The Promised Light
Notes
Transcript
TITLE: The Promised Light
TEXT: Isaiah 9.1-7.
Welcome to Advent 2025!
It is a joy to walk with this church family through another Advent season. If you have not been with us here at COTV for a previous Christmas season, first of all… WELCOME. This is such a joyous time of the year, and I am honored to kick off Advent 2025 for us as a church body today.
Advent 2023 - The Promised One
Genesis 3 (specifically v.15) - The Promised Curse Breaker
Isaiah 40 - The Promised Good News
Isaiah 9:1-7 - The Promised King
Isaiah 53 - The Promised Sacrifice
Hebrews 1 - All Promises Fulfilled in Christ
Advent 2024 - Advent of Grace
Luke 1-2, The Grace of God on display in the coming of the Son.
Advent 2025 - The Light of the World
Before we get into the theme of this year, I think it is importance for us to revisit the purpose of ADVENT. What is it? Why should we celebrate it?
What is ADVENT?
Put simply, Advent is a season of preparation. The word advent means “arrival”, thus it is a season of preparation for the arrival of someone or something. Beginning on the Sunday closest to November 30th, Advent lasts 4 weeks and ends on Christmas Eve, December 24th.
ADVENT is the season of preparation where we remember the anticipated “first advent” or first arrival of the Son. In turn…CHRISTMAS then is the season of celebration where we rejoice that the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.
Your family or church family at some point may have even honored this season of preparation with an Advent Wreath. (see below)
“An Advent wreath—an evergreen circle with four colored candles surrounding a white one in the middle—is placed in a prominent spot.
The candles are then lighted one at a time, on successive Sundays. The first candle is the candle of “hope” or “expectation.”
The three remaining candles on the perimeter are given various meanings depending on the church.
On Christmas Eve or Christmas Day, the center white candle is lighted; this is the “Christ Candle,” a reminder that Jesus, the Light of the Word, has come”. - (Got Questions - https://www.gotquestions.org/what-is-Advent.html)
Why should we celebrate ADVENT?
I think it is very wise for us to do so for a couple reasons.
Advent counters the perpetual pull of the world. You may be a family that keeps things pretty mellow during the Christmas season, or you may be on of those families that has 30 inflatable yard decorations and your Christmas lights rock constantly to Bruce Springsteen’s Christmas album. Regardless… the pull over the modern culture is to make this time of year about everything else but Christ.
If you have been considering how to best lead yourself, your family, your kids, your grandkids to Christ during this season, then an observance of Advent together as a church body but also in your home is a great start.
Advent centers our focus on Christ. This time of preparation and eager anticipation for Christmas Day helps us in taking our eyes off of the increase in our material possessions and help us to heed the call of Hebrews 12 to fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith (Heb 12.2). Advent prepares our hearts and minds to truly celebrate Christmas in a way that honors the Lord declaring…
“Oh come all ye faithful, bow before our Savior, Come let us adore, the One who came for us, Glory in the highest, praise the name of Jesus, Our King has come.” - Let Us Adore
So… Advent 2025 - The Light of the World
Specifically through Advent this year at COTV, I pray you see the progression of the texts chosen and how the LIGHT is not only the central focus of each week, but further how the LIGHT both reveals and transforms what it encounters.
11/30 - Isaiah 9: 1-7, The Promise of Light
12/7 - Matthew 3:1-12 - Preparing the Way for the Light
12/14 - Luke 2:8-21 - The Light Comes
12/21 - Ephesians 5:8-14 - Children of Light
12/28 - Matthew 5:14-16 - The Light Shared
May the Lord bless us all according to His Word during this Advent, and may it be for His glory alone.
PRAYER - Advent 2025, Transformed Hearts, Greater love for the Lord and His Word
Advent Week #1 - Isaiah 9.1-7, The Promise of Light
Isaiah Background (Brief)
Isaiah (meaning “The Lord is salvation”) served a prophet to Judah from 739-686 BC, which spanned the reigns of four (4) different kings.
Isaiah began his prophetic work near the time of the death of King Uzziah who had developed Judah into a commercially prosperous and militarily strong nation, but this period of Uzziah’s reign resulted in a spiritual decline among the people.
