Isaiah’s Song - Isaiah 9:2-7

INTRO

New lights

Lawerence mentioned that with an older congregation no one could get on the 10foot ladder to change the bulbs. We were going to do a joined Christmas Eve service with Southside but he was concerned it’d be too dark

So we changed all 80 light bulbs

Last year some off you know that my wife and I lost a baby.

I remember last Christmas eve changing light bulbs and then feeling so heavy hearted.

This December has been hard…we feel the weight of an empty chair. Of wishing our little girl could crawl behind Sammy

Last night Michael reaches out to me at 10PM. He’s standing outside and looking at the cotton sky, the glow of the moon and reveling in Jesus.

So what do I do, I go outside and look up at the moon and see the stars.

I wonder at the miracle, the sky splitting open and the angels singing.

Our streetlight flickers off and I stand in the darkness by the glow of the moon, stars, and Christmas light

I started singing Come Thou Long Expected Jesus

Born Thy people to deliver, Born a child and yet a King, Born to reign in us forever, Now Thy gracious kingdom bring. By Thine own eternal Spirit Rule in all our hearts alone; By Thine all sufficient merit, Raise us to Thy glorious throne.

The last few days I’ve been changing light bulbs and feeling grief all over again.

But God in kindness reminded me that he has come, he is coming again, and hope is one the horizon.

Today we come to a familiar passage.

One I fear may be too familiar for some of us.

Isaiah get’s a messianic glimpse.

He sees the beautiful truth of the coming of King Jesus.

My prayer this morning is that this messianic vision would shine a light in your darkened days.

Here is what I want you to take away

Big Idea: Embrace hope, live in Christ's light!

Let’s go now to this familiar passage.

1. A Light In The Darkness (v.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.

Isaiah, the prophet with a stark voice, speaks to Israel with a two-fold message

First, there's the hard truth of judgment.

Israel's defiance had a price tag: oppression under Assyria, followed by the Babylonian Exile.

But here's where Isaiah flips the script - he intertwines this warning with a message brimming with hope.

It's about God's unbroken promises, about a future king from David's line, about Israel being a source of blessing to the nations.

We find ourselves in Isaiah's narrative right after the bleakness of Chapter 8.

Isaiah is calling out a society steeped in corruption, a people lost in darkness, turning their backs on God, chasing after hollow, occult wisdom.

But then, Chapter 9 arrives like a dawn.

It's bursting with Messianic hope.

It starts with a glimpse of the Messiah in Galilee, a place once humbled, now honored.

Isaiah 9:1 (ESV)

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.

Jesus steps onto the scene as the light in profound darkness, fulfilling what Isaiah foresaw: 'The people walking in darkness have seen a great light' (Isa 9:2).

Jesus, calling himself 'the light of the world' (John 8:12), first revealed himself in a Galilean synagogue.

He wasn't just a beacon in the gloom; he was there to open blind eyes, to free prisoners from darkness, embodying Isaiah 61's prophecy.

His first miracle? Turning water into wine in Cana, right there in Galilee.

And from there, Jesus' ministry exploded with miracles, his unquenchable light spreading across the dark corners of Satan's world.

Think about it: We're naturally drawn to light in darkness, aren't we?

Illustration

There was a plant that germinated in the bottom of a mine.

This little plant usually grows six inches tall

It raised itself to the height of one hundred and twenty feet in order to reach the light

We are drawn to the light.

Illustration

There was a lamplighter years ago that lit the street lamps each evening and snuff them out each morning.

As a young man, the lamplighter led a tough, wayward life.

Some years after becoming a Christian, a former friend taunted him about his new lifestyle.

The lamplighter finally said, "The only way I can explain it is this: as I go down the street snuffing out the lamps, and I turn around, I see that it's all dark. That is how it was before I met Christ.

However, when I continue down the street, the lamps before me light my path that is how it is with Christ."

The man asked, "And how is it when you've snuffed out all the lamps?"

The lamplighter replied, "The dawn is coming."

This is what Isaiah is saying.

This is what Christmas means.

The dawn has come friends…light has burst forth

And as our passage unfolds, it reveals why this burst of light fills us with such profound hope. Let's dive into the second part...

2. The Source of Joy (v.3-5)

Isaiah 9:3–5 (ESV)

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.

Imagine this: a light pierces through the deepest darkness, and what's the reaction?

Joy, but not just any joy.

It's an overwhelming, all-consuming kind of joy.

This isn't about a small win;

this is about a nation expanding, people celebrating like they've just witnessed the end of a brutal war,

A victory so complete it's like everyone's walking away with a piece of the prize.

