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Judah

Advent 2020 – Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1:22-23 (Dec. 5)

December 5, 2020 by Joe Kappel Leave a Comment

What does Immanuel mean? The name literally means “God with us.”

This name was first mentioned in Isaiah 7:14 when God gave a promise to a very wicked King of Judah, Ahaz. Foreign powers were aligned against Judah, and God promised Ahaz the sign of Immanuel, a child born of a virgin, as the sure victory that Judah would need. In every situation of life, we need Immanuel. In Isaiah’s day we read how no foreign powers were able to conquer Judah because of the truth of “Immanuel.” Isaiah 8:9–10 says

Be broken, you peoples, and be shattered;

                        give ear, all you far countries;

            strap on your armor and be shattered;

                        strap on your armor and be shattered.

            Take counsel together, but it will come to nothing;

                        speak a word, but it will not stand,

                        for God is with us. (ESV)

That last line is the meaning of Immanuel: no power shall be able to withstand God’s people, for God is with us.

Yet the future fulfillment of Isaiah 7:14 is even more rich and full. In Matthew 1 a messenger approaches another man from the tribe of Judah. This time the angel Gabriel comes to Joseph in a time of his trouble and testing. His betrothed wife has been found pregnant, and Joseph, an honorable man, knows he is not the father. He has determined to end his engagement to Mary in private. Yet the messenger brings Joseph the good counsel of God and the sign to confirm it. “Joseph, you may have heard that the prophet Isaiah said the virgin would give birth!”

Joseph was likewise encouraged not to be afraid and not to go through with his plan to end his engagement. God was at work in a miraculous way. And the baby in Mary’s womb was the One baby long-promised to Adam and Eve, to Abraham, to David, and even to wicked Ahaz: Immanuel was coming.

And the best news of all that Joseph received was that this child would come to “save his people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21). Political and Military threats come and go. When they come we tend to think that wars and threats of wars are the height of danger and distress. But the reality is our sins are even more deadly. We cannot hope to defeat our sin and approach God. That is why Jesus came into the world as the full expression of Immanuel. God with us in our frail humanity, but not in our sin.

Yet even on the cross Jesus came to bear our sin in His own body, and that’s what He did. He became sin for all those who will call on His name in utter helplessness, forsaking their sin and believing in Jesus Christ as God with them. Friend, have you turned from your sin, repenting before Jesus and trusting in Him alone to save you?

Filed Under: Advent Tagged With: advent 2020, God with us, Immanuel, Isaiah, Joseph, Judah, Mary, virgin birth

Advent 2020 – Isaiah 2:2-5 (Dec. 1)

December 1, 2020 by Joe Kappel Leave a Comment

Isaiah 2:2–5

            [2] It shall come to pass in the latter days

                        that the mountain of the house of the LORD

            shall be established as the highest of the mountains,

                        and shall be lifted up above the hills;

            and all the nations shall flow to it,

            [3]        and many peoples shall come, and say:

            “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD,

                        to the house of the God of Jacob,

            that he may teach us his ways

                        and that we may walk in his paths.”

            For out of Zion shall go forth the law,

                        and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.

            [4] He shall judge between the nations,

                        and shall decide disputes for many peoples;

            and they shall beat their swords into plowshares,

                        and their spears into pruning hooks;

            nation shall not lift up sword against nation,

                        neither shall they learn war anymore.

            [5] O house of Jacob,

                        come, let us walk

                        in the light of the LORD. (ESV)

Advent literally means “arrival,” and for us who know the Lord it refers to the arrival of Jesus Christ, the Son of God and King of all kings. The prophet Isaiah wrote about the arrival of King Jesus in today’s passage. In Isaiah’s day his country Judah was under constant threat of war, vulnerable and right in the middle of powerful powerful nations seeking to control it. Think of how amazing Isaiah’s prediction of a future reign of the Christ would have sounded to such discouraged people!

Read the verses again and think about the news of the King.

What kind of King would He be?

What kind of things would He do as King?

There’s only good news about Jesus the Messiah. We need the good news all the more today. Our world may seem quite dark with people turning away from God instead of turning to Him. But believe the good news that the King will still come to rule with perfect justice, settling all wars and disputes, and He Himself will teach us all we long to know about Him.

Even now, as Isaiah commanded Judah in his day, walk in the light of the LORD! Don’t look into the darkness of our culture and time, but purpose today to walk in the light of Jesus Christ, our King.

Filed Under: Advent Tagged With: advent 2020, Isaiah, Jesus Christ, Judah, King, light

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