Isaiah 7:14
Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.
Light of the World, You stepped down into darkness
Pause for a minute as you read this verse. Soak it in. This is an astonishing proclamation to make almost 700 years before the actual birth of Christ. In just a few words we are given two pillars of the Christian faith:
- The birth of the Lord Jesus, not by a human father’s will but to a virgin through the power of the Holy Spirit.
- The child born would be God with us – Immanuel, the incarnation, which meant that God actually stepped into the world and was born as a vulnerable baby.
Prophecies like this remind us that God’s plan of reconciliation and redemption for human beings started long before the first Christmas and look far beyond it. They also remind us that God often works in ways that are completely unexpected and revolutionary.
When Jesus returns though, it won’t be as “God with us” but as the all-conquering King - He will usher in His new heaven and new earth where those who have accepted Him as Saviour will live with Him forever. Jesus has made that possible. What a wonderful birth to celebrate and a glorious future to look forward to.
John