Isaiah draws a parallel here to a day in that everyone in Israel would know – the defeat of Midian.

Remember that story from the book of Judges?

The Midianites had oppressed the Israelites for seven years.

God chose Gideon, a man from the tribe of Manasseh, to free the Israelites from Midian's control.

Despite his initial hesitation and self-doubt, Gideon obeyed God's command.

He gathers an army of 32,000 Israelites, but God says nope too much

Gideon you need to reduce the number so that the Israelites would know the victory belonged to God rather than their own strength.

Through a series of Gideon asking and testing, the army goes all the way down to just 300 men.

Here is what they went to the battle Armed with……trumpets, jars, and torches,

Gideon's small force surprised the Midianites at night, creating chaos and panic.

The Midianites turned on each other in confusion and defeated themselves.

This victory was a turning point for the Israelites, proving that with faith and obedience to God, even a small number can overcome a formidable enemy.

Fast forward to Jesus.

His death and resurrection?

They're like that moment for us.

Here comes this unassuming child into a broken world.

Satan, with his chokehold of sin and death, thought he had us beat.

But in trying to take out Jesus, he actually took out his own kingdom.

It imploded, just like the Midianites.

Now, we're no longer slaves to fear, no longer held captive by the fear of death.

We're free to serve God, to live in joy.

Because our victory hasn’t come by our efforts but from the sure hands of God and nothing can steal our joy!

Illustration - John Newton

The Writer of Amazing Grace, John Newton visited a Christian family that had suffered the loss by fire of all that they possessed.

He greeted the mother of the family with these words, “I give you joy, madam!”

Surprised, she exclaimed, “What! Joy that all my property is consumed?”

“Oh no,” he answered, “but joy that you have so much property that no fire can touch.”

This reminder checked her grief, and wiping her tears, she smiled, Newton wrote “she smiled like the sun shining after an April shower”

But let's be real. That sentiment is nice and all…

But Satan's still out there, taking potshots.

He wants to drag us down into despair, into the muck of division and anxiety.

He's playing dirty, trying to get us to turn on each other, to get so wrapped up in ourselves that we forget to love our neighbors, to share, to put others first.

Illustration - Russian Countess

There was a Russian countess that accepted Jesus as her Saviour and was open about her testimony.

The Tsar was displeased and threw her into prison.

After 24 hours with the lowest level of Russian society, in the most miserable conditions imaginable, he ordered her brought into his presence.

He smiled mockingly and said, “Well, are you ready now to renounce your silly faith and come back to the pleasures of the court?”

To his surprise, the countess smiled serenely and said, “I have known more real joy and more real happiness in one day in prison with Jesus than I have known in a lifetime in the courts of the Tsar.”

Try as he might…Satan doesn't get the last word.

Jesus does!

And He reigns victorious

No matter how dark it gets, no matter how insurmountable the odds seem, Jesus is the ultimate victor.

Our Joy is secure.

And Isaiah? He's just getting started in showing us who Jesus really is...

3. The Surprising Conqueror

Isaiah 9:6 (ESV)

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.

Pause for a moment and consider this: just one verse in Isaiah gives us the clearest proof of the Messiah's deity.

It's about the incarnation - this mind-blowing concept that God would become man.

This was the very stumbling block for Jesus' Jewish opponents.

But here, in these ancient words, the story takes an astonishing turn.

The hero of our previous verses, the one who brings this stunning victory, is revealed in an unforgettable way -

as a child, a baby, a son.

Isaiah paints this picture with four powerful couplets, masterfully balancing his humanity and divinity.

Think about it: “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given.”

The Savior's humanity is right there in those first words.

But it's more than that - he's a gift to us.

Like the angels declared to the shepherds in Bethlehem, “Today in the city of David a Savior was born for you”.

This child, this surprising conqueror, embodies both the frailty and strength of humanity and divinity.

It's like that scene in Revelation 5:5-6

Revelation 5:5–6 (ESV)

And one of the elders said to me, “Weep no more; behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has conquered, so that he can open the scroll and its seven seals.”

And between the throne and the four living creatures and among the elders I saw a Lamb standing, as though it had been slain, with seven horns and with seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth.

We see the lion-like strength and the lamb-like vulnerability in Jesus.

The enormity of this - a God who experiences human frailty!

Yet, it's on this child's shoulders that the weight of all government, of all hope, rests.

And guess what? Those shoulders don't buckle under the pressure.

As Jesus himself said, “All authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth” (Matt 28:18).

ILLUSTRATION - PICTURE

PICTURE

What do we really need?

