The God Who Remembers

“Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, a virgin will be with child and bear a son, and she will call His name Immanuel.”
~ Is 7:14 ~

Around 735 B.C. Isaiah prophesied to King Ahaz and those around him that God would cause a virgin to give birth to a son, the promise of God’s presence with His people. I wonder how the king and his court first responded to such news. Did they spend a few days or months listening for word of a pregnant virgin? Did the people believe God was coming soon? Maybe they did. And maybe they gave up looking after awhile, for over 700 years went by with no ultimate fulfillment to this prophecy.[1] No virgin birth. No promised son. No Savior of the world. Seven-hundred seemingly empty years.

To many people it must have seemed as if God forgot. I know that’s how I tend to respond when God seems inactive, silent. I often begin to grumble, complain, doubt. At times, I stop expecting God to do anything. Maybe you too have experienced long periods of time where God seemed absent, quiet, unmoving. Maybe today your hope wanes as time silences the voice of promise you once heard. Perhaps you have financial, marital, emotional concerns. Maybe you or a family member has health problems. Perhaps you feel lonely or spent from worry. The good news is that Christmas offers a gift to our wearied hope. Christmas reminds us that God remembers.

The virgin gave birth. The Son came forth. The name Immanuel given. What God promised He fulfilled. This Christmas, we can find hope by remembering that God remembers. He knows His promises. And He knows us. He is intimately acquainted with our needs, desires and dreams. We can wholeheartedly hope in whatever God has promised, for Christmas tells us He will come through. Maybe not during the time frame we have set. Maybe not in quite the way we thought. But in whatever time or way, God will provide.

So this Christmas reflect on the fulfilled promise of Christ’s birth. Meditate on God’s faithfulness. Search the Scriptures. Discover God’s promises. Then rest in hope, for just as He sent His Son in the likeness of a baby so will He fulfill the rest of His promises.

“[A]n angel of the Lord appeared to [Joseph] in a dream, saying, ‘Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife; for the Child who has been conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. She will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.’ Now all this took place to fulfill what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet: ‘Behold, the virgin shall be with child and shall bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel,” which translated means ‘God With Us.’”

~ Matthew 1:20-22 ~

[1] Theologians debate over how exactly Isaiah's prophecy was fulfilled. For more information, see “Immanuel-God with Us!” in Nelson’s New Illustrated Bible Commentary, eds., Earl Radmacher, Ronald B. Allen, H.Wayne House, p. 816.

Christmas Wonders

I wonder what Mary thought as she held God’s Son for the first time. Did she reverently hold such a holy baby, fearing disappointing God if she made Him cry? Was she perplexed by raising her Savior, knowing she would one day submit to Him? How did she respond to the scowling faces that surrounded this scandalous, glorious birth?

I wonder what Joseph thought as his virgin wife nursed the Son of God. Did he feel overwhelmed at having to provide for his family’s needs, for the divine baby? How would he rear Jesus when His true Father reigned in heaven, ruling the earth? Did he often think back to the angel Gabriel, trying to convince himself all this had really happened, that Mary truly did give birth to God’s Son, that they are responsible for the Savior of the world?

I wonder what God felt when Mary delivered His Son, now in human form. Did He excite as He saw His salvific process coming to a climax with the birth of Jesus? Was He saddened to see His Son restrained by human body? Did He wince with pain at the thought of the agonizing, lonely life that awaited Him?

I wonder what Jesus thought when He left heaven to become a baby. Did He ponder what living like a human being, His prize creation, would feel like? Did He look forward to hugs and kisses, dinners and parties, smiles and laughter? Was He sad to leave the intimacy of the Father’s presence in order to bring salvation to the world?

I wonder what life would be like today if this baby was never born. Would people still live on the earth, or would God have already brought His judgment of fire and emptiness? Would we know only fear, anger, depression, loneliness, sin? What hope would remain of life and freedom and joy?

But the Wonder of all Wonders is that He did come to earth. He humbled Himself out of love to become a baby, who would become a man, who would become a sacrifice for sins. Our sins. He took on human skin to have whips lashed across His back, to have nails driven into His wrists, to have His blood drop to the ground. All to pay our debt, reunite us with the Father, give us life.

Our salvation has begun but it is not yet complete. So we wait. We look to the dawn of the everlasting day, where again the Son of God will come to earth and finally complete this salvation He has begun. And so I wonder.

I wonder what it will be like for humans to be born anew, sharing in His divine glory, enjoying life forever. How will relationships work without sin? What does unending joy feel like? What will we see when we look into the Savior's eyes? I wonder…