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(Isaiah 7:14)

INTRODUCTION: Today is the third message in our advent series on Four Great Prophecies of Christmas.

   1) A Great Battle (Genesis 3:14-15)
   2) A Great Star (Numbers 24:17)
   3) A Great Sign (Isaiah 7:14)
   4) A Great King (Isaiah 9:6-7)

So far, we have looked at the prophecy of a great battle and the prophecy of a great star. Today we come to the prophecy of a great sign, and next week we will look at the prophecy of a great king. (Read Isaiah 7:14 and pray.)

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The talk show host Larry King was once asked who he would most want to interview if he could choose anyone from all of history. His answer was: “Jesus Christ.” The questioner then said, “And what would you like to ask Him?” King replied, “I would like to ask Him if He was indeed virgin-born. The answer to that question would define history for me.” (from Just Thinking, ZIM, Winter 1998)

Today we come to our third great prophecy of Christmas – the prophecy of a great sign: “The virgin will be with child, and she will give birth to a son.” (Isaiah 7:14) And yes, the answer to the question of the virgin birth really does define history for us. If Jesus was born of a virgin, that changes everything!

The prophet Isaiah gave this prophecy seven hundred years before Jesus was born in Bethlehem. Similar to last week, we will look first at the background of the prophecy, then the content of the prophecy, and then finally the fulfillment of the prophecy in the birth of Jesus.

I. Seed of the woman; attack on Judah (background of the prophecy)

So, let’s begin with the background of the prophecy. For the background of the prophecy, we need to look at two events separated in time – the prophecy of the seed of the woman back in Genesis and the attack on Judah during the time of King Ahaz.

   A. The Messiah will be born from the seed of the woman
      – Genesis 3:15 (see also Matt 1:16; Luke 3:23; Galatians 4:4)

We already looked at the prophecy of the seed of the woman when we looked at the first great prophecy of Christmas – the prophecy of a great battle between Satan and Christ. God told Satan in Genesis 3:15: “And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.” (Genesis 3:15)

When we studied this prophecy a few weeks ago, we looked at the battle aspect of the prophecy. But now we can look back and see another aspect of this prophecy that we may have missed before. Notice the prophecy emphasizes that the Messiah would be born of “the seed of the woman” rather than “the seed of the man.” This is significant because the line of descent was normally traced through the man rather than the woman.

Have you ever wondered why God didn’t tell Satan: “And I will put enmity between you and the man, and between your offspring and his?” The answer is because when Messiah came, he would not be born from the seed of the man but from the seed of the woman. And so, we can now see that there was an early hint of the virgin birth tucked away in this first great prophecy of Christmas all along.

This emphasis on the seed of the woman rather than the man continues in the New Testament references to the birth of Jesus as well. For example, the gospel of Matthew in chapter one gives Jesus’ genealogy listing the names of many fathers in Jesus’ line. But after a long list of fathers, Matthew concludes the genealogy by writing: “… and Jacob [was] the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ.” (Matthew 1:16) Notice how Joseph is included in the genealogy, not as the father of Jesus but as the husband of Mary. Joseph was the adopted father of Jesus, but Jesus was born of Mary – from the seed of the woman, not of the man.

We find the same thing in Jesus’ genealogy in the gospel of Luke. We read in Luke 3:23: “Jesus was the son, so it was thought, of Joseph….” (Luke 3:23) Once again, Joseph is excluded as the physical father of Jesus. Jesus was born of the seed of the woman, not of the seed of the man.

And then we read in Galatians 4:4: “But when the time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under law….” (Galatians 4:4) Notice how Paul emphasizes in this verse that Jesus was born of a woman. Now, there’s nothing unusual about being born of a woman. We all are! But Jesus was born of a woman only, and that is truly a unique aspect of his birth.

So that’s the first part of the background of the prophecy – the earlier prophecy of the seed of the woman that God gave all the way back in the Garden of Eden.

   B. The attack on Judah will fail; the seed will continue
      – Isaiah 7:2,5-7 (cf. Matthew 1:9)

The more immediate background to the prophecy is found in the attack on Judah during the time of King Ahaz. King Ahaz reigned over Judah for twenty years from about 735 B.C. to 715 B.C. During this time, the kings of Aram and Ephraim joined forces against Judah and attacked the city of Jerusalem. We read in Isaiah 7:2: “Now the house of David was told, ‘Aram has allied itself with Ephraim’; so the hearts of Ahaz and his people were shaken, as the trees of the forest are shaken by the wind.” (Isaiah 7:2)

Notice how King Ahaz and the people of Judah are addressed as “the house of David” here. This is a reminder that Ahaz stands in the line of the Messiah – the seed of the woman who is yet to come. And so, God sends the prophet Isaiah to King Ahaz to assure him that the attack against Judah will fail and the line of Judah leading to Messiah will continue.

