Are you ready to journey back in time and uncover the profound significance of Jesus' birth and its pivotal role in God's master plan? We promise to illuminate the path right from the fall of Adam and Eve, through Israel's many mistakes, and all the way to the prophecy given in Isaiah 7. We'll help you understand how this prophecy, made 700 years before Jesus' birth, ties into the faithlessness of King Ahaz, a descendant of David, and reveals God's unwavering intent to save us.
As we move forward, we invite you to immerse yourself in the awe-inspiring tale of Jesus' birth, its fulfillment, and the unmatched impact it had on our world. Marvel at the uniqueness of Christianity that offers a God who steps into our lives, rather than expecting us to save ourselves. We challenge you to make Jesus a priority in your life and share His radiant light with others, especially during the Christmas season. We'll also delve into the importance of faith in Jesus, sharing His story, and the transformative power of His arrival. Remember, with His arrival, nothing remained the same!
Are you ready to journey back in time and uncover the profound significance of Jesus' birth and its pivotal role in God's master plan? We promise to illuminate the path right from the fall of Adam and Eve, through Israel's many mistakes, and all the way to the prophecy given in Isaiah 7. We'll help you understand how this prophecy, made 700 years before Jesus' birth, ties into the faithlessness of King Ahaz, a descendant of David, and reveals God's unwavering intent to save us.
As we move forward, we invite you to immerse yourself in the awe-inspiring tale of Jesus' birth, its fulfillment, and the unmatched impact it had on our world. Marvel at the uniqueness of Christianity that offers a God who steps into our lives, rather than expecting us to save ourselves. We challenge you to make Jesus a priority in your life and share His radiant light with others, especially during the Christmas season. We'll also delve into the importance of faith in Jesus, sharing His story, and the transformative power of His arrival. Remember, with His arrival, nothing remained the same!
Speaker 1:
I'm just gonna ask you to pray and take a minute and just focus yourself. As always, we, just we thank you so much for who you are. We thank you for the fact you love us the way that you do, god is pray that you just continue to, as always, protect the words they're coming out of my mouth, god, those who are listening, those who are who listen to it later, thank God, it's always your truth being spoken and it's always less of me and more of you and everything. I pray that about everything that we do. God, I pray this. We, as we dive into this message, we we look at this significance of Jesus' birth and and how. That was always the plan. It wasn't a backup plan, but it was always the plan. That was always your intention. Thank you for loving us, god. Thank you for loving us the way that you do. Thank you for allowing us to continue to be part of your plane. Just doesn't let me pray amen. So I I think that's one of the the biggest things, that that I really am happy that Cody hit on this morning is.
Speaker 1:
A lot of times, when it comes to scripture, we forget and and I think it's really easy for us to do that is we forget that since, from Genesis, the revelation, god knew exactly what he was doing. There was no confusion. There wasn't a need for a backup plan there, you know, there wasn't a need for for trying to figure out what to do next now. Now, what that means is that God always knew what he was doing, but Israel screwed it up multiple times. I mean, if you ever read the Old Testament, israel had, like, these incredible highs and these incredible lows, but God wasn't confused, he wasn't overwhelmed, he wasn't concerned, and and. So, when we get to the birth of Jesus, it's so important to understand that the plan since the fall, since Adam and Eve screwed up in the garden, the plan has always been to save us. Always that was the goal, and and how God chose to accomplish that took time. For whatever reason it, it took time the. The prophecy that we're going to be looking at in Isaiah 7 today is 700 years before it actually is fulfilled in the birth of Christ. I estimate that's probably eight to nine generations of people, roughly so. So, 700 years prior to the birth of Jesus, god gave Isaiah a prophecy to the nation of Israel telling them what was coming. So so let's let's dive in Isaiah, chapter seven, starting in verse one, the first 12 verses.
Speaker 1:
Here we're going to look at King Ahaz, which was a descendant of David, and Ahaz was. He was not a good king. If you pay attention throughout the history of Israel after David Solomon, you really start to run into some decent kings, but most of them kind of get worse as time goes on. Ahaz was not a good king. He did not fear the Lord, but because he was part of the line of David, he would follow the succession of David. So when Ahaz, son of Jotham, the son of Uzziah, was king of Judah, king Reson of Arm and Pika, son of Ramalia, king of Israel, marched up to fight against Jerusalem, but they could not overpower it. Now the house of David, was told, arm has allied himself with Ephraim. So the hearts of Ahaz and his people were shaken as the trees of the forest are shaken by the wind.
