For Unto Us a Child is Born

The Book of Isaiah is one of the most important books of the Old Testament. Messianic prophesies about the birth of Jesus (Yeshua) in Hebrew and God’s Suffering Servant, Jesus, the promised Messiah of Israel are included in this great book written from the mid to late 8th century BC. Christianity has often called the book of Isaiah the fifth Gospel.

Isaiah 7:14 The Holy Bible, English Standard Version, (ESV), 2001

Therefore the Lord will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.

Isaiah:9:6-7 The Holy Bible, English Standard Version, (ESV), 2001

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will do this.

Isaiah 11:1-2 (KJV) The Holy Bible, King James Version, 1611

And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots: And the spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD.

Isaiah 53:1-12 (The Jewish Bible) Tanakh The Holy Scriptures ~The New JPS Translation According to the Traditional Hebrew Text ~

Who can believe what we have heard? Upon whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed? For he has grown, by His favor, like a tree crown,
Like a tree trunk out of arid ground. He had no form or beauty, that we should look at him: No charm, that we should find him pleasing.
He was despised, shunned by men,
A man of suffering, familiar with disease.
As one who hid his face from us,
He was despised, we held him of no account.
Yet it was our sickness that he was bearing.
Our suffering that he endured.
We accounted him plagued,
Smitten and afflicted by God;
But he was wounded because of our sins,
Crushed because of our iniquities.
He bore the chastisement that made us whole,
And by his bruises we were healed.
We all went astray like sheep,
Each going his own way;
And the LORD visited upon him
The guilt of all of us.

He was maltreated, yet he was submissive,
He did not open his mouth;
Like a sheep being led to slaughter,
Like a ewe, dumb before those who shear her,
He did not open his mouth.
By oppressive judgment he was taken away,
Who could describe his abode?
For he  was cut off from the land of the living
Through the sin of my people, who deserved the punishment.
And his grave was set among the wicked,
And with the rich, in his death
Though he had done no injustice
And had spoken no falsehood.
But the LORD chose to crush him by disease,
He might see offspring and have long life,
Out of his anguish he shall see it;
He shall enjoy it to the full through his devotion.

My righteous servant makes the many righteous,
It is their punishment that he bears;
Assuredly, I will give him the many as his portion,
He shall receive the multitude as his spoil.
For he exposed himself to death
And was numbered among the sinners,
Whereas he bore the guilt of the many
And made intercession for sinners.

Isaiah 60:6

Dust clouds of camels shall cover you,
Dromedaries of Midian and Ephah.
They shall bear gold and frankincense,
And shall herald the glories of the LORD.

O Come, O Come, Emmanuel

O Come, O Come, Emmanuel…Advent ~ “The Coming” in Latin.

Known as the oldest of all the Christmastime carols, a monk or a priest wrote this hymn around AD 800. Initially sung only in Latin during Catholic mass, the words, from Isaiah 7:14, were written to teach who the Messiah was and what He was sent to do. In many churches the stanzas of this song were sung one each week during Advent in anticipation of Christ’s birth on Christmas morning. #familylife.

Advent, “the coming” in Latin, the coming of the Savior. The candles remind us of the light of God coming into the world, and the light from the candles grows brighter as each week comes closer to Christmas.

The weeks of Advent remind us to set aside some of the hectic business of the holiday season, and to quietly reflect on the promise of the baby born in Bethlehem 2000 years ago. Each night we read Scriptures related to the Advent themes of waiting, preparation, light in the darkness, and the coming of the promised Messiah which includes Messianic prophecies in the Old Testament and many have been fulfilled in the New Testament.

The first candle which is lit on the first Sunday of Advent, represents the HOPE of Jesus’ arrival and is sometimes called the prophet’s candle.
Jesus is our Hope.

The second candle, which is lit on the second Sunday of Advent, is called the Bethlehem candle, PEACE. Jesus is our Peace our Shalom.

The third is the shepherd’s candle…JOY. Jesus is Joy!

The fourth Sunday of Advent is observed by the lighting of the angel’s candle, Christ’s LOVE. The Love of Christ compels us. 2 Corinthians 5:14.