A Special Birth

WHAT THE PROPHETS

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foretold

1 D E CE MB E R

A SPECIAL BIRTH

Heavenly Father, as I journey to the heart of Christmas, to the heart of Your story, to the heart of Your incredible love for me, open my eyes to take in the awesome sight of Jesus leaving heaven for me. Bring me a fresh thankfulness that the King who made the world knew He would die upon it for love. For me. I praise the precious name of Jesus. Amen

I SAI AH 7: 1 0 -15 10

Again the Lord spoke to Ahaz, 11 ‘Ask the Lord your God for a sign, whether in the deepest depths or in the highest heights.’

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But Ahaz said, ‘I will not ask; I will not put the Lord to the test.’

Then Isaiah said, ‘Hear now, you house of David! Is it not enough to try the patience of humans? Will you try the patience of my God also?

14 Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: the virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.

15 He will be eating curds and honey when he knows enough to reject the wrong and choose the right.

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n the pages of Scripture, several baby-boy births stand out. Cain, the firstborn after creation. Isaac, the hope of Israel’s future.

Samuel, the answer to a mother’s fervent prayer. All extremely important. All joyously expected. And all described exactly the same by the chroniclers of Scripture: in each case, we are told that the mother conceived and bore a son (GENESIS 4:1; 21:2-3; 1 SAMUEL 1:20).

Now consider one more baby boy’s birth.

The description of this arrival was much more detailed: a few words were clearly not ISAIAH 7:14 enough to tell us about Jesus’ birth. In Micah, we were told where He would be born— Bethlehem (MICAH 5:2). In Isaiah, that His mother would be a virgin (ISAIAH 7:14), and that He was coming to save people from their sin (ISAIAH 53).

In the New Testament, we were given such key information as what His name would be and why (MATTHEW 1:21), where He was born in fulfilment of prophecy (2:6), and how both His birth mother and His adoptive father were part of God’s plan (1:16).

Jesus’ birth stands above all births. His coming changed the world and can change our lives. Let’s step into the journey and rediscover the most important birth of all time. o DAVE BRANON

THE LORD HIMSELF WILL GIVE YOU A SIGN: THE VIRGIN WILL CONCEIVE AND GIVE BIRTH TO A SON, AND WILL CALL HIM IMMANUEL.

Read today’s passage again. What does Jesus’ birth mean to you personally? How does it encourage you that Jesus’ birth was God’s “sign”—His announcement to the world of His salvation—that was planned long ago?

Thank You, Father, for giving so many details of Jesus’ birth, life, death and resurrection in the Old Testament. We know He truly is Your promised King; the light of the world; our wonderful Saviour.

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