Jesus’ Sign

“Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.” Isaiah 7:14

People say it’s good to know the surrounding areas before taking your behind-the-wheel driving test. The first time I failed my driver’s test I turned right on a ‘no right on red’ intersection. I didn’t know the area, and I didn’t follow the signs.

Signs are meant to help us. Road signs tell us what are the safest speeds to be driving in a given area. Construction signs tell us where not to park and what roads to avoid. Restaurant signs tell us if the store is open or closed. My favorite sign is the one at Krispy Kreme that lights up when donuts are being freshly made.

A long, long time ago God gave the world a sign. He said the virgin will conceive and give birth to a child. This child will be called Immanuel.

“The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”). Matthew 1:23

Immanuel means God with us. In His sign, God is clearly telling us that Jesus will be God on earth. So it’s no surprise that Jesus would live a perfect life. Through His life Jesus teaches us how to be compassionate, how to love, how to care… He tells us how to pray, and He shows us how to serve. He washes the feet of His disciples, and He feeds 5000.

God gave us a sign that Jesus would be born, but Jesus himself is also a sign. Jesus is a sign to us of how we should be living. His perfect life is the model of how God intended for humanity to live. He’s the sign that points which direction to go and which turns to make in our lives so that we may join Him in Heaven.

If I had followed the signs maybe I would have passed my license exam on the first try. Signs guide and direct the people that are trying to follow them. They also try to help you get to where you’re going. I want to live my life in a way that is always following the sign of Jesus. Sometimes I may fall short and sometimes I might completely miss the mark, but the beauty of God’s love is that it will never be revoked. I will never fail that test no matter how terrible I feel for not being closer to God.

Let all signs lead you to celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ. Look out for the signs. They’re meant to help you.