Unto Us, Week 2
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The Prince of Peace
The Prince of Peace
Good morning Harmony!
Welcome to December. It’s an exciting week and an exciting month here at Harmony. Today we have a potluck - if you’re a guest or you forgot, that’s ok, I’m sure there’s plenty of food, plus the kids have something for us downstairs that I’m sure you all won’t want to miss.
There’s Christmas on the Square this Thursday.
Our children’s Christmas program is next Sunday morning.
On the 17th we’re going to have a baptism Sunday, we’ve already got one signed up for that, if you’d like more information on that you can just grab write that down on your connect card attached to the bulletin and later when we take up today’s offering you can just drop that in there and let us know.
It’s a busy month. But it’s one of my favorite months.
December is one of my favorite months of the year, not because of the shopping or the food, it’s one of my favorite times of the year because in December we place a special emphasis on celebrating the gift that God gives unto us. The gift of Himself so that we can know Him and can follow the Prince of Peace.
Last week we kicked off our Christmas series with Unto Us: The Sign of His Faithfulness, and we looked at Isaiah chapter seven.
This week we’re going to be in Isaiah chapter 9, and our main point is going to be that:
Main Point: The child born of a virgin would be a mighty and peaceful ruler to bring light to the world.
As everyone is working on getting to chapter 9 of Isaiah, let’s talk a bit about what is taking place between where we left off in chapter seven and today’s passage in chapter 9.
At the end of chapter seven and into chapter 8, God has Isaiah give this prophecy to the people that Assyria is going to come and lay siege to Judah. Isaiah tells the people that all of these terrible things are going to happen as a result of their disobedience and their lack of trust in the Lord.
Then we come to chapter 9, and we read:
1 Nevertheless, the gloom of the distressed land will not be like that of the former times when he humbled the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali. But in the future he will bring honor to the way of the sea, to the land east of the Jordan, and to Galilee of the nations.
2 The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; a light has dawned on those living in the land of darkness.
3 You have enlarged the nation and increased its joy. The people have rejoiced before you as they rejoice at harvest time and as they rejoice when dividing spoils.
4 For you have shattered their oppressive yoke and the rod on their shoulders, the staff of their oppressor, just as you did on the day of Midian.
5 For every trampling boot of battle and the bloodied garments of war will be burned as fuel for the fire.
6 For a child will be born for us, a son will be given to us, and the government will be on his shoulders. He will be named Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.
7 The dominion will be vast, and its prosperity will never end. He will reign on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish and sustain it with justice and righteousness from now on and forever. The zeal of the Lord of Armies will accomplish this.
Prayer.
Chapter 8, filled with this impending doom for the nation of Judah. This massive army is going to come in and surround the city of Judah. Now when this takes place in 2 Kings 18 and 19, we’ve changed kings, King Ahaz is gone and King Hezekiah is on the throne. And Assyria comes into Judah and begin this campaign against Judah. in 2 Kings 18:13 we read:
13 In the fourteenth year of King Hezekiah, Assyria’s King Sennacherib attacked all the fortified cities of Judah and captured them.
Assyria’s king has his eye set upon Judah because as we saw last week, Ahaz invited them in.
And it’s a bad situation. A little bit latter Assyria’s king sends this messenger, and this dialogue takes place:
27 But the royal spokesman said to them, “Has my master sent me to speak these words only to your master and to you? Hasn’t he also sent me to the men who sit on the wall, destined with you to eat their own excrement and drink their own urine?”
That’s a pretty dark place to be, when this massive army comes up and has surrounded your city. This is a pretty hopeless situation.
And in the book of 2 Kings we continue reading and we know that Assyria fails - how God speaks there through the prophet Isaiah and tells Hezekiah of what is going to take place with Assyria - all of that is in 2 Kings.
But in the book of Isaiah, Isaiah looks farther into the future. Here in Isaiah he’s seeing the ultimate promise of salvation for God’s people.
Right here in chapter nine we see the promise of a future filled with hope and peace. The first thing we see when we look at chapter nine is this hope element provided at just the right time. In verses one and two we see:
1. The promised LIGHT in a sea of gloom, vv. 1-2.
If you’ve never been out at sea before, it gets extremely dark. It’s pitch black. I can remember several times going outside after dark and you can look up and see the stars, but there just isn’t enough light to really see where you’re going without a flashlight.
Sailors have been known to go outside and just walk right off the ship because of how dark it is. And this darkness never really seems to let up until you bring a light into it.
In the verses just prior to today’s passage in chapter 8, we read:
21 They will wander through the land, dejected and hungry. When they are famished, they will become enraged, and, looking upward, will curse their king and their God.
22 They will look toward the earth and see only distress, darkness, and the gloom of affliction, and they will be driven into thick darkness.
It’s this world of darkness. The people of the earth are hungry, they’re discouraged, and in that discouragement they become bitter. They’re mad at their leaders, they’re distressed by the things they see going on in politics and they’re questioning the God of grace and love as they don’t feel very loved at that moment.
