Sermon Tone Analysis

*"Joy to the World"*

*Isaiah 9.1-7*

Last week, we investigated the virgin birth of Jesus Christ.

We took a closer look at the prophecy from Isaiah 7.14 and it's fulfillment of the account in Matthew 1.

We were reminded of the miraculous birth that could only be carried out by God himself.

I think that it was beneficial for us to get inside the mind of Joseph to recall how significant and mind-blowing this event truly was.

We were able to get a better grasp of the cultural situation and the implications of a pregnant Mary before her marriage to her husband.

We saw the compassion of Joseph and then his faith after the visit from the angel.

But we were also reminded of the sovereign plan of God and how such a significant occurrence could be spoken of hundreds of years prior to the angel visiting Joseph and the Holy Spirit coming upon the virgin Mary.

This week, we will look again at the prophet Isaiah and see how his continued prophecies point most specifically to the birth of Jesus that we celebrate this season.

Please turn in your Bibles to Isaiah 9.1-7.

Let’s read as we get underway.

*READ.*

Perhaps you’ve noticed the sermon title that recalls a very familiar phrase this time of year.

I’ve entitled the sermon *Joy to the World.

*And I would like to look at a couple of reasons why this is true.

And we will do so by looking primarily at a text that was written before this child was born.

We mentioned last week that when we look into the prophetic writings we need to understand that often times the prophets were given the words and visions without knowing the precise dates and times to which their prophecies would be fulfilled.

We likened it to looking at mountain ranges where it can be unclear as to the distance between them.

And so it is with Isaiah.

Isaiah writes primarily to pronounce judgment on the nation of Israel and is in the midst of declaring to the people how they will be overtaken and led into captivity.

In the immediate context, he speaks of the nation of Assyria that will come and invade.

And yet in the midst of these dark pronouncements, there are often glimmers of hope that are provided as well.

Yes, their sinful rebellion against their God will come with significant consequences.

In fact, things will appear so bleak that the people may begin to question God’s faithfulness to his promises.

God is just and so has to bring discipline to his people and at the same time honor the things he’s told them.

This is where we find our section for this morning.

In the latter portion of chapter 8, Isaiah is calling the people to faithfulness and to remember the testimony of the Lord.

He concludes by indicating that the time to come will consist of distress, darkness, the gloom of darkness.

“And they will be thrust into thick darkness.”

The curtain comes down.

The end of this chapter.

But the curtain rises again to the next scene.

And Isaiah begins the next section (chapter 9) with “but”.

With this, Isaiah peers into the more distant future.

Once again, Isaiah will point to the hope that is not the immediate future, yet is promised in the more distant.

The words contain such assurance as he confidently can refer to the judgment to come as the things that happened “in the former time”.

And he refers to that the fact that there will be no gloom “for her who was in anguish”.

The judgment hasn’t happened yet.

Isaiah seemingly projects himself into the future and looks back at the things which are to come.

The first point of the sermon is *Darkness to Light.

*I love how Isaiah begins this thought!

I didn’t catch it at first.

Often when we read these texts, there is much that is unfamiliar and so we simply skip over what is not readily understandable and miss the significance.

I hope to demonstrate the tremendous value of slowing down a bit and exploring culture and geography in the interpretation of the Bible.

There are such great treasures that we miss because we don’t want to do a little bit of work.

In this first verse, Isaiah points to the portion of land who will be the first to experience the invasion of the Assyrian army.

Zebulun and Naphtali reside in the northern portion of the land of Israel.

It’s recorded in 2 Kings 15:29 29 In the days of Pekah king of Israel, Tiglath-pileser king of Assyria came and captured Ijon, Abel-beth-maacah, Janoah, Kedesh, Hazor, Gilead, and Galilee, all the land of Naphtali, and he carried the people captive to Assyria.

But notice what Isaiah indicates next.

Again the thought begins with the word “but”.

“But in the latter time he has made glorious the way of the sea, the land beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the nations.

So Isaiah looks first at the conquest and deportation of the land of Israel to Assyria.

And then he looks beyond and says “but” after this, things will be much different.

In fact, blessings will begin in the very territories where the conquest began.

Listen to the words from Matthew 4:12–17 12 Now when he heard that John had been arrested, he withdrew into Galilee.

13 And leaving Nazareth he went and lived in Capernaum by the sea, in the territory of Zebulun and Naphtali, 14 so that what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled: 15 “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.”

17 From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”

And so we see that the beginning of Jesus’ ministry takes place in the same region.

God turned invasion into mission by making the people of Galilee the first ones to see the light of Jesus.

And Matthew confirms that this is the fulfilled prophecy from Isaiah.

And then Isaiah elaborates on the hope that is to come in verses 2 and following.

Because of their sinful rebellion, the nation of Israel would face the consequences.

They would be overtaken by foreign nations and held dispersed outside their own land.

This would be a dark time for them.

Though the nation would suffer physically for their sin, the more concerning and significant matter is that they are in spiritual darkness.

And they will remain there until their Messiah would come.

Again Isaiah mixes up the tenses of the verbs and speaks as though the future fulfillment is certain.

“The people who walked in darkness /have seen /a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them /has light shined/.”

God’s people would see a day when the Light would come and rescue them from darkness.

Who or what is this Light that Isaiah speaks of?

Luke records in the first chapter of his gospel that John the Baptist would go before this Person who would give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death.

Even more explicit are the words of John in his Gospel.

Please turn to John 1. John 1:1–10 (ESV) 1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made.

4 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.

6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.

7 He came as a witness, to bear witness about the light, that all might believe through him.

8 He was not the light, but came to bear witness about the light.

9 The true light, which enlightens 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.”

Very clearly we see that the New Testament confirms that the hope that Isaiah speaks of comes in the Person of Jesus Christ.

He brings light into the darkness and hope to those who are lost in sinful rebellion.

More than this, he rescues from one domain and transfers to the other. 1 Peter 2:9 9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who */called you out of darkness into his marvelous light/*.

And this leads us into our second point, which is *Cause for Rejoicing.

*When the Light came into the world, God did a new thing.

He also brought light to Gentiles.

Throughout history, God has preserved a remnant of his people only to multiply them with the introduction of Jesus to the world.

The end result of the good news of Jesus Christ is captured for us in the book of Revelation.

Revelation 7:9–10 9 After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, 10 and crying out with a loud voice, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!”

            How could the salvation of sinners from every tongue, tribe and nation – so many that they are innumerable – do anything except cause believers everywhere to rejoice?

One commentator says, “the triumph of God’s grace over our depressing failures is joy unspeakable and full of glory forever.”

Well said!

In the same way that the early believers rejoiced at the coming of Jesus and the salvation of souls, so should we today.

Isaiah says that there is rejoicing and joy at the harvest and gladness when they divide the spoil.

What a joy it is to be a part of sharing the good news of Jesus to those who don’t know him.

And it should be joy unspeakable when those we encounter repent and turn to him in faith!

For it is God at work in the world today!

He multiplies his kingdom.

And then he uses us in his mission to the world.

You are used of God when sinners come to know Jesus as their Savior!