How can Jesus’ birth be a fulfillment of Isaiah 7:14 when he was named Jesus and not Immanuel?

Question:

I checked in 31 different Bible versions and they all say the same thing about Matthew 1:21, They all use the word "Jesus" which means "saves." Matthew goes on to say that the Old Testament verifies this and quotes in Matthew 1:23 (and in the same 31 different Bible versions, they also all say the same ) and use the word "Immanuel" which means "God is with us." They are two different words with two different meanings. Surely the word used in the Old Testament language must at least have the same meaning in the New Testament language, and vice versa, but they don't. This can't be a strong case for verification as Matthew claims. How is the claim justified?

Answer:

"But while he thought about these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, "Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins." So all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying: "Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel," which is translated, "God with us"" (Matthew 1:20-23).

Joseph was concerned that Mary had committed fornication since she was pregnant and Joseph knew he could not have been the father. Yet God sent an angel to tell Joseph that Mary was made pregnant by the Holy Spirit. The child, when born would be the promised Messiah who would save his people from their sins.

Matthew quotes Isaiah 7:14 and says that what was done; that is, the fact that Mary had become pregnant by the Holy Spirit, was to fulfill the prophecy: a virgin would bear a child who would be known as "God with us." In other words, this was more than a virgin giving birth to a child. A virgin would be giving birth to a child who is God. "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being. ... And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth" (John 1:1-3, 14).

Having multiple names is not unusual because a single name rarely describes all a person is. The Christ was known as Jesus because he is our Savior, but he is also rightly called Immanuel because he was God come to this world in the flesh. Matthew talked about the past event of why Mary had become pregnant and not about the name Jesus chose to use in the future during his walk on earth. In fact, Isaiah lists several other names for the Christ: "For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; and the government will rest on His shoulders; and His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace" (Isaiah 9:6).

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