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The Sign of Immanuel
“Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.” – Isaiah 7:14
The name “Immanuel” very literally means “With-Us-Is-God” in Hebrew. The presence of “God With Us” is the focus of our 3 Advent Midweek Services in our Buffalo-North Circuit this December 5 (at St. Luke in Cheektowaga), December 12 at Holy Cross, and December 19 (at Our Savior in Buffalo
In the historical context, God tells King Ahaz through Isaiah to trust and have faith in Him, for the Lord will deliver the kingdom of Judah from the immediate threat posed by their nearby enemies. God knows King Ahaz is weak in faith, so God actually offers to give a miraculous sign to strengthen Ahaz’s faith. Ahaz declines to “test the Lord.” Yet God promises a sign anyway. In fact, Luther points out that God promises two signs: 1) actual, physical deliverance from the pressing hand of Judah’s immediate enemies within a very specific timeframe, and 2) the virgin birth of one to be called “Immanuel.” Both of these are signs of God’s presence with the faithful remnant of God’s followers.
God recalls His promises to be present with His people, to give them a miraculous sign of His presence in their distress, and to save them from their distress. We hear echoes of this promise from God throughout the Old Testament. These often include miraculous signs of God’s faithful presence with His people – even when distress arises from lack of faith.And we see many “miraculous signs” of the Son of God, Jesus, who comes in person to rescue us from the distress of sin, death and the Devil. Beginning with the fulfillment of the virgin birth prophecy of Immanuel, followed by Jesus’ many miracles, and culminating in Jesus’ own resurrection. What more powerful sign is there than resurrection from the dead?
But like King Ahaz and Pharisees, we often are too weak to see it and believe it. What prevents us from simply receiving what God offers? We are fallen creatures, living in a fallen world, constantly tempted by Satan. All our distress makes it hard for us to believe. So, rather than trust, we’re tempted to ask for some additional “sign” so we don’t need to believe.
What signs does God give us of His presence today, in our distress? First, He gives us His incarnate Word. He gives us the written testimony of those who witnessed Jesus’ many miraculous signs. And He gives us witnesses, in our own lives, of people who have been transformed by Christ’s presence in their lives. They are all around us. They’re the ones who have brought us to faith – whether parents, family members, Christian friends, pastors or teachers – all witnesses of God’s miraculous salvation through the forgiveness of sins in Immanuel’s saving work, saving death, and saving resurrection. What more sign does one need?
But God isn’t finished with His signs just yet. Christ Himself gives signs – of Himself – that touch you individually so that you know He died for you, rose for you, ascended for you, and intercedes for you, personally, with His Father. In Holy Baptism He bathes you, individually, with water and the Word so you know His grace – a grace that drenches you personally in His saving love and forgiveness so that His presence, His very life, dwells within you. And in Holy Communion Christ Himself comes to you, bodily, so that you personally know – by the sight, sound, touch, taste and smell of your very own senses, that He is present with you in your distress. That too is the sign of Immanuel to you today.
May the presence of God-with-us bless you this Advent and Christmas.
- Pastor Nickel
