For Unto Us a Child is Born

And you watch videos. It's just it just makes me smile, right? There is contemporary, pop music witches. Yeah, the way it is. And then there's this, which is very straight-laced. Looking people seeing very seriously, 300 years ago, Charles has compiled some scripture passages selected, a few of them to tell the story of the Messiah. And he, because he was wealthy guy hired, the one of the genius, musicians of the day, Georg Friedrich Handel to put those Bible passages to music and that created this body of work called Messiah, or we collect the Messiah. And even though it's 300 years old, you'll still find that is being performed around the area to this day. 2, interesting things about the Messiah. One is, there's nothing in the way of text except Bible, it's all Bible put to music and the second thing is, it's interesting. Then ask a question while how would somebody who is just going to take some texts and string them together? What would that person pay to tell the story of the Messiah or more? Particularly how would that person who's taking these texts choose to tell the Christmas story? And that's, that's the inspiration I had. When I was thinking about Christmas this year, until what we're doing is we're studying. The Bible passages that are in the Messiah intending to tell the story of The birth of Jesus until we started with this one Comfort. My people and God said, there's going to be a king coming and the glory of the Lord is going to be revealed. And everybody will see it. The mouth of the Lord has spoken it. And then last Sunday, we looked at the second installment in the telling of the story, this is Malachi chapter 2, it ask a question but when that came comes, who can endure the day of his coming, who can stand when he appears, because he's going to be like a Refiner's Fire and a launderer soap. So we pondered the meaning of Jesus saying about himself, I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the father, except through me. And now we've got two more Sundays in this. And as the Messiah moves on it, there are two excerpts which tells the story of a child, this one. And next Sunday's, this one is from the Old Testament, still from the book of Isaiah chapter 9 and we were just hearing it set to music for unto us. A child is born to us. A son is given. I want to read those verses but I'm going to read a couple more versus than just versus six and seven. We're going to read Isaiah 9 verses 1 through 7. Nevertheless, there will be no more Gloom for those who were in distress in the past. He handled the land of zebulun and the land of NAFTA lie. But in the future, he will honor Galilee of the nation's, by the way, of the sea, beyond the Jordan And then what Isaiah does next is he starts talking about a future day but he use that Skype uses the present tense as if he's there right now. The people walking in darkness have seen a great light on those living. In the land of deep Darkness, a light has dawned. You have enlarged, the nation and increase their Joy. They Rejoice before you as people Rejoice at the Harvest as Warriors rejoice when dividing the plunder Four as in the day of Midian defeat, you have shattered, the Yoke that bergan's them, the bar across their shoulders, the rod of their oppressor every Warriors boot used in battle and every garment rolled in blood will be destined for burning will be fuel for the fire for to us. A child, is born to us. A son is given and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called, wonderful, counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting father, Prince of Peace. Of the greatness of his government and peace. There will be no end. He will reign on David's throne and over his kingdom establishing and upholding it with Justice. And righteousness from that time on and forever. The Zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this

Yeah, Hallelujah. This is Jeff. I agree.

Whenever we're studying the Bible, we're asking the same questions who wrote this.

Who was? What did I do? Who wrote this, who were the first people to hear it and as much as we can tell about those questions, what is it that the first people to hear this would have, would have understood? That's where we start, so that we can ask the next question. Well, okay, then then, what is it say to us? So it's helpful to have a little bit of context. So let's do a little quick. Check in about the context of the book of Isaiah, Isaiah chapter 1. Verse 1 says that Isaiah live during the reign of Four Kings. Isaiah jotham ahaz and Hezekiah. So they're all up there on a timeline. If you read Isaiah chapter 6, you get the impression that he started his. His ministry of being gods profit at the end of azaleas rain, and it seems so maybe somewhere near 74739 no 87401 742. And he goes, he's a prophet into the reign of Hezekiah. So a pretty big fan of yours. And those are all Kings of Judah, which is the southern portion of the people of Israel. Israel had divided into two groups each with its own King. The northern portion of Israel in this other in person. So Isaiah is a prophet to the southern tribes of Israel. And those are the kings of the Southern tribes of Israel. But what was happening with the northern tribes of Israel was obvious to them until the important thing that happens during Isaiah's time in the northern part of Israel is that in 722 BC Assyria, just obliterated, the northern kingdom, and carried away. All of its leaders and and just destroyed things. And so their cousins, the southern Kingdom. People were watching that and that was a part of the drama and the trauma of Isaiah's day and Isaiah has some themes related to that. One of his themes is coming consequences. He's talking to the southern tribes. That haven't been taken over yet. They are eventually taken over by different people. The Babylonian. But he's telling his people. Look, if you don't turn back toward God, if you keep stringing away from him, what happened to your cousins in the north is going to happen to you. a second theme, is these beautiful hopeful passages about God, making everything right about God's Redemption and then a third Theme of the book of Isaiah is the beauty of its language. This, this poetic Beauty. So let me give us an example of that hears chapter 1 verses 18 through 20. Come now, let us settle the matter, says the Lord though, your sins are like Scarlet. They shall be as white as snow though. They are red. As Crimson. They shall be like wool. If you are willing and obedient you will eat the good things of the land, but if you resist and ribelle, you will be devoured by the sword for the mouth of the Lord has spoken. You you get a a little glimpse of the Poetry though. Your sins are as Scarlet. They should be as wool. You get a glimpse of the coming consequences if you don't. Listen, this is what's going to happen to you. And of course, you're getting a glimpse of the hopeful Redemption. This this forgiveness that God's going to bring. So the whole book of Isaiah is like that in the part, we're reading this morning. We're in one of those hopeful Redemption Parts where Isaiah is talking about this child, who's going to be born. So let's get into that. They're two points. I want to make about