Speaker 1:
Then the Lord said to Isaiah Go out, you and your son, as sheer jeshab, to meet Ahaz at the end of the aqueduct of the upper pool, on the road to the laundrous field. Say to him Be careful, keep calm and do not be afraid, do not lose heart because of these two smoldering stubs of firewood because of the fierce anger of Reson and Arm and the son of Ramalia. Arm, ephraim and Ramalia's son have plotted you ruin, saying Let us invade Judah, let us tear it apart and divide it among ourselves and make the son of Tabeel king over it. Yet this is what the sovereign Lord says. It will not take place. It will not happen, for the head of Arm is Damascus and the head of Damascus is only resin. Within 65 years, ephraim will be too shattered to be a people. The head of Ephraim is Samaria and the head of Samaria is only Ramalia's son. If you do not stand firm in your faith, you will not stand at all.
Speaker 1:
Again the Lord spoke to Ahaz. Ask the Lord, your God, for a sign, whether in the deepest depths or in the highest heights. But Ahaz says I will not ask, I will not put the Lord to the test. You know Ahaz comes across as kind of humble there. Right, the Lord says to him through the prophecy of Isaiah, he says ask me for a sign. And Ahaz is like no, why would I test God? And if you read that and you understand and you look at that and you think, no, that is a good man. He is not. He is really not.
Speaker 1:
Ahaz in no way has shown his allegiance to God. He has served other gods in the process and actually by the time this conversation happens and you can find part of the story in 2 Kings 16, before the prophecy of Isaiah even comes, ahaz, being scared, decides to work with the kings around him and basically says I will bow down to you as long as you protect me. So here is a man who has been raised with the knowledge of God, knows who God is, knows how God, has favoritism over the nation of Israel and when he is faced with fear on all sides, his instinct is to run and get human help. So his comment to Isaiah I am not going to ask God for a sign is because he is already, in his mind, figured out how he is going to take care of it himself. So Ahaz is.
Speaker 1:
He is not this humble, faithful servant king. He is someone who more than likely doesn't believe that God can do what he says he is going to do. How often is that us? We read the Bible, we study the scripture, we get into this time of year, we celebrate the birth of Jesus and we talk about how great it is that God saved us, and yet, when it comes, push to shove, you and I, more than likely we will try to fix our own problems long before we go to the one who created us. So Ahaz has this reputation of not being a good king, not doing what he's supposed to.
Speaker 1:
Second Kings 16 verses 2, 2 through 3 are actually speaking of him says a has was 20 years old and became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem for 16 years. Unlike David, his father, he did not do what was right in the eyes of the Lord as God. He followed the ways of the kings of Israel and even sacrificed his son in the fire, engaging in the detestable practices of the nations the Lord had driven out before the Israelites. A has was, he was serving everyone. But so Isaiah comes to him and they have this conversation.
Speaker 1:
And so, picking up in verse 13, isaiah says this here now you, house of David, speaking to the entirety of the nation it is not enough to try the patience of humans. Will you try the patience of my God also? Therefore, the Lord himself will give you a sign. The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and we call, and we'll call him a manuel. He will be eating curds and honey when he knows enough to reject the wrong and choose the right. For before the boy knows enough to reject the wrong and choose the right, the land of the two kings you dread will be laid waste. The Lord will bring on you and on your people, on the house of your father, at time like any since Ephraim broke away from Judah, he will bring the king of the Syria. So it's important here. So verse 14 right, so that that's that's where we want to read and understands is that, therefore, the Lord himself will give you a sign. The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son and he will call him and manuel. That, that particular verse, we and we're gonna see it later on, when we get to Matthew and we believe it is for its helling of the coming of Christ that there will be a son born to a virgin will call him a manuel, which means God with us.
