The first of three Isaiah sermons for Christmas 2013

1. Isaiah 7:1-25

2. “All this took place to fulfill what the LORD
had said through the prophet:
The virgin will be with child and will give birth
to a son, and they will call him Immanuel –
which means ‘God with us.’”

3. “All this took place to fulfill what the LORD
had said through the prophet:
The virgin will be with child and will give birth
to a son, and they will call him Immanuel –
which means ‘God with us.’”

4. The virgin birth of IMMANUEL is all at once
historically real,
prophetically realized
and powerfully relevant.

5. • The people were in a CRISIS.(1-2a)
– Ahaz was a wicked king who did not follow
God. (7:1)
– There were other wicked kings engaged in
allied war and siege against Jerusalem. (7:1-2)
• The people were in a PANIC.(2b)
– The crisis and its ominous potential terrified
everyone. (7:2)

6. • God sent two men to Ahaz (3)
– Isaiah = Jehovah is salvation
– Shear-Jashub = a remnant will return
– The two men met Ahaz at the conduit at the
pool

8. • God sent two men to Ahaz (3)
• God sent two messages to Ahaz
– “I am in CHARGE and have another plan.” (7)
– “Do you TRUST Me?” (9)

9. Faith is trusting
God with the
valve handle

10. • God offers to give any sign to Ahaz, but
Ahaz refuses. (7:10-12)
– God sees through this pious pretension.
– Isaiah sees through it too.
– God gave a sign through a pure conduit.

11. Security is built on
the Presence of
One who is greater

12. • God offers to give any sign to Ahaz, but
Ahaz refuses. (7:10-12)
• God’s unsolicited sign was a little baby with
a big name. (7:13-17)
– Immanuel = “God with us”
– “God with us” points to His Presence

13. Matthew sees a second
longer range fulfillment of
Isaiah’s prophecy
– only under Holy Spirit
inspiration can Matthew
have such insights
– Isaiah is not the only
prophet to speak such
telescopic prophecies

15. • OT Immanuel • NT Immanuel
– A royal house – A working class
contemporary family
– A normal conception – A miraculous con-
to a new bride ception to new bride
– A special name – A special name
– A sign to Ahaz – A sign to all the
world
A promise of deliverance through Presence

16. • it displayed God’s power and control
• it identified Jesus as the Messiah
• it verified the promises of presence
• it circumvented the transmission of the sin
nature

17. • Because of his unbelief, the very thing that
Ahaz tried to avoid came to pass. (7:18-25)
– God’s judgment turned the humanly conceived
“rescue plan” on its HEAD. (17b-20)
– God’s judgment turned the valuable, rich,
secure land into a WASTELAND. (21-25)

18. • Do not FEAR or panic.
• Stand FAST in your faith.
• Ask God to CONFIRM His presence with
you.
• FOLLOW His plan wherever it may take
you.