He Rules the World with Truth and Grace

Introduction

I encourage you to open up your Bibles, if you’ve brought them with you, to the Book of Isaiah, where you will find a very familiar Christmas passage in Isaiah chapter 9. I’m going to read, for the sake of context verse 22 of Isaiah 8 through verse 7 of chapter 9.

Isaiah 8:22–9:7 (ESV)

Isaiah 8:22–9:7 ESV

And they will look to the earth, but behold, distress and darkness, the gloom of anguish. And they will be thrust into thick darkness. 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. 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. 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. 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. For every boot of the tramping warrior in battle tumult and every garment rolled in blood will be burned as fuel for the fire. 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.

The context of Isaiah chapters 7 and 8 leading into our passage this morning show the sad condition of God's people to which they have fallen under the rule of King Ahaz and the time to come shortly after for the nation. They had chosen to follow their own way rather than follow the LORD. They had chosen to trust in themselves and lived for their own glory rather than trust and glorify God. So, God chose to discipline them, thrusting them into a season of distress, darkness, gloom, and anguish. Instead of having the protective cover of God and the light of His glory to guide them, they were given confusion, a gloomy-cloud-covered spiritual sky, and became the prey of the nations.

Trace the negative conditions that the people of God were experiencing.

They walked in darkness, which describes their spiritual lifestyle.

They dwelt in a land of deep darkness, which describes the corruption of the nation; the king on down to the people.

As a result, they experienced bondage and oppression from their enemies bringing anguish and extreme sadness.

Yet we read the opening word of chapter 9 and we see that God did not intend to leave them in their plight forever. The first word is "But" or "Nevertheless"; a contrastive word indicating a great reversal or change is about to occur. God did not intend to leave His people where they were.

They walked in darkness, but they would "see a great light". Meaning their spiritual lifestyle would be turned around completely. Their sin darkened-hearts would be illuminated by the rays of a penetrating light.

They dwelt in a land of deep darkness, but on them would "light dawn”, meaning not only would they see light, but they would enjoy its warmth and energy in their community, impacting every level of society.

They were a burdened and oppressed people; in anguish and sorrow, but they would be freed, their joy would be increased, and they would be restored under the leadership of a New King, whose government would be totally opposite from their former days.

Problem:

Looking at the world we live in, even the nation of America, it's not hard to notice that we aren't far behind, or probably have surpassed, the negative conditions and failure of the people of God in Isaiah. 2020 has been a year that has magnified our poor condition and failure, hasn't it? As you reflect on this past year, think about all that we've encountered externally. COVID-19, riots, civil unrest, division over trivial matters, and the celebration of sinful living. You get the sense, don't you, that we as Christians in America are dwelling in a land of deep darkness? Consider your own internal state and condition. Has 2020 left you feeling gloomy, lonely, discouraged, or depressed? Have you felt oppressed by the Enemy? Struggling to escape bad habits and choices? In anguish because of bad things that have befallen you this year? Broken relationships, family problems, issues at work, or maybe you're not at work!, economical troubles perhaps? Not to mention the political atmosphere we've endured this year. Are you tired of politics and poor leaders? Do you find yourself at the end of 2020, longing for reassurance that God will fix this mess?

Need:

Joy. Peace. Hope. A leader with character, conviction, and competency. These are the solutions we require to overthrow our problems of darkness, sadness, bondage, anguish, and godless leaders. In short, we desire the dawning of a New Age, the establishment of a Better Kingdom, and the rule of a Perfect King.

Isaiah prophesies of such an age, kingdom, and king. His message is one where the LORD promises His troubled people that:

Theme: The kingdom of Jesus emits eternal joy, perpetual peace, and abiding hope.

Woven within this prophecy is the reassurance from God that this New Age, Better Kingdom, and Perfect King will come and bless His people, who are stuck in their sin, surrounded by others’ sin, and suffering altogether because of sin. The Lord promises that He will not leave His people in such a state and condition.

Purpose:

As we follow this precious promise, I want to reassure us that the Lord is passionately and actively committed to providing us eternal joy, perpetual peace, and abiding hope because we are mercifully included in His glorious Kingdom.

