Immanuel

11/19/2015

Matthew 1.23 23 “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel” (which means, God with us). – St. Isaiah, the prophet

If we spin the tapes back to Isaiah 7, we get some insight into this quote in Matthew 1. The narrative in Isaiah 7 tells us that the Judaic king, Ahaz, was fearing an invasion by the armies of Syria and Samaria. So God sent Isaiah to tell Ahaz, Straighten up foo! I am in charge of all of this and neither Syria, nor Samaria are going to prevail in this contest - If you are not firm in faith, you will not be firm at all. (If you can’t believe God for this, you can’t believe God for anything!) The issue is faith. Can I trust God?

Matthew said (in effect) that the Messiah would come as the result of the supernatural impregnation of a Virgin. Once a virgin is impregnated, virginity is just something in the rearview mirror – she ain’t a virgin no more. But if we factor God into the picture, then, and only then, can a virgin become pregnant without having had relations with a man. Mary was the virgin who became pregnant without having had sex. If you are not firm in your faith, you will not be firm at all.

The virgin birth is important because it takes the will and work of man out of the equation. Only God can come into this world supernaturally whether it is through nature (in His creation), or through a virgin-birth. When we encounter God, it is always supernaturally. At home. At Church. In the workplace. In the forest. Wherever. Our world is natural to us because God made it that way for us – He, though, is supernatural. If we can’t believe God for this, we can’t believe Him for anything.

We have a tendency (at least in Christendom) to focus this time of year on the Virgin Birth and to make a big deal out of it. And rightly so – we should. But we shouldn’t have Virgin Birth Week only at Christmastime; we must be firm in our faith all-the-time. God isn’t around only at certain times – He is Immanuel – God with us, all the time.

Ahaz was told: It shall not stand, and it shall not come to pass. For the head of Syria is Damascus, and the head of Damascus is Rezin. And within sixty-five years Ephraim will be shattered from being a people. (Isaiah 7.7-8 ESV) Reading between the lines God was telling Ahaz: have faith in Me! This will not come to pass no matter how much you want to believe it will! And to show you I’m telling the truth, here’s what’s going to happen: the Virgin will have a child. God was going to do the unthinkable to get Ahaz’s attention.

How does God need to get your and my attention these days? What are we fearing that will happen that God is saying: look, if you can’t trust Me in this, you can’t trust Me at all. What are we so afraid of that God can’t handle? Do we need a supernatural encounter with God today? Can we believe Him for that!? If we don’t stand firm in our faith, we won’t stand at all. Or can we at least believe Him for Immanuel: God WITH us?

Lord, for the things I fear today, Immanuel. For the things bigger than me and not even about me, Immanuel. For my friends and family, for my kids and grandchild: Immanuel. Sadly, Jesus, I don’t have as much trouble with the Virgin Birth as I do simply believing Immanuel for my business, my health, my life. Help me this day, having done all I know to do – to stand. Help me to believe that You are with me every step of the way. I accept it. I believe it. I trust You! Amen.