2025, December 21 ~ Isaiah 7:10-16; Romans 1:1-7; Matthew 1:18-25
TODAY’S READINGS IN CONTEXT
DECEMBER 21, 2025
Isaiah 7:10-16
Reading
10 Again the LORD spoke to Ahaz, saying, 11 Ask a sign of the LORD your God; let it be deep as Sheol or high as heaven. 12 But Ahaz said, I will not ask, and I will not put the LORD to the test. 13 Then Isaiah said: “Hear then, O house of David! Is it too little for you to weary mortals, that you weary my God also? 14 Therefore the LORD himself will give you a sign. Look, the young woman is with child and shall bear a son and shall name him Immanuel. 15 He shall eat curds and honey by the time he knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good. 16 For before the child knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good, the land before whose two kings you are in dread will be deserted.”
Commentary
The Book of Isaiah is a composite of writings from three distinct periods in Ancient Israel’s history. The writings were compiled from about 700 BCE to about 300 BCE. The name “Isaiah” means “YHWH has saved” or “May YHWH save.”
Chapters 1-39 are called “First Isaiah” and are the words of a prophet (one who speaks for YHWH – translated as “LORD” in all capital letters in the NRSV) who called for Jerusalem to repent in the 30 years before Jerusalem came under siege by the Assyrians in 701 BCE. “Second Isaiah” is Chapters 40 to 55. In these chapters, a prophet brought hope to the Judeans during the Exile in Babylon (587 to 539 BCE) by telling them they had suffered enough and would return to Jerusalem. “Third Isaiah” is Chapters 56 to 66 in which a prophet gave encouragement to the Judeans who had returned to Jerusalem (which was largely destroyed by the Babylonians in 587 BCE) after the Exile had ended.
The Jewish Study Bible points out that one of major religious issues faced by First Isaiah was whether Judea should attempt to confront its enemies by using military and diplomatic means and or if it should rely on YHWH to protect them. Isaiah (unlike most of his contemporaries) preferred the latter option.
The New Oxford Annotated Bible observes that three themes dominate the book of Isaiah as it now exists: (1) that YHWH is the moving force behind all historical events; (2) the centrality of Jerusalem for Israel, both for kingship and for worship; and (3) the image of a new ruler who will usher in a new age of justice, righteousness and peace (which developed into the concept of “messiah” in early Jewish and early Christian writings).
Chapter 7 is an account of Isaiah’s involvement in the politics of the Kingdom of Judea in the 20 years preceding the Assyrian conquest of Northern Israel in 722 BCE and his attempts to reassure the king that the Davidic dynasty would continue.
At this point, the King of Judea (Ahaz) was considering entering an alliance with Assyria to protect against Northern Israel and Syria (Aram) – the “two kings you [Ahaz] are in dread” (v.16). Isaiah urged Ahaz not to enter the alliance with Assyria. To strengthen the force of his advice, YHWH (through Isaiah) offered Ahaz a “sign” that Isaiah’s advice was sound (v.11). Ahaz refused (“I will not put the LORD to the test” v.12), but Isaiah persisted in giving a sign.
The Jewish Study Bible says: “It is not clear whether the sign is the woman’s pregnancy, the child’s birth, his name, or his diet; nor is it clear when the sign comes to pass – immediately (if the sign is his name), soon (birth), or several years into the future. Similarly, ambiguities occur in the case of other biblical signs.”
The sign was that a “young woman” (v.14) would bear a son whose name would be Immanuel (God is with us). Notwithstanding Isaiah’s advice, Ahaz became a vassal of Assyria.
The NOAB says that the “young woman” is sometimes identified as Isaiah’s wife or as the wife of Ahaz and the mother of Hezekiah. Hezekiah succeeded Ahaz as the king of Judea and successfully resisted the Assyrians until 701 BCE.
The JSB and The New Jerome Biblical Commentary say that Hebrew word “almah” (young woman in v.14) means a female of marriageable age, whether married or not, and whether a virgin or not. It was translated into Greek in the Septuagint (LXX) as “parthenos” (generally translated as “virgin”). The version of the Hebrew Scriptures that the Gospel writers used for their quotations of scripture was the LXX, which is why Matt. 1:23 quoted Isaiah 7:14 as “a virgin shall conceive and bear a son and they shall name him Emmanuel.”
The New Oxford Annotated Bible says that for the child to eat “curds and honey” (v.15) would mean the child had been weaned and was about two or three years old. It continues that curds and honey are choice foods that would have been obtainable only during a time of peace. The NJBC disagrees and cites 7:22 to support the idea that these foods would have been the only foods available to a defeated nation that had been reduced to pasture land.
Verse 16 is understood to mean that before the child that was borne by the “young woman” reached maturity (had the ability to choose between good and evil), the lands (Syria/Aram and Northern Israel) will be deserted (v.16).
Romans 1:1-7
Reading
1 Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God, 2 which he promised beforehand through his prophets in the holy scriptures, 3 the gospel concerning his Son, who was descended from David according to the flesh 4 and was declared to be Son of God with power according to the spirit of holiness by resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord, 5 through whom we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith among all the Gentiles for the sake of his name, 6 including yourselves who are called to belong to Jesus Christ,
7 To all God’s beloved in Rome, who are called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Commentary
Paul’s letter to the Romans was his longest, last, and most complex letter. It was written in the late 50s or early 60s (CE) to a Jesus Follower community that Paul did not establish. Among other messages in the letter, Paul sought to encourage respectful and supportive relationships between the Gentile Jesus Followers and the Jewish Jesus Followers in Rome.
Nero’s predecessor (Claudius) had expelled the Jews from Rome in 49 CE. During Nero’s reign (54-68 CE), he allowed Jews (including Jewish Jesus Followers) to return, and this created tensions about leadership and worship within the Jesus Follower Community.