We need to be rescued from our own disastrous self-rule and brought under the loving, perfect rule of Jesus.

He's the one who brings us from darkness to light, from self-centeredness to a kingdom of love.

Now, the passage shifts to this series of titles:

Wonderful Counselor:

Think about that. 'Wonderful' here means capable of supernatural feats.

'Counselor' means wisdom-giver.

Jesus isn't just about miracles; he's about flipping our foolish views of the world right side up, showing us real wisdom, real truth.

Jesus came both to do signs and wonders and to give wisdom.

Sin reduces all of us to fools.

In our foolishness we see the world inside out, upside down.

We look at what is false and see truth.

We look at what is foolish and see wisdom.

At the epicenter of our foolishness is a street-level denial of God.

Not full on atheism, but an unbelief, a denial of our need for God and a belief that we can live life on our own.

As the wonderful counselor, Jesus comes to rescue us from ourselves!

Mighty God:

A child described as 'Mighty God' - if that doesn't seal the deal on the incarnation, what does?

'Mighty' here is used for warriors, for those with immense human strength.

But 'God' - that's divine, unmistakably so.

This melding of words shows Jesus's immense power, not just as a warrior but as our Savior who will return to conquer all evil.

Sin doesn't just make us foolish; it renders us helpless.

But Jesus, with his divine power, came to do what we could never do on our own.

He defeated sin and death and empowers us to live in a way we never could by our own strength.

So, as we look at Jesus, the Wonderful Counselor, the Mighty God, we see a Savior who rescues us from our deepest follies and empowers us to live lives we could never imagine on our own.

Everlasting Father:

Here's another blend of the everyday and the extraordinary.

'Father' is a familiar term, right?

But pair it with 'everlasting', and you're in the realm of the supernatural.

This is about a father whose existence stretches from the ancient days into eternity.

It's unusual to think of Jesus as a father, since that title's often reserved for God the Father.

Yet, Jesus does embody a fatherly role.

He calls people 'son' or 'daughter' with such affection (like in Matt 9:2; Mark 5:34).

Imagine this: Jesus, showering us with his fatherly care.

Through his life, death, and resurrection, he's reuniting us with his family.

He's the bridge to God, pouring out fatherly love, making us heirs with all the privileges of being His children.

We're no longer distant, alienated, or alone.

We're forever part of the royal family, children of the King of kings, the Lord of lords.

Prince of Peace:

Jesus isn't just any ruler.

He's a prince, sure, a term we often use for royalty.

But his reign is marked by peace, something even the most powerful warlords can't seem to achieve.

Remember how Jesus greeted his disciples after his resurrection?

It was with peace.

And before that, he promised peace, John 14:27

John 14:27 (ESV)

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.

But here's the clincher:

Jesus secures eternal peace with God through his sacrifice on the cross.

In a world fractured by sin, where selfishness and injustice seem to reign,

knowing that Jesus, in all his righteousness, will one day rule with perfect justice is more than comforting.

It's a hope that sustains us, a promise that all wrongs will be righted, and he will lead us in flawless righteousness.

All this leads us to……

4. The Kingdom of Christ (v.7)

Isaiah 9:7 (ESV)

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.

What does it mean when we talk about the 'increase' of Christ’s government, and how it's never-ending?

Picture this: it's about an ever-expanding, constantly multiplying abundance.

Christ’s kingdom is defined by this never-ending growth in prosperity, in grace, in goodness.

Isn't it incredible to think that the grace of our King, the one promised to us, will never run dry?

His grace isn't something that tires or fades away.

It's like a perpetual stream of everything we need, now and into eternity.

This shifts our hope away from our own wisdom, our own strength, our own achievements, and rests it firmly on the unstoppable, grace-filled reign of Christ.

His kingdom mirrors His character perfectly. Hebrews 1:8-9

Hebrews 1:8–9 (ESV)

But of the Son he says,

“Your throne, O God, is forever and ever,

the scepter of uprightness is the scepter of your kingdom.

You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness;

therefore God, your God, has anointed you

with the oil of gladness beyond your companions.”

Imagine that: a kingdom where righteousness and justice aren't just ideals, but realities,

where the needy and poor are protected rather than exploited.

This kingdom isn't some distant dream;

it began the moment Christ set foot on Earth, and it's here to stay.

And what's the guarantee?

The zeal of the Lord of hosts, or as the CSB puts it, “The zeal of the Lord of Armies.”

Why can we be so sure of Isaiah's promises, that all our needs as sinners will be met?

Because God's zeal, His passionate commitment, is behind every single promise.

