A Deliverer is Coming!

Introduction:

Merry Christmas everyone! We are actually probably the furthest Sunday away from Christmas this year, do any of you remember when “Christmas in July” was a huge shopping trend? It was something you saw on television. Channels like QVC would dedicate entire days to Christmas programming right in the middle of the summer. They knew exactly what they were doing. They figured if you started shopping in July, you could spread out the cost, avoid the holiday rush, and have plenty of time to find the perfect gifts. So there you were, sitting in your living room in the middle of July, with the air conditioner running full blast, watching Christmas trees, ornaments, nativity sets, and gift ideas parade across the television screen. It always felt a little out of place. Christmas in July? It just always felt weird…

In some ways, preaching Isaiah 9 in the middle of July can feel the same way. We hear these words“"For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given" and our minds immediately jump to shepherds, wise men, and the Christmas Eve candlelight service. But Isaiah didn't write these words to celebrate a holiday.

He wrote them to people living in fear, darkness, and uncertainty. This is far more than the announcement of a birth; it is God's declaration that He has not abandoned His people. It is the story of light breaking into darkness, of a Savior entering our world, and of a King whose reign will never end. Isaiah 9 isn't simply a Christmas passage…it is the story of our salvation. But before we talk about that, will you pray with me?

Prayer:

Father in Heaven may the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be pleasing in your sight. May your word, anointed by your spirit, and spoken by your servant breathe life into us today.

Setting Up the Text:

Open up your Bibles with me to the Book of Isaiah 9:1-7… Before we read one of the most familiar passages in all of Scripture, we need to understand where we are in the story. Isaiah is one of the greatest prophets of the Old Testament. He ministered in Judah, or the southern kingdom in the 8th century before Jesus. His ministry stretched across the reigns of several kings, during a time when God's people appeared outwardly successful but were inwardly crumbling.

The nation still gathered for worship. They still offered sacrifices. They still celebrated the religious festivals. But their hearts had drifted far from worship.

They trusted in their own abilities. They tolerated injustice, and they even worshiped other gods. Through Isaiah, God repeatedly calls His people to repentance before judgment falls.

And that judgment was not merely theoretical. To the north, the mighty Assyrian Empire was growing stronger every year. City after city were falling before their armies. By the time we reach chapters 7 and 8, fear has settled over Judah…

King Ahaz is terrified as neighboring nations threaten Jerusalem, and instead of trusting the Lord, he places his confidence in political alliances and military strategy. God offers Ahaz a sign that He will keep His promises, but Ahaz refuses.

Isaiah warns that because God's people have rejected Him, darkness is coming. The Assyrians will invade, suffering will increase, and the future appears anything but hopeful.

That is why Isaiah 9 is so remarkable. It arrives like the sunrise after the darkest night. Right when judgment seems unavoidable and hope is gone, God speaks a promise that reaches far beyond Isaiah's generation… Let’s see what this promise could be…

Scripture 1: Isaiah 9:1-5

Exposition:

As Isaiah begins this section, he gives God's people something they have not heard in a long time: hope. After chapter 8 ends with people looking to the earth and finding only "distress and darkness and fearful gloom," Isaiah's very next words are, "Nevertheless..." What a beautiful word. Judgment is coming because of Judah's rebellion, but judgment will not have the final word. Isaiah promises that the future will not be like the past.

The very regions that first tasted the bitterness of Assyrian invasion, Zebulun and Naphtali, will one day be the first to experience God's glory. Think about that. The places that knew the deepest humiliation would receive the greatest honor. Why? Because God was not finished with His people. King Ahaz had led the nation deeper into fear and darkness through his unbelief and short-sighted leadership, but Isaiah points beyond Ahaz to another King. Not another political ruler, but a Child who would accomplish what no earthly monarch ever could.

That is why verse 2 is so striking. Notice that the people do not discover the light. They do not create the light. They do not earn the light. The light simply shines upon them. Isaiah even speaks of this future event as though it has already happened because God's promise is so certain that it can be spoken of as an accomplished fact. Throughout Scripture, light is one of the great images of God's own presence. It is the promise that God Himself will once again dwell among His people. Their rebellion had not exhausted His mercy. Their sin had not cancelled His covenant. The darkness was real, but it could never overcome the light that God Himself was bringing into the world.

