Hope Has A Name!

Advent Sermon on Hope as We Prepare for Christmas Text (NIV): Isaiah 7:14

Introduction - Christmas Begins in Darkness

As we move toward Christmas, we’re surrounded by lights, decorations, music, and a sense of celebration. And let me tell you I love it so much. Everything about it just makes me happy. I am in a better mood. Just seeing the tree up in the house, feeling the coolness in the air, hearing the Christmas music and smelling all those incredible smells. What a time it is!

But the first Christmas didn’t start with lights, it started with darkness.

Before the angel appeared to Mary… Before shepherds heard the heavenly choir… Before wise men followed a star… There was fear, uncertainty, and waiting.

And maybe for some of us, Christmas feels that way right now. You’re moving toward Christmas carrying burdens. You’re trying to celebrate, but your heart is shaking like the trees in the wind.

Our lives are full of trials, and the holidays can make those even more difficult. Some for personal reasons, others for losing a loved one. But God....always. There is hope no matter your circumstance.

That’s why Isaiah 7:14 is such a powerful foundation for Advent. It reminds us that Christmas is God’s answer to our deepest need for hope. Not wishful thinking. Not holiday optimism. A Savior. A child. Immanuel-God with us.

Isaiah 7:14 NIV

Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.

Big Idea:

Christmas reminds us that hope is not a feeling hope is a person. Hope has a name, and His name is Jesus.

Context

Before we jump into these three truths, we need to feel what’s happening in Isaiah 7.

Isaiah 7:14 wasn’t first spoken in a peaceful, candlelit moment. It was spoken in a crisis.

Judah is facing invasion. Two kings—Rezin of Aram and Pekah of Israel—have joined forces and are marching toward Jerusalem. Their plan is to overthrow King Ahaz and wipe out the line of David.

That’s why Isaiah 7:2 says:

“…the hearts of Ahaz and his people were shaken, as the trees of the forest are shaken by the wind.” (Isaiah 7:2, NIV)

Ahaz is terrified. He’s inspecting water supplies, preparing for siege, trying to survive on his own strength. So God sends Isaiah to meet him and say, “Don’t be afraid. Trust Me. Stand firm.”

And then the Lord does something gracious—He invites Ahaz to ask for a sign, anything at all, “as deep as the depths or as high as the heights” (Isaiah 7:11).

But Ahaz refuses. He says:

“I will not ask; I will not put the Lord to the test.” (Isaiah 7:12, NIV)

It sounds spiritual, but it’s really unbelief. Ahaz has already decided to trust Assyria instead of trusting God.

So Isaiah says, “Alright then—since you won’t ask for a sign, the Lord Himself will give you one.”

And that’s when we hear the Christmas promise:

“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, NIV)

In Ahaz’s day, that promise meant: God is with His people, and the enemy won’t have the final word. And in the fullness of time, that promise reached its truest meaning at Bethlehem—when Jesus was born of a virgin and was rightly called Immanuel.

So hear this clearly: Isaiah 7:14 is hope spoken into a shaking heart. Hope given in the dark. Hope that God Himself guarantees.

And with that context, let’s look at these three truths.

**1. Hope Is Born in Our Darkest Moments

(Isaiah 7:1–2, NIV)**

Isaiah 7:1–2 NIV

When Ahaz son of Jotham, the son of Uzziah, was king of Judah, King Rezin of Aram and Pekah son of Remaliah king of Israel marched up to fight against Jerusalem, but they could not overpower it. Now the house of David was told, “Aram has allied itself with Ephraim”; so the hearts of Ahaz and his people were shaken, as the trees of the forest are shaken by the wind.

Isaiah 7 begins with Judah in crisis.

Two nations — Aram and Israel — formed an alliance and marched against Jerusalem. King Ahaz is terrified. So terrified that Isaiah 7:2 says:

“…the hearts of Ahaz and his people were shaken, as the trees of the forest are shaken by the wind.”

Their fear was real. Their danger was real. Their hopelessness was real.

And this is the moment God chooses to speak a Christmas promise.

Not when the skies were clear. Not when the armies disappeared. Not when Ahaz had strong faith.

God brings hope exactly where hope seems impossible.

We have all been there, when times feel hopeless, but let me promise you, our God is the God of Hope, the God of making the impossible possible.

I would have never thought it was possible for me to be here with you today.

Christmas is not God waiting for the world to improve — Christmas is God stepping into a world that is broken.

Think about the setting of Jesus’ birth: A stable, not a palace. A manger, not a crib. Shepherds, not dignitaries. A frightened teenage girl. A confused carpenter. A world under oppressive Roman rule.

Christmas has always been God shining His light into dark places.

And if your Christmas this year includes pain… If it includes questions… If it includes loss… If it includes fear…

Then you are in the perfect place for God to speak a promise into your life.

