Isaiah 7:10–16 Unsolicited, God offers to fulfil any request Ahaz wants, but Ahaz raises doubts. This annoys God, who was attempting to provide evidence of God’s presence with Ahaz and his people. God pronounces that a baby will soon be born from a young woman, who will name her baby Immanuel. This baby will save Ahaz’s kingdom from his enemies before he is even old enough to walk.
Psalm 80:1–7, 17–19 This psalm starts by acknowledging the sovereignty of God over the Israelites and basically pointing to the history they have together. Then it begs plaintively for the end of the people’s suffering, asking that God would restore things back to the way they were. Finally, there’s a kind of reminder toward the end that the Israelites had been God’s chosen people, and it asks for such favour again.
Romans 1:1–7 This text is effectively a long introduction to the message coming after it, but it’s still important. It’s referring to Paul in the third person, aiming to lend credence to his calling as a messenger of the gospel. It’s also laying out the most important specifics of what the gospel is about, and since it’s written to non-Jews, or gentiles, it’s explicit in stating that Jesus and his message were for them, and that he loved them and not just the people of Israel.
Matthew 1:18–25 When Joseph discovered his fiancée, Mary, was pregnant, he wasn’t so sure he bought the “I was impregnated by the Holy Spirit” thing, so he was going to break it off quietly. But then an angel spoke to him, confirming that this was what was going on and that this was part of the fulfilment of prophecy, which meant this baby was kind of a big deal.
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