Organizational Sentence:

This text is so familiar and so often preached during this time of the year that it’s difficult to be unique and dig out something new. So, far from being unique or new, I want to simply highlight three major themes that stand out about this Better Kingdom presented in these verses. It’s my prayer that taken together, these themes will reassure us that the Lord of Hosts will accomplish all of this for the sake of our joy, peace, and hope and especially for the sake of His glory.

1. A Kingdom of Great Light

In the first place, you’ll observe that this Better Kingdom is a kingdom of Great Light.

Isaiah 9:2–3 ESV

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. 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.

According to these verses, there are two problems overcome by this Great Light.

The first problem is darkness. In the present context, “darkness” is not being used in a literal sense, but in a figurative sense referring to spiritual darkness. Spiritual darkness is used in a variety of ways throughout the Bible. It is used in some places to describe the absence of moral, godly values. In other places, darkness is associated with death and Hell (Job 10:21; Matt. 8:12), judgment (1 Samuel 2:9; Joel 2:2), times of trouble or difficulty (Job 19:8), evil (Prov. 2:13), bondage (Isa. 42:7; 49:9), blindness (Ps. 69:23; Rom. 11:10; Eph. 4:18), or secretive living away from presence of light (John 3:19).

To “walk in darkness” then is a lifestyle of rebellion against God and His ways; behavior that is counter to God’s character; hearts that are hardened to the truth; eyes that are blinded to God’s grace and goodness and to a person’s own sinfulness. All of this results ultimately in troublesome times and difficulty for a person; they experience God’s judgment rather than favor; and they are bound by their sin, by Satan, and by Satan’s schemes.

But, actually, it is worse than this. Not only are the people described as “walking in darkness”, they are a people who “dwell in a land of deep darkness”. In other words, they are not just walking/living according to darkness, but they are living in darkness; dwelling in it. The idea is that spiritual darkness and all that that means: godlessness, death, judgment, trouble, evil, bondage, blindness, and hidden, secretive deeds, surround them. They are a people surrounded, enveloped by this darkness. It’s the air they live and breathe. It defines them inside and out.

Boy, times don’t seem much different today, do they?

The good news is that God would not allow this darkness to go unchecked. “The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light” and “those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shone”.

Just like that word “darkness”, “light” is not necessarily being used in its literal sense, but more in a figurative way. Light is almost always in Scripture associated with acts of God. It was, after all, one of His first creations (Gen. 1:3)! Light in the Bible is associated with God Himself (Ps. 27:1; 1 Jn. 1:5); it is His dwelling place (1 Tim. 6:16); it is the garment He wears (Ps. 104:2); the Word of God is called light (Ps. 119:105, 130); elsewhere it refers to purity, especially God’s purity, it is used as an illustration of God’s exposure of sin and evil deeds that are done in the dark (Ps. 90:8; John 3:20); light also refers to life from God (Job 33:30; John 1:4); and of course, light is associated with Jesus Christ as the apostle John loved to point out in his Gospel account (John 1:5, 9; 8:12; 9:5; 12:46).

In fact, Matthew’s Gospel goes so far as to identify Jesus as this “great light” applying Isaiah 9 to Jesus in Matthew 4:12–17.

Matthew 4:12–17 ESV

Now when he heard that John had been arrested, he withdrew into Galilee. And leaving Nazareth he went and lived in Capernaum by the sea, in the territory of Zebulun and Naphtali, so that what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled: “The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles— 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.” From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”

And Jesus, in one of His most memorable “I am” statements in John 8:12 declared:

John 8:12 ESV

Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

Even the Jews used “Light” as another name or reference for the coming Messiah. Such is the case with the prophecy in Isaiah 42:6–7 as well as Zechariah’s prophecy in Luke 1:78–79 and Simeon’s blessing in Luke 2:32.

The point then, that I’m driving at, is that everything that Light is and conveys is found in Jesus Christ. Jesus is this “great light” that penetrates through the spiritual darkness of our lives and land. He is the great light that “shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it” (John 1:5). Jesus is “the true light, which… was coming into the world” (John 1:9). But, “the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed” (John 3:19–20). He came to expose our sorry state of sin and to shine forth as our only Savior and solution. Instead of walking around in the dark, groping about, stumbling our way to Hell, we now see Jesus Christ, the Great Light. Like a lighthouse guiding sailors and their ships safely to shore, Jesus, as the Light of the World, illuminates the way for souls to reach the safe harbor of Heaven.

