The Light and Glory of the Christ of Christmas

Isaiah 9:1-7

Introduction

Encyclopedia of 7700 Illustrations 978 The Longest Shadow

978 The Longest Shadow

The longest shadow on earth is believed to be that cast by El Piton Peak on Tenerife, the largest of the Canary Islands. This was also the site of the worst aviation crash in history in 1977 when two giant Boeing 747s crashed into each other on the runways and over 570 lives were lost.

El Piton Peak rises abruptly 12,200 feet above the Atlantic Ocean, and at sunrise and sunset produces a shadow nearly 150 miles in length.

I suggest to us today that there is a much longer and deeper shadow cast over the human race and over human history than that of El Piton Peak. Of course, the shadow that I’m referring to is the shadow of the darkness of sin that even this day overwhelms the vast majority of the nearly 8 billion human beings alive on planet earth today. In our text today God speaks an even broader and deeper hope into the midst of the darkness of sinful mankind. He speaks about the hope of a great light that will dispel the deep darkness.

The Kingdom of this world is passing away friends and it’s not long now that the King of Kings will be returning to set up His Kingdom. The Kingdom of darkness is doomed to defeat at the hands of the Kingdom of Light.

In the midst of the darkness of human sin, the Christ we celebrate this Christmas season is the light and the glory of hope for the human race.

Isaiah gives us a glimpse of this coming Kingdom and its King...

I. The Qualities of the Coming Kingdom (1-5).

The Kingdom of Christ is a Kingdom of great light (2).

As Isaiah prophecies in his day and time they were indeed very dark days in both the Northern and Southern Kingdoms of the land. God’s people were rebellious and idolatrous. Their affections were set on the things of the world and they depended on the idols of the world to meet their needs. They were very superstitious. They were engaged in pagan practices

He is prophesying some 700 years before the first coming of the Lord Jesus Christ and in this text he tells of that coming as well as what we know today is going to be the second coming of the Lord Jesus. He looked forward to the first coming while we have the privilege of drawing deep and abiding hope from the fact of the first coming while we set our gaze on the soon second coming of Christ.

In other words, the Light has come and entered into the world…the good news is proclaimed…captives of the darkness are set free.

English Standard Version Chapter 4

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.”

English Standard Version Chapter 1

In him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

English Standard Version Chapter 1

The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. 10 He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. 11 He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. 12 But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, 13 who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.

English Standard Version Chapter 26

to open their eyes, so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.’

English Standard Version Chapter 8

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.”

The Kingdom of Christ is on display in the hearts and lives of every believer as we live and move and have our being in Christ. The message of the Kingdom is shining through the Church today. It’s the Church who is proclaiming Christ in all that we do. It’s the Church proclaiming to the world that Jesus is BETTER than THIS life. It’s the Church that is living on mission risking our lives now to proclaim and live the gospel so that others might know the SUPREME worth and worthiness of the Savior in whom we trust.

It’s the Church proclaiming and preaching…it’s the Church pursuing righteousness and holiness in lifestyle…it’s the Church gathering and worshiping and declaring the excellencies of His name…It’s the Church sold out to living in faith-filled community growing together…it’s the Church practicing all of the “one another” principles of the New Testament so that the light of Jesus is shining in this day.

As we see the day of approaching…what day? the day of the Lord…the Tribulation Time…we the Church are commanded to gather MORE OFTEN…to PRAY MORE OFTEN…to PROCLAIM MORE OFTEN…to be MORE DILIGENT…MORE WATCHFUL.

Yet there are people in the Church house trying to get the Church to gather less often…to preach and teach shorter messages…to pray less often…to proclaim the gospel less…and thus, to be less diligent.

Take heed to your souls today…not everyone who is in the church house is really in the Church. There is not a lot of time left for us to shine the gospel. NOW is the time, TODAY is the day for the Church to put on display the Light of Christ.

The Kingdom of Christ is a Kingdom of great joy (3).

Look at the increase of His government spoken of verse 7 as having no end. Look at verse 3. What is increasing in the Kingdom of Christ?

The nation of believers. Jesus Nation, if you will. That’s a fanbase I’m in full support of! People are coming to faith in Christ and the Nation of believers is increasing.

English Standard Version Chapter 3

The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.

English Standard Version Chapter 53

Yet it was the will of the LORD to crush him;

he has put him to grief;

when his soul makes an offering for guilt,

he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days;

the will of the LORD shall prosper in his hand.

English Standard Version Psalm 2

Ask of me, and I will make the nations your heritage,

and the ends of the earth your possession.

The joy of that nation is increasing.

English Standard Version Psalm 16

You make known to me the path of life;

in your presence there is fullness of joy;

at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

There will be a harvest of joy

English Standard Version Psalm 4

You have put more joy in my heart

than they have when their grain and wine abound.

The Kingdom of Christ is a Kingdom of great peace (4-5).

Jesus is going to vanquish every foe who stands against Him and He will usher in an extraordinary peace. He will break the yoke of the oppressive nations of the earth.

If you’ll come to him in faith, believing and trusting in him, then he will break the yoke of the burden of your sin and set you free.

II. The Qualities of the Coming King (6-7).

Verses 6-7 answer the question: How?

How will darkness be dispelled?

How will those in darkness see a great light?

How will the nation be multiplied?

How will we rejoice in a harvest of joy?

How will the oppression of this world be broken?

How will justice be served to those who oppress?

The answer is: “For to us is born a child, to us is given a son.”

