I should know this - I went to Catholic school as a child, but,…
Can someone explain the name / title Lord Emanuel?
I heard a prayer the other day and it was referenced - I’ve been curious since then. I mean,…Emanuel? What’s it mean?
Matthew 1:23
BEHOLD, THE VIRGIN SHALL BE WITH CHILD AND SHALL BEAR A SON, AND THEY SHALL CALL HIS NAME IMMANUEL ," which translated means, “GOD WITH US.”
Emmanuel, Immanuel, take your pick
Then why do we call him Jesus Christ?
There is so much contradiction through writings in Christianity - It’s very confusing to me.
Good point! Nowhere in the new testament is Jesus referred to as Emmanuel, except before his birth. I’m not pitting the Bible, but I am curious for the Straight Dope. I’m not sure if I want to merely hear the peanut gallery of the SDMBoarders.
Cecil, get your bad self over here!
Matthew is quoting Isaiah 7:14, which he believed to be a prophecy relating to Jesus. However, if you read the entire chapter of Isaiah 7, it seems clear that the birth of Immanuel is a sign to King Ahaz that God is with him in his battle. Consider especially Isaiah 7:16, which states that Ahaz’s enemies will be destroyed before the boy knows the difference between right and wrong. I suppose that’s technically true, since Jesus wouldn’t be born for about seven centuries. 
Still, it seems obvious that the child will be born first and then the enemies will be destroyed before the child grows up. Many Christians do agree with this interpretation; however, they believe the passage has a deeper meaning that also predicts the birth of Jesus. (And I’m not even going to talk about how the word in Isaiah doesn’t necessarily mean “virgin”, since that always gets harped on endlessly when this passage is mentioned.)
There are quite literally dozens of different names and appelations which are given to Jesus, derived from various scriptures’ characterizations – Prince of Peace, Alpha and Omega, Rose of Sharon, Lion of Judah, Root of David – oror relating to the various ways that Jesus characterized himself – Good Shepherd, The Vine, Bread of Life, The Way, The Truth, The Life or relating to roles that Jesus fulfills as the Son of God incarnate. Lord, Savior, Redeemer, Great Physician, Advocate.
Emmanuel is another of those titles, it does indeed mean “God with us” in Hebrew. Christ is another such title, it is a transliteration of the Greek word which is the equivalent of the Hebrew word Messiah. Both mean “Anointed One” which is yet another title which is applied to Jesus. (Which is itself a transliteration of his name from the Hebrew where it would be something more like Y’shua.)
Good summary. Bible scholars who pay attention to the actual content of the Isaiah passage and also accept Matthew’s usage of it explain this as a case of a double prophecy – the literal meaning is that Maiden X in Ahaz’s court will have a son, name him Emmanuel (which is a “theophoric” name meaning, approximately, “God is with us” – perhaps a scholar of Hebrew can give us a literal translation?), and before the kid reaches the age of reason, the two kings that have Ahaz messing his loincloth will be dead (which in point of fact turned out to be true, presuming one can trust the historical facts of the Biblical narrative). But along with this, whether or not Isaiah had any intention of so prophesying, there was also a typological meaning (according to traditionalist interpretations) in which it foreshadowed Jesus Christ, who, by Christian doctrine, is the Incarnate Son of God, and therefore “God with us” in an extraordinary sense. The boy Emmanuel of Ahaz’s time was the antitype, the fulfillment of prophecy, of Jesus, the type who was the true fulfillment of this prophecy, according to the typological interpretation. Similar reading is given to Genesis 3:15, where the serpent, identified with Satan, is cursed, and “the offspring of the woman” will crush its head – and this is made to foreshadow Mary and her offspring Jesus, who will defeat Satan.
Anyway, from the Isaiah passage and Matthew’s borrowing from it, Emmanuel (or Immanuel) is one of the titles or epithets used of Jesus.
Great info - Thanks!