Hope doesn’t wait for calm seasons. Hope is born in crisis. Hope rises in darkness. Hope speaks to the shaking heart.

**2. Hope Rests on a Promise Only God Can Fulfill

(Isaiah 7:14, NIV)**

Isaiah 7:14 NIV

Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.

Now we reach the heart of the prophecy:

“Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign…”

God says, “Ahaz, you’re not responsible for producing hope, I am.”

That’s his message to us as well, He produces Hope, we live in it.

Hope doesn’t begin with us. Hope begins with God.

And here comes the miracle:

“The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son…”

Seven hundred years before Bethlehem, God promises the impossible — a virgin birth. A divine intervention. A supernatural sign.

In other words:

The hope of Christmas does not rest on the strength of people, but on the faithfulness of God.

It is all about Him, this season is all about Him. We can enjoy every part of this season, and life itself, because of the Hope that was given through the greatest gift ever given.

And church, that’s good news today.

Because some of us are trying to hold everything together. We’re trying to fix our families. Trying to control outcomes. Trying to make everything perfect for Christmas. Trying to carry the weight of something only God can carry.

The virgin birth reminds us that God does what only God can do.

We don’t have to place more on ourselves than we need to. But, human nature is for us to “carry the load.” God is the only one who can do that, he is the only one who can carry.

Have you ever watched those strong man competitions? Wow, what a sight that is, unimaginable what those men can do. But, thats just a fraction of what our God can do in our lives. His strength is beyond anything we can ever fathom. But do you trust him?

If God can bring a Savior through a virgin… He can bring peace into your chaos. He can bring strength into your weakness. He can bring direction into your confusion. He can bring joy into your sorrow. He can bring life into what feels dead.

Christmas is proof that God keeps His promises — no matter how long the wait, no matter how dark the night.

**3. Hope Has a Name — Immanuel, God With Us

(Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1:22–23, NIV)**

Isaiah 7:14 NIV

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 says the child will be called Immanuel, meaning “God with us.”

Matthew picks this up when describing the birth of Jesus and cites this prophecy specifically:

“All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: ‘The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel’ (which means ‘God with us’).” (Matthew 1:22–23, NIV)

Matthew 1:22–23 NIV

All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”).

Theological Significance

Old Testament

Immanuel is a sign of God's covenant faithfulness.

It affirms that God is present, even in crisis and judgment.

The name carries both warning (for unbelief) and comfort (for trust).

New Testament

Jesus completes the Immanuel promise.

God is not merely “with” Israel but with humanity in the flesh.

The theme continues through:

Pentecost (God with us by His Spirit),

the Church (Christ among His people),

the New Creation (“The dwelling place of God is with man,” Rev. 21:3).

This is the center of Christmas hope:

God came to be with us.

Not above us. Not against us. Not distant from us. Not waiting for us to climb our way up to Him.

But with us.

With us in the stable moments of life. With us in the silent nights. With us in seasons of struggle. With us in seasons of celebration. With us in grief. With us in joy. With us in the waiting. With us in the wondering.

Immanuel means:

When you walk through the valley - He walks with you.

When you face uncertainty - He stands beside you.

When you feel alone - He surrounds you.

When you pray in desperation - He hears you.

When you feel unworthy - He loves you.

Christmas is God saying, “You will never have to face life alone again, I am ALWAYS there.”

When Jesus cried in the manger, it was God crying with humanity. When Jesus walked on earth, it was God walking among His people. When Jesus died on the cross, it was God saving us. When Jesus rose again, it was God declaring eternal hope.

And now, through the Holy Spirit, God is still with us. He will never leave us. Every moment. Every breath. Every season. Every Christmas.

Hope is not an emotion. Hope is not a season. Hope is not a tradition. Hope is a Savior. Hope is a person. Hope has a name, and His name is Jesus.

Do you believe that this morning?

Conclusion: Hope for Christmas and Beyond

Isaiah 7:14 leads us directly to the manger in Bethlehem:

A virgin will conceive… A child will be born… His name will be Immanuel… God with us.

Isn’t God’s Word incredible? We see prophecies fulfilled, and lives changed. This season, this Christmas season, lets focus on the right things.

So as we prepare for Christmas…

As we wrap presents… Hang lights… Sing carols… Gather with loved ones… And celebrate the birth of Christ…

Let’s remember:

Hope isn’t found under the Christmas tree. Hope is found in the Child who lay in a manger.

And because Jesus came… Because Jesus is with us… And because Jesus will come again…

Trials will not avoid us, but we have hope in all things as log as we have our hope placed in Him.

We can face this season, and every season, with confidence, courage, and joy. And make this the best Christmas ever.

Hope has a name. And His name is Jesus.

If you do not know Him today, I invite you to make that decision now. Allow this Christmas to be your best ever because you can celebrate the one it is all about.