Isaiah’s Opening
1 The vision of Isaiah the son of Amoz, which he saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah.
Depravity of Judah
2 Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth;
for the Lord has spoken:
“Children have I reared and brought up,
but they have rebelled against me.
3 The ox knows its owner,
and the donkey its master’s crib,
but Israel does not know,
my people do not understand.”
4 Ah, sinful nation,
a people laden with iniquity,
offspring of evildoers,
children who deal corruptly!
They have forsaken the Lord,
they have despised the Holy One of Israel,
they are utterly estranged.
This opening sets the stage for the first several chapters of this prophetic book, for the nation of Judah (part of the covenant people of God) is no longer set apart among the nations to glorify god and point the nations to Him… they themselves are now known for their rebellion against the Lord.
Their sin had become a burden unto the Lord, and their futile attempts to obey the Law given to them was now an abomination to His name.
Their Worship Like Clanging Symbols
14 Your new moons and your appointed feasts
my soul hates;
they have become a burden to me;
I am weary of bearing them.
15 When you spread out your hands,
I will hide my eyes from you;
even though you make many prayers,
I will not listen;
your hands are full of blood.
There are moments, glimpses of hope in the first eight (8) chapters of this book. The Lord speaks of the restoration He will bring to Judah and the redemption that will come to those who repent.
At large though, Isaiah’s prophecy from the Lord declares a coming judgment upon the people, more specifically their invasion and conquering by the nation, Assyria.
5 The Lord spoke to me again: 6 “Because this people has refused the waters of Shiloah that flow gently, and rejoice over Rezin and the son of Remaliah, 7 therefore, behold, the Lord is bringing up against them the waters of the River, mighty and many, the king of Assyria and all his glory. And it will rise over all its channels and go over all its banks, 8 and it will sweep on into Judah, it will overflow and pass on, reaching even to the neck, and its outspread wings will fill the breadth of your land, O Immanuel.”
Like the roaring rapids of the river Euphrates overflowing its banks, the king of Assyria would flow through the land of Judah with much destruction
So… Judah (the southern Kingdom) had become a people of great idolatry and rebellion against the Lord. Furthermore, Jerusalem was described by the Lord as “the unfaithful city”, and the prophet warned that those who forsake the Lord shall be consumed (Is 1.28).
This brings us to the end of Isaiah 8 where the prophet both speaks of the hope He has in the Lord and also paints a bleak picture of what is soon to come for those that continue in their rejection of Isaiah and the Lord.
16 Bind up the testimony; seal the teaching among my disciples. 17 I will wait for the Lord, who is hiding his face from the house of Jacob, and I will hope in him.
Deep Distress and Spiritual Darkness
Isaiah 8:21–22 (ESV)
21 They will pass through the land, greatly distressed and hungry. And when they are hungry, they will be enraged and will speak contemptuously against their king and their God, and turn their faces upward. 22 And they will look to the earth, but behold, distress and darkness, the gloom of anguish. And they will be thrust into thick darkness.
The coming judgment due Judah’s sin was not a new problem for the covenant people of God. In fact, their greatest problem is the same problem we share in today. This problem began in Adam and continued throughout the ages into both the people and kings of Judah.
Some kings over Judah were more faithful than others, but in their SIN NATURE (the same nature that you and I shared in from birth) even they could not be the King that Israel needed, the King that would overcome the failings of Adam and fulfill the Lord’s covenant with David to establish a kingdom from his offspring that will have no end.
Main Idea:
Though our sin is great, bringing about judgment and spiritual darkness, a Great Light was promised that removes our anguish and brings joy, peace, justice, and righteousness forever.
Outline
The Light of Life (v.1-2)
The Giver of Joy (v.3)
The Reign of the Son (v.6-7)
1 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.
The Light of Life (v.1-2)
The Light of Life (v.1-2)
As we have seen, Isaiah 1-8 has largely opened with the judgment due the people of Judah because of their rejection of the Lord. Their sin has plunged them into deep darkness, separated from the Lord and the goodness of His law.
As a covenant people engaged in spiritual adultery with the gods of the nations, what would have been FAIR (FAIRNESS - what we often appeal for whether young or old) is for the Lord of all to judge them into their sin immediately, taking their earthly lives and plunging them into an eternity separated from Him.
