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The LORD spoke to Ahaz again. He said, “Ask for a sign from the LORD your God. Ask for it either in the depths below or in the heights above.” But Ahaz responded, “I will not ask. I will not test the LORD.” So Isaiah said: Listen now, you house of David. Is it not enough for you to test the patience of men? Will you test the patience of my God as well? Therefore the Lord himself will give a sign for all of you. Look! The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son and name him Immanuel. Isaiah 7:10-14 (EHV)

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Have you ever seen a Mission Impossible movie with Tom Cruise? There are eight of them! They have crazy stunts—people hanging from planes, jumping between buildings, and doing things that seem totally impossible. But by the end, all the good guys make it through safely, and the day is saved.

A long time ago, over 700 years before Jesus was born, there was a king named Ahaz. Life looked really hard for the people of Judah. They were sad and worried because it seemed like everything was going wrong. But God promised to help them—even when it seemed impossible.

God wanted Ahaz to ask for a sign to show that he would keep his promise, but Ahaz didn’t want to. So God gave a special sign anyway—the promise of the Savior, Jesus! Jesus would be born from a virgin, and his name would be Immanuel, which means “God with us.” That’s amazing, isn’t it? God promised to be with his people, and he kept that promise by sending Jesus.

Jesus did the most impossible mission ever. He was born as a baby in Bethlehem. He lived a perfect life, died on the cross for us, and promised that everyone who believes in him will be with God forever in heaven. That’s the true miracle of Christmas—God with us, Jesus for us, forever!

Dear Jesus, you are Immanuel, “God with us.” What a beautiful name! Thank you for coming to us, even when it seemed impossible. Help us remember that you are always with us and that “with you,” all things are possible. Lift up our spirits in joy this week as we welcome your deliverance. Amen.

The questions below are to help families discuss this devotion. The questions are divided by age group as suggestions, but anyone could reflect on any of the questions as they desire.

Questions for Younger Children

Questions for Elementary Age Children

Questions for Middle School and Above

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