SATURDAY December 2, 2023

Immanuel, God With Us

“Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel.”
Isaiah 7:14

Isaiah the prophet gave a Messianic prophecy. He spoke of a miraculous virgin birth. The Son of God was to be born of a virgin. His name would be Immanuel, meaning “God with us.”

The Jews were awaiting their Messiah. They hoped He would come. Another prophecy told them where He would be born: “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of you shall come forth to Me the One to be Ruler in Israel, whose goings forth are from of old, from everlasting” (Micah 5:2).

God’s people had the holy Scriptures––the ancient writings of Moses and the prophets. Would they recognize their Messiah when He came to dwell among them? Some of those who waited for His arrival were blessed. In answer to their prayers, they recognized the Holy Child when they saw Him. Others went about their busy lives completely unaware of His holy presence and that the words of Isaiah were being fulfilled in their lifetime:

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 1:22-23).

God the Messiah––the Anointed One, the Christ––came to earth as a Babe. Christians rejoice and celebrate Jesus’ birth, but others fail to realize its significance. Why do Christians rejoice? Christ’s birth gives us hope of eternal life (John 3:16), hope for a new beginning (2 Corinthians 5:17), and hope that everything in our lives will work out for good in the end (Romans 8:28).

If you are feeling hopeless today, why not embrace the Christ of Christmas? He is God with us. If you give your life to Him, you will never feel hopeless or alone in this world.

By the light of nature we see God as a God above us, by the light of the law we see Him as a God against us, but by the light of the gospel we see Him as Emmanuel, God with us.
~Matthew Henry~

For more from Raul Ries, please visit SomebodyLovesYou.com!