In this message, we reflect on the connection between Isaiah’s prophecy and Matthew’s gospel, uncovering how the ancient cry of “God with us” becomes tangible through the birth of Christ. From the threat of war in Isaiah’s time to the vulnerability of a child in a manger, we dive into how God’s presence transcends fear, conflict, and despair to bring peace, justice, and restoration.

Last week we talked about the words and the Word and how important it is to keep Jesus at the centre of our imagination. Our question for today though is how that conviction shapes how we read the Bible. Our second affirmation at Commons is this: The scriptures lead us to the realization that Jesus is the only exact representation of the divine and that God has always looked like Jesus even when we didn’t see that clearly. With Jesus being our north star for navigating the Bible, we will look at three examples of reading the Bible through Jesus.