Paul died in 63 or 64 CE. Accordingly, the Temple in Jerusalem (which was destroyed in 70) was in full operation all during Paul’s life. As a Jew who was also a Jesus Follower, Paul saw the Jesus Follower Movement as part of a broader Judaism and continued to have expectations about the fullness of the Coming of the Messiah/the Christ, one of the important themes in Romans.
Today’s reading consists of the opening verses of the Letter. The Letter is explicitly addressed to both Jewish Jesus Followers and Gentile Jesus Followers (“all God’s beloved in Rome” v.7).
Paul referred to himself (v.1) as an “apostle” – one who is sent forth to bring good news — and as “set apart” – a phrase used to describe prophets (those who speak for God). Paul connected the Jesus Follower Movement to the Hebrew Scriptures (v.2) and stated that Jesus the Christ was descended from David as a human being (v.3).
Paul asserted that Jesus was “declared to be Son of God” by resurrection from the dead (v.4). In the Gospels (all of which were written later), the declaration that Jesus was the Son of God was said to occur earlier and earlier. In Mark and Matthew, it was at Jesus’ Baptism (Mk.1:1 and 1:11; Matt 3:17) In Luke, it was at the Annunciation to Mary (“He will be called Son of the Most High.” Luke 1:32). In John 1:18, the LOGOS/Word and Jesus the Christ were conflated from “the beginning.”
Paul also stated that Jesus the Christ is our “Lord” (v.4) (“Kyrios” in Greek, the same word used in the Septuagint to translate “YHWH”). The Jewish Annotated New Testament says that calling Jesus “Lord” would have caused those familiar with Jewish Scriptures (particularly 2 Sam. and Ps.2:7) to understand that Jesus as “Lord” would reign righteously. Saying Jesus is “Lord” would also have been a challenge to Roman Emperors such as Claudius and Nero, both of whom claimed to be “son of a god.”
The JANT analyzed resurrection (v.4) as follows: “Resurrection bears witness to God’s action in a way that defies the nature of the present age, declaring thereby that the age to come has begun in the present age, the dawning of the awaited age of the Creator God’s reign on earth over all the nations, through Israel’s king.”
The JANT notes that Paul refers to his adressees as “saints” (v.7) and says: “Gk ‘hagoi’ or ‘holy ones’: those set apart [to God]. Paul never uses the term ‘Christians,’ an indication that the term was not in use yet, and neither was Christianity a separate identity.”
Matthew 1:18-25
Reading
18 Now the birth of Jesus the Messiah took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been engaged to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. 19 Her husband Joseph, being a righteous man and unwilling to expose her to public disgrace, planned to dismiss her quietly. 20 But just when he had resolved to do this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21 She will bear a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” 22 All this took place to fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet:
23 “Look, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel,” which means, “God is with us.” 24 When Joseph awoke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him; he took her as his wife, 25 but had no marital relations with her until she had borne a son; and he named him Jesus.
Commentary
The Gospel of Matthew highlights Jesus’ origins and identity. Written around 85 CE by an anonymous author, the Gospel began Jesus’s genealogy with Abraham and depicted Jesus as a teacher of the Law like Moses. More than any other Gospel, Matthew quoted from the Hebrew Scriptures (using the Greek Septuagint translation) to illustrate that Jesus was the Messiah.
Having been written well after the Destruction of the Temple in 70 CE, the Gospel reflected the controversies between the Jesus Followers and the Pharisees for control of Judaism going forward. Accordingly, the Gospel contains many harsh sayings about the Pharisees. The Gospel is aimed primarily at the late First Century Jewish Jesus Follower community.
The Gospel relied heavily on the Gospel of Mark and included all but 60 verses from Mark. Like Luke, Matthew also used a “Sayings Source” (called “Q” by scholars). There are also a substantial number of stories that are unique to Matthew: the Annunciation of Jesus’ conception was revealed to Joseph in a dream (rather than to Mary by an angel as in Luke); the Visit of the Magi; the Slaughter of the Innocents by Herod; the Flight to Egypt; the Laborers in the Vineyard; and the earthquake on Easter Morning, among others.
Today’s reading is Matthew’s version of Jesus’ birth narrative. According to The New Jerome Biblical Commentary, in Judea in the First Century, 12 was the most common age for a girl to become engaged, and it was customary for the engaged couple (whose relationship involved a contract) to live together. The NJBC and The JANT add that this might not have been the custom in the Galilee.
Under Jewish Law, Joseph (described as a “just” or “righteous” man) would have been within his rights to divorce Mary and subject her to a trial by ordeal before the priest as prescribed in Numbers 5 where she would drink a potion of water, dust, and ink. If she miscarried or her uterus fell, she would be an outcast. Alternatively, if guilty of adultery, she could have been stoned as provided in Deuteronomy 22. But Joseph (as a righteous person) decided to “dismiss her quietly” (v.19).
Similar to Joseph the son of Jacob, Joseph had a dream – a frequent method in the Bible by which God was seen to have communicated to humans. The name “Jesus” is the Greek version of the common first century Jewish name Joshua or Yehoshua, which means “The LORD saves or helps” thereby identifying the mission of the child. The NJBC notes that saving the people “from their sins” (v.21) would have included being saved from opression, exile and foreign domination because they were seen as punishment for sins.
As noted above, Matthew quoted the LXX version of Isaiah 7:14.
The JANT adds that v.25 “does not preclude Mary and Joseph’s having relations after Jesus’ birth” and “the view of Mary’s perpetual virginity develops in the second century, where it is first alluded to in the Protevangelium of James.”
Joseph’s naming of Jesus would have constituted an adoption of Jesus as his son.