Hope

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 9:6–7 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. 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.

Before there ever was the birth of a Messiah… there was hope.

SLIDE TWO

Hope has always been there

Isa 9:

We look back, with hope for the present, because of what happened when a Messiah was born.

...We look forward, with hope for a greater, future fulfillment, because of what that Messiah accomplished.

BUT… Before there ever was a pregnant virgin… before the wise men in the east pondered a mysterious star in the sky… before angels invited shepherds to come and see..

There was hope… looking forward.

Even as the Jewish people celebrated those feasts that reminded them to LOOK BACK.

- when THEY LOOKED BACK… at the faithfulness of God… to deliver them…

There was a promise… of a deliverance yet to come

THEY LOOKED BACK IN CELEBRATION OF PASSOVER. ON THAT MIRACULOUS NIGHT IN EGYPT, THEY KILLED A LAMB THAT HAD LIVED WITH THEM IN THEIR HOME… AND THEY PUT THE BLOOD OF THAT LAMB AROUND THEIR DOOR… -Because of this… death passed over their household

-But PASSOVER also looked forward. For one day… a different lamb from amongst them would be killed. He was first identified by John The Baptist.

SLIDE THREE

John 1:29 ESV

29 The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!

-ON THE VERY DAY… THAT THE LAMBS WERE BROUGHT INTO JERUSALEM FOR THE UPCOMING PASSOVER CELEBRATION… another event happened…

-We traditionally call it… THE TRIUMPHANT ENTRY OF JESUS.

JESUS then SPENT THE WEEK IN THEIR MIDST… and on the day they slaughtered their lambs for the feast.. Jesus died on the cross.

-JESUS died, as God’s Passover Lamb… and because of His blood… eternal death, passes over… all those who trust in Him.

During that Passover Feast… they also celebrated the removal of leaven from their homes, representing, the removal of sin… and so they ate their bread unleavened..

The year Jesus died… He was in the grave during the feast of unleavened bread. - AS THE PEOPLE REMOVED THE SYMBOLIC EXPRESSION OF SIN FROM THEIR HOMES… Jesus was conquering sin and death..

On the day when the Jewish people were celebrating the feast of firstfruits..

JESUS ROSE FROM THE DEAD… BECOMING, as it reads in:

SLIDE FOUR

1 Corinthians 15:20 ESV

20 But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.

-Fifty days later, as they celebrated the early harvest with Pentecost… The Holy Spirit was poured out on the believers..

Over 30 years previous to this… … in the Fall… the Jewish people celebrated the yearly feast of Sukkot… which is the Feast of Tabernacles…

In this time, THEY REMEMBERED HOW GOD PROVIDED SHELTER as the children of Israel wandered in the wilderness. -and also… how God would be their shelter in the world to come…

There’s a lot of evidence that points to the timing of this celebration… and the timing of Jesus’ birth… being in conjunction with each other. - -The placement of the shepherds, the historical record of the census that was taken… - THESE THINGS DON’T POINT TO A DECEMBER BIRTH…

-BUT RATHER… a September birth.

So in the season that the children of Israel built tabernacles… dwellings… the God who would be their Shelter..

-Came down… to tabernacle with… the dwell with - HIS PEOPLE.

slide five

Isaiah 7:14 ESV

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.

Immanuel means what? God with us…

God… tabernacling with us..

God… dwelling with us.

slide 6

HOPE HAS ALWAYS BEEN THERE

Hope has always looked back at the faithfulness of God

Hope is always looking forward, with positive expectation towards the promises of God

And it is hope… that gives us peace in the here and now, because of what God has done… and because of what God has promised.

Our opening passage in is a familiar one… -We always hear it around Christmas time.

-A child is born

-A son is given

-the government shall be upon His shoulder

-He is called: wonderful, counselor, mighty God

-… everlasting Father, Prince of Peace..

EVEN IN THIS… WE ARE BOTH, LOOKING BACK, AND FORWARD IN HOPE.

-Jesus has been born… God’s son has been given.

-He is wonderful… He is a great counselor… He is mighty God..

BUT MUCH OF THIS… IS STILL YET TO COME..

.. Christmas is not just, the birth of a miracle child..

But it is a promise… that one day, this child will be the ultimate king over all…

-So in a way, this is a season to also celebrate the coming kingdom..

-WHICH IS WHAT WE WILL BE TALKING ABOUT NEXT WEEK.

-We do have hope, because of what Christmas represents..

-that there will come a time… when there will be no end of peace… and no end to increase of his government..

In that day, even I will be a fan of big government.