Isaiah tells Ahaz in verses 5-7: “[Aram and Ephraim] have plotted your ruin, saying, 6 ‘Let us invade Judah; let us tear it apart and divide it among ourselves, and make the son of Tabeel king over it.’ 7 Yet this is what the Sovereign Lord says: ‘It will not take place, it will not happen.’” (Isaiah 7:5-7)

And you know what? It didn’t happen! The line of Judah continued, and later on in the New Testament we even find Ahaz listed right there in the genealogy leading up to Christ, just as God foretold. We read in Matthew 1:9: “… Uzziah the father of Jotham, Jotham the father of Ahaz, Ahaz the father of Hezekiah….”

King Ahaz and the people of Judah were safe – for now. Later on, the people of Judah would be exiled due to their lack of faith, but for now the attacks of their enemies would fail. So, this is the background to the prophecy – the earlier prophecy of the seed of the woman, and the attack on Judah during the time of King Ahaz.

II. The miraculous sign (the content of the prophecy)
   – Isaiah 7:14

Now we come to the actual content of the prophecy, which is a prophecy of a great sign. After assuring Ahaz that his enemies will fail, God tells Ahaz to ask him for a sign. Ahaz refuses saying he does not want to put the Lord to the test. Now, Ahaz sounds spiritual here, but he is just making excuses. (We later find out the real reason Ahaz refused was because he did not believe God, and he wanted to form an alliance with the nation of Assyria instead. This would prove disastrous to the people of Judah.)

This leads us to our third great prophecy of Christmas, the prophecy of a great and miraculous sign. Judah was being attacked and there was danger that the line of David would be wiped out, but God promised a great sign that would take place when the promised seed of David finally appeared once and for all. Ahaz refused to ask God for a sign, so Isaiah tells him in Isaiah 7:14:

“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.” (Isaiah 7:14)

This is our third great prophecy of Christmas, and you will notice it has three parts to it.

   A. The virgin will be with child

First, the virgin will be with child. This is the miraculous part of the sign. Now, it’s impossible for a virgin to conceive and be with child. But you see, that’s what makes this a sign. There’s nothing amazing about a non-virgin giving birth to a child. You can find that in any maternity ward in the state. It happens every day. But a virgin conceiving a child? Now that’s a sign!

   B. She will give birth to a son

Secondly, Isaiah says she will give birth to a son. This moves the emphasis from the mother to the child. The sign is not just that a virgin will conceive, but that she will give birth to a specific individual, and that individual will be a son. He will be a male child. This reminds us of the prophecy of the seed of the woman where we are also told that the specific individual who will come and defeat the serpent is a man. God told Satan in Genesis 3:15: “He will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.” (Genesis 3:15)

   C. They will call him Immanuel (which means, “God with us”)

And then the third part of the sign is that they will call him Immanuel, which means, “God with us.” This male child, born of a virgin, born of the seed of the woman, would somehow signal God’s presence with us on earth. The promised seed of David would arrive just as God said, and the sign of his coming would be the virgin birth.

III. The birth of Jesus (the fulfillment of the prophecy)

So, we have looked at the background of the prophecy, and we have looked at the content of the prophecy. Now we come to the fulfillment of the prophecy. And the fulfillment of the prophecy, of course, is found in the birth of Jesus as recorded in the New Testament. And we find this fulfillment affirmed in several places.

   A. The angel’s announcement to Mary (Luke 1:31)

First, we find it in the angel’s announcement to Mary. The angel tells Mary in Luke 1:31: “You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus.” (Luke 1:31) When you compare the angel’s words here with the Isaiah’s prophecy back in Isaiah 7:14, you find that they are almost exactly the same. The only difference is the name of the child. Isaiah said, “They will call him Immanuel,” whereas the angel tells Mary, “You are to give him the name Jesus.” Other than that, they follow the exact same pattern. Mary was a virgin, and yet she would be with child and give birth to a son. So, we find this fulfillment first in the angel’s announcement to Mary.

   B. The angel’s explanation to Joseph (Matthew 1:20)

Next, we find it in the angel’s explanation to Joseph. After Mary became pregnant with Jesus, we read in Matthew 1:20: “An angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, ‘Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.’” (Matthew 1:20) Joseph was afraid that Mary had been with another man, but the angel assured him that what was conceived in her was from the Holy Spirit.