For unto us. A child is born to us. A son is given that conversation by Isaiah. And the first one is that, the name's Isaiah gives to a baby are shocking. They would have been shocking in his day and they're even shocking in our gay. We usually give our children normal names. Rise of church, has welcome to babies into the world. And this year, at least we baptize them in this year. There was Eleanor. Niemeier, I looked up her name, Eleanor means God is my light and there was Rebecca Fisher. I looked up her name and Rebecca means captivating. That's it. A good name. I bet those are normal names and even though these are extraordinary little girls, their normal little girls Isaiah's talking about it baby but he's given these crazy names to this baby. So the first shocking thing about his name's is, he seems to be describing a baby who deserves to be called God, and that would have shocked his people because they were Jews and Jews are monotheists. There's one God, they would have been used to what? What they call the Shema, Deuteronomy, 6 verse 4, hear o Israel. The Lord Our God. The Lord is one So what does it mean that this profit is talking about? A child was going to be born, who deserves to be called God, they wouldn't have known what to do with it. And so they probably would in their minds, think about Oh, you know, some other way to interpret it that maybe this person is going to be an agent for God or a representative for God, but then when you get into the names themselves, their shocking too. So the first one is wonderful, counselor. They probably would have thought about wonderful strategist. Like a king, who knows how to strategize for the welfare of his people Mighty God. Again, they would have been stuck here. How could this child be God? And they would have tried to imagine what that would be. Or maybe they would have just put this into the mystery bucket that they were collecting of things. Prophets had said that they couldn't understand about this person, God was going to send. Everlasting father. Kings get called, father Queens get called mother. So, perhaps they would have thought about a king whose kingdom somehow is lasting forever. And who's going to be a good father to his people? Prince of Peace. This would have been shocking to them. I think, for the fact that there wasn't any peace in their day, we saw that their cousins to the North had been conquered by the Assyrians. And there were threats from others about their own welfare. It's in 586 BC that the southern tribes were taken captive by the Babylonians. So there wasn't any peace in their day, it was a day of warfare and insecurity. But this person is going to come. Who will be called The Prince of Peace. In the book of Isaiah shocking names would be another scene. Isaiah has some boys and God tells Isaiah, what to name is, boys. His first boy, is named Shearer yahshua, which means a Remnant will return. So, there is out playing in the snow, A Remnant will return. Come in for dinner. His son was supposed to be a symbol in front of the people of Israel that went all this goes down and everything goes to pot. There's going to be a Remnant that God is going to bring back to the land and yet another son that God told him to name mahershala, which means quick to the plunder quick to the spoil. He's out playing in slow snow come in for dinner. He was a symbol in front of the people of Israel on that topic of coming consequences and what it's going to be like and of course, there's another name that, you know, it's a pretty famous One, a baby in the book of Isaiah that's supposed to be called Emmanuel, which means god with us. Has these amazing shocking names as a theme and he's got these names, but these are like hopeful names about someone who is going to come my second thing to say about these names is that Jesus lives up to them. So this is in the category of Promises from the Old Testament or prophecies from the Old Testament that we see God, making real in the person of Jesus. But let me just give you an example. Wonderful counselor, Jesus had. This moment were people didn't really like what he had said. And so a bunch of his followers left him, and Jesus looked at his 12 disciples and he said, are you guys going to leave me too? And Peter answered on their behalf Lord to whom, shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. On the topic of Mighty God. There's an occasion where Jesus asked his disciples who are people saying I am and they give him a report and then he says, who do you say? I am and a Simon Peter. Who's usually the one who answers first says, you are the Christ, the son of the Living God there they were now understanding who Jesus is very understanding that he is that person that Isaiah had spoken about On the topic of everlasting. Father, Jesus said about himself to the leaders of the Jews. I and the father are one and you could take that to mean we're tight me and John were tight but they understood him to mean. Ta mere, man, is claiming to be God. That's what they said. They wanted to kill him after he said this because if they put it, he a mere man is claiming to be God, Jesus understood himself to be one with the father. And then on the topic of Prince of Peace Jesus, before he was crucified is giving his disciples and explanation of how it's all going to go down. And he says to them. Peace, I leave with you. My peace, I give you. I do not give you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not be afraid.

I skipped over this before. But one of my favorite parts of Isaiah 9, is that words deal does zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this the dictionary. Definition of zeal is great energy or enthusiasm in pursuit of a cause or an objective. If God is energized and enthusiastic about something, Going to ask.