-THERE IS COMING A TIME, WHEN ALL THINGS BECOME NEW… AND IN THAT NEWNESS… THE THRONE OF DAVID WILL BE AFFIRMED… and Jesus will sit upon it.. FOREVERMORE.

Now… we are quite familiar with verses 6 and 7 of Isaiah chapter 9…

And there’s probably a reason why the familiar quote begins there… for the previous verse talks about … the trampling boots of warriors.. and garments soaks in blood.

LET’S GO BACK TO VERSE ONE AND GET THE BIGGER PICTURE.

Slide 7

Isa

Isaiah 9:1–2 ESV

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.

Verse One begins with a transitioning contrast…

-It can’t stand alone… it is continuing a thought from the previous verses.

In chapter 8… Isaiah is talking about the rebellion that caused God to hide his face from His people..

HE TELLS US OF THE IMPENDING INVASION OF THE ASSYRIANS.

He tells us of a rebellious people who, because of their own actions… will suffer distress and hunger… and instead of taking responsibility for their sin… instead of crying out to God for mercy..

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They speak contempt against God.

THE PROMISE IS FIRST GIVEN… to the one who was formerly in anguish.

THE PROMISE IS FIRST GIVEN… to the one who was formerly in anguish. IN THE FORMER TIME… GOD BROUGHT CONTEMPT UPON THOSE WHO SHOWED HIM CONTEMPT.

Darkness shall not continually be on the land which is now in distress..

-In we read about the Assyrian king who swept into the lands of Zebulun and Naphtali and hauled off the inhabitants into captivity.

This is what happened in the former times…

But now… let’s talk about the latter time..

THE PEOPLE DID EVIL… THEY WERE WARNED… GOD RESPONDED TO THEIR REBELLION BY HAVING THEM CONQUERED… -that was the former time…

-But now… LET’S SPEAK OF HOPE. Let’s speak of the good which is yet to come.

-God will make glorious… the way of the sea - which speaks specifically of the GALILEE REGION… where Jesus began His ministry.

-And then it says.. the land beyond… which could also mean: ‘along’ the Jordan…

And he calls this region: Galilee of the nations.. Which is also translated:

Slide 8

Galilee of the Gentiles

The Jews to the south thought poorly of those in the North. They didn’t consider them to be as PURE as they were.

The population in the north was historically mixed… both Jews and Gentiles. -

-After the deportation by the Assyrians… the northern lands were inhabited by heathens… and thus… the people of Israel in the south thought poorly of anything that came from the North…

Slide 9

which might explain Nathanael’s words in…

John 1:46 ESV

46 Nathanael said to him, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Philip said to him, “Come and see.”

HERE’S WHAT GOD DID:

The same region which was so darkened once, shall be among the first to receive Messiah’s light.

Slide 10

Matthew 4:13–16 ESV

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

It was in a despised Galilee that He first and most publicly exercised His ministry...

The purest… the best… the most devoted Jews lived in the south… -They were close to Jerusalem.. but-

slide 11

from the land of contempt, Jesus called His disciples.

Jerusalem was the right place… -Galilee was the wrong place..

Jerusalem was a place of prestige and honor.. -Galilee was a place of disgust and dishonor..

For all of history past… the Jewish people looked forward to their great Messiah with hope… -and when He first came… He went to the people who had a dark history… A REPUTATION… of sin and rebellion…

Jesus built His team, and began His work… amongst the most despised people in the nation of Israel.

Not only was Jesus conceived in scandal and born in great humility…

-But His ministry followed suit.

-He came to, He walked with, He served along side of, He loved, He taught, He healed, and He saved… those whom society deemed… less than desirable.

When Mary and Joseph brought Jesus to the temple… he came in contact with an elderly man named Simeon…

The Lord had told Simeon.. that he would not die until he had seen the Christ..

…And when Simeon saw Jesus… he knew… and he picked him up and said these words:

Slide 12

Luke 2:32 ESV

32 a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to your people Israel.”

And this is precisely how Jesus began His ministry… in the borderlands to the north.. where both Jews and Gentiles dwelt closely together.

Slide 13

Isaiah 9:2–3 ESV

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.

Isa 9:

THE PEOPLE WHO WALKED IN DARKNESS… HAVE SEEN A GREAT LIGHT.

-Those who once, because of their rebellion… were hauled off into captivity… -have been given hope.

Here in lies an element of hope that we need to be aware of…

-Hard times come.. and sometimes they befall us simply because this world is broken.

-And if we suffer at the hands of a broken and fallen world… there is hope.

But this message of hope… here in … continues to draw in the subtle reminder… that those who were once in darkness… where there because of their own sin.

