Advent and the Desire for Light⤒🔗

In these Advent days, the hearts of believers, perhaps more than ever, seek the comfort of the Christmas gospel. They know with full certainty that as the darkness around us increases, there is only one Light that remains. That is why the church still wants to confess the Light that shines in the darkness, never to be overcome by that darkness.

Christmas and the Darkness of Our Time←⤒🔗

Celebrating Christmas in this way does not mean that we close our eyes to the distressing events of the year, or that we forget, even for a moment, the threats that lie ahead. It does mean, however, that the darkness that is and the darkness that is coming can never take away the Light that has dawned for us. For the comfort remains: God is with us.

The Development of the Immanuel Prophecy←⤒🔗

We will never see the depth of these promises more clearly than when we trace the development of the Immanuel prophecy in salvation history. Many of us learned the messianic prophecies in school, including Isaiah 7:14: “Behold, a virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call his name Immanuel.” Yet for many, this prophecy has become an isolated text. People have applied it too directly to the birth of Christ and, in doing so, have overlooked the concrete historical setting in which God gave, repeated, and finally fulfilled this promise. Whoever takes the trouble to consider the context of Isaiah 7:14 will make surprising discoveries.

The Crisis of King Ahaz←⤒🔗

Soon after Ahaz of Judah ascended David’s throne, he faced great political difficulties. The much stronger Northern Kingdom, Ephraim, had allied with Syria, and together they declared war on Judah. Humanly speaking, this was more than Judah could withstand. Other neighboring powers also adopted a hostile stance. With Ahaz having to fight against Syria and Ephraim, the situation was militarily hopeless. Judah was attacked from every side at once, even by the brother-nation to the north. In this situation, Ahaz saw only one way out: turning to the Assyrians for help.

Trusting in God Alone←⤒🔗

From a purely political standpoint, some would say that this was wise. He could do no better, they would argue, than to seek an ally. But such reasoning ignores the unique character of Judah and of Ahaz’s kingship. Judah is God’s people, and Ahaz sits on the throne of the Lord’s kingdom. This is not merely the clash of political powers: Judah is God’s covenant people. That fact alone determines its place among the nations. Judah must remain God’s people, and therefore her domestic and foreign policy must be guided by the covenant. And here the rule applies: Cursed is the man who trusts in human strength (Jeremiah 17:5). Ahaz must fight only in faith. God is at his side, even in this hour of great danger. That must be enough. He must not rely on Assyria.

The Sign Refused←⤒🔗

Isaiah went to Ahaz with the promise that the Lord would thwart the attempts of Syria and Ephraim. Like all God’s promises, this one too had to be received by faith: “If you do not believe, surely you shall not be established.” If Ahaz persisted in relying on Assyria, his kingdom would be destroyed. It was very difficult for Ahaz to trust this promise. Humanly speaking, there was no chance of deliverance. Therefore, the Lord offered him a sign to guarantee the promise. God came to his aid in his difficulty and allowed him to choose how the Lord would demonstrate the truth of his word. But Ahaz refused. He appealed to the law, which forbids testing the Lord. In Scripture, testing God always means demanding a sign—a proof of the promise. Those who do this want to see what God commands them to trust. They demand facts instead of promises, visible evidence of invisible realities (see Exodus 17:7; Matthew 4:7). So Ahaz said, “I want only to believe; therefore I desire to see nothing.” This may sound very pious, but it was in fact a bold refusal of faith. God was saying to Ahaz: you may see, in order to believe more fully. But Ahaz replied, “I will see nothing.” He refused to see because he refused to believe.

God Gives the Sign Anyway←⤒🔗

Yet the sign came anyway. God himself gave a sign: that a virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. At that moment, this meant that the young queen Abi would soon have a son, Hezekiah. The birth of this royal child proved that God was with Judah and would deliver it. Even though Ahaz refused to believe, his wife did, and at her child’s birth she would proclaim, “God is with us.” The sign came, but because the house of David had rejected it in false piety, deliverance did not come without judgment. The Lord did what he promised: Judah was not conquered by Syria and Ephraim. However, because Ahaz refused to trust that God was with him and his people, this promise was fulfilled only in the way of judgment (Isaiah 7:17-21). Only the remnant who believed, who did not follow “the way of this people” (Isaiah 8:11), who placed their hope in the Lord rather than in Assyria—only this elect remnant tasted the fulfillment of the promise. “God with us” was no longer true for all Judah, but only for the believing remnant.

The Promise Renewed in Joseph’s Day←⤒🔗

Later, the Immanuel promise came again to the house of David, when Joseph, the rightful heir to David’s throne, considered leaving Mary. It was another dark hour for David’s house and people. The Romans had subdued Israel and were tightening their grip, carrying out the census. For Joseph this was bitter, for he too had to go to be registered. To this heavy burden was added the fact that Mary appeared to have been unfaithful. The prospects for the church seemed darker than in Ahaz’s day. But the angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and revealed Mary’s secret: that what was conceived in her was from the Holy Spirit. Matthew understood the profound meaning. At that moment, the Immanuel sign was fulfilled. God had once more announced the birth of a royal son to the house of David, just as He had to Ahaz. History repeated itself, but this was no mere repetition—it was true fulfillment.

From Hezekiah to Christ←⤒🔗

Hezekiah’s birth was only a pledge of the promise “God with us” in that particular crisis, when Syria and Ephraim threatened Judah. The birth of Jesus Christ, however, assures the church of deliverance from all her enemies. Yet again, Israel largely responded as before. They rejected God’s sign, refused to believe in Jesus Christ, and would not acknowledge that in him “God with us” became reality. They sought salvation not in childlike faith, but in political manoeuvres. The Zealots, the Pharisees—each claimed, in their own way, that God was with them. Yet the Immanuel promise is fulfilled only for those who believe and accept the sign in faith. Once more, judgment came upon the unbelieving, and only the faithful remnant experienced the reality of the promise. Immanuel meant not the salvation of all Israel, but the salvation of the Israel that truly proved itself by faith.

The Promise for the Church Today←⤒🔗

The Immanuel promise came again on the day of Christ’s ascension: “I am with you always, to the end of the age.” This is the assurance: God with us. This time the promise came without a sign or visible proof. Yet this promise is the richest of all. It is not a promise for a single moment in one crisis. It is permanent: “I am Immanuel for always.” The whole church today lives under that promise. It applies to every situation that has arisen in recent times, and to every danger that still threatens the church. At Christmas, the Immanuel sign will not be repeated. We will not receive any fresh assurance that God is with us. We can only look back to the guarantee once given. Our certainty rests on the Christmas fact of centuries ago. We must rely on this historical assurance.

Faith and Fulfillment←⤒🔗

The Immanuel promise continues—far more glorious than what Ahaz and Joseph experienced. God is with us always, to the end of the world. We must remember that the fulfillment of the promise depends on faith. Immanuel: God is with us. But if we do not believe, we will not be established. Then Immanuel is empty for us. Many will celebrate Christmas longing for God’s presence. But the promise is for the remnant who truly believe. Unbelief brings judgment. Even today, the Immanuel promise is fulfilled in judgment for the unbelieving, and in salvation for the faithful remnant.

Christmas Without and With Faith←⤒🔗

Understanding this is essential for true Christmas celebration. With faith, we can face the terrors of our time confidently. Judgment is not opposed to the Christmas fact; it has always been connected with it. We must tremble lest we fall under the same judgment, and therefore fight the good fight of faith this Christmas. Christmas without faith means judgment. Christmas with faith proclaims, “Immanuel—God with us to the end of the world!”