Little baby Jesus and His mother Mary are a familiar staple during the Christmas season. We know there was a bit of controversy when Mary got pregnant, what with her being unmarried and a virgin. However, things worked out in the end.
There are those who doubt part of that story. The idea of a human being supernaturally impregnated is too much for those who want the nice words of Jesus without Him being supernaturally God in human flesh. Yet not only is this possible with God, but it was a fulfillment of the words of Isaiah when God told us long ago that He would dwell among us.
Christ in the Old Testament
Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and she will name Him Immanuel. (Isaiah 7:14)
When Isaiah spoke these words, he may not have known this would be fulfilled by the coming Messiah. Prophecy can have two ways of coming true – once during the lifetime of those who first heard it, and once far in the future. The context of Isaiah 7:13-16 shows that this prophecy is talking about the fall of two kings in Isaiah’s day, with the prophesied child of a virgin (translated “young woman”) likely being Isaiah’s own son in Isaiah 8:18.
Yet we so often use this verse to talk about Mary’s supernatural conception of Jesus Christ. Some would argue that the historical understanding of Isaiah 7:14 completely erases any hope of applying it to Jesus Christ. And those who deny that Jesus Christ is God are more than happy to point this out. Yet when we see how Christ fulfilled this in a way that a human child never could, we see that God was promising two fulfillments – one that mattered to Israel in that day, and one that would matter to the world for all eternity.
Fulfilled in the New Testament
Now all this took place so that what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet would be fulfilled: “Behold, the virgin will conceive and give birth to a Son, and they shall name Him Immanuel,” which translated means, “God with us.” (Matthew 1:22-23)
When writing about the birth of our Savior, God exposes a deeper truth in the ancient words of Isaiah. God showed ancient Israel He was still with them by fulfilling His promise to remove two wicked kings from power. But God also showed up Immanuel, “God with us,” by sending His Son.
Likewise, while the ancient prophecy was talking about a young woman conceiving a child, Matthew’s word for “virgin” leaves no doubt that this supernatural birth would come through a woman who was a virgin as we always understand it. This passage in Matthew shows us that Christ fulfilled this ancient prophecy in a way that no one but God ever could.
Why is this so important? Among all the hope and joy we find in the birth of Christ, we are reminded of what it means that Christ came to Earth. When we call Christ “Immanuel” it’s because He’s literally God being with us. Christ isn’t just a picture of God, but Jesus Christ is God. God the Father sent Christ to not only be among His creation, but to suffer and die to save them. Christ was not only perfectly able to live a life that pleased God, but He’s perfectly able to save us from the depth of our own wickedness so that we can enjoy God forever.
This great promise was seen long ago. We’ve seen it early in Genesis 3:15, and we see a further hint of God’s incredible plan through the prophet Isaiah. Christ is the complete fulfillment of everything God has been doing throughout history. He’s our greatest treasure, our King, and our God. As His followers, we realize we can do nothing to earn the favor and love of such an amazing God. That’s why we want to love, serve, and worship Him with every moment of our lives.
Jesus Christ, supernaturally born of the virgin Mary, is God. He is with us, and those who trust Him for salvation will be with Him forever.
