The cross is our sign of hope
by Kimberley Pfeiffer
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Behold the virgin shall conceive and bear a son and shall call his name Immanuel (Isaiah 7:14b).
I recently heard a Christian woman speak about a period of great suffering in her life, where she prayed for and received a very tangible sign of hope from God amid her despair. In today’s reading, we find how common it is in Scripture for God to give signs to his people in their suffering to remind them of his faithfulness. God commanded Isaiah to go to King Ahaz and urge him to remain steady in faith because war was about to erupt around him. God offered Ahaz a sign. He said it could be as big or small as he liked, but King Ahaz didn’t take God up on his offer. He said, ‘I will not ask, and I will not put the Lord to the test’. Although King Ahaz sounds a bit stoic and slightly pious to ‘not put God to the test’, his sentiment was not a good way to respond to God. Why? Because King Ahaz didn’t want to accept God’s sign and depend fully on God. If he did, he would be required to wait in hope for that sign to be fulfilled.
Even though Ahaz lacked faith, this story reminds us of God’s character. God cannot be anything other than faithful and merciful; his graciousness is not dependent on how fickle his people are. Even when they didn’t want to receive his mercy, God overarched their story so that his name could be magnified and proclaimed on all the earth (Romans 9:17). Despite King Ahaz’s hard heart, God gave his people a sign so shocking that when it came to pass, it couldn’t be counted as anything but a miracle from God. What was this sign? ‘Behold the virgin shall conceive and bear a son and shall call his name Immanuel.’
As Christians living in these end times, we know God has already redeemed us through his Son, who was born of the virgin, as Isaiah prophesied. Like King Ahaz, our faith can grow weak when we do not trust completely in God. Our hope is found by way of the cross. Through Christ’s suffering, death and resurrection, he has won for us new life in him. We have hope in our own sufferings because, by our own crosses, we are encouraged because we know that through it, God is with us and for us and will be to the very end of the age.
Merciful God, grant us the faith to trust in your promises and cling to you in hope. Help us along life’s way, especially when we are suffering. Grow our faith in you so we can remain firmly grafted in your love now and in eternity. Through Christ, our Lord, Amen.
Kimberley Pfeiffer is married to Pastor Joshua, and they have four children. Kimberley served in various capacities in the LCA Churchwide Office before moving to the USA at the beginning of 2022 for Joshua to complete his PhD studies. In God’s provision, Kimberley has been given the opportunity to study a Master of Arts (Theology) degree at Concordia Theological Seminary, St Louis, which she says she is enjoying very much.
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