And His Name Shall Be Called

AND HIS NAME SHALL BE CALLED... Spring Valley Mennonite; November 29, 2020; Isaiah 9:1-7 The moment is indelibly etched upon my mind. March 23, 1979; 7:00 A.M. Alice and I were speeding through the morning traffic of Riverside California on our way to the hospital. Events had left no doubt that the arrival of our first child was definitely imminent, even through the due date was still weeks away. Suddenly, a thought burst on my mind and I gave voice to that thought with a loud "Oh, No!" Alice, somewhat preoccupied with her own thoughts, asked with a bit of panic in her voice, "What is it?" She was hoping it wasn't something the matter with our long-suffering Volkswagon beetle, as now was definitely NOT the time for a breakdown! "We don't have a boy's name!" As it turned out, we didn't need a boy's name for seven more years, at which time we had indeed selected several good possibilities. Names, while important in our society, have little of the significance that they did in Hebrew society. We think hard about the name of an expected child, but seldom explore the meaning of the name. We pick a name we like and leave it at that. In Hebrew society, a child was not named until eight days after his birth, and his name carried significance, generally expressing some personal characteristic (like Esau=hairy), or some incident connected to the birth (Rachel dying in childbirth naming her son Benoni=son of my pain, later changed by Jacob to Benjamin, son of my right hand), or some hope or wish of prayer of the parent (Zachariah=God has remembered). Children of prophets often were given names which told of a specific prophesy to occur: for example, Isaiah's newborn son was named Maher-Shalal-hash-baz, which meant "quick to the plunder, swift to the spoil." (How would you like to go through life with that name!) The name meant that the wealth of Damascus and Samaria would be carried away by Assyria before the child learned to speak. It was a warning to Judah not to trust Assyria for help in her wars against the Northern Kingdom. It was in the context of the threat of invading armies that the prophesy of the birth of the promised Messiah was given. There is much we can learn about the Lord Jesus from the names that were to be ascribed to Him. The story of Christmas begins long before that still night in Bethlehem, long before the angel announced to Mary that she would be the most blessed women to ever live. The Christmas story begins with a promise; a promise made by a loving God to people with an unsolvable problem. This first promise is found in the book of beginnings, the book of Genesis. In Genesis 3:15, God speaks to Satan with the words, "I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed; He shall bruise you on the head and you shall bruise him on the heel." God promises that the seed of woman-a child born of a woman, (notice God doesn't mention the seed of man), foreshadowing the virgin birth; a child born of woman would inflict a fatal blow to the head of Satan. The Child was God's solution to the problem of sin. The promise of a Messiah, a Savior and deliverer, was reinforced many times in the Old Testament by types-like the required blood sacrifices, by illustrations like the shepherd of Psalm 23, but the promise was most clearly defined in the writings of the Prophets. Isaiah gives us a clear view of this promised Messiah, first in 7:14, then in 9:6-7. It is in these versed that we begin our Advent messages. Turn to the first of these verses, Isaiah 7:9, then to chapter 9. Read Isaiah 7:14, 9:1-6. I. A CHILD-A SON, IMMANUEL Isaiah penned these words during a particularly dark time for the nation of Israel. Eight centuries before the birth of Christ the nation had split with the 10 northern tribes taking the name Israel and the two southern tribes being Judah. Judah seemingly was about to follow the ten northern tribes into apostacy and idolatry. King Ahaz of Judah was faced with a dual threat of Syria and Israel, who had allied together to attack Judah. Ahaz began to approach Assyria for protection. Isaiah warned the King against such ungodly alliances, citing God's promise that He would be their protection. History tells us the danger of trusting Assyria: Assyria "helped" smaller nations by absorbing them into their empire. Asking Assyria for help is like a mouse being attacked by two rats asking the cat for assistance! In fact, within a few years of this prophesy, the Northern Kingdom of Israel was invaded by Assyria, conquered and never recovered. Into such a dark period, the prediction of the coming Messiah was given. It indeed was a time of gloom and uncertainty. But into the gloom came the light of a promise: "The people who walk in darkness will see a great light." Sin had created a great darkness over the nation; the same shadow of sin which had stretched over humanity since the sin of Adam and Eve in the garden, a darkness which reigned until Jesus came. Into this great gloom and darkness would come a great light. Jesus clearly stated, "I am the light of the world." What would this Messiah be like? His character and ministry were foretold through His names. The name given in 7:14 is Immanuel, which means "God with us." Even though King Ahaz's problem seemed overwhelming, the solution was not to be found through alliances with ungodly nations. The solution for Ahaz was to recognize the God of Judah, Who at that time still chose to dwell in the temple of Jerusalem. Later, because of Judah's fall into idolatry, God's holy Presence left the Temple. As a result, Babylon conquered Judah and 70 years were spent in exile. Almost 800 years later, the