Baby Announcement 2

Background

If we have not had the pleasure of meeting my name is John Colunga and I have the privilige of serving as lead pastor here at New Day Pasadena

I also have the privilige of bringing this weeks sermon

So if you have your Bibles, please turn to Isaiah 9:1-7

If you forgot your Bible please use the one in front of you and if you dont have a Bible at all, please take home the one in front of you as a free gift to you

New Series

It’s All About Jesus

And as we go to God’s word - we want to remember that God’s word is all about Jesus

We can have a tendency to make it about us

But really, it is about Jesus doing what Adam could not do

It’s about Jesus doing what Israel could not do

And it’s about Jesus doing what we can not do

The Bible is about Jesus rescuing his people

Old Testament: anticipation

Gospels: manifestation

Acts: proclamation

Epistles: explanation

Revelation: consummation

And today - we will be in the Old Testament where there is an anticipation for Jesus

Specifically - in Isaiah chapter 9:1-7 there is the annuncement of Jesus birth 700 years before it would take place

And Jesus birth is announced in a period of time where there was great gloom, darness, sorrow, confusion, fear, anxiousness, persecution, hunger, and spiritual emptiness

King Ahaz has not trusted in God nor has he followed God

And so there is a judgement in the land

The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali have been taken over

And in the midst of this distress for the people, God gives hope for the people that may not help their physical circumstance, but he gives hope that the promised Messiah will come

God has not left his people nor will he

And as they live, they can wake up each day in the glory of God, in the light of God, and in the joy of God,

They can do this because of their faith and trust in God and of his promises

And so in this baby announcement - God gives the hope first - God gives the result of Jesus first

in the first three verses we found that the birth of Jesus would result in Jesus brining glory to the gloom, light to the darkness, and joy to sorrow

Today: We will look what had to happen for this to take place

If you are able to stand, I ask that you please do so for the reading of God’s word. I’ll read it as you follow along,

Isaiah 9:1–7 But there will be no gloom for her who was in anguish. In the former time he brought into contempt the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the latter time he has made glorious the way of the sea, the land beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the nations. 2 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. 3 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. 4 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. 5 For every boot of the tramping warrior in battle tumult and every garment rolled in blood will be burned as fuel for the fire. 6 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. 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.

This is the Word of the Lord - You may now be seated

Victory

Yoke, Staff, Rod

As we start in verse 4, it reads, 4 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.

The reason why there can be glory, light, and joy, is because there is a victory that is won!

A victory that breaks the yoke of burden that is placed on God’s people

A victory that breaks the staff of the enemy that the enemy uses to grab God’s people

A victory that breaks the rod that is used to oppress God’s people

The enemy will have no more power over God’s people because of the victory that will be won by a Savior!

And this victory will resemble that of the victory won in Midian

Gideon was leading the army of Israel and God told Gideon to fight the midianites

Judges 7:2 The Lord said to Gideon, “The people with you are too many for me to give the Midianites into their hand, lest Israel boast over me, saying, ‘My own hand has saved me.

God said, I dont want any Israelite boasting with this win in Midian but let it be known that the victory is God’s

So God reduced the army of Israel to 300 to go and fight the Midianites

On the Midianites side - 12 And the Midianites and the Amalekites and all the people of the East lay along the valley like locusts in abundance, and their camels were without number, as the sand that is on the seashore in abundance.

And all they did was surround the camp of the Midianites, blow their trumpets, clang their jars, and yell out “A sword for the Lord and for Gideon!”

And the Midianites, in a frantic, started killing each other and fleeing from the camp!

The victory for Israel was won because of God’s work and his faithfulness to his people

And here, God is saying the victory that will be won is of my own doing

Only God could win this victory

This miracle has to be of God

Fuel for Fire

And the enemy who perishes! The darkness, the evil, the enemy - not only will it be conquered - but it will be useful for God’s people

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

Remember that the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali are suffering

But the hope that is given to them is one of love and spiritual liberation

They can still suffer and be in distress

But the hope, faith, and trust they have in this victory of the Messiah is victory over the flesh

And whatever they endure - they can endure knowing full well that God has already loved and has already won

And so their distress is fuel for them to hope, faith, and trust in God all the more!

God is the one who will claim the victory! Who is the one who gives hope! How?

Child

God says that he will send a child 6 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.

Hope will come through a child

And this child - will have authority

He will be a governor

And he will be called Wonderful Counselor - wise governer

Mighty God - Strong governor

Everlasting Father - Caring governor

Prince of Peace - Peaceful governor

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.

This is hope for Zebulun and Naphtali - one day when this baby is born, a victory will be won, and because of that victory he will free you, and once you are free in him, you will be under his authority, part of his kingdom, and his kindom will last forever, his rule and wuthority lasts forever

And when you enter his Kingdom never again will you endure injustice or unrighteous acts

And at the end of the this God says and you take my word to the bank -

You can rest and hope in it because my word is sure

The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.

Application

Jesus

Jesus has broken the yoke of our burden 28 Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

Jesus has freed us from the bondage and opression of sin 2 Corinthians 5:21 “For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”

Jesus was the result of God - God sent Jesus so that no man can boast Ephesians 2:8–9 “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.”

The victory is God’s

We still go through hard times but the hard times are meant to be fuel for our faith Romans 8:35–37 “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? As it is written, “For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.” No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.”

Jesus being God’s son is the child that was given

God gave this baby announcement here in Isaiah

And 700 years later an angel appeared to announce the birth of Jesus

Luke 2:8-21 8 And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. 10 And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12 And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” 13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, 14 “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!” 15 When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.” 16 And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger. 17 And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child. 18 And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them. 19 But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart. 20 And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them. 21 And at the end of eight days, when he was circumcised, he was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before he was conceived in the womb.

Jesus was: born just as God had promised

Jesus grew: wise, mighty, caring, and peaceful

Who counsels you in the way that you should live?

Who governs your life?

Who cares for your soul?

Who or what do you trust in order to have peace?

There are many who you can go to for advice

There are many opinions on how you should live

THe very people who care for us are imperfect and can sometimes hurt us

And there are things that may bring a temporary peace or a false peace

But anything we may search for in this world falls waaaaaaaaaaaaaaay short

And it falls short because your life on this earth is temporary

That beyond this life are real places called heaven and hell

And because we fall short - the JUST thing is that we deserve hell

The circumstance of our soul due to our sin had us enslaved

But God, in way and in a work that only he can do - sent Jesus to be born

And Jesus being fully God and fully man he walked, and lived, and taught, and suffered!

The circumstance of his life wasn’t easy but he felt as we did and hungered as we did

He was constantly being questioned and trying to be deceived

But in his perfection he never failed

And so only sinless and spotless Son of God could pay the price for our sins

And his very birth was so he could die for us

And he did die on that cross and he did arise on the third day

And right now he is reigning

He is the Wonderful Counselor

He is the Mighty God

He is the Everlasting Father

He is the Prince of Peace!

And only he is the one who claimed victory sin and through faith and trust in him -

Only he can free you from the bondage of sin

Only he can give you hope of heaven

Only Jesus - Jesus is the only way - IT’S ALL ABOUT JESUS

Hope and Peace

This is the hope and peace we have

We believe the baby was born, We believe a victory has already been won, and because of that victory he has set us free, and because we are free in him, we are under his authority, we are part of his kingdom, and his kindom will last forever, his rule and wuthority lasts forever

And when you enter his Kingdom never again will you endure injustice or unrighteous acts

And at the end of the this God says and you take my word to the bank -

You can rest, and you can hope, and you can have peace, because my word is sure

The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this. Amen.