Read Isaiah 9:1-7
This may be one of the most famous
Christmas passages in all the Bible.
It is a passage that helps us celebrate the God who became a baby.
“For a child will be born to us…”
It is an amazing passage all by itself.
It was one thing for God to be willing to become a man,
But for God to be willing to become a baby is mind boggling.
But He did.
He became a child.
And since God became a child,
This passage holds a tremendous amount of popularity with us.
But I would imagine that this passage was very popular,
Even before Jesus was born.
The reason of course is because it is full of so much hope.
This passage breeds anticipation,
And since that is our theme for Christmas this year,
Tonight, we are going to look and see exactly what to anticipate.
You do need to know a little background here.
At this time, Ahaz is King in Judah, and he wasn’t one of the better kings.
He did many foolish things,
2 Kings 16:2-4 “Ahaz was twenty years old when he became king, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem; and he did not do what was right in the sight of the LORD his God, as his father David had done. But he walked in the way of the kings of Israel, and even made his son pass through the fire, according to the abominations of the nations whom the LORD had driven out from before the sons of Israel. He sacrificed and burned incense on the high places and on the hills and under every green tree.”
One of which was trying to form an alliance with Assyria.
2 Kings 16:7-8 “So Ahaz sent messengers to Tiglath-pileser king of Assyria, saying, “I am your servant and your son; come up and deliver me from the hand of the king of Aram and from the hand of the king of Israel, who are rising up against me.” Ahaz took the silver and gold that was found in the house of the LORD and in the treasuries of the king’s house, and sent a present to the king of Assyria.”
Of course this was the same Assyria who would completely conquer the Northern Kingdom, and nearly conquer Judah.
Which is what we find Isaiah prophesying in Isaiah 8
Isaiah 8:7-8 “Now therefore, behold, the Lord is about to bring on them the strong and abundant waters of the Euphrates, Even the king of Assyria and all his glory; And it will rise up over all its channels and go over all its banks. “Then it will sweep on into Judah, it will overflow and pass through, It will reach even to the neck; And the spread of its wings will fill the breadth of your land, O Immanuel.”
There was a very difficult time on the horizon for the people of Judah.
Aside from the ignorant King who led the people away from God,
The end of chapter 8 reveals why the people are in danger,
And just how bad God says it is going to get.
Isaiah 8:19-22 “When they say to you, “Consult the mediums and the spiritists who whisper and mutter,” should not a people consult their God? Should they consult the dead on behalf of the living? To the law and to the testimony! If they do not speak according to this word, it is because they have no dawn. They will pass through the land hard-pressed and famished, and it will turn out that when they are hungry, they will be enraged and curse their king and their God as they face upward. Then they will look to the earth, and behold, distress and darkness, the gloom of anguish; and they will be driven away into darkness.”
A terrible time is not only upon them, but a terrible time is coming.
This is the setting for the prophecy of Isaiah 9:1-7.
And in this time of peril, doom and gloom,
God gives His people 7 promises that they could anticipate.
I believe they certainly must have held fast these promises
With the greatest of anticipation.
Tonight, we will look at them and see why we, like they, should also have this same anticipation.
#1 THE PROMISE OF A PRIVILEGED RENOWN
Isaiah 9:1
God was going to make them something special.
A nation of great renown, a nation with great glory.
He had just promised a time of hardship,
But that time would eventually come to an end.
The difficulty they would face would be overtaken by glory.
You can see why they would have held on to this promise.
If life is going hard,
If destruction is surrounding you,
If you are under God’s punishment,
Wouldn’t you eagerly look for the day when God would once again cause His face to shine upon you?
Wouldn’t you eagerly wait for the day when God would make you glorious in the world?
This was their promise.
Now, when Jesus walked the earth, we saw part of it’s fulfillment.
Matthew 4:12-16 “Now when Jesus heard that John had been taken into custody, He withdrew into Galilee; and leaving Nazareth, He came and settled in Capernaum, which is by the sea, in the region of Zebulun and Naphtali. This was to fulfill what was spoken through Isaiah the prophet: “THE LAND OF ZEBULUN AND THE LAND OF NAPHTALI, BY THE WAY OF THE SEA, BEYOND THE JORDAN, GALILEE OF THE GENTILES — “THE PEOPLE WHO WERE SITTING IN DARKNESS SAW A GREAT LIGHT, AND THOSE WHO WERE SITTING IN THE LAND AND SHADOW OF DEATH, UPON THEM A LIGHT DAWNED.”
When Matthew saw Jesus walk through Galilee, it just clicked.
