immanuel

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

I've recently started reading Isaiah to prepare for the christmas season. It is always so cool to find nuggets like these that explicitly point to Jesus Christ. This was written in 735 BC, also known as over 700 years before the birth of this Immanuel. 

Immanuel meaning "God is with us." The God of the universe has come down and is with us. To free us from the chains of sin and bondage. To teach us how to live the way we were created to live. To give us a taste of home. 

Ask all of my friends, I am not one to celebrate Christmas before the Christmas season. When the day after halloween there are wreaths everywhere and I hate it. When people try to play the Christmas music station, I always force them to change it if it is not December. But this is different. I really want my heart to feel the joy of Christ's birth and arrival into our world that is headed nowhere. To rejoice in my Immanuel. 

also, when the Civil Wars do a Christmas Cover, you know you have to listen.