Prophets Foreshadow Messiah’s Birth

December 13, 2009

Background Scripture: Isaiah 7:13 – 17; Luke 1:26 – 38
Lesson Passage: Isaiah 7:13 – 17; Luke 1:30 – 38

The birth of the Messiah, Jesus Christ, is arguably the greatest miracle to ever occur. But then again, what is a miracle? Is it an occurrence that appears to go against the known natural laws of the universe? Is it the occurrence of an unlikely event relative to time and space? The answers to these questions describe what we refer to as the supernatural. But are there naturally occurring events that should be considered miracles such as conception and child birth or a single seed producing a plant which bears many seeds? (Of course those are really the same process.) All actions of God that are manifest in the physical world are miraculous whether we see them as natural or supernatural. The birth of Jesus, which was truly miraculous, was prophesied throughout the Old Testament writings. Some striking details of the miraculous birth was foretold about seven centuries before it occurred by the prophet Isaiah. Jesus’ birth had been described several times across thousands of years beginning in the Garden of Eden. But through the prophet Isaiah, the virgin birth of God’s son was foretold as a sign to an unbelieving king to strengthen his faith. The nature of prophecy, however, is that it comes draped in a shroud of uncertainty. Time is often the most unclear aspect of prophecy. Will it occur today, tomorrow, or at some unspecified time hundreds of years in the future? Regardless of the time, if God says it, it will come to pass. God sent the prophet Isaiah to assure King Ahaz of Judah that he did not have to worry about the confederacy of the northern kingdom of Israel with Syria against Judah. God was aware of their scheme and was going to protect Judah from the harm they intended to do. To further allay the king’s concerns, God instructed the prophet to ask the king to request a sign of God that he might know for certain that these things were so. It was the king’s refusal that prompted both the rebuke from God as well as the sign of the virgin birth. What began as an assurance for the king ended as a warning and reminder that without faith it is impossible to please God. God was willing to strengthen the king’s faith but he did not overlook the absence of it. God was offering the king a choice of whatever he thought would give him the assurance that God had indeed sent a word of encouragement and it was not just the prophet’s wishful thinking. God wanted King Ahaz to be confident and trust him for protection. Rather than heed the word of the prophet, the king chose to display his self-righteous religious integrity by refusing to do what he thought would be seen as putting God to the test or tempting him. The king’s refusal to heed the prophet’s request revealed one of the most unique aspects of the birth of the Messiah, the virgin birth. The fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecy was announced by the angel Gabriel as he further explained that with God, nothing is impossible.

Robert C. Hudson
November 27, 2009