   C. The angel’s instruction to the shepherds (Luke 2:11-12)

And then, thirdly, we find it in the angel’s instructions to the shepherds. After Jesus was born, the angel appeared to the shepherds out in the fields and told them: “Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. 12 This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” (Luke 2:11-12)

Notice that the angel calls the birth of Christ “a sign.” Now, the shepherds didn’t know Mary was a virgin. All they would see is a mother and a child. But the angel knew. The virgin was with child, and she gave birth to a baby boy – just as God promised. The great sign that was prophesied seven centuries earlier had now come to pass, and the proof of it was this newborn baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.

   D. The significance of the virgin birth

So, we have looked at the background of the prophecy, we have looked at the content of the prophecy, and we have looked at the fulfillment of the prophecy. Finally, I would like us to look at the significance of the prophecy. What is the significance of the virgin birth? In closing, let’s look briefly at five reasons why the virgin birth is such a significant event in human history.

      1) Jesus’ birth was a fulfillment of prophecy (Matthew 1:22)

First of all, Jesus’ birth was a fulfillment of prophecy. We read in Matthew 1:22: “All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet….” (Matthew 1:22) Jesus’ birth did not take place in an historical vacuum. His birth was prophesied centuries in advance, and everything took place just as God had foretold. Jesus’ birth was a fulfillment of prophecy.

      2) Jesus’ birth was a miracle of God (Matthew 1:20; Luke 1:37)

Secondly, Jesus’ birth was a miracle of God. That’s what the angel told Joseph in Matthew 1:20: “… what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.” (Matthew 1:20) Some people say, “I don’t believe in the virgin birth. That’s impossible!” No, that’s the point! A miracle is supposed to be impossible – for us. But as the angel told Mary in Luke 1:37: “Nothing is impossible with God.” (Luke 1:37) A miracle is something only God can do. Jesus’ birth was a miracle of God.

      3) Jesus was fully human and fully God (Matthew 1:23)

A third reason the virgin birth is so significant is because Jesus was fully human and fully God. The little baby born in Bethlehem was fully human. He was born of a woman just like you and I were. And yet he was also fully God, for God was his Father and he was born of a virgin. Isaiah prophesied and Matthew confirmed: “… and they will call him Immanuel” – which means, “God with us.” (Matthew 1:23) His name was Jesus, and yet he is also “Immanuel,” for he is fully human and fully God – “God with us.”

      4) Jesus was born without sin (Luke 1:35; 2 Corinthians 5:21)

A fourth reason the virgin birth is significant is because Jesus was born without sin. The angel told Mary in Luke 1:35: “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God.” (Luke 1:35) Conceived by the Holy Spirit, the child himself would be born holy and without sin.

We read in 2 Corinthians 5:21: “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” (2 Corinthians 5:21) Jesus lived a perfect life without sin and offered himself as the perfect sacrifice for sin at the cross, so that we could be saved and receive God’s righteousness through him.

      5) Jesus was born to be our Savior (Matthew 1:21; 1 Timothy 2:5-6)

And then finally, the virgin birth is significant because Jesus was born to be our Savior. We read in Matthew 1:21: “She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” (Matthew 1:21) The name Jesus means “God saves” or “God is salvation.” Jesus’ very name foretold the work that he would do on the cross in dying for our sins.

We read in 1 Timothy 2:5-6: “For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, 6 who gave himself as a ransom for all men.” (1 Timothy 2:5-6) This is why Jesus needed to be fully God and fully man. Only as God could he die for sins. Only as man could he die. Jesus has two names! He is also Immanuel, “God with us,” because only as Immanuel could he also be Jesus, the Savior of the world.

CONCLUSION: You know, Larry King was right. The virgin birth of Jesus defines history for us. Jesus was born of a virgin just as Isaiah prophesied. That means he is the promised seed of the woman as prophesied in Genesis 3. He is the promised seed of Abraham through whom all nations will be blessed. (Genesis 12:3) He is the promised ruler from the tribe of Judah. (Genesis 49:10) He is the promised king from the house of David. (2 Samuel 7:12-13) He is Immanuel, God with us. (Isaiah 7:14) He is God’s only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary – fully God and fully man that he might die for our sins as the Savior of the world. Jesus, and Jesus alone, is the fulfillment of this third great prophecy of Christmas.

© Ray Fowler

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