As they look around all they see is this darkness getting darker and gloomier as their thoughts and their circumstances drive them deeper and deeper into despair.
Then at the beginning of chapter nine, we start to see the only thing that can bring them out of despair.
According to chapter eight they have been looking everywhere for help and for some relief from this darkness. They’ve been to the psychic, to the street pharmacist, to the bar counselor, and none of it helps. They’ve read the self-help books and the how-to books, they’ve tried everything. Nothing seems to take it away. The only thing they haven’t tried is the only thing that will help, and instead they’ve turned to the things that cause a deeper and deeper despair.
And verse 1 of chapter nine says nevertheless. The NIV words it like this:
Nevertheless, there will be no more gloom for those who were in distress.
That’s like saying even though. Even though you have chosen to do all of these things, even though you continually mess up and you continually go the opposite direction, even though time and time again you have cursed at Me and chosen your own way, I am still going to give you the opportunity for hope. God says I’m going to remove the gloom from you even though that is what you deserve.
Even though you deserve the shame, I will bring honor, God says.
And unlike last week where the prophecy is fulfilled in their time and in Christ, chapter nine is completely focused on Jesus. Chapter eight is taking about the coming captivity and chapter nine is speaking of the coming Messiah, Jesus Christ.
God sets the people up in verse one and says even though you have broken every rule I gave you and you have chosen to follow after these other gods and these detestable practices, I am still going to bring honor to you as my chosen nation for the hope of the world.
And beginning in verse 2 Isaiah begins this prophecy that starts with light. Verse 2 says:
2 The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; a light has dawned on those living in the land of darkness.
The people in darkness have seen a great light.
This isn’t a flashlight. This isn’t even a light bulb. It says a light has dawned. The SON has risen.
In our darkest time, when all hope seems lost and we are searching everywhere else for a glimpse of hope, Isaiah says that the hope of Jesus is so bright that it’s like the sun has suddenly risen in the middle of the night.
A light has dawned on those living in the land of darkness. This light is for those who have received the light of Jesus. You can receive this Light or you can reject this Light.
In John chapter 8 Jesus says in verse 12:
12 Jesus spoke to them again: “I am the light of the world. Anyone who follows me will never walk in the darkness but will have the light of life.”
Jesus is the light of the world, and this light is the light of life.
Those that are of the living have this light of Jesus as the follow Him and because they follow Him they will never again walk in darkness.
That means that if you have Christ as your Savior then you no longer walk in the darkness of this world. That means that when the whole world is at it’s gloomiest, darkest moment you have the light of the Son dwelling and living inside of you. When all hope seems lost you can turn to Jesus and see the hope of life!
That means that as a believer in Christ when the bank account says zero, you have hope!
When the layoff comes, you have hope!
When the emergency worker calls and says “there’s been an accident”, you can have hope!
When the doctor calls with bad news, you can still have hope!
Because when we follow Jesus and we are hopeless in our situations we can look to Jesus and the hope that He brings is able to overcome every dark and gloomy situation.
Jesus is the promised light in a sea of gloom!
And Isaiah keeps building on this and the second part of the promise that we see is:
2. The stunning VICTORY as a source of joy, vv. 3-5.
Isaiah says that those who follow Christ are not only going to have hope, they’re going to have overall victory!
Our hope doesn’t rest in that darkness anymore, and when we look at the vastness of eternity, the Christ follower wins!
Isaiah says there’s going to be this massive victory. Verse three says:
3 You have enlarged the nation and increased its joy. The people have rejoiced before you as they rejoice at harvest time and as they rejoice when dividing spoils.
The nation of Judah is going to be enlarged, and it’s joy increased. How is it going to be enlarged?
When Christ came, He provided the way for people from every tribe, nation, and language to know Him and to be adopted as sons and daughters of God!
And that means that as adopted sons and daughters of God, we become a part of the family of God when we follow Christ as our Lord and Savior!
The people rejoice at harvest time and as they rejoice when dividing spoils - the follower of Christ wins!
Verse four says you have shattered their oppression and the rod of the oppressor, just like you did with Midian
God used Gideon and 300 men in the book of Judges chapter seven to overpower a swarm of an army. And the battle was won by blowing a trumpet and smashing some jars.
Judges 7:22 says that:
22 When Gideon’s men blew their three hundred rams’ horns, the Lord caused the men in the whole army to turn on each other with their swords. They fled to Acacia House in the direction of Zererah as far as the border of Abel-meholah near Tabbath.
God gave them that victory and they didn’t even have to fight for it!
And here Isaiah says that God will do that for us!
God shatters the oppression of this dark world! He takes all of the weight of sin, all the weight of the culture, all the weight of what society says and pressures you into and He takes that oppression away from you!
