📖 Isaiah 7:14 | Share The Reason For Your Hope

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📧 In today’s email…

• 📖 A review of everything we’ve learned this week.

• 🌏 A reminder of what Jesus offers the world

• 💪 A challenge to share hope

 🧠 Memorize

_{see if you know what words go in the blanks}

Therefore ___ ____ _______ ____ ____ ___ _ ____.

Behold, ___ virgin _____ ________ ___ ____ _ ___, ___ shall ____ ___ name ________.

Isaiah 7:14

A review of the week 🤔 

This week, we explored Isaiah 7:14 — a verse packed with meaning and hope!

On Monday, we looked at the historical background: King Ahaz, gripped by fear, faced enemies on all sides.

Yet, God stepped into the chaos with a promise of Immanuel—God with us.

This wasn’t just about survival for Judah. It was about God’s enduring presence with humanity.

Tuesday highlighted both the immediate and future fulfillment of the prophecy.

The sign was more than a child born in Isaiah’s time. Centuries later, the Gospel of Matthew revealed the true Immanuel: Jesus Christ, born of a virgin, bringing God’s presence into the world in the most personal way.

On Wednesday, we dug into the original Hebrew.

The name Immanuel means “God with us” and it’s more than a title. It means God is near.

On the First Christmas, when Jesus was born, this promise takes center stage: God didn’t stay distant but stepped into humanity’s story to be with creation.

Thursday connected the prophecy to the wider narrative of Scripture.

From Genesis to the prophets to the angels’ announcement in Luke, the entire Bible points to Jesus.

Through Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection, the promise of Immanuel is fully realized.

God is not only with us but has made a way for humanity to be with him forever.

Isaiah 7:14, while being rooted in a certain moment of Biblical history, tells a much bigger story.

It’s a story of promises kept, a Savior given, and a God who comes near.

Isaiah 7:14 reminds us that God is always faithful, present, and working to draw us closer to himself.

It’s not just ancient history — it’s our reality today, and our hope for the future in the New Heavens and New Earth.

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Apply and Respond: Share Hope ✝️

God’s promise of Immanuel invites a response. The truth that God came near through Jesus isn’t meant to stay personal.

It’s meant to be shared.

Mary, the virgin mother of Jesus, understood what Immanuel would mean for the world.

In her song of praise, Mary celebrated the hope and justice Jesus would bring:

Through Jesus, God’s presence changes everything.

The hungry are satisfied. The humble are lifted up.

The world is turned upside down by the love, justice, and mercy of God.

Everything changes.

Challenge 📣 

Here’s one action you can take today: Share how God is present in your life.

• Think about someone who doesn’t know the Lord who may need encouragement

• Share a moment when God’s presence felt real to you, like answered prayer, comfort in hard times, or strength in uncertainty

• You don’t need to preach — simply tell your story and how God drew near

Resources to help you dig deeper 🌿 

In case you missed it, here are a few resources to help you dig deeper into this week’s passage:

• 📚️ God Came Near: Experiencing the Life-Changing Power of Jesus' Incarnation by Max Lucado (link)

• 📚️ The Dawning of Indestructible Joy: Daily Readings for Advent (link)

• 📹️ 3-minute video of Tim Keller explaining the Incarnation (link)

• 🎵 Listen to Isaiah 7:14 (Click here to listen on Spotify | Click here to listen on Apple Music)

• 🎄 2025 Malachi Daily Christmas Gift Guide (link)

Answer key ✅ 

Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign.

Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.

Isaiah 7:14