One of my professors at theological college was a Jewish rabbi. When we discussed this passage of scripture, he told the class that most Jews interpret “virgin” as “young woman”, but his understanding of the original Hebrew was that “virgin” was the correct interpretation.

The Good News that Christians celebrate is that God is not only present with us, but active in our lives and interacting with us in the most caring and miraculous ways. We celebrate a God who cares about us so much that he came into our world in the person of his son. The Creator entered into his creation, to transform us from perishable to imperishable, from dust into eternal children of the living God.

“In life, in death, in life beyond death, Immanuel! (God is with us!) Thanks be to God!” – A New Creed

Lord Jesus, thank you for being our Immanuel. Thank you for entering into our broken world and our broken lives. Thank you for being with me even when I don’t see you or even want you with me. Thank you for loving me, forgiving me, transforming me each step of the way. Amen.

If you missed an entry in our Advent devotions series, please click here to see all previously posted devotions.