All right then, 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
“What do you believe about Jesus?” This is one of the most important questions you can ever ask yourself and answer. You see, what we believe about Jesus makes all of the difference. He was more than just a good person. He was the Son of God. One of the reasons we can have confidence in this truth is that hundreds of years before Jesus was born, many prophecies were made about His birth and life, and He fulfilled them all. This fulfillment is more than just a coincidence. It is a sign that points us to the truth that Jesus is indeed who He says He is.
The birth of Jesus was prophesied in numerous places in the New Testament. One of these places was Isaiah 7:14, which says, “All right then, 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’). This verse prophecies about a coming Messiah, who would be born from a virgin and be named “Immanuel,” which means “God is with us.” That message was a promise that the people of Israel held on to throughout their lives. A Savior was coming who would rescue them from their sins.
The prophecy found in Isaiah 7 was fulfilled when Jesus was born. You can read all about this fulfillment in Matthew 1:18-2:1. These verses record the birth of Jesus from Mary, a virgin, as prophesied in Isaiah 7:14. They let readers know that hope had come. The long-awaited Messiah had finally been born. He had come to rescue Israel. God, indeed, was with them through the birth of Jesus, the Son of God.
My friend, this prophecy from Isaiah 7 is one of over 600 prophecies fulfilled in the New Testament. As we read these prophecies in the Old Testament that were fulfilled in the New Testament, we can gain further confidence in Jesus, knowing He was who He claimed to be.
Pull out your journal or a notebook and take a few moments to reflect on the truth that Jesus fulfilled all of the prophecies about His birth and life hundreds of years before He was ever born. How does this truth impact your faith and what you believe about Jesus? After reflecting, take a few minutes to pray. Tell God how grateful you are for Jesus and the truth that He is who He says He is.
"Later, the Lord sent this message to King Ahaz: 11 “Ask the Lord your God for a sign of confirmation, Ahaz. Make it as difficult as you want—as high as heaven or as deep as the place of the dead.”
12 But the king refused. “No,” he said, “I will not test the Lord like that.”
13 Then Isaiah said, “Listen well, you royal family of David! Isn’t it enough to exhaust human patience? Must you exhaust the patience of my God as well? 14 All right then, 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’). 15 By the time this child is old enough to choose what is right and reject what is wrong, he will be eating yogurt and honey. 16 For before the child is that old, the lands of the two kings you fear so much will both be deserted.
17 “Then the Lord will bring things on you, your nation, and your family unlike anything since Israel broke away from Judah. He will bring the king of Assyria upon you!”
18 In that day the Lord will whistle for the army of southern Egypt and for the army of Assyria. They will swarm around you like flies and bees. 19 They will come in vast hordes and settle in the fertile areas and also in the desolate valleys, caves, and thorny places. 20 In that day the Lord will hire a “razor” from beyond the Euphrates River —the king of Assyria—and use it to shave off everything: your land, your crops, and your people.
21 In that day a farmer will be fortunate to have a cow and two sheep or goats left. 22 Nevertheless, there will be enough milk for everyone because so few people will be left in the land. They will eat their fill of yogurt and honey. 23 In that day the lush vineyards, now worth 1,000 pieces of silver, will become patches of briers and thorns. 24 The entire land will become a vast expanse of briers and thorns, a hunting ground overrun by wildlife. 25 No one will go to the fertile hillsides where the gardens once grew, for briers and thorns will cover them. Cattle, sheep, and goats will graze there."
