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Christmas from the OT.
Isaiah 9:2-7
November 26, 2023
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I am sure you parents remember the day when your kids were born. For us, every pregnancy was special. With Derek, we knew His name before we were even married and expected him to be him. We thought we knew everything about being parents only to find out we knew NOTHING! Nate, or Nathanial came next. His name came easy, but his birth was not. Finally there was Zach. His pregnancy surprised us as well as his name. We were going with another name but when we saw him face to face, God told us “Zachary”.
All three of my sons were and are special. None of them are alike. I thought that being a dad would be one thing and each of them proved to me that I literally knew nothing about being a father. Everything from begging the nurse to show us just one more time how to change a diaper to almost going into a full panic attack putting in the first car seat.
But, there is another birth that has gone according to plan perfectly. Nothing is out of place or a surprise and everything has fallen in order. Christmas was a perfectly orchestrated masterpiece that started well before creation.
Today we will be talking about the plan God has set up for us since the beginning of time and who it is that’s executing His plan. We will see why He came, Who He is, and a call for each of us to trust to execute His plan. This will be a Christmas message that you may not be expecting.
INTRO:
Isaiah is a major prophet and one that is quoted more the 65 times in the NT. Isaiah lived between 739 and 686 BC and his name means “Salvation of Jehovah” (God). Isaiah had the most depressing ministry in my opinion where he knew and was warned that his efforts would be fruitless (Is 6:9-13). I don’t think I could do this but he was obedient to God. As church history would state, he was eventually martyred in a horrible way at the end of his life.
But, his fruits were realized long after his death. As the most quoted OT prophet, he clearly had the most to say about Christmas and its importance. Today we will use his writings to talk about the plan of salvation of God far before the manger scene.
1. He is coming to us.
“For to us a child is born…”
After reading our passage today, there are some key words that show that there is order and purpose to what God is doing. Each word in this passage carries with it huge weight and importance.
“For” means it is linking the common theme from the chapter and verses before it. In verses 1-5 we hear the prophet speaking clearly of the coming light.
Vs 2 “the people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them as light shone.”
And in verses 3-5 Isaiah speaks of a government that is a yoke of burden and oppressing to the people. The verses 1-5 speak of a large span of time ranging from the time of his writing to the very distant future. We do not have time or space to break it all down, but it is so important to understand that we cannot take verse 6 out and forget it is very much apart of a full story that Isaiah is showing us.
From verse 1-5 we see that Isaiah is saying that there is gloom and anguish under the oppression they (the Jewish nation, in particular Judah) is under. Then, a light will burst forth in the land (Christ’s birth) in verse 2. In verses 3-5 the yoke and burden of the oppression will be broken and there will be a time of peace. Now, in verse 6, Isaiah is using that backdrop to explain who is coming, why He is coming and what He will do. This is where we jump in.
“For to us a child is born” is cross referenced to Luke 2:11 Where Dr. Luke writes “11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord[1]”. This reference is not an accident. Luke writes about the birth of Christ as prophetic fulfillment. He is to be born in the city of David and will be a savior.
The reason I bring this back story up is because of the word “us”. We like to put ourselves in this OT prophecy, but we need to realize who is writing the book of Isaiah and who he is writing it for. The word “us” there is not directly for us American believers. It was intended as a non-inclusive term. Meaning, the “US” there is directly refereeing to the promised king coming to fulfill the specific prophecy of King David’s seed.
“Us” means the king ship of Christ on the throne of David.
Isaiah 9:7 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. [2]
And Luke 1:31
31 And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. 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.” [3]
We like to miss this because we want the OT prophecies to fill our Christmas story. But when we miss the importance of His prophetic fulfillment, we have to recognize that Christ must be of the line of David to rule the new kingdom. Now look at the next set of words:
“a child is born to us a son is given”
Isaiah explains perfectly what the “child” is:
Isaiah 7:14
14 Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. [4]
The child must be born of a virgin because the sin nature passes through the father, Adam. But He must be fully human thus being born of a virgin. To be the Christ, He must be of the line of David, born of a virgin and be given. Please circle that word, given.