“But…”
The glorious opening of Isaiah 9 (along with Ephesians 2:4) is one of the greatest moments in the Scriptures, specifically because this word picture has been painted for the audience that there is certain judgment coming, a title wave that cannot be avoided apart from diving intervention.
Isaiah says… “But there will be no gloom for her who was in anguish.”
This gloom that covered the people of Judah was due to their lack of trust in the Lord and their consulting of mediums. In their distress (lack of peace), they wandered the land in hunger blaming the Lord for their misfortune.
Even so… their gloom would not remain.
“In the Former Time…”
Here the prophet is speaking of the first regions to be affected by the Assyrian invasion, but he is also unknowingly setting the stage for such prophecy to be fulfilled at a “latter time”, though no time period is provided here.
Zebulun and Naphtali
When the judgment of the Lord came about at the beginning of the Assyrian invasion (734 - 732 B.C.), it was these regions of the northern kingdom that were the first to be affected and annexed by the Assyrian king.
29 In the days of Pekah king of Israel, Tiglath-pileser king of Assyria came and captured Ijon, Abel-beth-maacah, Janoah, Kedesh, Hazor, Gilead, and Galilee, all the land of Naphtali, and he carried the people captive to Assyria.
“…but in the latter time…”
This moment in time was likely unknown by the prophet though the truth of it had been revealed to him. At this future time, the One who had brought into contempt the lands of Zebulun and Naphtali would transform their gloom into glory and honor.
The latter end of verse 1 has very important ties to the NT, specifically the ministry of Jesus in the Gospels. During Jesus’ ministry, Naphtali was in northern Galilee and was predominately inhabited by Gentiles.
Furthermore, Jesus ministry “home base” was located in Capernaum which was in the same part of northern Galilee.
Isaiah 9:2 “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.”
In a moment of deep darkness… a great light is promised! The prophet Isaiah says here that those walking in the darkness, unable to discern right from wrong, friend from foe, good from evil… trapped in the darkness of their own sin… they see a Great Light bursting forth.
What’s the so what?
These regions (Zebulun and Naphtali), which were the first to experience the dread of God’s judgment through the Assyrian invasion would be the location where the dawn of the Lord’s salvation would burst forth. They would be the first to see the Light of Life.
The apostle Matthew rightly saw the fulfillment of this in the ministry of Jesus.
12 Now when he heard that John had been arrested, he withdrew into Galilee. 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.”
17 From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”
Promise of v2 in Past Tense???
You may be thinking - the wording here is in past tense. Is the prophet not speaking of something that has already happened?
The use of past tense is purposeful. Isaiah’s writing style is arguable unmatched across the Scriptures, displaying a wide use of imagery, different types of literary expression, and a vast vocabulary. Isaiah did not accidentally choose his verb tense.
(EBC, pg 73) Though speaking of future events, a use of the past tense here is intended to convey the certainty of what is being declared, being that it was divinely orchestrated from the beginning of time.
The Light’s Effect
What effect does this great life bursting forth have on the people?
ILLUSTRATION: Our Lack of Appreciation for Light
Too often I think we forget that almost everything we do in this life is dependent on light in some way. We are dependent on light for our sight, health, warmth, food production, cooking, agriculture, sense of time… LIFE.
More specifically, I wanted to focus on the health portion with a quick story about a French speleologist in 1972 (studies caves). Michel Siffre conducted an experiment where he isolated himself in a cave 440-ft underground completely removed from light and any way to tell time to see how the human body reacted to this isolation.
The absense of light and any sense of time left his brain wondering aimlessly for any sense of structure of when to sleep, when to eat, etc. The isolation led to both physical and mental challenges, some temporal and others long term.
Without light, Michel Siffre was not living but only existing aimlessly without any perception or understanding concerning his days. His brain stopped functioning as designed and sought to make sense of the environment that consumed it. Without light, he was lost.
So it was with Judah, a people stuck in a spiritually deep darkness with no real sense of what true life looked like or even where it could be found. Then the great God of our universe sought them out when they were not seeking Him, and upon them was the Light of Life shone.
16 And I will lead the blind
in a way that they do not know,
in paths that they have not known
I will guide them.