Verse 6 is not trying to be redundant in its proclamation, “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given...” We can learn a great deal about Christ just by drawing out the differences between the child born versus the Son who is given. Both of these aspects speak to the heart of God himself. The child is born because God so loved the world. And the Son is given because God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son. Both phrases also draw out the common object or recipients of this Divine gift given by God: “FOR TO US a child is born, TO US a son is given...” We, the human race, are the underserving recipients of an astounding gift from God Almighty. The phrase “to us” speaks loudly of divine intervention and grace given to underserving rebels steeped in darkness, but deeply loved by God who alone saves to the uttermost.

Christ the King was a child born into our weakness (6).

It matters that Jesus was born as a child. Consider this story written in the NY Times by Nancy Raine about a friend named George that had happened some 25 years before it was written:

750 Engaging Illustrations for Preachers, Teachers and Writers 332: Incarnation

In those days, work crews marked construction sites by putting out smudge pots with open flames. George’s four-year-old daughter got too close to one and her pants caught fire like the Straw Man’s stuffing. The scars running the length and breadth of Sarah’s legs looked like pieces of a jigsaw puzzle. In the third grade she was asked, “If you could have one wish, what would it be?” Sarah wrote: “I want everyone to have legs like mine.”

When we suffer pain, we want others to understand. We want others to be like us so they can identify with us. We don’t want to be alone.

God does understand. When Jesus became a man, he did something far more difficult than having legs like Sarah’s.

Jesus was born into the darkness of this world as the light of God’s glory and as the Good News of God’s grace. Yet, he was born as a baby and what is more vulnerable, what is weaker, what is more helpless and more desperately needy than a newborn infant and the child who is fully dependent.

Jesus took upon himself the flesh of man and the creaturely weakness of living in a human body. Jesus was placed under the same exact temptations that you and I face in this world. Jesus was exposed outwardly to all of the force of sin that tempts us every day. Yet, in all of that vulnerability He never sinned. He not only never sinned in his behavior, but he never had a sinful attitude, he never had a sinful thought, he never uttered a sinful word.

English Standard Version Chapter 4

Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. 15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. 16 Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

So where did Jesus get this ability to overcome the temptations we face while clothed in our creaturely weakness?

Christ the King was a Son given who governs with distinction (6-7).

Emmanuel is a Son who was given straight from the bosom of God the Father. Jesus did not come into existence at His human birth. Jesus is the everlasting Word of God. Jesus is the Alpha and the Omega. Jesus had no beginning and has no end. Jesus was present and active in Creation. All things were made by him and through him and for him, including you. Jesus is he “who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. (Phil 2:6-8)

Jesus alone has the ability to overcome the sin of the first Adam by coming as the second Adam.

Jesus alone has the ability to live a sinless life, die a sinners death, and rise triumphantly from the grave.

Jesus alone has the ability to govern the hearts of believers for the glory of God.

Jesus alone has the ability to sustain the life of everyone who believes on Him.

Jesus alone has the authority to rule and reign on the throne of King David.

Jesus alone is the promised fulfillment, the Seed of Abraham, who brings the people from every tribe, tongue, and nation together with believing Israel under the faith of Abraham.

As a child born he is acquainted with our grief and yet without sin and he shines the light of the good news.

As a Son given he is able to conquer our darkness by overcoming our sin and defeating death.

“For to us a child is born” is an invitation to each one of us to lay our burdens down…to come out from underneath the heavy yoke and burden of the darkness of our own sin and the burden of this world…to step into the rest of he who is gentle and lowly and to lay our weary head on his chest and find rest for our weary souls.

“For to us a Son is given” is an invitation to each one of us to take up the victory over sin and death that Jesus provides through his crucifixion, burial, and resurrection…it is an invitation to share in the victory as more than conquerors through Him who loved us…it is an invitation to live for Him from the place of victory that he has secured for all who believe on Him.

The names of Christ bring out the distinction with which He governs our hearts now and with which He will govern His Kingdom in the not too distant future. (We’ll cover this next week)

Conclusion

Citizenship in the Kingdom of Christ is being offered to you today. Citizenship in His Kingdom shines through the finished work of Christ - his crucifixion, burial, resurrection, and ascension into heaven. Jesus is the Light shining into your heart today, exposing your need for a new Savior-King to rule your heart. If you’ll come to him with faith believing on and receiving him as your Savior and Lord he will break the strongholds of sin in your heart and shatter the yoke of eternal death that hangs over you and set you free. His Kingdom offers you unspeakable joy and a peace beyond all comprehension.

He will rule your heart as one who has walked in your weakness, yet overcome. He will rule as one who has the authority as your creator and your sustainer. Here’s his invitation straight from his own mouth:

English Standard Version Chapter 6

All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out.

There need not be any hesitation on your part to come to Christ today, letting go of your sin and surrendering to His Lordship. He says in the verse “I will in no wise cast out.” It’s rendered in the strongest of terms:

I will not, ever cast you out.

What’s keeping you from coming to Him? John Bunyan wrote it best:

But I am a great sinner, say you. “I will in no wise cast out,” says Christ. But I am an old sinner, say you. “I will in no wise cast out,” says Christ. But I am a hard-hearted sinner, say you. “I will in no wise cast out,” says Christ. But I am a backsliding sinner, say you. “I will in no wise cast out,” says Christ. But I have served Satan all my days, say you. “I will in no wise cast out,” says Christ.  But I have sinned against light, say you. “I will in no wise cast out,” says Christ. But I have sinned against mercy, say you. “I will in no wise cast out,” says Christ.  But I have no good thing to bring with me, say you. “I will in no wise cast out,” says Christ.

Ortlund, Dane C.. Gentle and Lowly (p. 62). Crossway. Kindle Edition.