The word “given” in the Hebrew means: to hand down, place, allow or surrender. God is giving, handing down and surrendering His Son as the light unto the world. So that, the people in the dark can see a great light and in the light of David to establish a new government and kingdom.
Please allow me to be perfectly honest, my favorite part of Christmas is the gifts. I’ll be honest. Oh, I love getting gifts, but I love finding that perfect gift to get the boys and Heidi. Some have failed horrifically. Men, NEVER and I repeat NEVER buy your wives cloths. No matter how good you think you are, if you buy them too small, you send the message “I wish you were smaller”. If you buy them too big, well you know.
But there were years when I nailed the perfect gift. Her mom necklace was the year I was the husband of the year. You see, the perfect gift is everything! It hits the heart as well as the mind. It covers all the bases. Wouldn’t it be great though, if a gift could be re gifted and it still have the same effect? Yes PLEASE!
We must understand that the gift of the Son, is a regift that is like a new gift every day. It is a constant gift that covers generations, years, days, minutes, and seconds.
God, in His clear act of LOVE, Mercy and wondrous Grace shows such love in that He GIVES the best of Himself, this Child as the light to sinners. He opens the treasure chest of heaven and dumps it onto the earth so that we, sinners can see the great light of salvation.
Look now at the next line of the verse:
“and the government shall be upon His shoulders”.
Clearly, Isaiah is saying, that this Child, born to the line of Judah (first the Jew, then the Gentile) will rule and the government will be on His shoulders. The word “shoulder” there is like a rank on a soldier that is displayed on his shoulders. When I was in the Army, my rank on my dress uniform was right here. It showed those around me my level of authority. I carried that authority on my shoulders everywhere I went.
Psalm 2:9 and Rev 2:27 use similar words to describe His level of authority:
27 and he will rule them with a rod of iron, as when earthen pots are broken in pieces, even as I myself have received authority from my Father.[5]
And
Isaiah 22:22:
22 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[6]
Jesus was to originally come as “meek”. At first we may think that as weakness, but it is quite the opposite. A better definition would be “great power under control. Clearly, this child will rule, crush and exact authority overall. This ultimate authority comes directly with the authority of the Father most high. Remember we have been talking in John all along that He “came from the Father”. He does nothing apart from what the Father tells Him. He exacts the Father’s will in all things.
In the book of John from chapter 1 to 7, Christ says He was sent from the Father over 15 times. In the remaining chapters of John, Christ says it an addition 23 more times. It is an important fulfillment of OT prophecy and is clearly an important theme to Christ’s overall purpose. He was a living representation of the Will of the Father and execution of the plan of salvation.
Okay, we have established that He is coming according to Isaiah and did come thanks to Matthew, and Luke’s account of His birth, but how is this child identified?
2. He is the “son of man”.
This is by far, the most popular title that Jesus used for Himself. The title is captured in the NT no less then 82 individual times. But the problem is that we often miss its importance and why He uses it. To be honest, I always thought that when Jesus used this term, I thought that He was speaking of his humble humanity. I thought he was saying, look, I am human as well as being divine. After all, he does say that He is the Son of God, AND the Son of Man. So, the term causes us to stumble in today’s terms. But, to the Jew, this was very well understood and another reason they wanted Him dead.
The term, although not specifically used in our text, it is implied and is a perfect support text to what we are studying today. When the government is “upon His shoulders”, it means that He will hear and rule it all and His title, even before His birth is the “Son of Man.”
Daniel 7:13,14
13 “I saw in the night visions,
and behold, with the clouds of heaven
there came one like a son of man,
and he came to the Ancient of Days
and was presented before him.
14 And to him was given dominion
and glory and a kingdom,
that all peoples, nations, and languages
should serve him;
his dominion is an everlasting dominion,
which shall not pass away,
and his kingdom one
that shall not be destroyed. [7]
This is key to understand. If we miss His primary title that He likes to use, we miss how important His position is. There is a specific difference between:
“Son of God”: means an act of obedience. Christ was the Son of God in that He came to do the Will of the Father in perfect obedience.
vs
“Son of Man”: means a heavenly person who descends from the Father with the principle roll to judge sin, execute the will of the Father for salvation, and then return to the Father. We must remember that He descended and did ascend back to the Father. To meet the qualification of “Son of Man”, He had to be Heavenly, Devine, and ascend back to the Father. Christ alone fulfilled this requirement.
