Advent Day 3
Advent Day 3
Read Isaiah 7:14-15
Matthew
1:23
The Messianic promise that we read today deals with the
virgin birth of Christ. Isaiah states
that a virgin would give birth to a child who would be known as Immanuel. This promise was given a time when Judah was at
very low ebb spiritually. King Ahaz had come to power and under his rule,
spiritual life in Judah sunk to an all-time low. God instructed him through the prophet Isaiah
to ask for a sign, but in a cloak of self-righteous piety Ahaz declined to do
so. God then promised a sign the whole
nation (the “you” in verse 14 is plural.
He promised that a virgin (Gr. parthenos
– in the Septuagint and in the NT passage.) He is called Immanuel, which is a clear
reference to the Lord Jesus—God come to earth to dwell among men. The succeeding verses go on to describe His
life. Verse 15 refers to his diet –“Curds and honey, which was the diet of the
poor; He is also described in the latter
part of 15 as choosing the good, but forsaking the bad – a clear reference to
His sinless life. [i]
The promise was made in a dark hour of Judah’s history and
was fulfilled in a similarly dark hour.
He was born of a virgin so that He could be that perfect sacrifice,
being born without a sin nature. As we look at these verses, we can be assured
that we can withstand life’s trials even in our darkest hours. We can rejoice,
because the Sinless One bore our sins.
Is it any wonder that embedded in our beloved Christmas carols is the
aura of hope? We rejoice because Christ
came. We live because He lives. God with us!
Let us cling to that hope this Christmas.
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