Gladius Spiritus: God with us: Jesus and the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob
Gladius Spiritus: God with us: Jesus and the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob
One of the most overt references to the divine identity of Jesus in the Gospel of Matthew is the fact that his name is “Emmanuel,” God with us. Christ’s “with-ness” is reinforced at the end of the Gospel when He tells His disciples: “Lo I am with you always to the very end of the age.” This “Emmanuel” language, I would argue, has significant roots in the OT and identifies Jesus with the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
For Pr. Beisel’s complete list of “I am with you” references, click here: Gladius Spiritus: God with us: Jesus and the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. As I am in “Christology” class with Dr. David Scaer, the idea of a pre-incarnate Jesus is fascinating to me. I am convinced (successfully by the good doctor) that the traditional Lutheran understanding of Christ and especially the incarnation is weak. Even the simplest elements of the Apostle’s Creed which I’ve confessed my whole life have taken on meaning where I thought there was none. Understanding the whole Old Testament as a witness to Christ is more than just seeing direct messianic prophecies. The entire OT is a testimony to Christ. Christ is the full revelation of the image of God. Christ is God revealed to us. He’s not some man taking on God-ness. He is “God with us.”
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