THE PROMISE OF CHRISTMAS

“The Lord Himself will give you the sign. Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son and will call Him Immanuel (which means ‘God is with us’).”  Isaiah 7:14 (NLT) 

Isaiah lived some 700 years before Christ and gave us the promise of Christmas in this prophecy! It’s a promise that makes Christmas personal. Not only did he predict that a Messiah would come but he said that Messiah would be God Himself, clothed in the flesh and blood of a human baby! This is the promise of Advent! The prophet talks about a sign that God would give His people to look for as they awaited the coming of the Messiah. The sign would be unmistakable. Nothing like it had ever happened before or since. A virgin would conceive a child? (No wonder people thought prophets were weird.) Whoever heard of such a thing? It’s not possible! Yet that was the miracle of Christmas, wasn’t it? History records it. The sign points to a promise. A virgin would conceive and give birth to a son who would be called “Immanuel” which means “God is with us.” 

What a promise of hope! God is with us! That was the promise of Advent. Advent simply means “coming” as in Christ is coming, and for us today, He has arrived! Promise fulfilled! Immanuel is here, present by His Holy Spirit to make real to you and me the presence of God in our lives. That can be both comforting and disturbing. What does it mean to you to know that God is with you? He is not distant or far removed from us. The Greek poets said, “In Him, we live and move and have our being.”  Acts 17:28 (NIV)  

Make His Advent your adventure of faith this Christmas! Your personal discovery of God’s promise will become an adventure making the most meaningful Christmas you’ve ever experienced if you will practice the presence of God along the way.  

“Thank you, God, for becoming man, that I may know You and relate to You. Thank you that You are with me, completely available to me 24/7. Help me to practice Your presence moment by moment.” In Your Son’s name, Amen. 

What are ways in which you can practice the presence of God? 

Is it comforting or disturbing to you that God is with you? 

How does recognizing God is with you make a difference in your life? 

What signs has God given you that He is with you? 

Read Isaiah 7:14 and Matthew 1:18-25 and thank Him for coming! Invite a friend and family member to the Christmas Eve services in person or on live stream at Woodlands Church. Check out our website for locations and service times.