| Introduction Three of the best-known prophecies regarding the birth of the Messiah, of the King who is David's Son and David's Lord, of the Christ who will deliver God's people from their sins, come from this section in the book of Isaiah. Chapters 7-12 record the prophecy of the virgin birth of Immanuel, the prophecy of the child that is given to us with great names, and the prophecy of the rod coming forth from the stem of Jesse who will cause the wolf and the lamb to lie down together in harmony. All these prophecies are given to us in the context of a challenge. God challenges his people by asking them: whom will you trust? Me or Assyria? Me or whatever thing you think has the power to deliver you from your troubles? As you listen to this sermon, I want you to keep on asking yourself this question: whom shall I trust? God or whatever other power you think can deliver you from your troubles? I Trouble in the Horizon. A. King Ahaz was worried about Ephraim (northern kingdom) and Syria ganging up against him. 1. So, wicked king Ahaz turned to the super power of the time in order to obtain deliverance. 2. He sent a messenger to the Assyrians. 2 Kg. 16:7-9 – So Ahaz sent messengers to Tiglath-Pileser king of Assyria, saying, "I am your servant and your son. Come up and save me from the hand of the king of Syria and from the hand of the king of Israel, who rise up against me." And Ahaz took the silver and gold that was found in the house of the Lord, and in the treasuries of the king's house, and sent it as a present to the king of Assyria. So the king of Assyria heeded him; for the king of Assyria went up against Damascus and took it, carried its people captive to Kir, and killed Rezin. B. The real problem wasn't Ephraim and Syria, but that they didn't trust the Lord. 1 The Assyrians will take care of Ephraim and Syria, but they are not going to bring deliverance. 2 The Assyrians are only going to bring more bondage. 3 That's what happens when the people of God looks to anything else other than God for deliverance from their enemies. 4 So, I ask you: whom are you trusting? II. Real Deliverance Only Comes through the Son. A. The Holy Spirit tells us that Jesus is the fulfillment of this prophecy. 1. As a matter of fact, the Holy Spirit tells us that Jesus made Capernaum his home base for the express purpose to fulfill it, 1-2. Mt. 4:13-16 – Now when Jesus heard that John had been put in prison, He departed to Galilee. And leaving Nazareth, He came and dwelt in Capernaum, which is by the sea, in the regions of Zebulun and Naphtali, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying: "The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, by the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles: the people who sat in darkness have seen a great light, and upon those who sat in the region and shadow of death light has dawned." 2. So, we can read Isaiah 9 and confidently see our Savior in it. B. Verses 3-5 describe a scene of unprecedented joy. 1. The prophet uses past tense verbs to talk about something that is in the future to show the certainty of his prophecy. a. He uses two images that would be very clear for the people of his time: good harvest and victory in war. 1) The idea is to communicate how joyful God will make them. 2) The two most joyful times in life in community was when the harvest was plenty and the enemies had been defeated. 3) Those were the times when the whole community got together to celebrate. b. God is the source of his people's joy. 2. Why are they so joyful? Because God has defeated their enemies, 4-5. a. The word for in the beginning of verse 4 gives us the cause of the joy of verse 3: God's people rejoice because God broke the yoke of their burden. b. The prophet again uses two images that would have been very vivid for the people of his time. 1) God broke the yoke of the burden of slavery like he did at the Exodus (staff on shoulders is the beating of the task master upon the back of the slave). 2) God delivered them from the enemy like he delivered Israel from the seven-year yoke of the Medianites when Gideon with a tiny army defeated them (Judges 6-7) a) The sounds around them are sounds of peace, not of war and oppression, 5. b) And all of this was God's doing, not man's – just like with Gideon. C. The reason for such exuberant joy and peace is that a child was born (for in the beginning of verse 6). 1. This child has already been foretold earlier in Isaiah's prophecy, 7:13-14. 2. The name of this child is Immanuel, God with us. Jn. 1:1, 14 – In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God…. And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. 