Daily Advent

Thursday, December 5th

Advent 2013 ~ Prophecy Candle

Old Testament: "Therefore, the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel."  Isaiah 7:14

This is the prophecy Isaiah gave that Jesus would be born of a virgin and be called Immanuel, which means: "God is with us."  Fascinating that Jesus is called Immanuel and the angel first told Mary, "the Lord is with you."  The reality that the King of Kings, God of the Universe is with you and I is absolutely amazing.  Only in Christianity does God reach down to our level to and abide with us.  He remains a treasure inside our weak, earthen vessels, never leaving us, or forsaking us.

New Testament: "'How will this be, ' Mary asked the Angel, 'since I am a virgin?' The angel answered, 'The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you.  So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God.  Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be barren is in her sixth month.  For nothing is impossible with God.'"  Luke 1:34-37

Here we have the unfolding of Isaiah's prophecy.  This young girl, Mary, has not had relations with a man and does not understand logically how the angel's words can come about.  Notice she is not doubting the angels words (unlike Zachariah in the previous chapter).  Instead Mary is trying to figure out how the events being told to her will play out.

As you go about your fourth day of December filled with busyness and haste, remember the Angel's words, which are still true today, "Nothing is impossible with God."