December 8, 2010

Therefore, the Lord will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Emmanuel. Isaiah 7:14

Sometimes I am impatient with the people who seem oblivious of the fact that Jesus was an unusual baby. Babies are not born to virgins, and when that type of birth--never having happened before or since--occurs, wouldn't you think that everyone would immediately suspect that this was a special baby?

But they didn't then and don't now. So they missed the most significant birth in the whole world.

And they also missed the importance of his name! All good Jews know Emmanuel means God with us, but they missed that clue as well! God had been revealing his presence for generations. He caused a cloud to settle over the childrne of Israel and a fire by night to lead them, just to say, "I am here." Several times in the Old Testament he calls himself Jehovah Shammah, God who is here, but they missed the message. Now Isaiah says the baby's name is Emmanuel, and they again miss that message. Not very observant!

But we must not criticize. We too miss Jesus saying, "I am here" because we are looking for the familiar, the usual. Jesus is so often in the unusual.

Father, thank you for being here, for coming in unexpected ways. Help us to recognize you, Amen.