He knew this is what Isaiah was talking about.
Jesus brought hope to the hopeless,
And just His presence made that land glorious.
We still anticipate the fulfillment of that prophecy.
We still anticipate the day when we are removed from a world that hates us so that we may be glorified by Christ.
Christians aren’t popular in the world.
Paul said it like this.
Romans 8:36 “Just as it is written, “FOR YOUR SAKE WE ARE BEING PUT TO DEATH ALL DAY LONG; WE WERE CONSIDERED AS SHEEP TO BE SLAUGHTERED.”
2 Corinthians 4:7-11 “But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, so that the surpassing greatness of the power will be of God and not from ourselves; we are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not despairing; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying about in the body the dying of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body. For we who live are constantly being delivered over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh.”
It is that same fact that we have been studying as we have looked at 1 Peter.
Christians are rejected.
We live in a difficult time,
But we long for the day when, He shall make us glorious.
1 John 3:1-2 “See how great a love the Father has bestowed on us, that we would be called children of God; and such we are. For this reason the world does not know us, because it did not know Him. Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we will be. We know that when He appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is.”
With the same anticipation they must have had,
We look for the day when we receive our renown.
Revelation 20:4 “Then I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was given to them. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony of Jesus and because of the word of God, and those who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received the mark on their forehead and on their hand; and they came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years.”
We anticipate the fulfillment of our promise.
#2 THE PROMISE OF PERSONAL RELIEF
Isaiah 9:2
He said in chapter 8:22 “Then they will look to the earth, and behold, distress and darkness, the gloom of anguish; and they will be driven away into darkness.”
They were a people who knew hardship was coming.
But here He promised a day when they could escape the darkness.
He promised a day when the hopeless would have hope.
Again Matthew said this happened when Jesus walked the earth.
Those people in the regions of Naphtili and Zebulun saw the Light.
But we also long for this fulfillment.
Certainly now we have wisdom from God,
But we long for the day when we have perfect understanding.
1 Corinthians 13:8-12 “Love never fails; but if there are gifts of prophecy, they will be done away; if there are tongues, they will cease; if there is knowledge, it will be done away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part; but when the perfect comes, the partial will be done away. When I was a child, I used to speak like a child, think like a child, reason like a child; when I became a man, I did away with childish things. For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face; now I know in part, but then I will know fully just as I also have been fully known.”
We anticipate this day when we know fully.
BUT EVEN MORE THAN THAT (Knock Him Out John)
We long for the day when we have relief from this futile life.
We long for the day when the curse is gone.
We long for the day when death can no longer taunt us.
1 Corinthians 15:20-26 “But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who are asleep. For since by a man came death, by a man also came the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive. But each in his own order: Christ the first fruits, after that those who are Christ’s at His coming, then comes the end, when He hands over the kingdom to the God and Father, when He has abolished all rule and all authority and power. For He must reign until He has put all His enemies under His feet. The last enemy that will be abolished is death.”
We long for personal relief
#3 THE PROMISE OF PLEASANT REJOICING
Isaiah 9:3
Now if the nation was as bad as Isaiah said it was,
You and I both know there wasn’t much rejoicing going on.
It was a time of despair.
But they could hope for a better day.
God promised a day when they would have joy.
And certainly the first time Christ came, we did receive joy.
John 10:10 “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.”
John 15:11 “These things I have spoken to you so that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full.”
But the joy prophesied here is even bigger than that.
This speaks of a joy after the harvest, we are still in it.
This speaks of a joy after the battle, we are still in it.
We will have this joy later.
Revelation 19:1-6 “After these things I heard something like a loud voice of a great multitude in heaven, saying, “Hallelujah! Salvation and glory and power belong to our God; BECAUSE HIS JUDGMENTS ARE TRUE AND RIGHTEOUS; for He has judged the great harlot who was corrupting the earth with her immorality, and HE HAS AVENGED THE BLOOD OF HIS BOND-SERVANTS ON HER.” And a second time they said, “Hallelujah! HER SMOKE RISES UP FOREVER AND EVER.” And the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God who sits on the throne saying, “Amen. Hallelujah!” And a voice came from the throne, saying,”Give praise to our God, all you His bond-servants, you who fear Him, the small and the great.” Then I heard something like the voice of a great multitude and like the sound of many waters and like the sound of mighty peals of thunder, saying, “Hallelujah! For the Lord our God, the Almighty, reigns.”
There is a shout of joy that can only come after the battle,
And that is the joy we greatly anticipate.
The day when the enemy is thrown down.
The day when sin is gone.
