“Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.” -Isaiah 7:14

God wanted the world to know who Jesus was. From the time that Adam and Eve first sinned in the garden, God began giving His people signs and prophecies about the coming Messiah. From His lineage to His birthplace, the birth of Jesus had been foretold for hundreds of years. God wanted people to know that this was their Savior!

The prophecies about the birth of Jesus could have seemed common—The Messiah would be born in Bethlehem and a descendant of King David. There were certainly many children born in Bethlehem and many people who had been descendants of the the line of King David, as the Messiah would be. But this prophecy from Isaiah chapter 7 was different. “The virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call His name Immanuel.” This was not common. 

This was impossible— apart from a miracle from God. 

When Jesus was conceived in the virgin, Mary, God made it plain to the world that this child, born in Bethlehem, of the lineage of David—this was the Messiah. God wanted there to be no question: the baby born of a virgin, this was Immanuel: God With Us! The birth of Jesus was not a secret. It was not a simple, ordinary birth. Jesus’s arrival was miraculous in every way: the nature of His conception leaving no doubt as to who He was.

Jesus, our Savior, was born that we would know Him. 

God Himself came to earth that first Christmas so that we would see who He is, hear His voice and understand the great love He has for us. He was the perfect fulfillment of each and every messianic prophecy—giving complete assurance that Jesus is our long-awaited Savior.

If you are enjoying this Advent Devotional, you can pick up a copy of the book at our Sunday Services during the month of December or purchase your own keepsake copy of this published book by clicking below. We would also love to have you join us for our Christmas series at Redemption Church on Sunday mornings at 10am! For more information, click the links below.