Messiah Jesus Christ was born, the fulfillment of Isaiah's prophesy. Immanuel, not only a presence in the Holy of Holies, unapproachable except for the once-a-year ministry of the High Priest, but God become man! This is the wonder of the Incarnation: the Creator God would become a tiny, helpless, dependent baby. That my friends is the Wonder of Christmas! A question: to whom is Isaiah speaking in chapter 9 when he says, "Unto us a Child is born?" Who is "us?" It may seem simplistic, but the message was given to whoever might be listening. The ungodly people of Judah, as we are told in the latter part of chapter 8, were consulting mediums and spiritists for enlightenment. These ungodly ones were not listening to God's prophet; those who were listening, though they were few, were those who believed. When Jesus was born in Bethlehem, there were few who noticed-a few shepherds that night, Anna and Simeon a bit later, the wise men who saw the star-the rest of the people remained in great darkness. God's message of hope is only heard by those who are listening. And so it remains today. The world remains in darkness, and many people are still unaware that the light of the World was born 2000 years ago within a humble stable in an obscure province of the Roman Empire. But-unto us-unto those who are looking, to the Annas and Simeons and those like them who would believe, unto US! A CHILD IS BORN! The encouraging message to those living in a dark and discouraging time-the Messiah will be born. He would be a man, entering the world like each of us as a baby. He would be fully and genuinely human, subject to all the frailties and temptations any man would face. But He would be more: in addition to being a child who would be born, He would be a Son given. He also is the Eternal Son of God, Who has always existed and was never created. This speaks of the other side of Jesus' nature, of His deity-that in addition to being fully man, He would be fully God-The Son of God Who was given. This is the central message of Christmas: God gave the gift of His Son to mankind to redeem them from the darkness of sin. This child who would be born, this Son who would be given would also be the King. II. MESSIAH JESUS IS THE KING OF KINGS "And the government will rest upon His shoulders." This Eternal Son, this God/Man would wear on His Divine shoulders the vestments, the Kingly Robe which visually signals to all that He is the Universal Ruler of all mankind. As with all the prophets, Isaiah saw the events of the future squeezed together. It was as if Isaiah was looking at a distant mountain range, where all the peaks merge together into a solid purple line. It isn't until you are almost upon them that you are able to distinguish the individual mountains and realize that they are separated by valleys. Isaiah, living approximately 750 years before the birth of Jesus saw these descriptions of the Lord occurring at the same time, the first and second advents. This was also the expectation of those like the disciples who lived during Jesus' first advent. They expected Jesus to establish His earthly kingdom at that time. Today we live in the valley between the two peaks of Jesus' first and second arrivals on earth. Isaiah and the other writers of the Old testament made over 300 predictions, written over a time span of over 1500 years which were perfectly fulfilled in the first advent of the Lord Jesus Christ. There are also hundreds of other prophesies of the second advent, the time when Christ will return and establish His visible earthly Kingdom upon earth. If the more than 300 prophesies of the first advent were fulfilled literally, does it not make perfect sense that the prophesies of the second advent will also be fulfilled literally? There will be a literal reign of Jesus Christ upon the earth. The government of the whole earth will be upon His shoulders-He will rule over all the earth. In addition to the coming visible Kingdom, there was also an invisible Kingdom established during Christ's first advent. It was of this kingdom that Jesus referred in Matthew 13:11, when He told His disciples, "To you it has been granted to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven." A mystery in scripture is something that had not been previously revealed. This invisible kingdom of Christ ruling over His Church as the Head was only hinted of in the Old Testament prophesies. Many prophesies have an immediate application in addition to a distant fulfillment. It is into this category that the latter part of Isaiah 9:6 falls, as Isaiah describes the character of the Messiah through a series of names. We presently see the fulfillment of these names in our relationship with Christ, and they will be perfectly realized during His earthly reign during the coming Millennial Kingdom, immediately following the Great Tribulation Period described in the book of Revelation. III. THE PRESENT KINGDOM OF CHRIST There are four names given here, if we take "wonderful Counselor" as a single name, as it seems most natural to do. Each of these names creates a contrast with the rulers of earthly kingdoms we see around us. The first name being "Wonderful Counselor." Wonderful is a word which has in this context an additional meaning of "Supernatural." The counsel Jesus delivered and continues to give is much more than that of the best of earthly wisdom; it is supernatural wisdom. Colossians 2:3 says that in Christ are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. Never before or after has there been such insight and wisdom as we find in the words of Jesus. Human counselors are limited in many ways. Some have knowledge but lack