Untitled Sermon

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.

Isaiah 9:2–7.

Introduction

Welcome/Bible (Old Testament) Isaiah 9:2-7 and opening Advent series/ Guests

Verse 2 - 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.

Context

Here Isaiah is speaking to the people of Judah, they are caught in a war with the kingdom of Israel to the north

But this darkness that Isaiah talks about is not just a physical darkness but spiritual

The nation of Judah during this time has turned to everything besides God for hope. They have placed their trust in other gods, foreign nations, and many times in themselves.

Judah was no longer in the favor of the Lord, this is the darkness that Isaiah speaks of.

The nation of Judah has placed its hope in so many things that it has lost stability.

Judah was in a dark tunnel that they could not see the light at the end of.

Many times in our lives we face trials in which we place our hope in earthly things such as our family, careers, our own strength and we walk around in darkness wondering why things aren't going right

Notice how Isaiah does not say the people found light, they did not make light

There was nothing they could do to escape the darkness but light was shown to them.

Isaiah continues in verse 3

Verse 3- 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.

We see here that this light is a person, this “You” is God, God is going to increase the nation and increase Judah’s joy

Isaiah describes this joy as the joy of bringing in the harvest or dividing the spoils after a battle won.

A commentator describes this scene as the celebration in the locker room after the Super Bowl. The adrenaline and the excitement is immeasurable, the feeling of being at the top of the world, a sense of immeasurable joy.

For us Lions fans this year we get a small glimpse at the joy Isaiah is describing here, a celebration incomparable to anything ever seen.

Go back to verse 4 and 5 - 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.

This great light will guide us out of darkness, bring immeasurable joy, but what Isaiah wants to convey in verses 4 and 5 is that this savior of Judah is a warrior, a liberator, the ender of all battles.

In this first half of our text we see some changes from where Judah currently stands

Instead of hopelessness they will have light within the darkness.

In place of sorrow they will feel joy

In place of war Judah will see peace

Who is this hope for Judah, who will bring light, joy, and liberation?

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.

I can only imagine the slow build up that the people of Judah are going through. Isaiah is describing the great deliverance of Judah; they are prepared to hear of this mighty king that will save them and destroy other nations.

Yet the hope of Israel rests in the hands of a child…

This child is the salvation not only for Judah but for the eternal throne of God. This child would be the hope for all of Judah but when would this child come, when would Isaiah's prophecy come to fruition.

Turn to Matthew 4:13

13 And leaving Nazareth he went and lived in Capernaum by the sea, in the territory of Zebulun and Naphtali, 14 so that what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled: 15 “The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles— 16 the people dwelling in darkness have seen a great light, and for those dwelling in the region and shadow of death, on them a light has dawned.” Matthew 4:13–16.

This child was Jesus Christ. He came to fulfill the prophecy and bring hope to the people of Judah but not just Judah God had a bigger plan than that.

Matthew 1:21 - 21 She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.”

This child prophesied by Isaiah would not bring light to the physical darkness but to the spiritual darkness of the world taking upon himself the sin of the world in order to bring light to humanity.

The wonderful counselor would come to give wisdom

The mighty God to pay the price for sin

The everlasting father to show love to a broken world

The Prince of Peace to stabilize a shaken people

The hope for Judah was Jesus Christ the Risen Lord and Savior.

The prophecy about Messiah

was hope for the people of Israel and the fact that Jesus HAS come and IS

coming gives hope today.

Jesus came and died on the cross to pay for the sin of the world, in our darkness of sin he came as the light of the world.

Jesus says “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

If we as Romans 10:9 says for if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead you will be saved.

By doing this we walk in light, we become children of light no longer walking the darkness of sin.

JESUS IS THE ONLY HOPE

This holiday season you may be looking for hope in the broken world we live in, like Judah you have filled this hole with idols and false foundations. But today is the day to stop walking in darkness and step into the light as children of the Most High King.

Jesus says

I have come into the world as light, so that whoever believes in me may not remain in darkness.

The only way to get out of darkness is to look at the light.

Jesus is the ONLY hope we have, and the

The prophecy of the Messiah points us to that true hope.

God is with us, he was in Judah and right here right now He is ever present.

A commentator Raymond Ortlund Jr says - This child is the King to end all kings, saving us from our failure, lifting us into his own righteousness. He is Jesus Christ the Lord, our crucified, risen, reigning, and coming Savior. And he will not come back to tweak this problem and that. He will return with a massive correction of all systemic evil forever.

Not only do we have the hope that Jesus came and paid for sin but we have hope that Our King is coming back and this time not as a baby but as a reigning kind coming to conquer the world and bring his people home.

In these next few moments we are going to partake in Communion.

The Bible tells us that as often as we take communion we proclaim his death until he comes and that's what we are going to do this morning. Proclaim the coming of Jesus, his death, and his second coming.

If you have stepped into the light from darkness today, if you have accepted Jesus as the only hope please partake in communion this morning.

Some folks are going to pass out two cups, one with bread symbolizing Jesus’ broken body and one with juice symbolizing his blood shed for his people. Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians to examine ourselves before the Lord before taking communion

So in the next few moments ask the Lord to search your heart for sin, is he who you place your hope in

Once you have examined yourself please partake and stand with us this morning as we sing.