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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”). When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. But he did not consummate their marriage until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus.

Hundreds of years before the birth of Jesus, God spoke through the prophet Isaiah that he would be born of a virgin. God inspired the apostle Matthew to write about the fulfillment of that prophecy. Joseph had no sexual relations with Mary until Jesus was born. Joseph was not Jesus’ father; God was.

Isaiah said that “they will call him Immanuel”—(which means, “God with us).” The baby born of the virgin Mary is God with us—God became a human being because we are unable to save ourselves. We are unable to keep his commandments. We are unable even to do the one thing he requires of us: “Be holy” (Leviticus 19:2). The baby born of the virgin Mary is God with us—God became human to be one of us. To feel like we do. To eat and drink like we do. To walk and talk like we do. To go through what we go through.

He didn’t do this because he needed to, but because we needed him to; so that “God with us” would show us that a human could do what God demanded. And so that “God with us” could suffer and die, and in doing so, pay for our sins. Since he is human, he could die. Since he is God, his payment is for all of us, for all time.

Joseph gave him the name “Jesus.” His name declares his great purpose for coming from heaven to be with us on earth. He is our Savior who came to take us from earth to heaven!

Jesus, you came down from heaven to be with us. Your life and death accomplished my salvation. I worship and honor you for your great love. Come again and take me to be with you in heaven. Amen.

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All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. ™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.