Speaker 1:
What is with most prophecies? A lot of prophecies had a now and then prediction. So in this time, when Isaiah is speaking of a virgin, the word in context can actually mean a fair maiden. So this is usually someone who's young and unwed. And then so when, when Isaiah is talking about this prophecy, he's saying to Ahab a has in the king says in your lifetime there will be a woman who gives birth to a child, and before that child gets to the age of understanding what is right and what is wrong, you will see that the God of creation will overthrow these kingdoms that you are afraid of.
Speaker 1:
And it's important that we understand that, because prophecies, especially when they were given, were given to a specific people, right that the nation of Israel. So so this one has two. It's a two-fold message To the nation of Israel. Then, it's letting them know that God is coming, that the God who, who they're choosing not to follow, will set them free From their enemies. So then, the question for you and I is okay. So what is this particular passage have to do with Christmas? Does I?
Speaker 1:
Isaiah turns his attention away from speaking to a has and he speaks to all the people of God in the house of David. So God's people are in a dark period of rebellion and judgment. Isaiah uses the situation of anxiety, fear and helplessness to describe what God will do. Therefore, the Lord will give you a sign the virgin will conceive in good birth to a son and will call him Emmanuel. The word virgin in this context can also mean a young woman.
Speaker 1:
So many theologians believe that Isaiah 714 has a dual prophetic fulfillment. Isaiah was speaking of a young woman who would bear a son during the time of a has in a future Messiah born to bring freedom to all. As in the book of Matthew, when Matthew writes, inspired by God, he reflects on the birth, the virgin birth Christ. That is reference. And Isaiah 7, like I said, the dual prophecy. The nation of Israel is under duress. They're Surrounded on all sides. A has is is not leading them like you should be, and Isaiah says listen, god's gonna show you that when this child is born in your lifetime, before this child is of an age where they understand right and wrong, you will see these other kings be wiped out. And Then it's not until Matthew one. When Matthew writes his gospel and he reflects on this prophecy, that's over 700 Years old. So Matthew one, 18 through 24.
Speaker 1:
So this is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about. His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph before they came together. She's found me pregnant, the Holy Spirit, because Joseph, her husband, was faithful to the law and yet did not want to expose her to public disgrace. He had him minor divorce, or quietly. But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream. It's a Joseph, son of David. Do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins. All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had brought. He had said to the prophet the virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Emmanuel, which mean God, which means God with us. When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home with his wife.
Speaker 1:
It's always, like I said, it's always important understand it. That the prophecy that that Isaiah is giving has such a far-reaching impact, right it. But, like I said it, most of the prophecies that we read about in the Old Testament have a here and then or now and then then Context. And so, as he's talking to the nation of Israel is, as he's looking at, this really corrupt, awful King who's trying to save himself. He reminds King a has that you can't save yourself, but God surely will. The God will take and remove your enemies from you. That God will fight on your behalf, even though you're corrupt, even though you're not following Him. That God will fight and he will save you because that's His plan and nothing will ever get in the way of God's plan. And so, 700 years later, the birth of Jesus takes place. As Matthew writes his gospel.
Speaker 1:
He reflects back on this prophecy that I'm sure he's heard for a long time. You know, the oral tradition in the Jewish community was profound. Telling stories was one of the ways that they shared their history, and so I can imagine that every time they got together for large meals, you probably had a grandmother, a grandmother or a grandfather, who would sit in a corner and they would tell stories of their past and they would pass them down generation to generation. And so when they're thinking about the birth of Jesus and they're reflecting back on this 700 year old prophecy, they make this connection that this baby that is born of a virgin has come to save us from ourselves.
Speaker 1:
Christmas is. Christmas is wonderful. I love it. I love the holiday. I love spending time with my family, I love watching my kids grow up, I love developing your traditions, that to help pass the story. But Christmas without Jesus just doesn't make sense. And when you strip it all down and you take everything away, every celebration, every gathering, if you, just if you pay attention to the story that's being told and as it unfolds and Matthew even says this that the child is born to save you from your sin, from your sin, I always I wonder that night how beautiful that night was. It's Mary welcomed the child in their arms as Joseph, listening to the angel, decides not to the worser but instead to come alongside and raise this child.
Speaker 1:
As they gather around and I can imagine the crowds start to form. And there's an article I read this week that was actually kind of cool and it kind of looks at the history and the culture at the time. And I know that we like to look at Jesus like kind of in this manger by himself and like everyone's all alone. But if you look at the culture at the time, a lot of houses back then were two levels and the bottom level most houses was some kind of manger set up Right.
