24/12/2025
๐๐๐๐๐, ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐
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Immanuelโ (or โEmmanuelโ) literally means โGod is with us.โ Kapag kapaskuhan, madalas nating mabasa o marinig ang title/ name na ito na ginagamit bilang pantukoy kay Jesus. Ano nga bang ibig sabihin nito?
๐ง๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฃ๐ฟ๐ผ๐ฝ๐ต๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐๐๐ฎ๐ถ๐ฎ๐ต
To understand this, we should all go back to the passages of the Old Testament. โImmanuelโ was based on the prophecy of Isaiah during the time of Ahaz of Judah (around 735 B.C.). Ang kapanganakan ng Immanuel ay tanda ng Diyos kay King Ahaz na kasama nila ang Diyos (Isa 7:14), kaya't hindi dapat siya mangamba sa nangyayaring gulo sa panahon niya (vv. 1-7). Pinangako ng Diyos na bago mawala ang pagiging inosente ng batang ito ay mawawala na ang Syria at Ephraim na kinakatakutan niya (v.16). Pinapakita nito na ang prophecy ay tumutukoy originally sa isang partikular na bata na ipapanganak sa panahon ni Isaiah at ni King Ahaz. We donโt have any record of that specific child born during that time. Some records suggest na sa panahon na nakaligtas ang Judah sa Syriah at Ephraim, may mga young mothers na pinangalanan ang mga anak nila ng โImmanuelโ as a reminder of this prophecy. May mga nagsa-suggest din na ito ay isa sa mga anak ni Isaiah dahil ang mga anak niya ay ginagamit din ng Diyos bilang signs sa Israel (Isa 8:1-18). May nagsasabi rin na maaring si King Hezekiah ang original na Immanuel dahil sa panahon niya natupad ang propesiya. Marami pang ibang pananaw patungkol sa identity ng Immanuel sa time ni Isaiah. But the fact that the Scripture is silent about this particular child means that we cannot be very sure and is not worth our attention.
๐ง๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐๐น๐ณ๐ถ๐น๐น๐บ๐ฒ๐ป๐ ๐ถ๐ป ๐ ๐ฎ๐๐๐ต๐ฒ๐
Matthew โreinterpretedโ the prophecy and used it to point us to Jesusโthe ultimate fulfillment of the promise. โAll this took place to fulfill what the Lord has spoken by the prophet: Behold the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel.โ (Matt 1:22-23). Anong mga katotohanan gustong iparating ng pagtawag kay Jesus bilang Immanuel?
๐๐๐ฅ๐๐ฆ๐ง ๐๐ฆ ๐ข๐จ๐ฅ ๐๐ ๐ ๐๐ก๐จ๐๐
"๐๐ผ๐ฑ ๐ช๐ถ๐๐ต ๐จ๐" ๐ฎ๐ ๐๐๐บ๐ฎ๐ป
According kay Isaiah, ang Immanuel ay tatawaging โMighty Godโ (Isa 9:6). He also used โMighty Godโ as reference to God Himself (10:21). By this we can assume na may tinatanaw si Isaiah na magiging katuparan nito sa hinaharap . His prophecy was not just limited to the birth of a particular child during his time for his prophecy involves God Himself who will reign forever on Davidโs throne (9:6-7). Matthew revealed that the prophecy is pointing to none other than Jesus. Walang pwedeng maging sukdulang katuparan (ultimate fulfillment) ng propesiya maliban sa Kanya. Jesus alone could be called Immanuel (or โGod with usโ) for He Himself is God. He is the Promised King from Davidโs line (Isa 9:6-7, Matt 1:1,6 โSon of Davidโ 15:23; 22; 21:9; etc.). Kaya hindi nakapagtataka na sa lahat ng Gospel records, tanging kay Matthew lang mababasa ang kwento ng mga Magi. The author intentionally did this for us to realize that Jesus, indeed, is God and He is the Promised King kaya nakuha pa ng mga Magi na magbyahe nang malayo para lang sambahin Siya (1:1-2).
Incarnation (โbecoming flesh or human beingโ) of Christ is the great miracle of the First Christmas. The Word (Logos) who is with God and is God Himself (Jn 1:1) became flesh (v.14). The Creator became one of His own creations. Jesus, who is in the form of God, humbled Himself to become man (Phil 2:5-11).
"๐๐ผ๐ฑ ๐ช๐ถ๐๐ต ๐จ๐" ๐ฎ๐ ๐ข๐๐ฟ ๐๐ผ๐ฝ๐ฒ
Ang isisilang na Immanuel ang tanda ng pag-asa kay Ahaz (Isa 7:1-14). Si Jesus ang tanda ng pag-asa sa lahat. โJesusโ literally means โYahweh savesโ at ipinangalan ito sa Kanya โfor he will save his people from their sins.โ (Matt 1:21). This shows that Christ came with a mission: To Save. And so the Immanuel was born to be our hope ---for He came to save us from sin.
โGlory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased.โ (Lk 2:14). The angels were right because Jesus is the bringer of peace on earth because He is the only way for us to be reconciled to God. Nagkaroon tayo ng kapayapaan sa Diyos sa pamamagitan Niya (Rom 5:1).
"๐๐ผ๐ฑ ๐ช๐ถ๐๐ต ๐จ๐" ๐ฎ๐ ๐ข๐๐ฟ ๐๐ฒ๐น๐ฝ
Dahil nagkatawang-tao ang Diyos, we can be sure na nauunawaan Niya tayo. Naging kapiling natin mismo ang Diyos dahil nagawa Niyang pumasok sa mga pinagdaraanan natin. Jesus can sympathize with our weaknesses for He also faced temptations (Heb 4:15), disappointment (Lk 13:34), poverty (Matt 8:20), sorrow (Matt 26:38; 27:46; Jn 11:35) at marami pang iba! Jesus experienced what we are experiencing, and so, He understands.
Christ, our Immanuel, is our most reliable help, not only because He understands us but also because He is near. It is interesting na pansinin na sinimulan at tinapos ni Matthew ang kanyang Ebanghelyo sa ideya na kapiling natin ang Diyos. He came to fulfill the prophecy: โGod is with usโ (Matt 1:22-23). He ascended with the promise that He will never leave until the very end (28:20).
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Celebrate the season with Christ and for Christ. He is our Immanuel! Stay Curious!
๐ฆ๐ผ๐๐ฟ๐ฐ๐ฒ๐ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ฆ๐๐๐ฑ๐ถ๐ฒ๐:
Walton, J. and, Keener, C. (2016). โSee footnotes for Isaiah 7:14โ. ๐๐๐ ๐๐ถ๐ญ๐ต๐ถ๐ณ๐ข๐ญ ๐๐ต๐ถ๐ฅ๐บ ๐๐ช๐ฃ๐ญ๐ฆ. Zondervan
McKenzie, J.L (1965). โEmmanuel.โ ๐๐ช๐ค๐ต๐ช๐ฐ๐ฏ๐ข๐ณ๐บ ๐ฐ๐ง ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐๐ช๐ฃ๐ญ๐ฆ. McMillian Publishing.
