Prophecy

You have multiplied the nation; you have increased its joy; they rejoice before you as with joy at the harvest, as they are glad when they divide the spoil.

For the yoke of his burden, and the staff for his shoulder, the rod of his oppressor, you have broken as on the day of Midian.

For every boot of the tramping warrior in battle tumult and every garment rolled in blood will be burned as fuel for the fire.

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.

Intro

With our first advent Candle we look to the prophecies of Scripture and see how Jesus has fulfilled them. And this is a appropriate as we just finished the gospel of Luke where we saw several times All Scripture points us to Jesus.

However, when it comes to Christmas we normally place the prophecies from Isaiah to the forefront. And that makes sense since depending on who is counting, and how they are counting Isaiah is either the first or second most quoted book in the New Testament - possibly being second to the Psalms. Either this text this morning Isaiah 9:6-7 or Isaiah 7:14.

Isaiah 7:14 ESV

Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.

Because we keep them in the front they are familiar. And reasonably so - they are extremely rich passages.

These verses are everywhere - and I love that - example: we just bought a Christmas ornament with Isaiah 9:6 on it… which has since fallen on the ground and is now broken… but then Vanessa found another ornament in our Christmas decorations with this verse on it.

it’s incredible that at Christmas time people cannot go anywhere without a glimpse of the gospel message…

But there’s are a lot of questions that I think maybe we fail to ask about this text…

What’s going on in Isaiah when this verse was written? We often just look at this verse and think “Jesus.” And rightfully so, as Matthew 1:23 applies this text to Mary’s virginal conception.

However, there is more to this text, and if we ignore what is happening in Isaiah at the time remove it from the context of Isaiah, we end up softening the blow of this text. The first thing that I am going to point out is this is in the past tense… or at least part of it is. “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given.”

This could be for two reasons...

It has an immediate and partial fulfillment in the days of Isaiah.

It’s been stated in the past tense as the Lord’s word is sure and thus it’s considered as done even before it happens.

Both is possible.

But from there, give me a minute to give a quick bit of context for the book… And Isaiah is a long and complex book so I won’t exhaust it by any means. I wont even exhaust the text we are looking at today… though some of you may feel exhausted when I’m done.

Chapter 1 of the book of Isaiah begins with this indictment of the people of Judah - the Southern Kingdom of Israel . They are sinful people who “have forsaken the Lord, they have despised the Holy One of Israel.” (Is. 1:4). They are told that their hands are covered in blood. The faithful city, Jerusalem, is called a whore. The language is direct, and the accusations are heavy. In Chapter 2 they are promised a day of judgment, the day of the Lord, with the aim of bringing them to repentance. Isaiah is given this glorious vision of the throne room of God. The prophet Isaiah is set to go speak to King Ahaz - this is after King Uzziah dies in chapter 6. Ahaz is an evil king - see 2 Kings 16 for a further proof of that. Ahaz is told that his support for Assyria is misplaced, as he has allied himself with them, and that he needs to look to the Lord instead. Ahaz is told to ask the Lord for a sign and he refuses so Isaiah tells him in Is. 7:14 “Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.”

So Ahaz is told that the Lord will give him a sign and that sign is that the virgin will be with child.

And in chapter 8 a young woman bears a son… which to Ahaz and the reader might seem like a partial fulfillment of this prophecy. But in the midst of that chapter there is also a promise that Assyria will invade - which happens not long after when they take over the northern kingdom of Israel. But the birth of this child certainly leaves a lot to be desired in terms of fulfilled prophecy.

At the end of chapter 8 the Lord tells them that they will be thrust into a deep darkness… which we can see as we see the history of Israel throughout the rest of Isaiah and after the people are displaced they are removed from the land, they are inhabited by other nations, eventually brought back into the land but do not have their own king on the throne - and that is an incredibly important point since David was promised that his offspring’s throne would never end… we’ll talk about that more on Wednesday - but after the fall of Babylon the people return to the land they are ruled by Rome, the temple is rebuilt (we’ll get to that in January) and the prophecy stops and there is 400 years of silence… The sins of the people demonstrate that there is this spiritual darkness… And just when it seems as if God has forgotten his people and forgotten his promises we see the text we are looking at today come to pass…

I know that’s a lot of background and a lot of history…

But to understand the NT well, and to understand the messiah well we need a good understanding of Isaiah.

But to rewind a little bit…

We read in Isaiah 9:2

Isaiah 9:2 ESV

The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shone.

