“Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which is translated, “God with us.” Matthew 1:23 (NKJV)
“And it came to pass in those days that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that the world should be registered.” Luke 2:1
And it came to pass—not just the tax decree—all of the prophecies of Scripture concerning Jesus, had been about this event--about God bringing forth a Savior, a Messiah, Immanuel.
The Jewish world had been waiting for the birth of Jesus for centuries,
The prophecies concerning His birth have now come to pass, notably, He was born of a virgin, in Bethlehem, and His name was called Jesus. The event that changed the world, God becoming man for the sake of all men, has now come to pass and the world was turned upside down by His entry.
But wait, this Savior is a baby, an infant, how will He save the world?
It is strange to us that the God of creation, Who created the whole world with a spoken word, most often interacts with us in the tiniest of ways. A thought, a whisper into our minds, an expression on a child’s face. Almighty God most often relates Himself to us in ways that we can’t fully describe.
A virgin birth, a sinless life, and a resurrection? All too much for the natural man to comprehend.
In this birth of Jesus to a Virgin in Bethlehem, God has whispered into Humanity the Hope of all mankind, past, present, and future. Immanuel, God is indeed with us. Yes! The Christ child is born into the world and there is more written evidence of that birth than of any other world renown figure. Even many of the pagan religions admit that Jesus was born when and where the Bible says. It is not a fact that is disputed.
The question for us today is not whether or not Jesus was born in a manger in Bethlehem to a Virgin named Mary, married to a man named Joseph, and visited by a group of shepherds, who were sent by a host of Angels, who were sent by God. That is not the question—the question is whether or not that same Jesus is born inside of each of us.
Immanuel, do you know Him?
