Ahaz, King of Judah, is in serious trouble. Under threat from his neighbours to the north, Ahaz thinks about making an alliance with the Assyrians in order to present a more formidable defense. God sends His prophet, Isaiah, to King Ahaz with a message: "Be careful. keep calm and don't be afraid. Do not lose heart because of these two smoldering stubs of firewood…it will not take place, it will not happen" (Isaiah 7:4, 7). Then, along with the promise comes a warning: "If you do not stand firm in your faith, you will not stand at all" (Isaiah 7:9) No matter how strong the enemy appeared to Ahaz, they were still only men coming up against God. It shouldn't be hard to figure out who was going to win that duel.

All of what Isaiah prophesied concerning Israel would not come to pass for another 65 years, so Ahaz had to exercise faith that what God was telling him would come true. He wouldn't be around to see it personally. So Isaiah invited Ahaz to ask for a sign from God which would serve as proof that what Isaiah was saying was truly the Word of the Lord. There were no restrictions on what he could ask: "Ask the Lord for a sign, whether in the deepest depths or in the highest heights" (Isalah 7:11).

Ahaz rejected God's offer. John Martin comments in The Bible Knowledge Commentary that: "Ahaz's answer was impious. He said he did not want to test the Lord, but by refusing to follow God's directive to ask for a confirming miracle, he was testing the Lord's patience."

God sent Ahaz a sign anyway. "The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel …" (Isaiah 7:14). Most Biblical scholars believe that this prophecy has two fulfillments. A child would be born during Ahaz's lifetime to someone Ahaz knew. He would be able to see the development of this child in relation to the events of his day. The child, Immanuel, would be the proof that, just as his name indicated, God was with Judah.

Of course, the second fulfilment of Isaiah's prophecy brought hope not just to God's people, but to the entire world. Jesus, our Immanuel, became literally "God with us" as He took on our skin.

Traditionally, Christmas is all about family. Some people even make the effort at Christmas to get together with family they don't even like! But the incarnation shows us something much more important than even family. and probably has more to do with these not-so-much-appreciated-relatives than we know.  At Christmas, God sent His Son away from home. He not only sent Jesus away, He knowingly sent His only Son to His death. God sent His Son to offer true family to those who preferred a pale imitation of the real thing, to those who wanted nothing to do with fathers, to those who had forgotten what true love was like.

If "God with us" means anything, it should impel us to sacrifice. Jesus came willingly, gave up everything, went to His death so that we could have life. Isn't that what Christmas should mean for us too? Is there not some way that you and I can be more self-less during this Christmas season so that those who most need to see "God with skin" can understand better the message of new life and new family that Jesus came to bring?