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What does this mean to you and I? -It means that hope is not only for those who suffer in innocence..

HOPE IS AVAILABLE TO THOSE WHO ARE SUFFERING AT THEIR OWN HAND.

-If the Prodigal son truly knew the heart and nature of His father… from the very pig stye where he hit rock bottom… he would have considered His father with hope…

He came home with a very small hope… thinking that maybe, his father would receive him as a servant..

BUT HE WAS RECEIVED WITH A MUCH BIGGER HOPE .

This is the nature of our God. To those who once walked in darkness… He reveals His light.

God eventually brought His children back to the land after their captivity in Babylon.

-And as we see in verse 3… there was a great multiplication of their population.

-even in the last 70 years, we have seen this kind of multiplication in Israel..

But… beyond the multiplication of the Hebrew people.. We see the explosive expansion of Christianity in the wake of Jesus’ earthly ministry.

More important than the numbers… is the increase of joy..

-A people who realize what they have been redeemed from… are a people who truly know and appreciate what God has done for them.

When hope if fulfilled..

there is joy… there is rejoicing…

What kind of joy? -The kind that the people experienced at the harvest.

THIS SPEAKS OF A YEARLY CELEBRATION THAT GOD CALLED HIS PEOPLE TO… In and … God called His people to bring the firstfruits of their harvest every 2 out of 3 years to a designated city..

-Last week we talked about the 3rd years tithe being for the poor, the Levite, and the immigrant.. ..

This week.. we talk about the first and the second year’s tithe..

-THE TITHE OF FOOD AND DRINK.. Was for a celebration. God wanted His people to come together every year… and feast! They were to eat and drink to their fill…

If the appointed city was too far to bring food to… then they were to sell 10% of their harvest, and bring money to that designated city..

and when they arrived… they were to purchase food and wine and they were to join in with the joyful celebration…

That’s the kind of joy that a fulfilled hope brings..

Not only that… but IT’S THE KIND OF GLADNESS THAT A VICTOR EXPERIENCES WHEN HE DEFEATS THE ENEMY AND TAKES POSSESSION OF THE SPOILS.

Now… let’s not forget our context here… Let’s keep this picture together..

-God is bringing the hope of His Messiah…

-to a people who once held God in contempt…

- to a people who were punished for their sins…

-to a people who became despised by their own nation..

AND THIS HOPE:

Will bring immeasurable joy… -It is likened to the yearly celebration… the feasting… it is likened to the defeat of the enemy and the possession of his riches..

AND WHAT IS THE OBJECT OF THIS HOPE?

-Through whom does this hope come?

Through the child who was born… Immanuel… God with US.

But wait… there’s even more hope.

Slide 14

Isaiah 9:4–5 ESV

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.

Isa. 9:

Because a child was born… this is our hope..

There will come a day, when all the burdens and the oppressions agains us will be broken..

They will break in an instant.. without a fight. As in the day of Midian.. When Gideon’s forces went up against a nation… and simply watched as God brought forth the miraculous defeat.

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There will come a day… when all the accoutrements of war will be destroyed… -simply because… -THEY WILL NO LONGER BE NEEDED.

Slide 15

Isaiah 2:4 ESV

He shall judge between the nations, and shall decide disputes for many peoples; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore.

Slide 16

Isaiah 11:6–7 ESV

The wolf shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the young goat, and the calf and the lion and the fattened calf together; and a little child shall lead them. The cow and the bear shall graze; their young shall lie down together; and the lion shall eat straw like the ox.

Isaiah 11:6 ESV

The wolf shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the young goat, and the calf and the lion and the fattened calf together; and a little child shall lead them.

Slide 17

Psalm 46:9 ESV

He makes wars cease to the end of the earth; he breaks the bow and shatters the spear; he burns the chariots with fire.

Zechariah 9:9–10 ESV

Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king is coming to you; righteous and having salvation is he, humble and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey. I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim and the war horse from Jerusalem; and the battle bow shall be cut off, and he shall speak peace to the nations; his rule shall be from sea to sea, and from the River to the ends of the earth.

Slide 18

Zechariah 9:9–10 ESV

FOR TO US… A CHILD IS BORN!

-And because of that… we have unimaginable hope.

-We look back… and we are still looking forward.

-There is so much joy… so much rejoicing.. so much peace… so much glorious wonder… -that is yet to come.

simply because - a child is born.

Christmas means a lot of things to a lot of different people..

=But.. may we never forget… -because a child was born - THERE IS HOPE.

Hope for the outcast… for the criminal… for the rich.. for the poor… for the hurt… for the healthy…

for those who look at this world and recognize that there is so much that is wrong with it..