The day when false religion is exposed.
On that day we stand in victory and joyously shout!
#4 THE PROMISE OF PEACEFUL REST
Isaiah 9:4-5
He speaks of that day when God would break the yoke of their oppressors.
When the chains would be torn in two, and they could have peace from opposition.
Of course this did come in a spiritual sense during Christ’s first coming, when we were freed from sin. The condemnation that sin brought was removed from us.
Romans 8:1-4 “Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death. For what the Law could not do, weak as it was through the flesh, God did: sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and as an offering for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh, so that the requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.”
But this passage hasn’t been totally fulfilled,
For we still wage war in the flesh against sin.
We anticipate the day when we have peace from this battle.
We anticipate the day when we no longer struggle against this world,
But when we are finally at peace.
Revelation 21:1-4 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth passed away, and there is no longer any sea. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, made ready as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men, and He will dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be among them, and He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away.”
That day when heart ache and pain are gone, and we can truly be at perfect peace.
#5 THE PROMISE OF A PERFECT RULER
Isaiah 9:6
I told you what a blunder Ahaz was, how he gave the gold to Assyira, if you read on in I Kings 16, you’d see how he demolished the temple furniture in order to build an altar to the god of Damascus.
DON’T YOU THINK THE PEOPLE OF ISRAEL LONGED FOR A PERFECT RULER?
One who would rule in WISDOM…
One who was a Wonderful Counselor
One who would rule in POWER…
One who was a Mighty God.
One who would rule forever…
One who was an Everlasting Father.
One who would keep them safe…
One who was a Prince of Peace.
DON’T YOU THINK THEY LONGED FOR HIM?
Now certainly we saw Jesus at His first coming,
But He never sat on a throne.
He hasn’t begun to reign upon the earth yet.
So this promise is still for the future.
We anticipate His rule on the earth.
And regardless of what you think of our President, or the last President, it will be a wonderful day when Jesus begins to rule!
Revelation 19:11-16 “And I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse, and He who sat on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and wages war. His eyes are a flame of fire, and on His head are many diadems; and He has a name written on Him which no one knows except Himself. He is clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. And the armies which are in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, were following Him on white horses. From His mouth comes a sharp sword, so that with it He may strike down the nations, and He will rule them with a rod of iron; and He treads the wine press of the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty. And on His robe and on His thigh He has a name written, “KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.”
We still anticipate this day.
#6 THE PROMISE OF A PROSPEROUS REALM
Isaiah 9:7a
We are promised a prosperous kingdom that will go on forever.
There will be no end to it.
Certainly as they were watching their country fall to Assyria,
They were longing for the fulfillment of this verse.
And while we did see the Kingdom of God come in a spiritual sense after Jesus first coming, we still await the coming of His kingdom in a literal physical sense.
We still anticipate the day when the Kingdom comes!
Revelation 22:1-5 “Then he showed me a river of the water of life, clear as crystal, coming from the throne of God and of the Lamb, in the middle of its street. On either side of the river was the tree of life, bearing twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit every month; and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. There will no longer be any curse; and the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and His bond-servants will serve Him; they will see His face, and His name will be on their foreheads. And there will no longer be any night; and they will not have need of the light of a lamp nor the light of the sun, because the Lord God will illumine them; and they will reign forever and ever.”
That is a day we still anticipate.
#7 THE PROMISE OF A PASSIONATE REALIZATION
Isaiah 9:7b
We are promised that God Himself will bring this fact about.
And this is a glorious promise.
We don’t just hope this will happen, we know it will.
Revelation 22:6 “And he said to me, “These words are faithful and true”; and the Lord, the God of the spirits of the prophets, sent His angel to show to His bond-servants the things which must soon take place.”
We often read this passage
As though it was fulfilled at the birth of Christ,
When nothing could be further from the truth.
It was partially fulfilled at the birth of Christ, but most of it still waits to be fulfilled.
We ought to be living in the same anticipation that they lived in.
We ought to be longing for the Messiah like they were.
We ought to be craving that sweet peace like they did.
It will truly be a wonderful thing,
When the Messiah puts His feet back upon this earth.
Imagine how great it will be when He comes back!
Imagine how wonderful.
Renown instead of humiliation
Relief from the curse
Rejoicing instead of weeping
Rest from our toil
A Ruler to guide us
A Realm to enjoy
That is the anticipation that those in the Old Testament had,
It is the anticipation that we also must have.
That is how we fully appreciate the spirit of Christmas.
Revelation 22:20 “He who testifies to these things says, “Yes, I am coming quickly.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.”
