How does Isaiah 7:14 foreshadow the birth of Jesus Christ in Matthew 1:23? Isaiah’s surprising promise • Isaiah 7:14 announces three linked ideas: – “Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign:” – “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son,” – “and she will call Him Immanuel.” • In its immediate setting, this “sign” assured King Ahaz that God was still with Judah. • Yet the wording stretches beyond Ahaz’s day—hinting at a miraculous birth and a Child whose very name means “God with us.” Matthew’s inspired connection • Matthew 1:22-23 explains the nativity through Isaiah’s lens: – “All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet:” – “Behold, the virgin will be with child” – “and will give birth to a son,” – “and they will call Him Immanuel” – “(which means, ‘God with us’).” • Matthew treats Isaiah’s words as a direct, literal prophecy—fulfilled in Jesus’ conception by the Holy Spirit (cf. Luke 1:31-35). Virgin conception: the miraculous sign • Hebrew ʿalmah (“virgin/young woman”) is paired with an unmistakable miracle: conception without a man’s involvement. • Luke records the angel’s explanation: “The Holy Spirit will come upon you… therefore the holy One to be born will be called the Son of God” (Luke 1:35). • Galatians 4:4 echoes the miracle’s timing: “When the fullness of time had come, God sent His Son, born of a woman.” Immanuel: God truly with us • “Immanuel” is more than a title; it states Jesus’ nature. – John 1:14 affirms, “The Word became flesh and tabernacled among us.” – Colossians 2:9 adds, “In Him all the fullness of Deity dwells bodily.” • Jesus’ final promise, “I am with you always” (Matthew 28:20), bookends the Immanuel theme from cradle to ascension. From shadow to substance: prophetic timeline • Foreshadowings leading to Isaiah 7:14: – Genesis 3:15: “He will crush your head, and you will strike His heel.” – Micah 5:2: “from you shall come forth for Me One who will be Ruler over Israel.” • Isaiah enlarges the picture: the Child will be born supernaturally and embody God’s presence. • Matthew unveils the fulfillment: Jesus’ birth to the virgin Mary meets every detail, proving God’s plan never faltered. Living in the light of the fulfilled sign • The virgin birth assures us that salvation is God-initiated, not human-engineered. • “God with us” means Christ is present in every season—comforting, guiding, and empowering. • The precise fulfillment of Isaiah 7:14 anchors our confidence in the reliability of all Scripture promises. |
    |