Jesus Is God and so when we meet Jesus he also has deal his disciples route. This is after Jesus cleared the temple his disciples remember that it is written Zeal for your house. Will consume me Jesus is Worthy. That's my point. Jesus. Jesus lives up to all of these names that Isaiah gives. And so now let's just talk about what it means for us. I have a couple things to say about celebrating. The Jesus story of Christmas and the first is Celebrating the Jesus story of Christmas gives meaning to all this traditional activity that's going on. I'm all for Santa Claus. I'm all for the Grinch. I'm all for Frosty, the Snowman. I'm all for

The Nutcracker. I'm off for the Christmas movie. What else is there? Just this whole world of all this culture? but, None of that world of all this culture has any power to change your life, right? You need Forgiveness, we need a world that's broken to be redeemed, somehow we need life, that's bigger than and goes beyond this Mortal coil. Like that. We're able to live right now and all of that is in Jesus in the Jesus story. So I'm just saying I'm not ashamed to keep talking about the Jesus story and Christmas and I don't think we should be ashamed of that. Either this year connected to the Chamber of Commerce, I helped us put up a little nativity scene on Main Street in Cedar Springs. It's not nice. But every time I drive back past that, I'm just thinking, yeah, Jesus. There you are on Main Street, where you be alone because if we take you out of the story, we're left with stuff. That just it's cute, but it doesn't have much power. Romans 1:16, I am not ashamed of the gospel because in the gospel, it righteousness from God is revealed, which is by faith From First to Last First for the Jew. Then for the Gentile because in the gospel of righteousness, of God is revealed by faith From First to Last as it is written. The righteous will live by faith. Sorry, I just butchered that. I got it all in but not in the proper order. I'm not ashamed of the gospel because it's the righteousness of God for everyone who believes.

The Jesus Christmas Story, gives meaning to all the tradition and then, secondly, it lives beyond the wrapping paper and the direction. The decoration, how long does the glow of Christmas last New Year's Day.

Jeff says, till Valentine's Day okay, now would be a long time. Let's just give him that at my house, we throw the wrapping paper away right. After we open the presents and I really hate it. I hate I hate putting the Christmas stuff away, not because I want Christmas to last, just because I hate putting stuff away so, but, but we get her done, usually, at least by the weekend after New Year's Day. And if we were getting it done on time, we can get it done like New Year's weekend, put the stuff away after New Year's Eve has come and gone. My point is, the toys are broken. The stuff's all packed away. The glow of Christmas is gone. And what have you got?

What you have is Jesus who wakes you up everyday and who invites you to experience the joy of the Lord as your strength? That's the power.

So what do we do? With the fact that Jesus deserves those names that Isaiah gave him. I have three words. Number one meal. Either figuratively, speaking or sometimes, appropriately. So physically, if we were catholic church, there be some sort of little device in front of your chair so that you could kneel on it and we do lots of kneeling.

Appropriate Tennille sometimes, but it's always appropriate to kneel in the more kind of spiritual sense of submitting yourself of of bowing before Jesus, who is Lord.

Another word is zeal.

The Zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this. When Jesus comes, he has Zeal. If you're a follower of Jesus, you can have Zeal to you, we ought to have Zeal to what was the Ali Gonzales, energy or enthusiasm for a Cause Why did God put rise up church here? To be a community of zeal about God rising up to show compassion in our city. We kneel we have Zeal one more word.

We are a community of people. Who stopped to share a meal with this amazing King, who deserves all of these names and we call that meal. The Lord's supper. And it just so happens, that that's how we're going to end this morning. With the Lord's Supper. So, allow me to just going to bring this to a close and lead us in prayer. But the next thing we're going to do is celebrate the Lord's Supper.

We praise you that in your great Zeal to do what you said, you would do that. You you fulfilled all of these prophecies that you gave do Isaiah 700 years. Before they happened in the person of Jesus. Who is wonderful, counselor, Mighty, God. Everlasting father Prince of Peace.

And we kneel before you Jesus this morning. We asked you to give us seal for your name and we now look forward to sharing this meal. That you have for us.

Once again, we invite you to come. Amen.

Okay, there are communion trays on these tables up front and they're our communion trays on those tables back there. So we need to share. So if you're at one of the tables, if you're at one of these front tables, would you make sure that everybody behind you up to those next tables gets What they need for communion and if you're at those tables in the back, would you make sure not only that you get your communion stuff, but that the people behind you get communion stuff. Can you handle it? Okay. Alright, let's remember.

What? God's word tells us.

1st Corinthians 11 says I received from the Lord. What I also passed on to you that on the night. Jesus was betrayed. He took bread. And when he had given thanks, he broke it. So let's give thanks Lord. We thank you for this bread. That's a symbol of how you provide for us. And that today is a reminder of your body given for us. Amen. When are you giving? Thanks, keep broke it. And he said, this is my body given for you, do this in remembrance of me.

After the supper. After supper, he took the cup and he said this cup is the New Covenant in my blood. Do this in remembrance of me

Whenever we eat this bread and drink this cup, we're proclaiming the name of Jesus and we continue to do this until Jesus comes again. Okay, let's make sure everybody gets bread and grape juice. And would you please try to hold on to them and we'll eat and drink together when everybody's got what they need.