To Us a Child is Born

Isaiah 9:6–7 ESV

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.

Scripture: Isaiah 9:6-7 ESV

Introduction

As we enter the month of December, a lot of excitement and anticipation builds up as each week moves progressively closer to Christmas. We love spending time with family and friends, as well as the chance to show love & appreciation to others with gifts and season’s greetings. We really have to be mindful though to not forget the real reason for Christmas. We’ve most likely heard the story many times before, but we must protect ourselves from letting it get outdated or irrelevant. The fact is, we would all be in our sins and in spiritual darkness and hopelessness if it were not for the Christmas Story. I’d like to walk with you through some insights and practical notions about the birth of Jesus that still impact us today.

The Birth of Jesus expresses God’s Love.

6 For to us a child is born, to us a son is given;

Characteristics of God’s Love

1. Selfless

6 For to us a child is born

to US (a Gift!)

a child (GOD Almighty wrapped in flesh as a helpless baby!)

Philippians 2:3–8 ESV

3 Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. 4 Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. 5 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, 6 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.

Jesus came to serve. His humble birth was selfless.

We earned eternal death & hell. God gave us (believers) eternal life & heaven.

2. Timely

Luke 2:11 ESV

For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.

this day

Romans 5:6 ESV

For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly.

at the right time

3. Sacrificial

to us a son is given;

John 3:16 ESV

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

4. Miraculous

Isaiah 7:14 ESV

Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.

the virgin shall conceive

Immanuel = “God with us”

The Birth of Jesus establishes God’s Kingdom.

...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.

Characteristics of the King

1. Wonderful Counselor

Isaiah 28:29 ESV

This also comes from the Lord of hosts; he is wonderful in counsel and excellent in wisdom.

His counsel is wonderful.

How is it wonderful?

2. Mighty God

Deuteronomy 10:17 ESV

For the Lord your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great, the mighty, and the awesome God, who is not partial and takes no bribe.

Matthew 28:18 ESV

And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.

3. Everlasting Father

Everlasting

Psalm 72:17 ESV

May his name endure forever, his fame continue as long as the sun! May people be blessed in him, all nations call him blessed!

Father

Isaiah 63:16 ESV

For you are our Father, though Abraham does not know us, and Israel does not acknowledge us; you, O Lord, are our Father, our Redeemer from of old is your name.

Psalm 68:5 ESV

Father of the fatherless and protector of widows is God in his holy habitation.

John 14:15–18 ESV

15 “If you love me, you will keep my commandments. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, 17 even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you. 18 “I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.

Jesus promised the Holy Spirit to His disciples, so as not to “orphan” them.

4. Prince of Peace

Peace

Lexham Theological Wordbook Old Testament

Old Testament

שָׁלוֺם (šālôm). n. masc. soundness, peace. The state of being whole.

Lexham Theological Wordbook Peace

Peace denotes the wholeness, soundness, and well-being that characterizes God and that God created in the world. As peace was broken due to human sin, such well-being constitutes the hope for ultimate restoration by God.

A Present Peace

The death of Jesus on the cross restored peace:

between God and sinful humanity (if they repent and turn to Christ)

Ephesians 1:7–10 ESV

7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, 8 which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight 9 making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ 10 as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.

between Jew and Gentile

Ephesians 2:13–16 ESV

13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. 14 For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility 15 by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace, 16 and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility.

A Future Peace

Isaiah 11:6–9 ESV

6 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. 7 The cow and the bear shall graze; their young shall lie down together; and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. 8 The nursing child shall play over the hole of the cobra, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the adder’s den. 9 They shall not hurt or destroy in all my holy mountain; for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.

The New Bible Commentary 11:1–12:6 The Messianic Kingdom

The reign of Christ already produces this kind of transformation in the sphere of human character, and will ultimately change the whole creation (cf. Rom. 8:19–25.). Whether this will be realized literally as depicted here is another matter; it seems better to view this as an earthly expression of the ‘new heavens and … new earth’ (65:17, 25) in which variety will not be enmity, and the weak will be the complement, no longer the prey, of the strong.

All Creation awaits this “ultimate restoration” of peace (or šālôm).

Characteristics of the Kingdom

7 Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end,

1. Expansive

Of the increase….no end

Other Translation

Isaiah 9:7 (CSB): 7 The dominion will be vast, and its prosperity will never end.

The expanse & breadth (size) of the Kingdom of God will be infinite

of his government

Lexham Research Lexicon of the Hebrew Bible מִשְׂרָה

מִשְׂרָה (miśrâ), N. domination.

Noun Usage

1. dominion† — dominance, power, or sovereignty through legal authority. Related Topics: Government; Dominion.

Is 9:5 וַתְּהִ֥י הַמִּשְׂרָ֖ה

Is 9:6 לַם רַבָּה הַמִּשְׂרָ֜ה

—

2. Peaceful

[of the increase]…of peace

3. Eternal

there will be no end

Psalm 89:4 ESV

‘I will establish your offspring forever, and build your throne for all generations.’ ” Selah

4. Davidic

on the throne of David and over his kingdom,

Isaiah 22:22 ESV

And I will place on his shoulder the key of the house of David. He shall open, and none shall shut; and he shall shut, and none shall open.

Luke 1:32–33 ESV

32 He 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, 33 and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.”

Why is this important?

Davidic Covenant (2 Sam 23:5; Pss 89:3; 132:12; 2 Chr 13:5)

5. Just & Righteous

to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness

Notice that Jesus will both establish…and…uphold His Kingdom in this way. It begins with justice and with righteousness and continues in it.

It won’t start out great only to unravel into chaos and get perpetually worse as time goes on.

God‘s Kingdom is eternal because God Himself is eternal.

Jeremiah 23:5 ESV

“Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, and he shall reign as king and deal wisely, and shall execute justice and righteousness in the land.

6. Awaits Complete Fulfillment

from this time forth and forevermore.

7. Divinely Assured

The zeal of the LORD of Hosts will do this.

Interesting statement. Instead of saying “the LORD of Hosts will do this,” Isaiah says “The zeal of the LORD of Hosts will do this.”

We should have no doubt of anything God’s zeal drives Him to accomplish. We can count on Him to do what He sets out to do.

OBSERVATION: God’s zeal drives His actions.

Zeal for what?

His glory

Psalm 23:3 ESV

3 He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.

for his name’s sake

The Heavenly scene in Revelation 5:13

Revelation 5:13 ESV

13 And I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all that is in them, saying, “To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever!”

Conclusion

It is amazing that God would love us enough to send His own Son, Jesus Christ, to die for our sins so that we can be made clean before Him. We can be washed from our sins. But there is no death on the cross without a birth in a stable. He was born in humility and died humiliated, and is now at the right hand of the Father, judging and ruling as the “High King of Heaven,” and we await the final restoration of all Creation as it was meant to be and enjoy the presence of God forever. And it all started with a tiny, helpless baby born to a young couple in Bethlehem, according to the perfect wisdom and plan of God.