Hal Habecker
Dec 13
“Isaiah 7.14 and Christmas” 17th Day of Advent December 13, 2022
"Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, a virgin will be with child and bear a son, and she will call His name Immanuel” (Isaiah 7.14).
Isaiah made this prophecy approximately 8 centuries before the birth of Christ. Can you imagine a prophecy 8 centuries before the event actually being fulfilled? We know that this prophecy of the virgin birth of Christ came true at the birth of Christ for three reasons.
First, an angel of the Lord tells us that Christ’s birth is the fulfillment of this verse. Angels understand the precise nature and truth of the Word of God. The angel of the Lord said that “the Child who has been conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 1.20). This pregnancy is not the result of a physical, human relationship, but rather the Son who would be born is both conceived and born of the Holy Spirit of God. We know this because of the message the angel of the Lord gave to Joseph. God Himself is the final interpreter of His Word.
There is a second angelic witness of this truth. The angel Gabriel made this same declaration to Mary some time prior to the angelic message to Joseph. “The angel answered and said to her, ‘The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; and for that reason the holy Child shall be called the Son of God’” (Luke 1.35). Again, the Son to whom Mary will give birth will not be the Child of a physical, human relationship. Mary will conceive by the supernatural miraculous power of the Holy Spirit, according to Gabriel.
Mary’s testimony is a third reason to believe this story. Quite possibly Luke the physician interviewed her personally for his story (Luke 1.3), and her testimony confirmed the angelic message. In her own words; “How can this be since I am a virgin” (Luke 1.34). She knew she was a virgin.
So then, if one denies the truth of the virgin birth, that denial declares the Old Testament prophecy of Isaiah 7.14 null and void, the first angel is declared a liar, the angel Gabriel is declared a liar, and Mary’s own personal testimony is dismissed as if she lied about the truth of her own story.
The fulfillment of Isaiah 7.14 in the Christmas narrative is the testimony of a sovereign and loving God fleshing out His presence and love in human history. History marches to His timing, and He works all things according to His plan. It simply doesn’t matter if 8 centuries go by, the 20 centuries since the birth, death, and resurrection of Christ, or if it is the days of our week, our month, or the days of our years. Our eternal God created the time that is ours today, and He is working out His will in those very tiny and little details of our lives. May we be like those in the Christmas story – people who see Him at work in their own lives and give praise to Him.
And I love these words from David Roper.
“But the God-man did not entered the world like the Greek and Roman gods who sprang from the womb fully formed and fully armed. He entered the world as a zygote, the size of a poppy seed - “the infinite made infinitesimally small.”
For “he had to be like his brothers in every way so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God…” (Hebrews 2:17).
Revel today in the story of Christmas. We should be confident today that we are His people living by His power in His time for His glory. May God help us to live in the same way just as each of those persons lived in the first Christmas story.
Merry Christmas today and every day!
Happy 17th day of Advent!