Matthew 6:5-7
“5 For which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Rise and walk’? 6 But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—he then said to the paralytic—“Rise, pick up your bed and go home.”[8]
Can you see why the Jews hated Him when He said this? Now, for us today, we should start to see that this plan that God has orchestrated is bigger than just a little baby in a manger and Shepherds and “Mary did you know” songs. I am NOT saying that that is not important. But, I want you and I to see the weight of how important the history is BEFORE we get to His birth. Without this part, His birth would be just a good story.
Christ used the name “Son of Man” as fulfillment title. But Isaiah makes reference to other names that fit His other important job titles as well. The word “name” in vs 6 shows us how Christ functions.
“Name”: here in Hebrew means reputation, renown (how He will be Known).
“…and His name shall be called Wonderful Counselor…”
The word “wonderful” means an extraordinary nature making it mysterious.
Have you ever told people your problems on to hear about it in the rumor mill? Or have you every confided in someone only to get the worst advice possible? Have you ever sought out counseling?
Christ will be known or have a reputation for being a wonderful or extraordinary and even mysterious counselor”. Does this sound like His function now? Absolutely! In the context of our passage, Isaiah was contrasting what Christ would be and do compared to the earthly kings. Where kings, presidents and leaders fail in their wisdom, He will never fail!
Then He will also be called Mighty God: El meaning God most high. He will execute every judgment, and every military exploit. Psalm 2 speaks of when the earthly kings amass to fight against, God, He laughs and says “As for me, I have set my King on Zion, my holy hill.” Meaning, He will rule completely and will rule “Everlasting”. Christ will be a father to His people indefinably.
Finally, He will be the “Prince of Peace”. Can anyone in this room describe a time when they actually experience complete peace? The older I get, the more I long for no more wars. No more hate. No more fighting, hurt and deception. Imagine, a good King that managed complete peace. Imagine for one second how amazing that would be!
2 Thes 3:16
16 Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times in every way. The Lord be with you all.[9]
Maybe that is all you needed to hear today. The source of peace in our lives is found in the Prince of Peace, the Lord Jesus Christ.
3. Trust the ONE who was sent. (HP)
Finally, I want you all to know the plan as it is laid out. I can “tell” you the plan, but it is more important for you to KNOW the plan for yourself.
Going back to my football introduction, the reason I had such a hard time learning the plays was I had no understanding of the science and why each player moved the way they did. I only wanted to run with the ball. Although I was good at running with the ball, I didn’t know why the linemen were so angry when I did not go through the openings that they were creating until I learned that it was part of the plan. If I trusted the plan, I would gain a lot more yards.
Let me say this a bit differently. I knew how football worked before learning the plays. You get the ball. You run with the ball. You spike the ball and proceed to celebrate. That is NOT “knowing” the game. Honestly, if that is all we know of the game, we have no business being in the game at all. That said, many “Christians” approach their spiritual walk just like that. They know the baby in the manger but don’t know the Son of Man.
We go through life constantly making the game all about what we want it to be. More lights, more gifts, more food and more distractions. Now that is all fun, but the real reason for the season was actually laid out and pre planned far before time began. It all started back before the fall but we see it first expressed in Genesis 3 at the fall.
Genesis 3:15
15 I will put enmity between you and the woman,
and between your offspring and her offspring;
he shall bruise your head,
and you shall bruise his heel.” [10]
This passage has a title. It is called “proh dee van Jell ee um”: meaning the first mention of the Gospel.
The tone of this text is not from a position of “oh man, I didn’t see that one coming.” No, He, GOD the Father saw it before He said “let there be light.” God knew that the first Adam would need the salvation that only He could provide through the offspring of the Divine. It was clearly shown from the early days to the end.
The issue that I see though is that we don’t “know” the plan enough to be in the game. As I conclude, I want you to hear the game plan from the Word of God. I want to you see that it is clearly presented before Christ ever came physically to the manger. I want us all to understand the gravity of this plan, the message of the plan and how it came together.
