Sermons 2025

Text: Isaiah 7:10-17

Theme: Here’s your sign!

Outline
1.    Ahaz’ Sign
2.    Our Sign

Grace, mercy, and peace be to you from God our Father and our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

My dear beloved flock, the text for our mediation today is the Old Testament Lesson of Isaiah chapter seven verses ten through seventeen.

Beloved Lambs, I pray that you are doing well as we get nearer and nearer to the celebration of Christmas. We see a sign of that every year with the Advent Candels. How many are lit. 1…2…3…4…we count closer and closer to Christmas and the Birth of our Lord,. In just a few short days, we light the final candle which means…Christmas is here! Yay! In our text for today, Isaiah tells Ahaz to ask for a sign that is unique to him. Ahaz refuses to obey the Lord so Isaiah says that the Lord Himself will give a sign.  That sign is one of the most famous signs ever of a virgin having a child. Yet, what type of sign is it for Ahaz and what type of sign is it for us today? Ponder those questions as you hear the rest of the sermon. You may go back to your seats and those who love you.

1.    Ahaz’ Sign

Our text begins with Isaiah coming to king Ahaz as he is inspecting the waterways of Jerusalem in preparation for defense and warfare. The kingdom of Judah is under attack from the Kings of Assyria and Syria. Isaiah comes to Ahaz at this time of worry and preparation with a promise from the Lord. To strengthen the faith of Ahaz in this time of doubt, Isaiah declares, ask for whatever you want from the Lord. Isaiah gives Ahaz a blank check from the Lord Himself. Ask for anything you desire to assure Ahaz that God will fulfill His promise of saving Jerusalem from all of her enemies.

Ahaz, in seeming piety, says, “I will not ask.” By this statement, Ahaz shows his rejection of the Lord and His prophet. Clearly, Ahaz had no regard for the Lord, for his prophet, or for the promises of protection made here on the road to the Washerman’s Field. What makes the response of Ahaz so vile is that he pretends to be God-fearing. When God offered such a sign, it was an insult to refuse. Worse than an insult, it was arrogant for this king of Judah to tell the Lord that he did not need or want God’s promises.

This king who here refused the Lord’s sign instead seeks help from a physical worldly power, Assyria. The rejection by Ahaz was symptomatic of the unbelief throughout the kingdom of Judah. They did not believe that the Lord could save them. They trusted rather in their own powers and might. Their unbelief, like all unbelief, could have only one outcome—the judgment of the Lord. That is why Isaiah says, “The Lord is going to provide a sign anyways, here is your sign whether you want it or not.”

2.    Our Sign

What is our sign? How often have we acted like Ahaz in not following the things that God commands. We do not put our trust in God and in His power. We seek out worldly powers and authorities thinking that they will save us. We fall into this sin every four years, if not more, elect this or that politician, they will save us and undo all of the evil of the previous ones. God invites and commands us to pray yet we say, “No I cannot bore God with that small matter, I can handle it on my own. I got this God” We reject God’s good and gracious invitation; we fail trust in Him above all things. Thus, we fall into sin. We reject our God, the gracious invitation He gives to us. We then fall deeper under the judgement of God. What’s our sign? Sinner in thought, word, and deed. 

Thus why Isaiah gives the sign that he does. What is that sign? The virgin will conceive and bear a son and name him Immanuel, God with us. For Ahaz this is a sign of judgement. God will be with His people and redeem them but not through a proud and powerful king, but through a humble and lowly virgin. When this child is born, the power and prestige of the house of David will be no more. The kings that Ahaz’ fears so badly are completely destroyed in only a few years’ time as their wordly power waxes and wanes.

Thanks be to God that Isaiah uses this sign as one of judgement for Ahaz but also as one of redemption for His people and their salvation from their sins of rebellion and distrust. 
Throughout her history, the church has always treasured this sign. It is a treasure because it finds its future fulfillment in Jesus Christ. Matthew makes it especially clear in his Gospel that this sign is fulfilled when the Virgin Mary becomes pregnant with our Lord in order to save us from our sins. Jesus is God himself with us and for us. The Creator of all things, becomes flesh and blood, enters human history to redeem humanity and all of creation. So Isaiah sees it.

This child is the God-man, “true God, begotten of the Father from eternity, and also true man, born of the virgin Mary” (Second Article of the Apostles’ Creed). What a miraculous sign! The one who came to be with us—Jesus—also promised to be with us even after he ascended: “Surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (Matthew 28:20).  Jesus is Immanuel God with us by His very nature of becoming man for us. As we sing in O Come, O Come, Emmanuel, “Come with an outstretched arm and redeem us.” He does outstretch His arm upon the wood of the cross to save you and me from sin, death, and the power of the devil. By His suffering, bleeding, and dying upon the cross, He does what only God can do, bearing all of our sins in His holy Flesh, to restore all of sinful humanity with God once again, now and forever. 

Here’s your sign. For Ahaz a sign of judgement and condemnation of the house of David. For you, a sign of mercy and grace. Through Immanuel God with us, Your sign of Sinner is changed to Saint. Here is the sign, God with you in the flesh. Christ and Him Crucified, defeating not just kings and earthly powers but all of your enemies completely and totally that you may have peace with God forever by His wonderous work, until that day when we see Jesus, our Immanuel in power and glory forever and ever.

The peace of God which surpasses all understanding, guard and keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.