one of our common species, and brother of the whole race. Thus he was God "with us."
But he was,
2. God our Saviour.
With us—to feel as we feel; to pity and commiserate our condition of guilt; to show mercy to us and love us. With us—to do for us what is needful for our recovery, holiness, and salvation. With us—in our sins, by the voluntary assumption of our iniquity. With us—in our obligation to the whole law of God, by becoming obedient to that law. With us—in our sorrows, by sympathy and tenderest pity. With us—in our condemnation, by the substitution of himself to bear our sins in his own body on the tree.
With us—in all the stages and conditions of life. With us in the helplessness of infancy, in the growth of childhood, in the maturity of manhood. With us—in temptation, and affliction, in death, and in the grave. With us—as our deliverer and redeemer. "God with us," to bless and deliver us from all our iniquities and woes.
Then consider,
III. Christ's claims arising from his being God with us.
He claims our profound attention and regard. Here is the greatest wonder that the universe presents—God dwelling in our manhood. But he also claims our grateful love and confidence.
He comes near to us, to win our confidence and our love, as a man and as a brother—the God-man and the Saviour. Ought he not to have our most intense love, and loftiest praise?
He claims our homage and obedience. In his wondrous character as God-man, he is our "Lord," and we are to obey him. He is to rule in us, and over us. We are to bow to him, and serve him with reverence and fear.
But he is to have our worship and self-devotion. We are to be his—his ransomed people, his loyal subjects, his cheerful disciples—to love, and praise, and adore, and serve him forever. "For none of us liveth to himself, and no man dieth to himself. For whether we live, we live unto the Lord; and whether we die, we die unto the Lord: whether we live, therefore, or die, we are the Lord's."—Rom_14:7, Rom_14:8.
Now, such are Christ's claims as Immanuel, God "with us."
Application
1. The subject should lead to the immediate subjection of all his enemies. Who can resist him?
2. To the increased joy and ardent praise of his followers. What a glorious object for admiration, wonder, love, and praise!
3. To a firm confidence as to all the events of the future. None, of his purposes can perish, none of his schemes can be frustrated, none of his gracious engagements can fail. The Christian is not called to depend on a finite arm, or on a created intelligence; but to trust his body, soul, and spirit for all time, and for all eternity, to a Saviour whose glorious title is—Immanuel, God with us!