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.”
Devotional: God's plan for the redemption of His world through Jesus Christ, born of God and man, was known from the beginning of creation. The prophet, Isaiah, was to speak of this child – “God with us” – long before the event took place in human history. The virgin conceiving by the Holy Spirit and giving birth to “God with us” was the plan for the expression of God's redeeming love forever.
Articulated at a completely different time and place in different circumstances has become the expression of the reconciliation of the sinful world to its Creator.
According to John's Gospel, this One born of the Holy Spirit and the virgin, cared for by the human father, Joseph, was before the prophet Isaiah, and was in reality the agent of God creating all things in the beginning.
So Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God, was from the beginning for all time. This reality of God's Son among us was revealed to Isaiah. This revelation was fulfilled at the birth of Jesus.
Each of us has been forever in the heart and mind of God. Not as Jesus was, that is, not as God, but in the awareness of God before we were born and after we die. There never was a time when we were not in God's love, and God's Will is that we reciprocate with our love for God.
Jesus opens to us an avenue of being with God in God's intricate love forever more. That avenue is paved with the blood of the cross and God's gracious offer of eternal life through faith in His blood.
This Advent provides no more appropriate time or occasion for our faith commitment to fulfill God's eternal Will and purpose for us in Jesus Christ.
Could this be the “eternal moment” for you?
Prayer: Come, Lord Jesus.
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