Question - So, What's His Name?

Trey Smith

We all know that the baby born to the Virgin Mary was named Jesus. The child was so named because 1) It fulfilled a prophecy and 2) That's the name that God told Joseph to name the child.

This is all well and good...except for one thing: the prophecy! According to Matthew 1:23,

Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.

So, where did the name Jesus come from? If the prophecy says that the child will be named Emmanuel and yet God directs the child to be named Jesus, what gives?

Emmanuel and Jesus are two different names. One does not seem to be a derivative or a nickname for the other. This would be like your great aunt telling you that one of your ancestors dreamed that you would have a child named Fred and so, to honor this ancestor, you named the child Skippy!

To see what other questions I've asked about the Christian Bible, go here.