Isaiah 7:14
Therefore, the Lord himself will give a sign for all of you. Look! The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son and name him Immanuel.
Applying God’s Word for today: God’s Promise Fulfilled
How do we know? We live in an age of information overload, with so much of it made up, distracting from the truth because people don’t know what to believe. Yet when something occurs outside the limits of nature, the unexplained, it might be time to take notice. Some might claim it is still a lie, even calling out the witnesses. But why would anyone intentionally hold on to a lie for their entire life, particularly if the truth would change how people look at them?
God promised through Isaiah that the virgin would conceive and give birth to a Son, and He would be named Immanuel—God with us. When Mary conceived Jesus, those around her judged her as unfaithful; Joseph intended to divorce her quietly until an angel came to him in a dream. Yet all this happened to fulfill God’s promise 700 years earlier to Ahaz through Isaiah. How do we know this is true? Look at Joseph’s reaction; he took Mary as his wife, knowing she was pregnant, then protected her and Jesus. Luke recorded this event in his gospel. Or many simply trust God by faith.
What does this mean for us? More than 2,700 years ago, God showed his love for us by promising to send his only Son to be born of a virgin. Jesus is our Immanuel, which means “God with us,” He came. He lived among us, shared in our joys and struggles; Jesus ultimately died and rose again so that all who believe in him can receive salvation—that is, forgiveness and restoration with God. By faith in Jesus, we have eternal life. God’s gift of love is available to everyone, offering hope and purpose in our daily lives, no matter what we face. The Holy Spirit delivers this gift to us by faith in Jesus. So by trusting in Jesus, we can know that God is with us every day and that his love is real and personal for each of us. He loves you and wants you to be with Him in Heaven forever.
Dear Heavenly Father, you assured us that your Messiah would come. You provided the world with specific signs and ways to recognize Him. True to your word, you fulfilled every promise exactly as you said you would. You sent Your Son to redeem us all from our sins, and through Jesus’ death, our sins are forgiven; through His resurrection, we know You accepted the price He paid to restore us to You. Forgive us all our sins for Jesus’ sake, and let the truth of Your love for your creation settle in hearts so they will believe. Thank you for giving us this promise so we know who the Messiah is. Amen.
God showed his love to you over 2000 years ago by sending his only begotten Son to be born of a virgin. Jesus is our Immanuel—God with us, who died and rose so that all who believe will have salvation and eternal life.