Because of this light, everything changes. Fear gives way to overwhelming joy. Why joy? Because God is removing every burden that enslaves His people. Isaiah speaks of the yoke of oppression being broken. The same God who had delivered His people before would do so again, only now on a far greater scale. It would free God's people not only from the oppression of earthly enemies but ultimately from the deeper bondage of sin itself. And Isaiah ends with an extraordinary picture: soldiers' boots and bloodstained garments thrown into the fire because the war is over. Peace has come. The darkness has been defeated… God Himself broke into their darkness. And that’s our first point:

Point 1: God brings light into humanity’s deepest darkness

Application:

In 2010, the world watched as thirty-three miners became trapped more than 2,000 feet beneath the earth in the San José mine in Chile. A cave-in sealed the entrance, and for seventeen days, no one even knew if they were alive. Imagine the darkness. Imagine the uncertainty. The food was almost gone. The water was rationed. There was no escape route. Day after day they waited, wondering if anyone would ever reach them. Then, one day, they heard something. The faint sound of a drill breaking through the rock above them. It wasn't them digging their way out. It was someone digging their way in.

When that drill finally pierced the chamber where they were trapped, the miners tied a note to it that simply read, "We are well in the refuge, the 33." In that moment, everything changed. They were still underground. They were still surrounded by darkness. They had not yet been rescued. But hope had arrived because rescue had broken into their darkness. Church, that is exactly the kind of picture Isaiah paints for us. Humanity is not climbing its way out of darkness to find God. God is breaking into our darkness to find us. And that is exactly what we see in Isaiah’s prophecy… And hundreds of years before Jesus walked the earth, the people were expectantly waiting on His arrival… God brings light into humanities deepest darkness… Now let’s go back to our text, and lets keep reading, just one more verse this time.

Scripture 2: Isaiah 9:6

Exposition:

After painting a picture of darkness giving way to light, Isaiah answers the question every listener would naturally ask: How? How will God break the yoke? How will He end oppression? How will He bring lasting peace? Isaiah's answer is astonishingly simple: not through an army, not through a political revolution, not through a new program or philosophy. God will accomplish His salvation through a person. God's answer to humanity's greatest problems is not merely an idea to believe or a law to obey, but a Savior to receive.

As John Oswalt observes, God's truth is never meant to remain merely in the realm of ideas…it is meant to become incarnate. The Deliverer arrives in the most ordinary and vulnerable way imaginable: as a child.Here is the mystery of Christmas long before Bethlehem: the One who will rule forever enters the world as a helpless infant. Fully human in His birth, yet fully divine in His identity.

Then Isaiah unfolds four names, each revealing not merely what this Child can do, but who He is. He is the Wonderful Counselor, possessing perfect wisdom that never fails. Unlike Ahaz His wisdom is not of this world. His kingdom teaches that the last are first, the weak are strong, servants are greatest, and victory comes through a cross. He is the Mighty God, not simply a mighty warrior but God Himself in power and majesty. Earthly kings conquer by crushing their enemies; this King conquers through deliverance from sin. At Calvary, He bore the full weight of death, and emerged victorious through His resurrection.

He is the Everlasting Father. Earthly fathers are imperfect, and even the very best fathers cannot remain forever. But Christ's loving care for His people never ends. He will never abandon His children, never fail them, and never leave them without His presence.

Finally, Isaiah reaches the climactic title: Prince of Peace. This is where everything has been leading. Sin shattered peace in the Garden. Humanity became separated from God. But this Child comes to restore what was lost. Through Him, enemies are reconciled to God. Through Him, broken people are reconciled to one another. Through Him, hearts at war finally find rest.

Do you see what Isaiah is showing us? Every title speaks to one of our deepest needs. We need wisdom for our confusion. We need power greater than our sin. We need a Father who will never leave us. We need peace that the world cannot give. And Isaiah declares that all of those needs are met, not in abstract qualities, but in the person of Jesus Christ. And this leads to our third point, which is this:

Point 2: God brings salvation through the promised Son

Application:

C.S. Lewis is world famous for this allegorical stories of Narnia. The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe has now been read by generations. At the beginning of the story, the land of Narnia is trapped in an endless winter. The White Witch rules with fear, and everywhere you look there is cold, darkness, and hopelessness. The characters long for freedom, but they cannot bring it about themselves. Then whispers begin to spread throughout the land: "Aslan is on the move." Isn't that an interesting phrase? No one says, "A new plan is on the move." No one says, "A better strategy is coming." “If I’m a good person, better things are coming.” “Progress is coming.” The hope of Narnia is not found in an idea. It is found in a person.