The Gospel of Christ is woven through the entire OT. Salvation and the Gospel would come through the one who would:
1. Be born of a woman Gen 3:15
2. Would be born of the seed of Abraham Gen 17:7
3. Would be born of the seed of Isaac Gen 21:12
4. Will be born of the seed of David Psalm 132:11
5. Would be one who would be born of a virgin Isaiah 7:14
6. Would be born in Bethlehem Micah 5:2
7. Would be adored by great persons after His birth Psalm 72:10
8. Would be called out of Egypt Hosea 11:1
9. Would be preceded by a forerunner Isaiah 11:2
10. Would be a prophet like Moses Deut 18:15-18
11. Would be a priest after the order of Melchizedek Psalm 110:4
12. Who would begin his ministry in Galilee Isaiah 9:1-2
13. Would suddenly come into the temple Malachi 3:1
14. Would be marked by meekness Isaiah 42:2
15. Would be marked by tenderness Isaiah 40:11
16. Would be without deceit in his mouth Isaiah 53:9
17. Would be full of zeal for the Father Psalm 69:9
18. Would preach in parables Psalm 78:2
19. Would work miracles Isaiah 35:5-6
20. Would bare reproach Psalm 22:6
21. Would be rejected by His own brethren Psalm 69:8
22. Would be a stone of stumbling to the Jews Isaiah 8:14
23. Would be hated by the Jews Isaiah 49:7
24. Would be rejected by Jewish rulers Psalm 118:22
25. Would be betrayed by a friend Psalm 41:9
26. Would be forsaken by his disciples Zachariah 13:7
27. Would be sold for 30 pieces of silver Zachariah 11:12
28. That 30 pieces of silver would be used to buy the potters field Zachariah 11:13
29. Would be engulfed in suffering in his death Psalm 22:14-15
30. His suffering would be for others Isaiah 53:4-6
31. Would be patient in his suffering and silent Isaiah 53:7
32. Would be struck on the cheek Micah 5:1
33. Would be marred beyond appearance as a man Isaiah 53:3
34. Would be spit upon and scourged Isaiah 50:6
35. Would be nailed through His hands and feet Psalm 2:16
36. Would be forsaken by God Psalm 22:1
37. Would be mocked Psalm 22:7-8
38. Would be offered Gaul and Vinegar Psalm 69:21
39. Would be left naked with his garment parted by lots Psalm 22:18
40. Would be numbered with the transgressors yet would intercede for his murders while being put to death Isaiah 53:12
41. Would not have a single bone broken Psalm 34:21
42. Would be pierced in His death Zachariah 12:10
43. Would be buried with the rich man Isaiah 53:9
44. His flesh would not see corruption due to His resurrection Psalm 16:10
Church, this is 44 of the countless prophecies that validate, prove and demonstrate a plan put into motion from eternity past. He is the plan. He is the light for those who are in darkness.
Unbeliever aside:
Maybe you have never heard a message like this. It is not customary for you to hear a Christmas message from the OT. I get it. But what is most important is that it happened to fix a problem that all men and women have. The issue is that we are all sinners. This entire plan is put into play for His (God’s) great Glory. In His Glory He is providing the gift that pays the penalty for your sin. Your sin comes at a cost. The perfect sinless, Son, born into a world that hated Him came to pay the debt that we all have. That debt is unpayable for you and me. The only currency that covers that debt is the innocent blood that was poured out for you and me.
He willingly sent Jesus, His son to justify and pay the penalty of your sin. The punishment intended for you was poured out with all the wrath and anger onto the perfect sacrifice. He held nothing back providing His Son. It was perfect and complete. What love is this? Your responsibility is to respond to this love. You may say, you can’t love a God that would do that. Well, He did it so that His wrath would not be put on you. Now, how big is that love?
Conclusion:
Church, it is so important to understand the origin of the plan to understand the plan itself. We hear all the time about the Christmas story and how awesome it was. And yes, it was amazing. But if we do not understand why He came to us and who He was, then we are in grave danger of missing the importance of His coming. There is great risk in not fully understanding the entire story! If we don’t, we fabricate the weight of the plan of salvation.