Matthew 1:22-23
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This isn't just about fulfilling a prophecy; it's about God actively working through the prophet to ensure His word would be spoken and, ultimately, fulfilled. Matthew highlights that the Lord used the prophet as His instrument to deliver a message that was destined to come to pass.
All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet: “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel” (which means, God with us).
English Standard Version (ESV)
Matthew is recounting the miraculous conception of Jesus and Joseph's subsequent decision to marry Mary. This verse bridges the account of Jesus' birth, as revealed by an angel to Joseph, with the specific Old Testament prophecy that foretold these events. The focus is on how these extraordinary circumstances surrounding Jesus' birth were not random, but part of God's long-planned redemptive work.
Did God send Jesus because of prophecy, or did prophecy simply point to what God was already going to do?
Matthew 1:22 is a key verse that signals a major theme in this Gospel: the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy in the life of Jesus. But it's crucial to understand how prophecy functions here.
God's Primary Plan: The ultimate reason for Jesus' birth and mission was God's eternal plan for salvation, not simply to tick boxes on a prophecy list. The salvation of humanity was God's goal.
Prophecy as a Witness: Ancient prophecies acted as divine signposts, pointing forward to the Messiah. When Jesus arrived, these prophecies found their ultimate meaning and completion in Him. They didn't cause God's plan, but they testified to its divine origin and unfolding.
Fulfillment, Not Coincidence: The events surrounding Jesus' birth were not mere coincidences that happened to align with old texts. Instead, they were divinely orchestrated to show that Jesus was indeed the promised One, fulfilling what the prophets had spoken by the Lord.
When Matthew says 'spoken by the Lord through the prophet,' who is the real source of the message?
This phrase, 'spoken by the Lord through the prophet,' points to a vital distinction in how God communicates His Word.
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Divine Agency: The ultimate source of the prophecy is the Lord Himself. The prophets were the instruments, the vessels, through whom God chose to reveal His message and His future plans.
Human Instrumentality: While the message originated with God, it was delivered by human prophets. This highlights that God works through people, using their unique voices and contexts to convey His timeless truths.
Authoritative Message: Because the word originates with the Lord, it carries divine authority. When Matthew connects Jesus' birth to these prophecies, he's emphasizing that God's authoritative Word is being fulfilled in Jesus.
Understand the original words
plēroō · Greek Verb
To bring to pass, complete, or realize what was promised or foretold by God in Scripture.
parthenos · Greek Noun
A young woman, specifically one who has not had sexual relations. In this context, it emphasizes the miraculous, supernatural nature of the Incarnation.
Emmanouēl · Hebrew/Greek Noun
A Hebrew name meaning 'God is with us,' highlighting the divine presence and fellowship God establishes with His people through the Incarnation.
Matthew deliberately connects Jesus' birth to Old Testament prophecy, showing that God's redemptive plan, foretold centuries earlier during a time of crisis in Judah, unfolds precisely as He intended through the birth of His Son.
c. 740 BC
Prophecy of Immanuel
During the reign of King Ahaz, with Judah threatened by an invasion from Syria and Israel, the prophet Isaiah delivers a prophecy concerning a sign: a virgin will give birth to a son named Immanuel. This was initially given as a sign of reassurance to Ahaz that the immediate threat would pass.
c. 605-586 BC
Babylonian Exile
The kingdom of Judah experiences deportations to Babylon, culminating in the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple. This period marks a significant turning point, emphasizing God's judgment but also preserving the lineage through which the Messiah would come.
c. 539 BC
Return from Exile
Cyrus the Great allows the Jewish exiles to return to Jerusalem and rebuild the Temple. This event signifies a restoration, though under foreign rule, and continues the historical thread leading to the fulfillment of Messianic prophecies.
Late 1st century BC
Roman Rule in Judea
The Roman Empire exerts increasing control over Judea, appointing client kings and imposing its authority. This political climate shapes the context into which Jesus is born, fulfilling prophecies of a descendant of David who would bring deliverance.
c. 1 BC - AD 1— this verse
The Birth of Jesus
Mary, a virgin espoused to Joseph, conceives by the Holy Spirit and gives birth to Jesus. This event is presented by Matthew as the direct fulfillment of Isaiah's prophecy of the virgin and child Immanuel.
This is the direct prophecy that Matthew is referencing, foretelling the birth of a virgin's son named Immanuel, which Matthew claims is fulfilled in Jesus' birth.
Galatians 4:4This passage echoes the sentiment of Matthew 1:22 by stating that God sent his Son, born of a woman, at the 'fullness of time,' highlighting the divinely appointed nature of Jesus' arrival.
John 1:14John's declaration that 'the Word became flesh and dwelt among us' directly relates to the fulfillment of 'Immanuel' (God with us) mentioned in the prophecy cited by Matthew, showing the tangible presence of God.
Hebrews 1:1-2This passage speaks of God speaking 'long ago to our ancestors in many and various ways by the prophets' but now speaking through His Son, underscoring the theme of God fulfilling His Word through prophetic means culminating in Christ.
vincentMatthew 1:22: "Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying,"
Through the prophet (διά)So the Rev. rightly, instead of by. In quotations from the Old Testament, the writers habitually use the preposition διὰ (through) to denote the instrumentality through which God works or speaks, while they reserve ὑπὸ (by) to express the primary agency of God himself. So here the prophecy in Matthew 1:23was spoken by the Lord, but was communicated…
bensonMatthew 1:22: "Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying,"
Matthew 1:22. Now all this was done that it might be fulfilled — That is, by the doing of all this was fulfilled the following prophecy. For we are not to suppose that the bare accomplishment of an ancient prediction was the end God had in view in sending his Son into the world; which would imply that, if no such prediction had been given, God would not have sent his Son. No: G…
This isn't just about fulfilling a prophecy; it's about God actively working through the prophet to ensure His word would be spoken and, ultimately, fulfilled. Matthew highlights that the Lord used the prophet as His instrument to deliver a message that was destined to come to pass.
Matthew is recounting the miraculous conception of Jesus and Joseph's subsequent decision to marry Mary. This verse bridges the account of Jesus' birth, as revealed by an angel to Joseph, with the specific Old Testament prophecy that foretold these events. The focus is on how these extraordinary circumstances surrounding Jesus' birth were not random, but part of God's long-planned redemptive work.
Matthew is recounting the miraculous conception of Jesus and Joseph's subsequent decision to marry Mary. This verse bridges the account of Jesus' birth, as revealed by an angel to Joseph, with the specific Old Testament prophecy that foretold these events. The focus is on how these extraordinary circumstances surrounding Jesus' birth were not random, but part of God's long-planned redemptive work.
"All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet: “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel”
(which means, God with us)." — This isn't just about fulfilling a prophecy; it's about God *actively* working through the prophet to ensure His word would be spoken and, ultimately, fulfilled. Matthew highlights that the Lord *use…
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Last reviewed October 2026