Aslan's arrival changes everything. The snow begins to melt. Ice gives way to flowing streams. Fear begins to lose its grip. Hope begins in the people. And the remarkable thing is that the transformation begins before Aslan has defeated the White Witch. Why? Because his very presence changes the atmosphere. The people know that if Aslan has come, the story is no longer headed toward defeat. Hope has arrived because the right person has come.

C.S. Lewis didn’t create this idea, he got it from Isaiah… Humanity's deepest need is not simply for better advice, stronger government, or another religious teacher. Our deepest need is for the right King. That is why Isaiah doesn't merely tell us what this Child will do, he tells us who He is. He is the Wonderful Counselor who gives perfect wisdom. He is the Mighty God who has power over every enemy. He is the Everlasting Father whose faithful care never ends. He is the Prince of Peace who reconciles us to God. Just as the cry in Narnia was, "Aslan is on the move," the good news of Isaiah is even greater: The Son of God is coming… And for us, the best news for all creation is that The Son of God has come!

Now, let’s finish off with one final verse.

Scripture 3: Isaiah 9:7

Exposition:

Isaiah concludes this great prophecy by lifting our eyes beyond Bethlehem and even beyond the cross to the eternal reign of Christ. This is no ordinary king who will simply reign for a season before another takes his place. Listen to the language: "Of the greatness of His government and peace there will be no end." Every earthly kingdom has a beginning and an ending. Nations rise and fall. Empires flourish and collapse. Dynasties come and go. Even the greatest rulers eventually die. But Isaiah says this King's reign will never end. This is the fulfillment of God's covenant with David, but in a way far greater than David could ever have imagined.

And then Isaiah ends with one of the most encouraging statements in the entire passage: "The zeal of the LORD of hosts will accomplish this." That is wonderful news, because if the establishment of Christ's kingdom depended on human effort, it would surely fail. If it depended on Israel's faithfulness, or the disciples' courage, or even the church's strength today, there would be little reason for confidence. But Isaiah reminds us that this kingdom rests upon God's own determination. The Child has come. The King now reigns. And one day every knee will bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. Until that day, we live with confident hope of eternity… Our last point is this:

Point 3: God’s Kingdom will never end

Application:

On June 6, 1944, the Allied forces stormed the beaches of Normandy in what we now know as D-Day. Historians often point to that day as the decisive turning point of World War II. The battle was fierce, and thousands lost their lives, but after Normandy the outcome of the war was no longer in doubt. Hitler's defeat became a matter of time. Yet the war did not end that day. There were still battles to fight, cities to liberate, and months of hardship before Victory in Europe Day finally arrived. The decisive victory had been won, but the final victory had not yet been fully realized.

That picture helps us understand the kingdom Isaiah is describing. When Jesus came into the world, He defeated our greatest enemies… sin, death, and Satan… through His death and resurrection. The decisive battle has already been won. Yet we still live in a world where there is suffering, injustice, temptation, and grief. We still wait for the day when Christ will return to make all things new. We live between D-Day and V-E Day, between Christ's first coming and His second. The King already reigns, but one day His reign will be seen and acknowledged by all creation.

That is why Isaiah ends with such confidence: "The zeal of the LORD of hosts will accomplish this." Our hope is not wishful thinking, nor is it based on the strength of the church or the progress of the world. It rests on the unwavering commitment of God Himself. The King has already come, and because He has come, we know how the story ends. One day every enemy will be defeated, every wrong will be made right, and every knee will bow before Jesus Christ. The decisive victory has been won, and the final victory is certain.

Take Home:

Now, in closing, every generation searches for an answer to the darkness it sees around it. Some place their hope in politics. Others trust technology, education, wealth, or even humanity itself. Yet every one of those hopes eventually proves too small for the brokenness of our world. Isaiah reminds us that our deepest problem has always required a greater answer than anything we could produce ourselves. The good news of this passage is that God has not left us to find our own way. He has acted. He has spoken. He has come near. And because Jesus Christ has come, we no longer have to wonder where hope is found or what the future holds. Church, when the darkness feels overwhelming, fix your eyes not on the darkness but on the King who entered it, defeated it, and now reigns forever. And that leads to our Take Home, which is the one sentence summary of the sermon…

Take Home: God's answer to humanity's darkness is the person and reign of Jesus Christ.

Conclusion:

So this week, wherever you encounter the darkness of this world, remember where your hope is found. Lift your eyes to Jesus Christ, the Light who has come, the King who reigns, and the Savior who is coming again. Walk in His light, rest in His promises, and live with confident hope, knowing that the day is coming when faith will become sight, every shadow will flee, and the Prince of Peace will reign forever.

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Bow with me.