Speaker 1:
So as Mary and Joseph traveled into Jerusalem for their voyage, the census that was being taken, and once again, I know how culturally it comes across the reality is that more than likely, they stayed with family. Joseph was from the area that they come and they found family and the house. The way the houses were set up. They had like a little barn in the bottom because a lot of them didn't have their own things, but so I can imagine that if that's true, then as they gathered around and the baby came, that the family is gathered and maybe they started to realize just how significant this moment was, because all of them would have known that a promised child was coming, that they would name him Emmanuel, that he would be God with us, that this is something that they had never seen before and in Israel had experienced God, but not like this. The savior of the world came into the world as one of the most vulnerable things you could be the baby. He couldn't protect himself, he had to be taken care of and it all had to happen so that you and I could be forgiven from our sin. It was the only way. There was no other way to make this work, no matter how good Israel tried to be, no matter how many sacrifices they made, no matter what they accomplished, the only way to deal with sin was God had to come into the world as a baby and then eventually find himself from the manger to the cross.
Speaker 1:
And so when I sit around and I think about Christmas, it's the greatest gift the world could ever ask for, and I know we've commercialized it. It's all about faking materials and items and stressing about whether or not you have money to buy Christmas presents this year. The reason we get together and celebrate Christmas has nothing to do with that. The reason you and I sit in this place is because, when we couldn't save ourselves, god chose to save us. Unto us, a child is born, and the government would pee on his shoulders and they would call him Emmanuel, god with us.
Speaker 1:
You realize, if you want to look at comparisons of religions, christianity is the only religion that has ever had their God step into their life in the way that Jesus did. No other religion offers that. It's all about what you can do. It's all about how you can save yourself. It's all about following the rules. God said listen, you can't save yourself, but I can save you. And so the prophetic, the prophecy that Isaiah gave those fulfilled 700 years later was God's land, the entire world. You can't save yourself, but I can save you. And not only can I save you, but I'm going to offer my sacrifice, my life, on your behalf, because that was always the plan. Jesus has not planned B.
Speaker 1:
So why do we treat a relationship with him like it is? Why is he not the greatest priority of our life, our churches, our home, our time, our energies? Why do we worry and stressed about how dark the world is when you and I have a light that cannot be put out? Why do we stress about the enemies who surround us when God said to A I will destroy them like they never existed? Why do we allow our time and our energy and our life to be consumed with things that don't matter, instead of taking every moment we have to share this light with the world.
Speaker 1:
People don't need more presence, they need more Jesus. They don't need another Christmas song. They need Jesus. They don't need the latest gifts, toys, technology. They need Jesus. People don't even need their family, and I don't say that lightly. What they need is Jesus. They need to know the truth of how much God loves them. They need to know that there's been a promise fulfilled, that there's hope given, that love has been demonstrated and that light will find its way through their darkest moments. God knew that the only way to save us was for Him to do it Himself, and we cannot take that lightly. As we see, throughout the history of Israel, it was always God who saved them.
Speaker 1:
So many people today talk about faith in Jesus as a crutch, asking as though needing His help is a bad thing. To be honest, I've never seen it that way. I would argue that my faith in Christ is not a crutch, but it's a reality that I'm a broken human being that can't save myself. And that's the message of this season and it has to be at the forefront of our conversations, because every single person in this room, every single person who listens to this online, every single person who will listen to this later, your one priority in life is to tell them the story of Jesus.
Speaker 1:
In this holiday season, we start with His birth. A fragile baby who could not take care of himself would grow into a man who would eventually give his life so that we could be forgiven from the sin that keeps us from God. I hope that feels weighty. I do Not, that I don't want to be joyous, but I hope we understand how incredible, not only freeing, it is to know that truth, but the burden that comes with sharing it, because what this world needs now is something that God can only give them. I love Christmas. I was never big into lights and trees and all that fun stuff. Having kids changed that for me, but my favorite part of Christmas is that I get to tell them this story over and over and over and over again, that God loved them so much that he was willing to do whatever was necessary to save them. And when Jesus came into the world it changed everything. All right, let's pray.