All right then, the Lord himself will give you the sign. Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son and will call him Immanuel (which means ‘God is with us’). – Isaiah 7:14
During the 8th century B.C., King Ahaz of Judah was being attacked by the kings of Israel and Samaria. The prophet Isaiah came to Ahaz to let him know that God would save him from this crisis. In addition, God wanted to reassure Ahaz and so He offered to give him a sign – a virgin (young woman) would conceive and bear a son and they would call his name Immanuel.
While this was speaking initially about a child that would be born during Ahaz’s life, over 700 hundred years later Matthew pointed out in his Gospel that Jesus actually fulfilled this prophecy. He was supernaturally conceived by the Holy Spirit in Mary’s womb, not just born to a young woman. He wasn’t just a sign of God’s salvation, He Himself became our Savior and rescued us from our sin. He also didn’t just represent God’s presence with His people, He was God incarnate living among us.
Just like God wanted to reassure Ahaz that He had a plan of salvation already worked out, God wants to reassure us that He had a plan for our salvation long before we even existed. He knew that we would need a Savior, and he made a way for us through the birth, life, death, and resurrection of His Son Jesus. Knowing that God worked out our salvation in advance we can now trust Him to continue working out every challenge we encounter. As Paul said in Romans 8:32, “He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?”
Are you or someone you know facing a crisis currently? Be reassured that God is with you and won’t abandon you now!
During the 8th century B.C., King Ahaz of Judah was being attacked by the kings of Israel and Samaria. The prophet Isaiah came to Ahaz to let him know that God would save him from this crisis. In addition, God wanted to reassure Ahaz and so He offered to give him a sign – a virgin (young woman) would conceive and bear a son and they would call his name Immanuel.
While this was speaking initially about a child that would be born during Ahaz’s life, over 700 hundred years later Matthew pointed out in his Gospel that Jesus actually fulfilled this prophecy. He was supernaturally conceived by the Holy Spirit in Mary’s womb, not just born to a young woman. He wasn’t just a sign of God’s salvation, He Himself became our Savior and rescued us from our sin. He also didn’t just represent God’s presence with His people, He was God incarnate living among us.
Just like God wanted to reassure Ahaz that He had a plan of salvation already worked out, God wants to reassure us that He had a plan for our salvation long before we even existed. He knew that we would need a Savior, and he made a way for us through the birth, life, death, and resurrection of His Son Jesus. Knowing that God worked out our salvation in advance we can now trust Him to continue working out every challenge we encounter. As Paul said in Romans 8:32, “He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?”
Are you or someone you know facing a crisis currently? Be reassured that God is with you and won’t abandon you now!