But, even more than that we have seen this Great Light in Jesus, is this beautiful phrase at the end of verse 2. “Those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shone.” So, not only is Jesus the great light we have seen by faith, but He is a light we experience and enjoy through faith too. It is one thing to look up into the sky and spot the sun, but it is quite another thing to feel the sun’s warmth. Its rays beaming down upon your face. The connotation is that when Jesus shines upon His people they experience His favor, His blessing, and enjoy His heart for them.

Which ties into how this Great Light overcomes a second problem.

2. The second problem to be overcome is sadness. “There will be no more gloom for her who was in anguish… you have increased its joy; they rejoice before you as with joy at the harvest, as they are glad when they divide the spoil.” (Isaiah 9:1, 3).

Isaiah 9:1 ESV

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.

Isaiah 9:3 ESV

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.

When this Great Light is seen and when it shines, joy spreads to more and more people. The spread of this joy and its experience is likened to two different analogies. It is likened to joy at harvest time, an analogy deeply meaningful to those whose life was centered and depended upon agriculture. Perhaps you know something of that sort of joy if you are a farmer or gardener. Otherwise, imagine the excitement you had when you received your very first paycheck! The other analogy for this joy is likened to the feeling after experiencing victory in war and going through the spoils or treasures won. Picture the elation of a college basketball team winning the Final Four or the champions of the Super Bowl hoisting the Lombardi Trophy.

Simply put, the Light of the World, when He is seen and when He shines, dispels our darkness and scatters our sadness, leaving us with an increasing and eternal joy. And so we sing this time of year with eager longing:

O come, Thou Dayspring, come and cheer

our spirits by Thine advent here;

disperse the gloomy clouds of night,

and death’s dark shadows put to flight.

This is a Better Kingdom of Great Light. The Light of Jesus Christ.

2. A Kingdom with Godly Leadership

In the second place, observe that this is also a kingdom with Godly Leadership. Isaiah 9:6-7.

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.

Through what magnificent person will the LORD God usher in this New Age and Better Kingdom? A child… Everything that has ever terrified us; everything that has ever ensnared us; everything that has ever led people to their doom and death will be overturned by a mere child. It’s intentional, I think, that this would be the case. It leaves us as readers with nothing more to exclaim than that “Only God can do this!”

Take a closer look at the description of this child. Mark carefully His personhood: who He is; His perfections: what He is like; His position: where He shall rule from and what He shall rule over; His peculiarities: how His rule will be unique and different; and mark His perpetuity: how long His rule shall last. Let’s take those one at a time.

Personhood

Beginning with this child’s personhood. “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given.” Do you see this child’s identity here? “For to us a child is born.” That’s Jesus’ humanity. A child born. This child is the Son of Man. Bone of our bone. Flesh of our flesh. But also, “to us a son is given”. That’s Jesus’ divinity! A son given. This child is the Son of God graciously given out of love to the world by the Father that all who believe in Him might not perish, but would taste everlasting life. Fully Man and Fully God. What a mystery and what a miracle is the personhood of Jesus!

Perfections

Skip down to the end of verse 6 and see this child’s perfections. “and His name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” In ancient times, a name was a commentary of a person’s attributes; what they were like as a person. This child has four, or as some argue, five names and titles detailing what He is like. For the sake of argument, let’s say there are five names here.

This child is called “Wonderful”. The word “wonderful” is always used in Scripture, with only one exception, to describe God’s works and words. It means precisely what our English word means. Extraordinarily good, exciting wonder or marvel, surprisingly awesome.

There’s a story of a man who was riding a train and his fellow passenger in the seat next to him was gazing out the window at the passing trees and flowers and all that the man kept exclaiming was, “Wonderful! Wonderful! Wonderful!” He leaned over and inquired of the man, “Excuse me, but why do you think everything is so wonderful?” The passenger replied, “Sir, you don’t understand. I’ve just had surgery done on my eyes. I’d been without sight for many years and I’d forgotten how blue the sky was, how green the grass was, how beautiful the trees were, and how bright the flowers. It’s wonderful. It’s all so wonderful to me.”

