A Hard Sell

Advent – Day 3

Isaiah 7.14 14 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. NASB

This story in Isaiah is that of the prophet (Isaiah) helping a Davidic king (Ahaz) understand that his only out in the face of treacherous enemies, was God (Immanuel). The king, Ahaz, was fearful as to how to respond to these enemies who were about to invade him and the prophet Isaiah was sent by God to encourage him that his enemies only had earthly rulers while he was blessed with the very presence of God. (Sometimes trying to convince God’s people of what they already have, is a hard, hard, hard sell… they want to believe but they can’t…)

Ahaz was a hard sell. So Isaiah presented him God’s offer: ask Me to do anything you want to prove I am with you and I will do it to help you to understand that you are not alone and I haven’t forsaken you! (Isaiah 7.11) Ask anything. Ahaz balks at the thought, “I will not ask, nor will I test the Lord!” (V. 12) (I’m too scared to ask God for the impossible!) So God said, “All righty then, since you won’t ask Me, I’ll give you a sign: Behold a virgin will be with child and bear a son, and she will call His name Immanuel.

Who’d ever heard of a stunt like that!? Ahaz was probably set back a step or two. Virgins can’t  pregnant! A virgin can’t be a virgin if she’s pregnant! God can make life begin wherever and whenever He wants. If Ahaz thought he was being shoved around by a couple of thugs from Aram and Israel he didn’t realize what God was going to do to those two punks. Don’t mess with God’s kids! (And God’s kids: quit acting as if God has forgotten you!)

Jesus was the fulfillment of that prophecy. It is thought that Isaiah’s second wife may have been the fulfillment of that prophecy, but it was really the Lord Jesus Himself. And God was still telling His children: Don’t be afraid of Rome or any other government entity – Immanuel! I, God am with you! Jesus was conceived in Mary’s womb by the power of God and she called Him Immanuel. Israel was a hard sell but it didn’t stop God from sending His Messiah…

What is troubling you this Christmas? Who (or what) is trying to shove you around? The virgin was with Child and she named Him, Immanuel (God with us!). He is still with us, He’s never left. What is bothering you this Advent season? Jesus came to take it all away: to take away its fear, its uncertainty, its uncomfortable-ness. Jesus, a sign from God that He is willing to do anything to show us that He – and He alone – is on our side and nothing can stand against Him.

This past Sunday we gathered as a church and prayed for the sick in body and the sick in heart. As we prayed, I was overcome with the thought that this (what we were doing) was true. And caring for one another in prayer, petitioning our God, is truth. No president or political party can save us out of their stash. But God can out of His heart and love. No amount of money or lottery winnings can save us – only God can out of His heart and love.

If you could ask God for a sign to prove His power and presence this Christmas, what would it be? Or are you a hard sell? Immanuel, God with us, is God with you; and you can trust Him to see you through, no matter what happens to you. The Virgin Mary had a baby boy!