Advent 2025- pt1- Hope

When I was 9 years old I hoped to get the USS Flagg for Christmas.

Y’all remember that toy? Or ever heard of it?

It was a nearly 6 foot long recreation of the GI Joe aircraft carrier. Big enough to land airplanes and helicopters on.

There would have been no space in my bedroom to contain it.

i’m 50 now. The Flagg would still be cool to own.

Sometimes we can hope for a very long time and never see that hope realized. We can come close. We can try substitutes. We can convince ourselves that we have been fulfilled. But the longing remains.

The story of Christmas starts with hope. A hope of the world for relief, for deliverance, for an intervention to release us from the ever present reality that despite our best efforts, life can be very hard and painful.

We are in dire need of hope.

In Romans 8, Paul describes it as a groaning or longing for relief. Jesus describes it as sheep without a shepherd.

Hope is hard to find.

So Christmas is the story of the beginning of that fulfillment. Of a light that sparks in darkness. A drop of water in a parched desert land.

Not an illusion or false promise, but a real, concrete hope sent from heaven.

A Savior arrives.

Isaiah 1–39 (1) The Reign of a Righteous King (9:1–7)

J. Lindblom and A. S. Herbert consider 9:2–7 to be a thanksgiving hymn. The hymn addresses God in the second person (9:3–4) and gives three reasons why people should be joyful (9:4–6). Nevertheless, the poem lacks a call to praise God, never uses the word thanksgiving, and centers on future positive changes rather than focusing on what God has already done

Turn with me to Isaiah 9:2-7.

The prophet Isaiah writes to a people in war- fighting for their lives and homes and surrounded by enemies. Folks who if they are not delivered will be enslaved or destroyed.

Exactly what we face spiritually apart from Jesus.

Look at verse 2. They have dwelt in darkness.

I’m a fan of dark rooms for sleeping, but if I need to go somewhere, they are awful. I am guaranteed to hurt myself (hotel room and the need for a bathroom story)

When light breaks into darkness the results are amazing. The deeper the darkness the brighter the light.

That is what Hope is! A light so bright it drives out darkness.

Isaiah 1–39 (1) The Reign of a Righteous King (9:1–7)

This light was a sign that God had not completely given up on his people. A new day of hope and light will eventually arrive. Elsewhere God is the light (

Verses 3-5 describe what happens when this hope arrives:

growth- the nation is no longer shrinking it is growing in multiples

rejoicing- and not passive rejoicing- celebratory joy like at the harvest or after a great military victory

Isaiah 1–39 (1) The Reign of a Righteous King (9:1–7)

Two illustrations of wild celebrative joy are used to compare the people’s future happiness. The people will rejoice and jump for joy like people do when they see an unusually massive harvest (possibly referring to the joy at the Feast of Weeks;

freedom- bondage is at an end- and how much would that have brought hope to the Israelites

Isaiah 1–39 (1) The Reign of a Righteous King (9:1–7)

Isaiah predicts that God “will shatter/break” (haḥittôtā) the oppressive yoke of their enemy. The yoke, bar, and rod (used of Assyria’s oppression in 10:24–27) were instruments used to dominate people and force them to work physically, or they could be used as metaphors to describe a heavy burden put on people through increased taxation or domineering rule

vindication- the oppressing force is completely decimated and consumed in fire

Isaiah 1–39 (1) The Reign of a Righteous King (9:1–7)

The burning of the boots and the bloody clothes of enemy soldiers in 9:5 signify a victory in holy war where spoils were dedicated to God and military equipment was set on fire (cf.

Church, this is a prophecy to a nation of their deliverance, but it is also a picture of what is promised in the coming of Jesus (which we will see in a moment)

When Jesus comes into a person’s life they experience ongoing, total transformation.

The Kingdom takes root in our lives and we begin to grow, rather than being slowly devoured by sin

We experience joy- which is a fruit of the Spirit and endures despite circumstances.

We see real bondage broken as old sins are defeated and replaced by new practices that glorift Jesus and no longer kills us

And we are fully vindicated- made righteous permanently, with our old sin stained lives consumed by the holy fire of the goodness of God.

Hope!

How?

Verses 6-7.

Jesus comes. A child is born. Someone enters the world that is undefeatable and unable to be contained or conflated.

Isaiah 1–39 (1) The Reign of a Righteous King (9:1–7)

The initial announcement that a child “will be born” (yullad prophetic perfect verb) is further explained in the parallel phrase, God “will give a son to us,” that is, to the people of Judah. The second line emphasizes that this is a work of God’s gracious giving, not just a coincidence

He is a ruler- the government will be on His shoulders

He comes to offer comfort- Counselor

Isaiah 1–39 (1) The Reign of a Righteous King (9:1–7)

“Wonderful Counselor” combines the idea of doing something “wonderful, extraordinary, miraculous” (peleʾ) with the skill of “giving wise advice, making plans, counsel.

To bring His strength to bear on brokenness- Mighty God

To bring us into the Family permanently- Everlasting Father

Isaiah 1–39 (1) The Reign of a Righteous King (9:1–7)

Since fathers were the heads of tribes who wisely led the people, it is a fitting title for a ruler if one wants to avoid some of the negative connotations of kingship. “Everlasting” is a title that does not apply to any human ruler, except that the Davidic promise speaks of one who will rule on the throne of David forever

And to end conflict- Prince of Peace

Isaiah 1–39 (1) The Reign of a Righteous King (9:1–7)

Peace implies an end of war and is reminiscent of the ideal peace described in the kingdom of God in 2:4. It is also comparable to the promise in the Davidic covenant that God’s people will not be oppressed again and that they will have rest from their enemies

And He won’t stop until the whole of it is accomplished (verse 7)

Isaiah 1–39 (1) The Reign of a Righteous King (9:1–7)

Isaiah offers a rhetorical assurance to his listeners concerning the fulfillment of this promise. Simply stated, God Almighty himself will do it. With unassailable zeal, determination, and passion God will concentrate his efforts to accomplish this marvelous deed. Isaiah’s listeners can be absolutely sure that an omnipotent, sovereign God will stand behind the fulfillment of this wonderful plan

And check this out, go back to verse 6- He came to US as a FREE GIFT.

The good news is hope is not something that has to be purchased or earned. It is from God by the work of His hands and through His sacrifice.

Our only need is to believe.

Hope has dawned…hope has arrived…a Person has landed and we celebrate His advent at Christmastime.