And if we’re ultimately look

And John picks up on this light shining language in his gospel. Consider John 1:5

John 1:5 ESV

The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

One of the major recurring themes in John’s writings is the use of dark and light - but here he is specifically speaking of the brith of Jesus. The New Testament writers

And so part of the reason that we find ourselves ignoring Isaiah and immediately jumping to Jesus is because we have to. In the immediate context of Isaiah we have something that kind of fits but not perfectly. Sort of like when you’re going a puzzle and the piece sort of fits. It is the right shape, but the picture doesn’t fit.

As we look at Is. 7 and Is. 8 we see a baby is born… but the baby isn’t called Immanuel. And this is second child of the mother… and even if one were to understand the word virgin to simply mean young woman it would seldom apply to a woman who had a child. And while scholars have provided several different candidates for who this child might have been in Isaiah’s day, and though they give insight to the text - they leave the reader wanting. Even if Maher-Shala-Hash-Baz provides some sort of fulfillment he still isn’t called Mighty-God. Even if Hezekiah, Ahaz’s son and successor, fulfills an aspect of this his throne comes to an end - he’s not an Everlasting King.

And so in this prophesy we see a sort of partial fulfillment - some of the pieces fit - but there is still a truer and further fulfillment to found in Jesus.

Biblical prophesy is seldom easy to understand.

But on this side of the cross, and the New Testament we know this is about Jesus.

But how often do we stop to ask about what these titles mean… what does it mean that this text tells us that Jesus? And that is where I will focus the rest of my time.

This text refers to Jesus… 700 years before his birth… as a child, a son, a ruler, His name called “Wonderful counselor, mighty God, everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”

And in there we have seemingly paradoxical language…

How can this child born and called Mighty God?

How can the Son be called Everlasting Father?

It’s quite similar to the idea found in Luke 20, how can David’s Son also be David’s Lord.

Exalting Jesus in Isaiah The Surprising Conqueror: Natural Yet Supernatural (Isaiah 9:6)

The surprising conqueror who works the stunning victory of verses 1–5 is revealed to be a child given, a son born, described unforgettably in a string of four couplets that mingle his humanity and deity in marvelous balance.

Wonderful Counselor

This is a phrase that communicates a mixture of describing the messiah as the worker of wondrous deeds, and the fount of perfect wisdom. In the Gospels we read of Jesus doing many mighty and wondrous deeds… so magnificent that it forces those around him to ask Who is this? When Jesus calms the storm they ask “who is this that even the wind and the waves obey him?

And when Jesus teaches it is the same. The crowds ask “How can this son of a Mary and Joseph know these things?” In Luke 2, when Jesus is a boy in the temple the crowd marvels at his wisdom. Luke 4, his listeners are astonished at his teaching, as he was teaching with authority.

Upon witnessing the wondrous deeds and teachings of Jesus the crowds are baffled at wondering how one man can do these things, and be this wise...

And that is because he is also...

Mighty God

And this title is one that demonstrates that this text can only be applied and fulfilled to Jesus. Even if the text makes you think that the child born in Isaiah 8 might fit the bill - The only instance in which a child born is also called mighty God is Christ Jesus. There’s no mystery in the language here - this title is a clear reference to his divinity. Jesus is God. He puts this on display throughout his 7 I Am statements in John’s gospel. And in the book of Revelation at the beginning and end of the book he makes clear that he is the beginning and the end, the alpha and the omega - language reserved for only God - he died and is alive forever more - language reserved for Jesus.

But this title of Mighty God also conveys to us about Jesus’ might. He will return to judge the living and the dead. He will return in vengeance. He is a mighty warrior who is victorious and all of his enemies are being made into his footstool.

(Is. 10:21 - shows Mighty God clearly being more than just a title - it’s not like Joshua meaning YHWH saves, but that’s a bad example since that is Jesus’ name. )

This next title is where things get a little tricky…

Everlasting Father

What does it mean that Jesus will be called Everlasting Father?

The Bible teaches us of the divine Trinity. We are shown that there is 1 God who eternally exists in three distinct persons. The Father is God, the Son is God, the Holy Spirit is God. But the Son is not the Father, The Spirit is not the Son, and Spirit is not the Father.

So when we look at this text there’s a question that we should ask, “If Jesus is the Son and isn’t the Father, why will be called Everlasting Father?” I know that’s a little confusing… and I want to make it as plain as possible because this is important.