I will turn the darkness before them into light,
the rough places into level ground.
These are the things I do,
and I do not forsake them.
APPLICATION:
At the beginning of our Advent season, I want to invite us all to walk in the Light this season. For the unbeliever, young or old, my call to you today is to no longer walk in the darkness of your sin but instead received the free gift of salvation through repentance and faith in Christ alone.
For the believer, my exhortation to you is to walk in the Light this season. May the Word of God be a lamp to our feet and a light to our path, and may we store up His Word in our hearts so that we may not sin against Him.
5 This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.
The Giver of Joy (v.3-5)
The Giver of Joy (v.3-5)
The direction of Isaiah’s language changes here in verse 3 from the general audience to the Lord. Isaiah turns from the proclaiming to the people the arrival of this Light of life to praising the One who has sent this Great Light.
Isaiah uses two analogies here to convey a singular idea - By the coming of the Light of Life and expelling of the present darkness, JOY has been given and increased in the people.
What is JOY?
This is the feeling or great delight or gladness in or due to something or someone.
From Isaiah’s perspective here, the JOY experienced is specifically in response to what the Lord has done. Thus, we can say that biblical joy is great delight in the work of God.
(v.3a)
By the work of His hands, the nation and its people multiply, and the presence of the Light among the people increases JOY among the people. They rejoice, meaning they respond to the Lord in their joyfulness of heart.
Two Analogies - The Farmer and Soldier
The Farmer (v.3)
Isaiah describes the JOY of light among the people as the joy of a farmer at harvest time. Following his/her period of planting, there was initially no knowledge whether the planted seed would burst forth from the ground or remain in darkness.
But once it bursts through, then comes the hard work of nurturing for the plant each day until finally harvest comes. The fruits of your labor are finally ready to be brought in. Isaiah speaks of the JOY that comes from brining in the bountiful harvest and finally dividing the spoil.
ILLUSTRATION: Meat Chickens
The hard work, even through harvest day, but the joy of finally being done is a great feeling.
As a farmer who rejoices on the day of the first fruits of his/her labor, so it is among those whom after being consumed in deep, thick darkness for so long have seen the Light of Life for the first time, and appropriately respond joyfully.
Joy from the Light
6 There are many who say, “Who will show us some good?
Lift up the light of your face upon us, O Lord!”
7 You have put more joy in my heart
than they have when their grain and wine abound.
The Soldier (v.4-5)
Furthermore, the JOY experienced from the presence of the Light is like the JOY of an army, whose yoke of oppression and burden have been lifted following a great victory over their foe.
More specifically here, Isaiah connects us back to a time in Israel’s history (time of the Judges) when the Lord gave them into the hands of the Midianites due to their wickedness.
1 The people of Israel did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, and the Lord gave them into the hand of Midian seven years. 2 And the hand of Midian overpowered Israel, and because of Midian the people of Israel made for themselves the dens that are in the mountains and the caves and the strongholds. 3 For whenever the Israelites planted crops, the Midianites and the Amalekites and the people of the East would come up against them. 4 They would encamp against them and devour the produce of the land, as far as Gaza, and leave no sustenance in Israel and no sheep or ox or donkey. 5 For they would come up with their livestock and their tents; they would come like locusts in number—both they and their camels could not be counted—so that they laid waste the land as they came in. 6 And Israel was brought very low because of Midian. And the people of Israel cried out for help to the Lord.
In Israel’s crying out for help from the Lord, He called Gideon.
Judges 6:14 “14 And the Lord turned to him and said, “Go in this might of yours and save Israel from the hand of Midian; do not I send you?””
When it was time for Gideon to lead Israel against Midian, the Lord continues telling Gideon that his thousands of fighting men were too many. His final fighting force - 300 hundred men with torches and trumpets (no swords). At the sound of the trumpets, the Lord brought abut confusion among the Midianites who destroyed themselves.
Through such insignificant means, only the name of the Lord could be praised for such a great victory over their oppressors.
Like the JOY of a soldier whose burden of oppression was lifted in their overwhelming defeat of their enemy, so the JOY of the sinner overflows when they hear that the eternal burden and weight of their sin, which they could never bear in a thousand lifetimes, has been lifted from them and placed on Christ, the only One who can bear such a heavy load.
