2023

   As we approach the celebration of the birth of Jesus, I figured we would look at Old Testament prophesy of the Birth of Jesus. We will start in Isaiah. It seems like God gave Isaiah a lot of prophesies about Jesus. If you do not know much about Isaiah, I would definitely go read the book of Isaiah. Isaiah name means, Yahweh is salvation, which is fitting, for Isaiah is given the prophesy of the coming and the crucifixion of Jesus. We know he was a great prophet and probably a priest from the writings in the book of Kings and Chronicles. We can assert that Isaiah was greatly trusted and used by God in many ways to be given the responsibility of being told the Prophesies he was told. Isaiah is often quoted in the new testament and by Jesus which gives us assurance that the writings in the book of Isaiah are God inspired and are true and accurate.

Isaiah 7:10-16

(10) Moreover the LORD spake again unto Ahaz, saying, (11) Ask thee a sign of the LORD thy God; ask it either in the depth, or in the height above. (12) But Ahaz said, I will not ask, neither will I tempt the LORD. (13) And he said, Hear ye now, O house of David; Is it a small thing for you to weary men, but will ye weary my God also? (14) Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. (15) Butter and honey shall he eat, that he may know to refuse the evil, and choose the good. (16) For before the child shall know to refuse the evil, and choose the good, the land that thou abhorrest shall be forsaken of both her kings.

   This set of verses needs to be set up. It seems out of the blue that Ahaz gest this prophesy through Isaiah from God about the coming of Jesus. If we go back to verse 1, we can see that there is a battle for Jerusalem and Ahaz is troubled after hearing who is up against him. God sends Isaiah to Ahaz and give him this prophesy to fear not of what is come against you. The prophecy includes instructions on what to do and what the outcome will be.  Then Ahaz is asked to ask for a sign of the Lord thy God, and Ahaz says he will not tempt the Lord. Thats when the prophesy continues with it’s a small thing to be weary of men, but will you be weary of God also? So, God will give you a sign. That’s when we learn of How Jesus was going to come. Giving Ahaz the comfort that better times are coming.

Isaiah 9:6 For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.

 Here when you read this whole chapter of Isaiah 9 you will see Isaiah prophesying that something new was going to be happening. There is a time of despair through Israel where their faith in God had greatly diminished. But Isaiah is prophesying as Jesus is already born. He is viewing it in the present tense. Notice Isaiah says "unto us a child is born” not will be born, He was already seeing this event having come to pass.

 Isaiah 9 is us living today. It is current, Jesus has been born. We can conclude that no matter what has come against us, or what troubles we have, we can be assured that what Isaiah said in Chapter 9 verse 6 is our hope. Our woes and troubles will come to pass, because we have the hope of the Son of God who is called: Wonderful, Counselor, The Mighty God, The Everlasting Father, The Prince Of Peace. He is here, it is present times, and we should be living this truth in our lives. Since the fall of Adam and Eve, mankind has been waiting for the moment of the Messiah to come. For over 2000 years we live in the time of Christ here on Earth. In the New Testament we know all of the great and wonderful things Jesus did and tasked us, as His disciples and apostles, to greater things.

 As we go into the Christmas season this year, we can reflect of the wonderful news of Christ, but we must now remember what it means to us. Are we living the life where Jesus is "Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace”? If not then what does Christmas mean to us?