When we are little, we struggle with the fear of noises in the dark and the monsters we imagine. Almost always, the thing that calms the fears of children is the presence of a parent. We grow up and we grow past our childish fears. But life still brings us plenty of reason to worry, stress, and fear. What we thought was a reason to be afraid as a kid gives way to the real-life experiences of betrayal, frustration, loss, and struggle. Some mask it while others build their identity on it. But no one really solves it on their own. In fact, Christmas is the story of our Creator both seeing our troubles and coming to be with us in the middle of them. Part of the story we read at Christmas refers back to something said hundreds of years before Jesus was born. We’re going to look at this prophecy that gave hope to God’s people for all of those centuries. And we’re going to see that its fulfillment was better than they ever imagined.
