“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

I’m overwhelmed with the thought of God’s love for us this morning! My thoughts go all the way back to a college class on the book of Isaiah. The prophet told a religious acting, but a wicked and unbelieving king, God is going to give you a sign whether you like it or not! Our professor was helping us process and understand the trustworthiness and authenticity of Isaiah’s prophecies. I’m grateful that I’ve not struggled with believing the Bible. Over and over God has proven faithful to his Word in my life. I truly understand and have compassion for those who do struggle.

In King Ahaz’s case, he was wicked and unbelieving. Wickedness blinds even the religious. It is not acts of religion that save us. It is faith in the Son of God, Jesus Christ the Lord, God’s Good News that saves us.

Jesus shows what God is like. Love compassion, salvation, healing, wisdom, power to bless and doing good always.

God’s presence was terrifying and dangerous. Moses could not look upon God’s glory. Isaiah trembled with dread with the vision of the Lord high and lifted up. Imagine the shock of this prophecy to all who understood and believed. God wants to dwell with me, be with me. He was not coming to judge the world but that the world through him might be saved. (“For God did not send his Son into the world to be its judge, but to be its savior.” John 3:17)

Please do not allow the familiarity of the passage or the truth to cause you to miss this moment. God is with you to save you! He loves you! O come let us adore Him, Christ the Lord!

God’s Spirit will overshadow the virgin, Mary, and she would conceive Jesus. God himself would come in the flesh.

Anticipating the coming of our Lord. The faithful wait and pray for the promised Messiah. Mary ponders and nurtures the baby conceived by the Holy Spirit within her for nine months. Joseph, married her and waits with her for the baby. They will make that fateful journey to Bethlehem.

God fuses himself with our human nature becoming man. Joseph will obediently name the baby, Jesus. For He will save his people from their sins. Fully God. Fully Man. What great humility! God growing in the warmth and darkness of Mary’s womb. Who’s afraid of a baby? No one, unless you’re a Herod. Who loves a baby? Everyone, unless you’re a Herod. Herod who was jealous and felt threatened by the baby Jesus. Jesus would have saved Herod, if only Herod had believed. Instead he hated and sought to kill Jesus.

Love! It’s often sang about, misunderstood, but usually known when experienced. It’s what draws people to Jesus today. His love for us; our love for Him.

Jealousy manifested as hate towards God, continues to try and threatens Christ, and snuff out his name.

Love or hate.

When all the while, God reaches out to love and save all who believe in His name. “I have complete confidence in the gospel; it is God’s power to save all who believe, first the Jews and also the Gentiles.” Romans 1:16

Peace!