Day Two - The Promise And Prophecy Of Jesus’s Birth
Verse For The Day
Isaiah 7:14
'Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call Him Immanuel.'
'Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call Him Immanuel.'
Before we begin, I want us to hold on to a Hebrew word found in Scripture: Qavah. It is translated as “hope” but carries a different depth, describing the tension of waiting with trust—like a cord pulled tight but not breaking.
Throughout Scripture, God makes promises, and often those promises stretch across years, generations, even centuries. In many ways, the Bible itself is a book of promises, God revealing His heart and His plan to redeem the world. One of the clearest examples of this is found in the book of Isaiah, where God speaks through His prophet about a Saviour who would come to rescue humanity. These weren’t vague predictions or poetic wishes, these were detailed prophecies spoken long before Jesus ever entered history.
In Isaiah 7:14, Isaiah declares to King Ahaz and to the entire house of David: 'Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a Son, and will call Him Immanuel.'
God promised His people that a child would come—one whose very name would mean God with us. Later prophecies in Isaiah and Micah continued to paint a picture of a Messiah who would bring light, peace and restoration.
Isaiah lived around 700 years before Jesus’ birth. Generations passed, nations rose and fell, and yet God’s people continued to qavah—waiting with trust for the fulfilment of His promise. They didn’t see the fulfilment in their lifetime, but they knew God was faithful. Their hope rested not in circumstance but on who God had revealed Himself to be.
Then, in the quiet town of Nazareth, the angel Gabriel appeared to Mary, announcing that she would give birth to the long-awaited Messiah [Luke 1:26-38]. With that message, the ancient promise spoken through Isaiah began to take flesh. The child conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of a virgin, and laid in a manger was the visible fulfilment of God’s word spoken centuries earlier.
Christmas reminds us that God keeps His promises. Not always quickly, not always as we expect, but always faithfully. The birth of Jesus is the ultimate proof that God is not a man who forgets His word or breaks it. He is the God who enters into our waiting, steps into our world, and fulfils what He spoke long before we ever see it take shape.
As modern believers, we will find ourselves waiting - for answers, for direction, for breakthrough. And sometimes, just like Israel, the wait can feel long and promises can feel distant. But Christmas calls us back to the truth that God’s timing is not abandonment; it is faithfulness unfolding. The same God who fulfilled His promise of the Messiah 700 years later is the same God who is working in our lives right now. When we look at what He has already done, our hearts learn how to qavah—to trust in the tension, to hope even when nothing seems to be moving.
This Christmas, reflect on the promises God has spoken over you. Where do you need to trust Him again and let hope rise? Where is God inviting you to believe that He is still working, even in the waiting?
The birth of Jesus is God’s reminder to us all: My promises are sure. My timing is perfect. You can trust Me.
May we enter this Christmas season with renewed qavah, holding tightly to every promise He has spoken. The God who fulfilled His greatest promise will be faithful to fulfil His promises to you.
Throughout Scripture, God makes promises, and often those promises stretch across years, generations, even centuries. In many ways, the Bible itself is a book of promises, God revealing His heart and His plan to redeem the world. One of the clearest examples of this is found in the book of Isaiah, where God speaks through His prophet about a Saviour who would come to rescue humanity. These weren’t vague predictions or poetic wishes, these were detailed prophecies spoken long before Jesus ever entered history.
In Isaiah 7:14, Isaiah declares to King Ahaz and to the entire house of David: 'Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a Son, and will call Him Immanuel.'
God promised His people that a child would come—one whose very name would mean God with us. Later prophecies in Isaiah and Micah continued to paint a picture of a Messiah who would bring light, peace and restoration.
Isaiah lived around 700 years before Jesus’ birth. Generations passed, nations rose and fell, and yet God’s people continued to qavah—waiting with trust for the fulfilment of His promise. They didn’t see the fulfilment in their lifetime, but they knew God was faithful. Their hope rested not in circumstance but on who God had revealed Himself to be.
Then, in the quiet town of Nazareth, the angel Gabriel appeared to Mary, announcing that she would give birth to the long-awaited Messiah [Luke 1:26-38]. With that message, the ancient promise spoken through Isaiah began to take flesh. The child conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of a virgin, and laid in a manger was the visible fulfilment of God’s word spoken centuries earlier.
Christmas reminds us that God keeps His promises. Not always quickly, not always as we expect, but always faithfully. The birth of Jesus is the ultimate proof that God is not a man who forgets His word or breaks it. He is the God who enters into our waiting, steps into our world, and fulfils what He spoke long before we ever see it take shape.
As modern believers, we will find ourselves waiting - for answers, for direction, for breakthrough. And sometimes, just like Israel, the wait can feel long and promises can feel distant. But Christmas calls us back to the truth that God’s timing is not abandonment; it is faithfulness unfolding. The same God who fulfilled His promise of the Messiah 700 years later is the same God who is working in our lives right now. When we look at what He has already done, our hearts learn how to qavah—to trust in the tension, to hope even when nothing seems to be moving.
This Christmas, reflect on the promises God has spoken over you. Where do you need to trust Him again and let hope rise? Where is God inviting you to believe that He is still working, even in the waiting?
The birth of Jesus is God’s reminder to us all: My promises are sure. My timing is perfect. You can trust Me.
May we enter this Christmas season with renewed qavah, holding tightly to every promise He has spoken. The God who fulfilled His greatest promise will be faithful to fulfil His promises to you.