The Sign of Immanuel

Isaiah 7:14 (NIV): 14 Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel. 

    There are many passages in the Old Testament that make no sense if you take Jesus out of the equation. This is one of them. Other examples are Moses lifting a serpent on a pole in the desert; Jonah being in a large fish for three days; the sacrificial system where an innocent lamb was killed to redeem sins; David describing being crucified; Isaiah stating that God would intentionally crush the Messiah. All of these passages only make sense when we look at them in light of Jesus' birth, death and resurrection.
Isaiah told King Ahaz, who was an evil king, that God would give him a sign: a virgin would give birth to a son and call him Immanuel, which means "God with us". Did Isaiah really mean a virgin, or just a young woman? The scholars who translated the Hebrew Bible into Greek (The Septuagint) more than a hundred years before Jesus was born used the word virgin. But if we keep reading this passage, we don't find a virgin giving birth, and we don't find any person being called Immanuel. Clearly, this was a prophecy that had a double meaning. It told Ahaz that in just a few years the war that he was fearing would be settled. Ahaz probably thought it meant a young woman. But it had another meaning too, it foretold a virgin birth that would not happen for another seven-hundred years.

    The Christmas season makes no sense if you take Jesus out of the picture either. We celebrate God himself becoming one of us and offering to take away our sins. We celebrate the hope he gives. We celebrate Immanuel.

The Lord is My Shepherd

Psalm 23 (NIV): 1 The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want. 2 He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, 3 he restores my soul. He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake. 4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. 5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. 6 Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.

   I fear we have come to associate this psalm only with funerals. I myself always read it when I conduct one. But it is about so much more than comfort when a person dies, it is full of life and joy and the promise of God's goodness for today.

David knew how to be a good shepherd and he knew that God was one. God takes care of all of our needs. He places us where good food and water is. He provides the rest we need and gives us guidance on where to go. Sheep are notorious for going astray and getting into trouble. God guides us along paths that are a blessing to us and an honor to him. And God protects us. He walks with us through whatever we go through, and has the power to protect us along the way. The rod was used to fend off animals that came to attack the sheep, and the staff was used to guide the sheep along safe passages.

Even though the shepherd analogy is a beautiful one, David knew it only went so for so he abandons it in verse five. We are not God's pets or possessions, we are his children. God preparing a table before us gives me the picture of a father welcoming his grown son to banquet with him. God accepts us as children and anoints our heads with oil. This is a picture of God pouring his joy and Spirit in abundance on us. The world will see that our faith is true and we will be vindicated in our belief.

Finally, God's love and goodness follows us throughout our lives and we have the promise of heaven for all eternity.

Honoring Our Veterans

Psalm 144: 1 - 6 (NIV):  1 Praise be to the LORD my Rock, who trains my hands for war, my fingers for battle. 2 He is my loving God and my fortress, my stronghold and my deliverer, my shield, in whom I take refuge, who subdues peoples under me. 3 O LORD, what is man that you care for him, the son of man that you think of him? 4 Man is like a breath; his days are like a fleeting shadow. 5 Part your heavens, O LORD, and come down; touch the mountains, so that they smoke. 6 Send forth lightning and scatter [the enemies]; shoot your arrows and rout them. 

    On Veteran's Day, we honor all of the men and women who have served our country in the armed forces. We might would think that God hates war because of the suffering it causes, and yes, God hates suffering, but this passage, written by David, reminds us that what God hates most is unholiness. Unholy, ungodly leadership has caused much of the suffering of mankind throughout History. Those who stand against God can expect his wrath. We must understand this.

    To me, the best way we can honor our veterans is by keeping America holy. Remember, holy means set apart, different. In other words, keep America a country that honors God and that honors moral behavior. America was built on hard work and the fear of God. America was built on strong families who, in turn, built strong businesses and communities. The secret to America's success has always been its government which was established in such a way that it rewarded hard work. Beyond this, though, America has enjoyed God's blessings because American's have traditionally honored God.

    David is praising God in this passage for training him to win in battle. To kill the enemy! Today's media cannot stand this idea, but the Bible does not teach that everyone is equal. What the Bible teaches is that God is for those who serve and honor him, and he is against those who hate him and his people.

    Yes, it's sad when people suffer because their government stands against God. But suffering for being God's enemy is much worse. God ordains war to show the world that he demands holiness. The best way we can honor our veterans is by keeping America holy. 

The Mystery of Salvation

John 3: 3 - 8 (NIV): 3 In reply Jesus declared, "I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again. " 4 "How can a man be born when he is old?" Nicodemus asked. "Surely he cannot enter a second time into his mother's womb to be born!" 5 Jesus answered, "I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. 6 Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. 7 You should not be surprised at my saying, 'You must be born again.' 8 The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit." 

    There's a mystery to salvation. It happens in the spiritual realm, but it changes the physical world. Jesus uses the illustration of wind -- it can cool your face or pick up a leaf or knock down a tree, but it is invisible. In the same way we cannot see the spiritual world that encompasses us, but we can see its effects. We can see changed lives, and we can feel God's comfort and peace, but the spiritual power itself is hidden from our eyes.

    So Christians are born twice, first physically, then spiritually. Our physical birth gets us here and we can experience life through our senses, but the spiritual birth is more mysterious. No one can see the act of salvation itself, just as we cannot see the wind. But we see the transformation of life that results. I can't see my faith, but I can see the results of having it. I can't see God himself, but I can feel his Spirit in my own.

    How are we born again? Jesus goes on to say we enter into the Kingdom of Heaven when we believe in him. Is it really that easy? James reminds us that the demons believe but are not saved (James 2:19). So it is more than head knowledge, more than mental ascent. It means we put our trust in him for salvation. We believe we need him to save us and that he will if we ask. It happens at the junction -- the crossroads -- of the physical mind and the spiritual universe. Again, it's a mystery.