Tom Mount – December 22, 2024

 

Scripture reading: Isaiah 9:1-3, 6-7

Introduction

  • In just 3 days, we will join Christians around the world to celebrate Christmas.
  • There is no better occasion to ponder the question: Who, exactly, is this Jesus?
  • And there is no better text to answer those questions than this one in Isaiah 9.

Israel’s desperate plight 

Nevertheless, there will be no more gloom for those who were in distress. In the past he humbled the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the future he will honor Galilee of the nations, by the Way of the Sea, beyond the Jordan.

  • The Assyrian empire was the newly ascendent power in the Near East. It had conquered the northern lands of Israel –Zebulun and Naphtali—in 733 BC.
  • But in verse 1, God says he’s going to remove their darkness and despair and give them reason to rejoice. Note how he uses the past tense to speak as if this future event has already occurred: prophetic perfect.

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 increased their joy;
they rejoice before you as people rejoice at the harvest,
as warriors rejoice when dividing the plunder.

  • God is saying to northern lands: I’m going to turn your suffocating gloom into inexpressible joy. Israel’s desperate plight demands a permanent fix. How is God going to do it? He tells us in vv.6-7.

God’s permanent fix

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders…

  • “a child is born” – natural childbirth implies his humanity (John 1:14; Heb 2:14).
  • “a son is given” – this “gifting” hints at his deity (Jn 3:16: “one and only Son”).
  • “the government will be on his shoulders” – This boy child will grow to be a man and will shoulder the responsibilities of governing Israel and the world.
  • Isaiah goes on to suggest a few of the distinguishing features of Jesus’ future reign. But first, he lists five titles of this future king:

And he will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace (we’ll consider these at the end)
Of the increase 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.

  • Let’s consider some of the distinguishing features of Christ’s kingdom.
  • Expansionary. “Of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end” – Jesus’ authority will be ever-expanding unlike other geopolitical powers.
  • He will uphold it “with justice and righteousness:” no lawfare or injustice.
  • It will last through eternity, “from that time on and forever.”
  • One final feature is given at the end of v.7:

The zeal of the Lord Almighty
will accomplish this.

  • This coming kingdom is absolutely certain because the “the zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this.” All the unbending determination of Yahweh tsavah, Lord-of-the-angel-armies will be bent toward this singular aim.
  • Let’s return to the second part of v.6, which gives us a brief outline of this coming king’s incomparable nature.

The King’s incomparable nature

  • In the ANE, the anticipated birth of a royal heir was an auspicious event. When a king was about to ascend to a throne it was customary to give him titular names. In Egypt, five throne-names were given as part of the accession ceremony.

Wonderful

  • In our day, the word “wonderful” is reduced to copacetic or hunky dory.
  • The original idea is that “wonderful” produces wonder in us. It elicits awe. Heb: pele: inconceivable, incomprehensible. Mind-blowing (see Jud 13:18).
  • Jesus Christ is mind-blowing. From his moral excellence and unparalleled love, to his selfless devotion to the Father and unwavering commitment to our redemption, to the unfathomable depths of his divine yet human self, the Lord Jesus defies description or comprehension! To take just one example, consider his creation.
  • The bible makes it clear Jesus created all that exists (Col 1:15-16a). Consider: Astronomers estimate there are around two trillion galaxies in the universe, each containing between 100-200 billion stars. Some stars are massive. Canis Majoris has a circumference of 5.5 billion miles and can fit over 9 billion of our suns inside it. Stars are separated by vast distances. Next to the sun, our closest star is 4.3 LY away.
  • But we find other things besides stars in the heavens: Star debris, supernovas, black holes, neutron stars (6 mi. in diameter but composed of dense neutrons).
  • Who had the creative genius and sheer power to create the universe? Jesus (John 1:3). He is utterly mind blowing!

Counselor

  • This king to come was to be a wise and loving guide, authoritative teacher, confidential adviser to everyone who calls on him. He is the one who knows us perfectly and instructs us inerrantly.
  • Just how comprehensive is his knowledge of us? King David wrote a song reflecting on this question in Psalm 139 (see vv. 1-4, 13-16).
  • Jesus knows us comprehensively and is, therefore, in a position to instruct and lead us unfailingly (cf. Matt 11:28-30).

Mighty God

  • Heb: Gibbor El – the Warrior God.
  • The coming king will be one who will go to battle on behalf of his people. Jesus did this at his first coming when he defeated the dark powers by allowing himself to be killed, then rising from the dead. The effect was catastrophic for the kingdom of darkness (Col 2:15).
  • Then, when Jesus ascended to heaven to be coronated king, he cleared out hades and took all the righteous dead with him: Adam, Eve, David, Moses and all the other OT saints. He escorted them the new paradise in the intermediate heaven to await his second coming.
  • And at his second coming to earth, Jesus-The Warrior God-will defeat those who remain and who oppose him and pose a threat to his people.

Everlasting Father

  • Isaiah is not using Trinitarian language here. He is not suggesting that God the Father is the One who is going to be born as a human and become king.
  • He is saying that the one to be born a human is not merely human. He is the Everlasting Father in two respects. 1) He is the father or possessor of eternity. He inhabits eternity (Isa 57:17). And Jesus will give eternal life to whomever he desires (John 10:28). 2) He treats his people like an affectionate, provident father would, with tenderness, compassion and devoted love (see John 14:9).

Prince of Peace

  • Heb: Sar Shalom – the Ruler of shalom or Dispenser of Shalom, the one who brings shalom.
  • Shalom is usually translated “peace” but it is so much more than that: wholeness, prosperity, flourishing, thriving, health, joy, well-being, rest.
  • It’s a comprehensive theological concept, and it results in material change on at least three distinct levels.
  1. Peace in our relationship with God. Sin created a tear in that relationship. Jesus heals that alienation, bringing (Rom 5:1).
  2. Peace within ourselves. Reconciliation with God allows us to experience an internal sense of well-being and joy (John 14:27).
  3. In our relationships with others. Christ makes it possible for there to be harmony, forgiveness and understanding in place of hatred and strife (Eph 2:14-16).
  • Jesus is the shalom bringer: he makes peace possible (Lk 2:14: “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace and goodwill toward men and women”

Takeaway

  • Let’s end where we began. Who is King Jesus, whose human birth we celebrate on Wednesday? Let Isaiah 9 answer that question for you and guide your Christmas reflections this week.
  • He is mind-blowing in every way…
  • He is the consummate counselor…
  • He is the mighty, faithful Warrior God…
  • He is the tender and provident Father of forever…
  • And He is the sure and certain Shalom bringer…
  • This Christmas, let’s think often of these five throne names that God reveals to us in the book of Isaiah as a means of keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus, adoring Him, drawing strength from Him as we seek to live lives that bring him honor and pleasure.