APPLICATION:
You may be thinking… this does not sound much light a Christmas message. Well, we are slowly but surely getting there. Verses 1-5 certainly do provide hope to the reader, but only if one understands the bad news first.
The Promised Light is seen as our greatest need only when we see just how thick and deep the darkness of our sin really is.
The GOSPEL
The Reign of the Son (v.6-7)
The Reign of the Son (v.6-7)
So… the prophet Isaiah speaks of a promised light that will bring light and life and joy to a people who remain in a deep darkness, and at last the prophet speaks further about whom we should expect.
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.
The Light, Life, and Joy promised to the people of Judah finds its cause in a person, more specifically in a child, a son. “The surprising conquerer who works the stunning victory of verses 1-5 is revealed to be a child… described unforgettably in a string of four couplets that mingle his humanity and deity in marvelous balance” (CCE).
The prophet has spoken previously of a sign that will be given to Judah.
10 Again the Lord spoke to Ahaz: 11 “Ask a sign of the Lord your God; let it be deep as Sheol or high as heaven.” 12 But Ahaz said, “I will not ask, and I will not put the Lord to the test.” 13 And he said, “Hear then, O house of David! Is it too little for you to weary men, that you weary my God also? 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.
The son, Immanuel (God with Us), spoken of in Isaiah 7 is expanded upon here in Isaiah 9, and furthermore the attributes of His person and the effects of His coming.
His Humanity
The coming Light of the World would be born as a baby, just like you and me. Since we, humanity, have a universal problem of sin that separates us from a Holy God, and since in some mysterious way when Adam sinned, we also sinned, therefore we need another HUMAN representative to right this wrong.
17 Therefore he had to be made like his brothers in every respect, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people.
His Authority
Upon the shoulders of this child rests all authority. The broken, sinful governments of this fallen world will one day be no more and the son given will bear this weight perfectly and righteously.
18 And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.
His Names
Wonderful Counselor - The works of the Son’s hands and the wisdom of His words are extraordinary and unlike anyone else.
Mighty God - The human Son to be born to a virgin is identified as the object of ancient Israel’s worship who created and rules over the universe.
Everlasting Father - The Son will be as a father to His people who walk obediently in the wise counsel that He brings. His fatherhood is not temporary, but eternal in nature.
Prince of Peace - The Son who reigns eternally does so in peace.
His Davidic Reign
The promised Son to come will establish a kingdom that has no end, and more specifically as a sign to the Jewish people… the child given will reign on the throne of David.
This was pivotal because this is exactly what the people of Israel have been waiting for… Hundreds of years have come and gone as they awaited the promised off spring of David to fulfill the covenant.
The Davidic Covenant
12 When your days are fulfilled and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring after you, who shall come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. 13 He shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. 14 I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son. When he commits iniquity, I will discipline him with the rod of men, with the stripes of the sons of men, 15 but my steadfast love will not depart from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I put away from before you. 16 And your house and your kingdom shall be made sure forever before me. Your throne shall be established forever.’ ”
The promised Offspring from David in 2 Samuel 7 is the same Offspring the prophet speaks of here some 200 years later.
Like promised, the coming Son’s kingdom will have no end. He will rule with Justice and righteousness from His coming until forevermore.
APPLICATION:
The Light of the World… promised to a people who were not walking in accordance with the Law they had received… would be purely a gift of His grace AND a proof of His faithfulness to His promises.
Church family… do not let the corruption of mankind and your inability to sometimes take someone at their word keep you from standing firm and strong on the promises of God.
Our God is not slow to fulfill His promises, but instead His timing is impeccable, perfect, without error in any way.
The One who promised the Offspring of David in 2 Samuel 7 is the same God who promised the Son and ruler of Isaiah 9 which is the same God who one again made good on that promise by the birth of His Son, Jesus, Immanuel, the Messiah.
6 For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
He who promised such thins is faithful today, tomorrow, and forever. Let us worship Him!
Main Idea:
Though our sin is great, bringing about judgment and spiritual darkness, a Great Light was promised that removes our anguish and brings joy, peace, justice, and righteousness forever.
