Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, a young woman shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel (Isaiah 7:14).
Take special notice of the three distinct yet interrelated aspects of this inspired Scripture verse: the mother, the child (a son) and his name “Immanuel”.
- The MOTHER is a maiden who has had no children previously. Some early interpreters translate the Hebrew word for “young woman” into the Greek word for “virgin.” Seven hundred years after Isaiah pronounces this astonishing prophecy, the Gospel evangelists Matthew and Luke both demonstrate that the virginity of Mary is the sign that her son is the long-awaited Messiah, the true God with us, who brings salvation to all people.
- The mother’s CHILD is a SON. He is the most significant part of the prophecy. Mary is Virgin and Mother, and her Son Is not a symbol of God’s protection by God Himself who dwells among us.
- IMMANUEL is a prophetic indication of the divine identity and salvific mission of the child. The name conveys the joyful news that Jesus truly and really is God with us.