And he says that all of the garments are going to be consumed. It says that not only are the oppressive shackles of this world shattered, those who desire and choose to press you into sin and anguish, those who choose to be against God, will be consumed as fuel for the fire.
Those who place their trust and faith in the Savior are going to have victory in eternity, they are going to be rejoicing in Heaven because they are a part of the family of God!
Those who reject Christ will reap the rewards they have chosen.
Those who choose Christ choose eternal life, those who choose to reject Him choose eternal death and anguish.
Jesus is the light of the in a sea of gloom, He provides the victory as a source of joy, and Jesus is:
3. The supernatural CHILD who brings peace, v. 6.
Verse 6 is that happy little Christmas verse in Isaiah chapter 9.
6 For a child will be born for us, a son will be given to us, and the government will be on his shoulders. He will be named Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.
Jesus came from the Father as a gift of Himself for us.
Jesus is the ultimate Christmas gift.
A child will be born for us, a son will be given to us - the Creator and Sustainer of the entire universe gave us the ultimate gift. He personally came down from the throne and gave of Himself for us. If He had just done that, if he had just come down to free us from our guilt for all eternity that alone is more than we deserved!
Isaiah goes on to say that the government will be on His shoulders - He’s going to establish a perfect government for eternity!
There will be no corruption, no lobbyists, no tyranny, no lying, no more government oppression! It’s going to be a perfect government as the righteous and just King of Kings and Lord of Lords leads His people.
Isaiah goes on and says He will be named Wonderful Counselor, and that wonderful doesn’t mean just good. We read through this verse and I think a lot of us just think good counselor, but what this is doing for this attribute and the next few is it’s taking the deity of God and matching it with the humanness of man.
He is full of wonder - this is the miraculous ability to perform the supernatural signs. He is the supernatural counselor that through His work at the cross can take away the sins of the world.
He is Mighty God, pairing a mighty man of valor such as God attributed to Gideon with the unmistakable God of the universe, telling us He is unmatched in battle.
He is the Eternal Father, pairing God’s never beginning and never ending eternality with the human paternal concepts of fatherhood, telling us He has always and will always continue to be our father.
And He is the Prince of Peace, pairing the governing official term of a prince with something no worldly ruler could ever bring - peace. He will be a ruler of peace.
Jesus Christ is God who came down to dwell among us, and one day soon He’s coming again! He is a counselor full of miraculous wonder, He is our mighty God sitting on the throne in Heaven, He is our Eternal Father caring for us as His children, and He is the reigning Prince of Peace.
Jesus is our light, He is our victory, He is the only one that brings peace, and He reigns in our fourth part of the promise:
4. The multiplying KINGDOM that lasts forever, v. 7.
Verse seven says the vastness or the increase of His government will have no end. The ESV says
7 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.
As we saw back in verse 3, this nation or this dominion is enlarged, it’s this massive nation. Verse seven says that of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end.
In our eternal home with Jesus we will continue to grow in our lifting praises to Him and in our love for Him. We will continually grow in that love and praise for Him.
He’s going to sit on that throne of David as the ruler over every nation.
The justice and righteousness of His kingdom will not end, that increase of His government and peace translate to an established, permanent justice and righteousness, working in harmony with one another for eternity.
For God’s people, this Kingdom will be the never-ending perfectly just, perfectly righteous, peaceful reign of Christ. We will be made glorious in the presence of our Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, and Prince of peace. We will rest, worship, learn, and serve at the feet of Jesus on the throne of Heaven.
Do you know who Jesus is?
Jesus is the light in a gloomy, dark world. He’s shining a path for you to know the hope that only He can provide.
Jesus is the only way to have victory over sin and darkness.
Jesus is the Messiah, the miracle of Heaven who stepped off of His throne to be your salvation.
And Jesus reigns in the Kingdom of Heaven, the only Kingdom of eternal peace.
We must let Christ rule our hearts and be our counsel, peace, and strength during dark times.
That’s who Jesus is.
Now, do you know Jesus as Lord and Savior?
Prayer.
As the music begins to play, if you’d like to know more about knowing Christ today or if you’ve made a decision to follow Christ today or if you need to talk about something that was said or some other decision that you’ve made today, I’d like to ask you to do one of two things.
On the screen behind be is a number and a QR code, you can simply scan that or text that number and I will receive that text and we can schedule a time to talk.
The other option is there is a connect card attached to the bulletin, you can simply fill that out and when the ushers come by here in a moment you can drop that in the offering plate.
I’m going to give you all just a moment as those decisions are being made, but I want to encourage you as perhaps you are struggling with that.
If there is something going on, and you know, you are struggling with whether or not you should fill out a card or send that text, maybe you don’t know how to word it or you’re worried about some sort of embarrassment, then here’s what I want you to do. I want you to take that card, fill it out, and just write “call me” on it. We’ll set up a time to talk and the details of that, but whatever it is I want you to know that you do not have to face that decision or that situation alone.
Prayer.
Let’s worship the Lord together in song.