Preached by Rev. Erik Kindem.
Scripture: Isaiah 7:10-16; Matthew 1:18-25
Summary
On this final Sunday of Advent Isaiah's broad strokes become pointed and specific, and we see how two passages—Isaiah 7 & Matthew 1—though centuries apart—are inextricably bound together by a name that has become synonymous with this season: EMMANUEL. As always, when we open the Scriptures, we enter a room in which a conversation has been going on a long time. Today, that conversation in Isaiah is about where you put your trust.
As Joseph will learn, God’s ways of being with us are not passive or placid—more likely, they’re disruptive! When God is with us what was settled becomes unsettled. Life gets complicated.