My friends, the glory and splendor of Jesus, what He is like, what He has done for you and for me should fill us with wonder. You should never be able to look at Jesus with your eyes of faith and be bored. If He is not wonderful to you, then you need some surgery done on your spiritual eyes that you may behold Him as He truly is: Wonderful.

He is also called “Counselor”. One who plans, gives wise advice, and offers clear guidance. Paul wrote to the Corinthians that Jesus “became to us wisdom from God.” That is the summation of this name. Wisdom incarnate. Who do you run to for wise counsel in times of distress or trouble?

Adrian Rogers says this about Jesus:

“Oh, how we ought to follow Him because He is our counselor. Jesus is so full of wisdom. We think we are so smart, but six thousand years of recorded human history have brought us to the very brink of destruction. But, Jesus is “the wisdom of God” (1 Corinthians 1:24)… Some of you this Christmas– you’re floundering about like a ship without sail and a rudder on a dark and stormy night. You don’t know the will of God. Don’t you think it’s about time you let Jesus, the Counselor, take over your life? His name is Counselor.”

This child is named “Mighty God”. He is Almighty, Omnipotent, Divine. “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me,” Jesus said. It’s astounding, isn’t it? A baby, laid upon straw in a manger is the Mighty God of the Universe. This child, whose hand Mary held as He learned to walk is the One who designed the human body to walk, the One whose hand holds the planets and stars in their courses! This child who was laid in a wooden manger and later crucified on a wooden cross is the Designer and Creator of every tree. Jesus Christ became meager man, but amazingly in Him the fullness of God was pleased to dwell! He is Mighty God.

He is called “Everlasting Father” literally, “Father of Eternity”. This is not Isaiah making a statement about the mystery of the Trinity and confusing the persons of the Godhead. Rather, this is a statement about the character of the Messiah. He is a King who functions like a father would over his children. He protects us. Provides for us. Pours out His affection and compassion upon us. And since He is everlasting and owns eternity, Jesus Christ can give us eternal life. As dying people, we need an undying Christ. This is who we have in Jesus.

And this child is called “Prince of Peace”. The word peace here, “shalom”, carries forth the concepts of safety, health, prosperity, wholeness, and harmony. And the title, “Prince”, conveys Jesus’ Authorship, Authority, and Arbitration. As the author of peace, Jesus is qualified to make peace; as the one with Authority over peace, He has the ability to declare peace; and as the arbitrator of peace, Jesus mediates and brings peace for His people. He brought peace at His birth, just as the angels said to the shepherds, “peace on earth, good will toward men”. Jesus taught and preached peace in His life and ministry, as He said to His followers, “In me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world” (Jn. 16:33). And He brought peace through His death, “making peace by the blood of His cross” and “therefore… we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ” (Rom. 5:1). Safety, eternal health, heavenly prosperity, total wholeness, and harmony. In Jesus we have perpetual peace.

He is Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, and Prince of Peace to us who have been transferred into His Kingdom of Light.

Position

Now, moving on quickly, mark this child’s position.

Isaiah 9:7 (ESV)

“Of the increase of his government and of peace

there will be no end,

on the throne of David and over his kingdom,”

This tells us where He shall rule from and what He shall rule over. Namely, Jesus rules from the throne of His ancestral father David and over all David’s kingdom. He is the fulfillment of God’s covenant given to David in 2 Samuel 7. “Your throne shall be established forever,” the LORD promised David. And Gabriel announced to Mary that her child “will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to Him the throne of His father David, and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end” (Lk. 1:32-33). His kingdom will be bigger than Israel, really. It includes the whole world.

Peculiarities

Additionally, note the peculiarities of His position.

Isaiah 9:6–7 (ESV)

6 and the government shall be upon his shoulder...

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...

Jesus’ reign will be utterly unique and decidedly different than any other ruler in human history. When the government is upon His shoulder, then the yoke of burden is removed from His people. Jesus’ empire of joy and peace will only continue to increase more and more, every moment being better than the last. Accompanying this is perfect justice and pure righteousness upholding His rule. We may be able to say that human governments have been established with justice and righteousness. Certainly America was established with such values. However, no human government to date has been upheld by their own justice and righteousness. Empires rise and empires fall. Not so with the Kingdom of Jesus. His justice and righteousness endures.