It's His Almighty power and authority ensuring that everything promised with Jesus's birth will reach every one of His children.

This zeal of God for the glory of His Son is unstoppable.

No force in heaven, on earth, or under the earth can hinder it.

There's simply no better news than this.

Illustration

Pearl hunters off the coast of the Philippines discovered a pearl that weighs five pounds.

The owners auctioned it along with the lower half of the shell in which it grew; the pearl is valued between $400,000 and $500,000.

In Jesus’ parable of the Pearl of Great Price, the merchant went and sold all that he had to purchase this one pearl.

The parable is in a series of parables that tell how the kingdom of God is like searching for things of value.

We would do well to remember that money is nothing compared to the one who gave his son to die in our place that we might belong to the kingdom of God.

So, as we navigate this day and tomorrow, remember: it's about so much more than just decorations, gifts, or feasts.

It's about a hope for sinners, a hope that is carried into our world on the strong, capable shoulders of Jesus!

CONCLUSION

Grasp this truth with the hands of faith:

Jesus Christ's victory over sin and death is total, complete.

It is finished, so that all the glory shines on Him.

Like Gideon's triumph over Midian, Jesus made Satan's kingdom implode.

He hands us the treasures – eternal life, peace, righteousness, wise counsel.

This is huge, church!

So, let's live in that joy, that victory, daily.

Embrace hope, live in Christ's light!

Talk to your soul, ask it, 'Why so downcast? Why all this turmoil? Rejoice in what Christ has done for you!'

This morning, bring all your worries, fears, and brokenness to Jesus, our light in the darkness.

Just lay them down at His feet.

Dwell on the magnificent titles of Jesus in this passage: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

Give each title its moment in your thoughts.

Worship Jesus for each facet of His being.

Make it a point to immerse yourself in the Word every day.

Commit to following Jesus more closely as your King, by faith, empowered by the Spirit.

Jesus isn't just a ruler;

He's a savior who rescued us rebels.

So, let's fully submit to His rule.

And get excited about eternity, where we'll endlessly discover more about Jesus – 'of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end'.

Heaven won’t be dull; it’ll be an ongoing adventure of exploring the depths of Jesus.

And don't keep this to yourself. Share the gospel, expand His kingdom.

In our world, often shrouded in darkness, a light has broken through.

This Christmas, let hope swell in our hearts. May we be people who reflect this light, this hope, to a world in need.

CLOSING:

I want to close by reading an excerpt from a children’s book:

Many truths about God are TOO BIG for our minds to hold.

We can know some of the truth —and it shines in our hands like star-bright jewels.

But there is always more and more and more. More than we can ever know.

We can know a little about God's love, but we could never begin to reach our thoughts around something so mighty.

Sometimes it helps me to think about it like this...

Imagine God's love is a huge castle, soaring higher than a thousand white-peaked mountains— linked together—with their tops poking into space.

Imagine looking at this castle from far away.

There it is...vast and high, gleaming like morning sun on new snow.

Its towers reach up and up toward Heaven.

Its windows blaze with bright, welcome light.

This castle is so great it would take a lifetime just to walk around it.

You'd love to find out everything you could about that beautiful castle.

And there is so much to see and taste and know.

Its gardens are bigger than your whole state (even if you live in Alaska) and spill over with towering trees and flowering trees and leaping fountains and majestic waterfalls and deep, bubbling springs and a rainbow of singing birds and —well, who knows what else.

Its rooms are filled up with wondrous treasure and music and laughter and mysteries and places where you can explore and play and hide and rest.

No one has seen all its rooms and towers.

No one has eaten in all its long, sunny banquet halls.

No one has peered through all its high windows.... Can you know all of it?

No. Not in this world. Not even in a trillion years in Heaven.

But you can find a special room in that castle.

A room you'll love so very much.

And you can get to know that room, look out of your own window, and at the end of the day curl up in a big soft chair and fall asleep.

Every bit of the castle belongs to you and me, but small as we humans are, we can only enjoy and understand just so much at a time.

But we have the rest of our lives here on Earth and endless life in Heaven to keep learning and seeing and hearing more and more.

This is the castle of God's love.

Do you know this love, revel in God’s love for us in Christ this Christmas?

How am I actively embracing the hope and light that Christ brings into my life? In what ways can I more fully live in this light?

How do the roles of Jesus as 'Wonderful Counselor,' 'Mighty God,' 'Everlasting Father,' and 'Prince of Peace' deepen my awe and understanding of His character?

How am I actively participating in the expansion of Christ's kingdom?

What can I do to take to heart the hope of Christ this Christmas?