Miraculous Birth: A Birth That Changes Things

If I can state the obvious to any family or parent watching this morning, the birth of a child changes things:

It changes your priorities.

It changes your schedule.

It changes your finances.

Children, whether explicitly or implicitly, change the course of a family!

If this statement is so obvious, then should the birth of the Christ child not also bring such change in our lives:

He should change our priorities.

He should change our schedule.

He should change our finances.

Christ, whether explicitly or implicitly, should change the course of our lives!

In Isaiah 9:1-7, we are going to look at a prophecy only associated with Christ. It is a clear prophecy pertaining to the coming of Jesus Christ.

HIS IS A BIRTH THAT CHANGES THINGS

Christ’s birth can change your dire situation. (vs. 1-3)

This section of Scripture must be understood from its historical and literary context in order for it to be applied in our life!

The historical context is found in 2 Kings 15.

After the reign of Jeroboam II, four out of the next five kings of Israel will be assassinated over a 32 year period.

The third king, Menahem, will make a pact with Assyria, which makes Israel a vassal nation to the Assyrian empire.

The last king, Pekah, will have a vast amount of his territory including Naphtali (2 Kings 15:29) stripped from his reign and carried into Assyria.

The literary structure places chapter 7-12 as a complete section.

Chapter 7 lays out the historical issue in Judah.

The wicked King Ahaz is faced with an anti-Assyrian conspiracy. Northern Israel under the rule of Pekah and Syria under the rule of Rezin have conspired to throw off their Assyrian yokes.

God comes to proof Himself to Ahaz, but Ahaz chooses to rely upon his treaty with the Assyrian empire.

Thus, Is. 7:14 is given as a prophecy of God’s faithfulness to the current plight of Judah despite their evil king and as a prophecy for the promise of the Messiah.

Therefore, vs. 1-3 needs to be understood according to its dire situation! His birth changes things!

Christ’s birth can change your deadly conflict. (vs. 4-5)

Chapter nine is written to a people who have been totally decimated or will soon be completely decimated by the Assyrian army.

However, the promised birth brings a prophecy of utopian proportions.

Christ’s birth can change your defined loyalties. (vs. 6-7)