In the book of Matthew we are given an incredible statement of truth. A truth that has been a stumbling block to every generation of humankind for both the intellectual and the common everyday person. I guess I should back up a few books and a lot of years. In the book of Isaiah chapter 7:14 God is speaking through Isaiah to Ahaz. What appears as a moment of frustration with human doubt, God speaks of a day when God would come and appear, as he had never done in human history.
Is.7:14 Therefore the Lord himself will give you [c] a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and [d] will call him Immanuel.
This verse is repeated in Mt. 1:22-23
22 All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: 23"The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel"[d]—which means, "God with us."
God was making a promise to mankind that He would fulfill many years latter. So why do we as humans still stumble over this spiritual reality? Why can’t we realize that God, the creator of the universe, chose to dwell with us? Was it because it didn’t fit the imagination of humankind? There was no visible blast of cosmic essence that would rival a scene from the opening of the Lord of the Rings movie such as the one where the ring was cut from the hand of the dark Lord Sauron. If you’re not familiar with the movie it was a powerful scene where the essence of evil took a mighty blow.
I personally think the whole stumbling block thing is because of one main reason. God chose to reveal himself in such a way that it would destroy every human paradigm that mankind would or could ever dream of. God tells us in the his word in Isaiah 55
Isaiah 55 8-7
8 "For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways my ways,"
declares the LORD.
9 "As the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways
and my thoughts than your thoughts.
God is simply saying that He is God and we are not. So in light of that it would be a good idea to trust Him with our future. You see that is where the whole break down happens. The creation rebels against the creator and believes that it knows best. It kind of reminds me of certain discussions I have had with my 3-year-old son. He is a very bright young boy; he takes it from his mother, who is quick as a lightening. However he will argue with me about whether or not to properly dress himself for cold weather or buckle-up in his car seat. Things that will protect him and help him seem to not make any sense when I first try to explain it.
So let’s enter the scene 2000 years ago and an angel repeats the words of God to Ahaz to Joseph. The human paradigm is broken and the cosmic explosion takes place but there were no expensive HD cameras rolling to capture the reeling effects of God with us. My thought is that they wouldn’t have captured anything anyhow. It is a higher technology than man could never ever create. The promise was fulfilled and humankind would set forth on a generational struggle to believe it.
So now, if you would, please allow me to introduce another wrinkle into the mix. Why is it that a small child, like my son, would believe that God did this, but a 28-year-old person looks at it like the very idea was conceived by Pixar Animation studios and brought to life via Apple computers? It comes down to one thing…you want to know what it is?
Faith.
Faith that provides security, that propels, that cries out against the mind of humankind and says yes you can believe that the creator of the universe chose to dwell with us. He chose to give us another chance. Just like I choose to love my son and chase him down to get dressed so he won’t freeze in the cold because he only wants to wear his superman underpants or buckle him up in the car seat so just in case we get into a wreck he will not fly through the windshield.
A child can come to faith so much faster than an adult. Why? It’s because of their hearts. The mortar of doubt has not hardened them. They can be chased down. They can believe because they will eventually believe us because they trust us.
God chased us down 2000 years ago. He caught up with us when he caught up with Joseph. The stumbling block became the chief cornerstone. Immanuel is the primary thing, which can hold us up when the world comes crashing down. A promise is a promise, is a promise. God promised us that he would dwell with us and he did that very thing. Will you choose to believe? Or will you keep running with your ideals and distorted beliefs that were created in the mind of a rebellious world. I guess God is greater and his ways are higher than our ways. So why not catch the cosmic blast and set your spiritual sails and fly with Him.
Just a thought...
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