compassion. Some have great compassion but lack knowledge. But the Lord Jesus Christ is omniscient-all knowing and compassionate. "And seeing the multitudes, He felt compassion for them, because they were distressed and downcast like sheep without a shepherd." (Matthew 9:6) He also completely knew and understood what was in the heart of man. Jesus has complete understanding, compassion, and knowledge making Him the Wonderful Counselor. Our hope is in following closely the instructions of our Wonderful Counselor, not placing our hope in man or his limited and corrupted wisdom. A timely word for us today is Psalm 118:8-9: It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in man. It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in princes. Secondly, the Child who was born is the Mighty God. Our King is the Mighty God, the Second Person of the Holy Trinity, Who possesses unlimited power. He will triumph over evil in our own lives, and in the world. The is never any need for discouragement; no need for wringing our hands over the evil and injustice around us. Our Mighty God is with us and within us through the Holy Spirit. The Lord Jesus Christ possesses the power to keep His kingdom in order. Those who follow Him will experience this order in their own lives. Christ not only tells us What to do as our Supernatural Counselor, He also can energize us to do it! It is only our unbelief and our sin which blocks this energizing power to live to His glory. We can tie these two names, "Wonderful Counselor" and "Mighty God" together in a practical application. Human counsel can go only so far. I have experienced this as I give counsel as a Pastor. I attempt to tell people what they should do but I cannot make them do it. Only God can give the power to do what is right. Most of us know what we should do; only God can give us the power to make it happen. Thirdly, Messiah Jesus is the Everlasting Father. This speaks of Jesus' ruling and caring for His creation. Another way of looking at this name is that He is the Father of Eternity; He is eternal. Jesus is the Father of Creation and the sustainer of all life (Colossians 1:16-17: "For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities-all things have been created by Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together." He exists from eternity past to eternity future. He is the One who nourishes and protects His own forever. As a father is responsible to provide security for his family, Jesus as our Everlasting Father lovingly provides for His own throughout all eternity. The New Testament develops this idea thorough the relationship of Christ and His bride, the Church. We are secure throughout eternity in the care of the Everlasting Father and His lovingkindness will extend throughout eternity. As a father loves and provides for his children, so the Lord Jesus is delighted in us and in providing for us. The last name given by Isaiah is the Prince of Peace. When He reigns, there is no conflict. Societies without God will always be filled with conflict. The violence on the streets of our cities have one solution: a relationship with the Prince of Peace. I don't want to sound cynical about the peace accords which are so often instituted in war zones, but these conflicts have only one lasting solution: a relationship with the Prince of Peace. Only He can motivate the making of swords into plowshares. This will occur in full only as the Prince of Peace returns to earth. Jesus Himself warned that there will be "wars and rumors of wars" until the final Kingdom will be established upon His return. Scripture tells us also that there is no peace for the wicked. There is little peace among the governments of the world. But there will be in the future, and there presently is peace in the hearts of all who will believe; a peace much more valuable and lasting and profound than any brought about by a handshake or of a treaty formed in the political centers of the world. Jesus comes offering peace to a world weary with conflict-He brings peace to neighbors who cannot get along. He brings peace to husbands and wives whose relationship is full of conflict. This peace between men is possible only as we experience peace with God, made possible by the coming of the Prince of Peace. As we begin this Advent season, I must ask you: are you at peace with God? Do you realize that when you try and direct your own life that you are rebelling against the rule of God in your heart? Only Jesus, the baby born in a manger who grew to be crucified on the cross; only Jesus who was raised form the dead and sits at the right hand of the Father; only Jesus can bring peace to you. Have you trusted Him? The great wonder of Christ is that Immanuel, the Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father and Prince of Peace is the Messiah, who was born in the manger of Bethlehem. As the angel told Joseph, as recorded in Matthew 1:21: "And she will bear a Son and you shall call His name Jesus, for it is He who will save His people from their sins." Jesus means "Savior." Bethlehem began a journey which passed through Calvary and the empty tomb. It ended with Messiah Jesus seated at the right hand of the Father in heaven. This same exalted Mighty Savior offers to dwell in our hearts, to cause us to be born again, the transform us from within. "For unto us a Child is born; unto us a Son is given. And the government will rest upon Hs shoulders, and He will be called Wonderful Counselor, the Mighty God, the everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace." May each of us know the Prince of Peace and may peace reign in our hearts as we have peace with God. 2