神与我们同在
当希西家在犹大作王时，亚述人毁灭了撒玛利亚，又掳去住在以色列北部的支派。后来，他们来到耶路撒冷的城门，亚述军队的元帅这样嘲讽以色列民：“列国的神，有哪一个救他本国脱离亚述王的手呢？”(列王纪下18:33)。耶路撒冷众民都很惊惶；然而，以赛亚先前曾经预言说：“必有童女怀孕生子，给他起名叫以马内利。”换句话说：百姓需要信得过神必定与他们同在，这就是以马内利的意思。
在今天，跟随耶稣的人已经看到这个预言中提到的耶稣第一次降临了。耶稣是从童女所生，祂也是“神与我们同在”——以马内利。神的使者从亚述人手中拯救以色列民 (列王纪下19:35-36)，而耶稣则拯救我们脱离魔鬼的奴役，脱离我们犯罪本性的权势，和脱离来自我们这个坠落世代的引诱。
耶稣从童女马利亚所生这个事实，显明我们的主是何等奇妙。耶稣是神的儿子，祂与神一样有永恒的属性，以马内利既与我们同在，我们便无所畏惧了。以马内利与我们同在——如果神与我们同在，谁能敌挡我们呢？以马内利与我们同在，靠着爱我们的主，在一切的事上我们已经得胜有余了 (罗马书8:31-37)。
主啊，祢的降生应验了先知的预言；祢在掌管历史。以马内利啊，求祢今天掌管我的生命，感谢祢。奉祢的名祷告，阿们。
马太福音 1:18-23
18耶稣基督降生的事记在下面：他母亲马利亚已经许配了约瑟，还没有迎娶，马利亚就从圣灵怀了孕。
19她丈夫约瑟是个义人，不愿意明明地羞辱她，想要暗暗地把她休了。
20正思念这事的时候，有主的使者向他梦中显现，说：“大卫的子孙约瑟，不要怕！只管娶过你的妻子马利亚来，因她所怀的孕是从圣灵来的。
21她将要生一个儿子，你要给他起名叫耶稣，因他要将自己的百姓从罪恶里救出来。”
22这一切的事成就是要应验主藉先知所说的话，
23说： 必有童女怀孕生子； 人要称他的名为以马内利。 （以马内利翻出来就是“神与我们同在”。）
Born Of A Virgin
“The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.” — Isaiah 7:14
In the days of King Hezekiah of Judah, the Assyrians destroyed Samaria and took the northern tribes of Israel captive. Later, they were at the gates of Jerusalem. In mockery the Assyrian field commander derided the people: “Has the god of any nation ever delivered his land from the hand of the king of Assyria?” (2 Kings 18:33). All the people of Jerusalem were terrified. But Isaiah had prophesied earlier, “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.” In other words, the people needed to trust that God was with them—that’s what Immanuel means.
Jesus’ followers today see the first coming of Jesus in this prophesy. Jesus was both born of a virgin and is “God with us,” Immanuel. God’s angel delivered Israel from the Assyrians (2 Kings 19:35-36), and Jesus delivers us from the tyranny of the devil, from the power of our sinful nature, and from the temptations of our fallen world.
The fact that Jesus was born to Mary, a virgin, reveals amazing things about the Lord. Jesus is the Son of God and has the same eternal nature as God. Immanuel is with us; we have nothing to fear. Immanuel is with us—and since God is for us, who can stand against us? Immanuel is with us; in all things we are more than conquerors through Christ, who loves us (Romans 8:31-37).
Lord, your birth fulfills the prophecy; you control history. Take control of my life today, O Immanuel. Thank you. Amen.
诵读: 楚云
片头: 张妙阳
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