Perpetuity

And finally, look at the perpetuity of this child’s reign. How long will His Kingdom last? How long will He be able to uphold His Kingdom with perfect justice and pure righteousness?

Isaiah 9:7 (ESV)

7 from this time forth and forevermore.

Hallelujah!

The kingdom of this world

Is become the kingdom of our Lord

and of His Christ.

And He shall reign forever and ever

Amazing, is it not? God sent a child to be the godly leader we so desperately require. But, admittedly this isn’t just any child. He is the Son of Man and the Son of God. He is magnificently Wonderful, infinitely Wise, divinely Mighty, eternally Compassionate, suitably Peacemaker. He is the fulfiller of the Davidic Covenant. He is uniquely different and qualified to rule. And His rule will have no end. This Godly Leader is Jesus Christ, King and Lord over all.

3. A Kingdom accomplished by Gracious Love

Now, to wrap this all up, the third theme concerning this Better Kingdom. We are reassured in the final line of verse 7 that this will be a kingdom accomplished by Gracious Love.

Isaiah 9:7 (ESV)

7 The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.

These are the most potent words in the whole text. The word “zeal” elicits a picture of “intense fervor, passion, and emotion”. Zeal is the eagerness and ardent interested pursuit after something or someone. One commentator defines zeal in this context as:

“that jealousy which is a component of all true love and pre-eminently of the Lord’s love…It is… the power of love moving the Lord to make His people’s cause His own and the passionate commitment of His nature to fulfill His purposes for them.” (Alec Motyer)

Zeal. Passionate commitment. Love. That sums up this passage in Isaiah well. It is the fuel of these other two themes of Light and Leadership. The love of God for His people sent the Light of the World to be a Leader with godly character, holy conviction, and omnipotent competency to rule over this Better Kingdom forever. This Better Kingdom is not a matter of opinion, thought, or abstract ideas. This Kingdom is not a matter of wishful thinking, fantasies, or dreams. It is a reality; a certainty because the Lord is zealously, passionately, lovingly committed to accomplishing everything He has promised His people concerning this Kingdom.

The Lord has seen our sad condition. He knows the circumstances that surround us and envelope us. He is aware of the darkness which is spreading and strangling this nation and this world. And He has already sent us the Solution, Savior, and Sovereign to fix this mess. This gives us an abiding hope!

Conclusion

This Christmas, I invite you to put your faith in this Savior and King as the solution to all of life’s greatest problems. Are you burdened by your failures, weighed down by the heaviness of your guilt, sin, and shame, desirous of a clean slate? Are you weary from your struggles and strivings after a hard year, longing for relief? Are you saddened by the events of 2020 and wondering if everything will be alright in the end when the dust settles? Are you seeking a joy that won’t diminish with the tides and seasons; a peace that remains upon your soul no matter the circumstances that befall you; and a hope that endures in the face of adversity, perversity, and tragedy? Are you upset and frustrated by poor leaders who only care about themselves, their agenda, and lead countless people astray?

Then, I point you to the Light of the World, King Jesus and to the Better Kingdom that He is calling you to enter. In Jesus Christ, see the Mighty God made low for you to raise you up. He was born of a virgin, lived a perfectly righteous life, died to take the penalty for your sin in your place on the cross, three days later was raised to life, ascended into heaven to be seated at the right hand of God, and is coming again to rule and reign forever and to be worshiped as He rightfully deserves. Will you trust in His saving work today? Will you choose to worship Him today for all that He has done for you and all that He has promised to do for you? Will you receive Him as your King and experience eternal joy, perpetual peace, and abiding hope in His Kingdom?

For us who are already a part of this Better Kingdom by God’s grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone, let us rejoice and glory in our King. Let us sing will all heav’n and nature. Let us repeat the sounding joy! Let us prove the glories of His righteousness and wonders of His love as we await the dawning of this New Age, the arrival of this Better Kingdom, the appearing of our Perfect King; the King to end all kings! Let us be reassured by the fact that “the zeal of the Lord of Hosts will do this”!