Immanuel, Which Means God With Us

ISAIAH 7:14-16
“Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel. Curds and honey He shall eat, that He may know to refuse the evil and choose the good. For before the Child shall know to refuse the evil and choose the good, the land that you dread will be forsaken by both her kings.
”‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭7:14-16‬ ‭NKJV‬
‬https://bible.com/bible/114/isa.7.14-16.NKJ

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The word “virgin” is translated from a Hebrew word (Bethuwlah) used to describe an unmarried woman (maiden) who although is sexually mature and old enough to be married, remains celibate and pure (see GALATIANS 24:43; EXODUS 2:8; PSALM 68:25; PROVERBS 30:19; SONG OF SONGS 1:3; 6-8).
This prophecy was very important, for it showed the people beforehand that Mary’s pregnancy would not come from sexual relations, but rather, she would conceive from God’s supernatural powers, otherwise, who would believe?
The message is also a confirmation that Christ is fully man and fully God (and shall call His name Emmanuel), which means “God is with us”, perhaps the most powerful of all prophecies about Jesus Christ who is God in human form (PHILIPPIANS 2:6-7) and came, not to judge, but to seek, save, and redeem the lost (LUKE 19:10).
Just as Jesus chose the descendants of Israel in Deuteronomy 7:6-11, He chose His apostles (JOHN 15:16), and He chose you.
Relationship with His people is central to God’s purposes for creation; furthermore, relationship between God and people is bound by His unconditional love.
Just as God pursued relationship with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, He initiated relationships with Moses, Joshua, Samuel, David, and every other follower in the Scriptures.
His love chased after His disciples back then, and His love chases after you.
God’s love for His people goes beyond anything we can even begin to understand, as is His abilities and power. We believers can only truly love because God loved us first (1 JOHN 4:19).
It is encouraging to know that whatever is going on around us and whatever circumstance we are facing, we, Gods people are safe in His hands.
“For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
‭‭Romans‬ ‭8:38-39‬ ‭NKJV‬‬
As we head into our Christmas celebrations, may we all make Jesus our main focus and celebrate not just the birth of Christ, but His whole life and give Him all the praise and glory with a thankful heart, for He alone is worthy of all praise.
Some say that Christmas is an old pagan festival-solstice, an ancient Roman feast called Saturnalia, and that may well be true. But the truth is, God turned this evil act into something amazing and good.
We can allow the devil into our emotions to focus our minds on the evil of the past to bring division, or we can choose to see the good the season brings, forgiveness and love within families and church, and all the opportunities to share the Gospel and bless others.
The theme of Christmas is to give and promotes a giving heart, and because of our Christmas celebrations, pretty much everyone in every nation all around the world has heard the name Jesus and His story; and that alone is worth celebrating.
So make this this Christmas all about Jesus, His life, His death, His resurrection, and all what He has done.
The truth is, more people commit their lives to Christ in and around the Christmas season which softens hearts to give and receive than any other time of the year.
Therefore, use every opportunity to share the Good News with the world; plant good seeds and we will see the harvest in due course.
Christmas is the perfect example of God taking what the devil meant for evil and turning it to good (GENESIS 50:20).
Therefore, focus on the good and opportunities that the Christmas season brings and give God all the glory.
All glory to God forever and ever! Amen.