3. This child whose birth we celebrate tomorrow didn't just show up. a. That child was a Son who was given. b. Given by whom? By the Father. c. And he was sent to save the world. Jn. 3:16-17 – For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. 4. So, I ask you: whom are you trusting? D.God gave a son, the ultimate Son of David, who is a king nothing like Ahaz, and who will rule on God's behalf blessing God's people and defeating God's enemy. 1. The government will be upon his shoulder – he will have the authority and the power to rule. a. Often in the coronation of the king a mantle was placed upon his shoulder to communicate the transfer of authority and power to him. b. We see this concept in Elijah's robe being given to Elisha and the father placing the robe on the prodigal son. c. How unknowingly right were those Romans soldiers when they mockingly placed the purple robe on our Savior's shoulder. 2. He will rule on David's throne – his kingdom will increase to encompass the whole earth and the sun will never set on his kingdom, 7. "Jesus shall reign where'er the sun
Does his successive journeys run;
His kingdom stretch from shore to shore,
Till moons shall wax and wane no more." Isaac Watts E. Immanuel and Jesus are his names, but he has some amazing titles, 6. a. Although older translations separate these two terms, they should be taken together. b. Jesus Christ can be trusted. c. The idea behind the word wonderful is the idea of extraordinary, that cannot be gotten anywhere else, supernatural. d. Jesus is the ultimate counselor and through his Spirit and Word he continues to actively counsel his people. a. He is not only born of David, fully human, but he is also fully God with all the power inherent in being God. b. Our Savior is not a wimpy Savior; he is God almighty. c. There is a hint in this word of being a warrior who conquers all his enemies. d. He conquered death, he conquered Satan, and if you are trusting him today he has conquered your heart as well. a. This is probably the hardest one to understand because of our theological formulation of the Trinity. b. We think in terms of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit with Jesus being the Son. c. So how can he be the everlasting Father? 1) This is not a precise theological regarding the Trinity. 2) It is rather a term describing the way Christ relates to his children. a) As a tender, loving, kind, just father. b) And he is not going to stop relating to them in this way (everlasting). a. When we think of peace, usually think of the absence of conflict, or noise; it is kind of like nothingness for us. b. The Hebrew idea of peace has more to do with the idea of wholeness, of completeness, than with the absence of conflict. c. Jesus is the Prince of Shalom, of wholeness. d. He is the one in charge of wholeness and completeness. e. There is no wholeness apart from him. III. How Do We Relate to the Coming of the Son? A. First, you have to deal with the FACT that the Son of God has come. 1. This is not something that you afford not paying attention to. 2. The coming of Jesus Christ two thousand years ago IS the most important event with the greatest implications of human history. 3. So what are you going to do with it? B. Second, you must relate to all of life, all of existence through the fact that Christ has come to save you. 1. This is a life-dominating event. 2. So, you go to work and your attitude toward work, the result of your work, and your behavior in working are dominated by the fact that Christ delivered you and now reigns in your heart. 3. You go to school and Christ in you rules everything about your school experience. 4. Your marriage and your singleness are looked upon through the glasses of Jesus Christ your Savior. C. Third, you become a tool in God's hand in the increasing of his government in your life, family, neighborhood, school, workplace, city, county, state, nation, world.
God has come in the flesh. Jesus Christ is Lord and Savior. God has proven himself to be trustworthy. So, whom will you trust? God or whatever else you deem to be able to deliver you? You who think lightly of Jesus and who have not trusted in him: you are taking lightly the only event, the only person you cannot under any circumstance take lightly. So, whom will you trust? You who believe that Christ died for your sin: whom will you trust in your life? The one who saved you and promised joy forevermore or whatever other things out there that promises some sort of deliverance from your problems? God has given a Son. He was born, grew up and lived a perfect life on behalf of his people. He died on the cross on behalf of his people taking upon himself the hell that his people deserved. He came back to life and he lives and reigns over his church. Praise be to God for the coming of his Son.
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