Advent in Exile - Christmas Longing With IsaiahSample

For most of us in the modern west, the names we are given are simply pragmatic, it gives us a way to differentiate ourselves from those around us. In contrast, when you read the Bible you really get the impression names are important, and that they mean something. From time to time God will rename someone like Abram (exalted father) who becomes Abraham (Father of Many Nations), or Jacob (he grasps the heel, which is an Idiom for deceiver) who becomes Israel (struggled with God). Jesus likewise renamed his disciple Simon to Peter (Rock). One of the most famous stories of the Old Testament involves God revealing his name YHWH (I Am) to Moses in Exodus 3 from the burning bush. The third commandment forbids taking the Lord’s name in vain. All of this is to say that when we see names being given, especially at the command of God, and for God, they matter.

In this passage, Isaiah prophesies that a virgin will conceive and bear a son who will be called Immanuel. Immanuel means God with us. In Matthew, this prophecy is recalled and yet Joseph is commanded to give him the name Jesus meaning YHWH Saves. In these two names, we learn so much about who Jesus is and what he came for. He is God, identified with the one true God YHWH, and yet he humbled himself and became one of us so that he might save us. Praise God because if you are in Christ then he is with you and he has saved you too.

"In Light of this Advent Season, what is your heart longing for?"

-Wes Viau