Jesus is the Son. Jesus is not the Father. Yet, the text says that he will be called Everlasting Father… So what’s the deal?

Well let’s look at both words…

Everlasting

Jesus is everlasting. Jesus has no beginning and has no end - first and the last, beginning and the end. There was never a time when he was not. Where as each of us came into existence at the moment of conception, Jesus existed in eternity past.

And Jesus himself tells us this when we told the pharisees “Before Abraham was I AM.”

In Colossians, Paul lays out a thorough Christology where he states:

Colossians 1:16–17 ESV

For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.

This would not be true if Jesus were not everlasting.

Father

Now this can likely describe his characteristics.

the language of this text, and of this title Everlasting Father convey the same language as a king. The Father of a Nation.

“Fathers were the heads of tribes who wisely led the people.” NAC Isaiah (Gary Smith) Which would describe a king but in an affection way rather than one thinks when describe a king like Ahaz.

And this language of Everlasting Ruler, or Everlasting King would again draw us back to the promise made to David in 2 Sam. 7.

However, there is still another way that we can understand this verse:

Jesus is the Father of Eternity…

So this phrase isn’t all that foreign to us. Consider when we are speaking of the Founding Fathers of America - we seldom think that we are literally the children of George Washington or Thomas Jefferson - though some may be their descendants that is not what we are conveying with that statement. Or another example might be Adam Smith as the Father of Economics. We don’t think of his as literally being the dad of all economists. We get this language.

But even when then still have to ask… what does that mean?

Returning to Paul language in Colossians 1:18 “And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent.”

1 Corinthians 15:22 ESV

For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive.

Though Adam comes death. Adam is the father of man, and though Adam and his federal headship. By that we mean that though Adam we all die, through Christ we are made alive.

Prince of Peace

And the final title, though I’m not quite done yet is Prince of Peace. Which may provoke the question… how is Jesus a prince when you just said he was a king? Which is a great question - but much easier than the last one. Prince of Peace was most likely chosen here for the amazing alliteration. The word could also be chief or ruler… the King James Bible describes King Jimmy as a Prince and then three words later calls him a king in the introduction. Jesus is a ruler. Jesus is a King. Jesus is the Prince of Peace. But this peace part is interesting because most conquering kings take their kingdoms by force. And Jesus will indeed conquer his enemies… but he has brought his kingdom through peace.

Jesus through his death and resurrection brings us peace with God.

Col. 1:20 tells us that Jesus had made peace by the blood of his cross.

Colossians 1:20 ESV

and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.

He Will Reign

Isaiah 9:7 ESV

The fulfillment of the promise made to David is found here.

And this is what we need to understand and grasp today. Jesus is a conquering King. Who died and rose again bring peace to those who were once far off, and have been brought near. He is our peace. But he will reign forevermore. So during this advent season we rejoice concerning the baby in the manger, but we cannot forget that after he died, and then rose again he sat down at the right hand of God where he is reigning. And one day he will return to gather his bridge, the church, to himself, but he will also be returning in judgment. He will punish sin, and sinners will be judged for their rejection of God’s kingdom.

I’ve heard a lot of people theorize America is in its final act… all kingdoms fall. Israel, Judah, Assyria, Babylon, Rome, etc. But Jesus’ kingdom has no expiration date. And that should give us comfort - whatever may happen here - Jesus’ rule and reign will never end.

If you’re not a Christian, then this likely is confusing but really it should scare you. His enemies are being made into his footstool and if you reject his kingship - then when he returns in judgment you will terrified. Psalm 2 tells us to kiss the son, or honor the son, lest he be angry. (and if this is you, do not take of the Lord’s Supper when we observe in a moment.)

If we truly believe that Jesus is risen and reigned, and that his kingdom will never end… do we need to be afraid of what is happening in other countries? Sure Jesus promised us that people will hate us because of him… but if he’s the King… You know the king… do you know the King?

If you do, then the question I want you to walk away with today or talk about at lunch is this… How does Jesus being king comfort you? How does it shape how your live you life?

We are able to walk into darkness and proclaim light by declaring the good news of Jesus. That he died to save us from our sins, rose victoriously, and is seated at the right hand of God.

Jesus is King and we have the joy of telling people that. Next time you’re looking at a nativity tell someone that baby right there is king. We joyfully get to declare the wonderful news that Jesus Christ died and rose again, and he is King.

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