Who's With You?
Today’s Verse:
Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. ~Isaiah 7:14
We are five days away before we celebrate Christmas! Christmas is when we celebrate the doctrine of the incarnation of our Lord Jesus Christ; that is, when God manifested himself in the flesh. Even though December 25 was not the date Jesus entered this world, it has been a tradition that has been followed. The emphasis is not on traditions, the festivities, the decorations, and holiday meals as much as it is the fact that Bible prophecy was fulfilled. The announcement given in Isaiah 7:14 is the focus of our attention this morning as we consider the name “Immanuel.”
We see a godly maiden.
“Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin. Mary was the betrothed bride of Joseph.” Both Joseph & Mary could trace their heritage to Abraham and David. The angel of the Lord came to Mary and announced to her that she had found favor with God. As a virgin, she had never had relations with a man. As a betrothed virgin, she had reserved her body and virtue for the one man who was her husband-to-be. The idea of a virgin magnifies God’s will concerning purity, living a sanctified life, and abstaining from immoral behavior.
We see a glorious miracle.
“Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive.” The angel made an astonishing announcement to Mary. He told her that she would conceive a son without a human father. Humanly speaking, this is impossible! This had never happened before (and would never happen again). This human impossibility was an opportunity for a God-sent miracle. “And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God” (Luke 1:35). This miracle could only be possible by the power of God. The virgin birth of Christ is one of the greatest miracles in human history, and absolutely essential for Jesus to enter this sin-cursed world without a sin nature.
We see the God man.
“Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.” Immanuel means “God with us.” The very name given at the announcement of the prophecy gave comfort. Immanuel was one word indicating “the Word became flesh and dwelt among us;” “God was manifest in the flesh;” “God was in Christ;” “who being in the form of God thought it not robbery to be equal with God…and was made in the likeness of man.” Immanuel gave comfort that God became like us by sending His Son to dwell among us. He was not a new-age man trying to make Himself God, but eternal, Almighty God Who became like us, yet without sin. The Son of God became the Son of man for the sin need of the entire human race.
We see the given mission.
“And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name Jesus: for he shall save his people from their sins.” The mission was to be the only acceptable sacrifice for the sins of the world. Jesus was the expression of God’s love for every sinner. The name “Jesus” means “Jehovah saves.” Specifically, he would save us from our sins. He would satisfy the sin debt in full for every sinner. Jesus referred to the moment of His crucifixion as when His hour was come. The mission was Jesus “became obedient to death, even the death of the cross.”
God with us! He is with us in sympathy. He is with us as our Savior. He is with us as our succorer. What a mighty God we have! This morning, let’s be thankful for Immanuel, God with us!
Have a blessed God Morning!
Bible Reading Schedule: Hebrews 11-13