Christmas is over! Those words used to bum me out when I was young, having been caught up in the glitter, the presents, and the feelings associated with this wonderful holiday. These days I experience no such sadness as Christmas is simply a wonderful way for believers to mark the first advent—when God chose to dwell with man.

On Sunday morning, just minutes before leaving for church, my wife and I watched Andy Stanley’s message on television regarding the first advent and the prophecy of Jesus’ birth. Often referenced as the “Sign of Immanuel” the Lord spoke to Ahaz, king of Judah, who was worried about an impending attack on his land by Israel and Assyria.

In Isaiah 7:11 God told Ahaz to ask Him for a sign, something Ahaz refused to do, not out of piety, but disobedience. Nevertheless, God spoke through His prophet, Isaiah, who said in verse 14, “Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.” The prophecy continues through verse 17, but I want to focus on verse 14 and refute the thinking of those who say that the translation of virgin in verse 14 cannot include the word virgin, rather maiden.

No, I am not going to argue the point beyond what is obviously stated regardless of “proof text” used: a maiden or young woman was prophesied to become pregnant and give birth to a son, whose name would be called Immanuel (meaning God with us). Though I certainly believe that this prophecy shows that a virgin birth is what is coming, in some ways that aren’t important at this point. Rather, what is important is that God would one day dwell with men and that this particular prophecy would be fulfilled in time.

The argument against the use of virgin in verse 14 is made by Jewish scholars who adhere to one translation of Hebrew scriptures and Christians who hold to another translation. The book of Isaiah was written around 700 BC which means that seven centuries would pass before the prophecy was fulfilled. In Isaiah 9:6 we have one of my favorite verses, which explains in more detail who Immanuel is: “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”

Chapter 53 Isaiah goes into more detail about the coming Messiah, offering readers a glimpse of whom he was, “…the arm of the LORD been revealed” and how He was to be treated, “…he was despised, and we esteemed him not,” and what sort of punishments He would bear, “…he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities.”

Matthew 1 and Luke 2 in the New Testament illustrates the “Christmas story” as we know it, but there are many more prophecies fulfilled in the intervening years which revealed that Jesus was and is the promised Messiah.

Yes, I am steering clear of a detailed theological argument here especially when it comes to the translation of Hebrew text. That is not what God was showing me when Stanley spoke.

Rather, God reminded me of His faithfulness through the fulfillment of prophecies in Isaiah by the sinless birth of Jesus.

And that He will soon fulfill His final prophecies regarding the modern state of Israel, His Church, and the world as a whole. Since the First Advent was of tremendous significance, it is through the coming Second Advent where all the loose ends are tied – a never ending mass of Christ!

Popularity: 6% [?]

My favorite Christmas carol is “O Holy Night!” the work of one Adolph Adam who wrote the music in 1847 to correspond with the words of a poem – Minuit, Chrétiens (Midnight, Christians) – written by Placide Cappeau. Down through the years the song was translated to English and is believed to be the first tune played on the radio.

The carol’s majestic, somewhat hauntingly beautiful cadence is quickly recognized by listeners familiar with the tune. O Holy Night! penetrates my heart and quickly refocuses my wandering mind on the simplicity and wonder of the birth of Jesus Christ and the promise of salvation and peace found only in Him.

There are any number of performances of the carol that I’ve heard through the years including, most recently, an 11-year old boy who sang the song this past Sunday at our church with piano accompaniment. This youngster hit all the notes, remembered all of the words, and stirred the hearts of listeners.

Celine Dion offers a wonderful solo performance of the carol, perhaps one of the most stirring by one performer. When it comes to multiple voices being raised up, I think that the Celtic Woman performance at the Helix Center in Dublin is one of the finest. And it is that performance I offer to you here for your listening enjoyment.

Finally, but certainly not the last comment you’ll read on Word Journey, I want to thank all of my readers who have stopped by here during 2009. Merry Christmas and a blessed new year – may God draw you closer to Himself as you reflect on the wonder of his incarnation, an event that shifted history and later led to our redemption being made possible.

And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth. (John 1:14 | KJV)

Popularity: 7% [?]

More than 1000 Florida children are legally available for adoption. A January “Wait No More” campaign in Fort Lauderdale hopes to bring that number down considerably.

Christian ministry Focus on the Family has been doing its part lately to focus people’s attention on the global orphan crisis.

In November “Focus” teamed up with Grammy award winning Christian artist Steven Curtis Chapman and FamilyLife to raise awareness of the 140 million children in the world who need homes. They’ve also been behind a Wait No More campaign where Focus has worked with US churches and state child placement agencies in three states to educate families about the adoption process.

Wait No More

That effort has led to 600 families to date who have started the adoption process with more expected to follow when the campaign travels to Florida in January. The next leg of the campaign aims to help orphaned children who are in Florida’s care find homes with more than one thousand currently eligible for adoption.

Calvary Chapel Fort Lauderdale will host the January 30th event at its church where speakers will testify about the orphan crisis and answer attendee’s questions regarding the adoption process. If families are ready to adopt, agencies present at the event will help families start the process.

Forever Adoptive Families

“Our message is simple,” said Kelly Rosati, adoptive mother of four and senior director of the Sanctity of Human Life department at Focus on the Family. “Florida’s waiting kids in foster care deserve forever adoptive families. No matter their age or special circumstance, they are precious to God and we won’t give up on them.”

The Wait No More conference is scheduled from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. and no admission costs are involved. However, because free lunch and conference-related materials will be offered, pre-registration is strongly preferred. For more information or to register, visit icareaboutorphans.org or call 800-A-Family.

See Also — California Children Awaiting Adoption To Get A Helping Hand

Multimedia-Stock photo, Arinas74.

Popularity: 18% [?]