A Miraculous Promise

Title: “A Miraculous Promise” Date: 12-14-25

Script: Is. 9:1-7 Type: Advent series

Intro: On March 20, 1942, General Douglas MacArthur made a promise to the Filippino people. After the Japanese invasion, U.S. forces were pushed back to the Bataan Peninsula and Corregidor Island. President Roosevelt ordered the evacuation of the islands and MacArthur withdrew to Australia. In an attempt to inspire hope in the Filippino people and remaining US troops, The general made a famous vow: “I shall return.” On October 20, 1944, MacArthur waded ashore on Leyte Island, beginning the liberation. He broadcast a radio address declaring, "People of the Philippines: I have returned. By the grace of Almighty God, our forces stand again on Philippine soil," The return marked the beginning of the end of Japanese occupation, boosting Allied morale and fulfilling MacArthur's iconic pledge. Now, as amazing of a promise as it was. I am not sure we can say that his vow was “miraculous”. However, in Is. 9:1-7 we do see an absolutely miraculous promise!

Prop: Let’s look at Is. 9:1-7, to see an amazing promise God made and kept!

BG: 1. Isaiah – name meant “Yahweh is salvation”, ministered b/t 740 – 687 bc.

2. Is. 9 is one of the great prophesies of Script., details the coming of Messiah, in fact Is. 7: 1 – 12:6 is called by some scholars “The Volume of Immanuel” – Great prophesy of Messiah’s coming. 700yrs. before birth of Christ. Miraculous foretelling.

Prop: Exam Is. 9:1-7 we’ll notice 3 aspects of the amazing promise God made to His people.

I. A Miraculous Promise: Light of Life Enters a World of Darkness. vv. 1-4

A. Every Man, Outside of Jesus Christ, is Walking in Spiritual Darkness.

1. A Dark Spiritual Mist Covered Man’s Horizon Until the Coming of Christ. (Prophets gave fleeting glimpses of the coming of Christ and God the Father’s provision in Him.)

a. Illust: Have you ever mused on the thought of which sense you would least like to loose? Several years ago I did something very stupid with some caustic chemicals I was using and the end result was that it took me a few days to recover my sense of smell. The majority of people to whom losing their sight would be most appalling. The idea of utter darkness and its associated vulnerability is terrorizing to most people.

b. Illust- Let your mind go back to Gen. 12. Roughly 1.5 millennium before God made this promise to Isaiah, He made a promise to another man who was walking in darkness – Abram of Ur of the Chaldeans. At 75 yrs of age, the Lord called Abram to leave Haran & the spiritual darkness he had lived under his whole life, and to follow Him. Consider for just a moment, Abram was a pagan moon worshipper who had nothing good in and of himself to recommend self to God, for goodness sake, he didn’t even know who God was, and yet in God’s mercy, He made Himself known to this man who was walking in darkness. For 400 years Israel was in the darkness of sin and Egyptian slavery until God sent a deliverer in Moses. From Malachi to the birth of Christ, Israel once again sat in darkness and silence until the Messianic Deliverer came! If you don’t know Jesus Christ as your Savior you are walking in spiritual darkness and slavery and silence today and yet God thru the preaching of His Glorious Gospel He can deliver you!

2. Isaiah’s Promise came during a time of national gloom and darkness.

a. Illust- 9:1 – During Isaiah’s ministry, Tiglath-pileser III, Assyrian ruler captured the tribal territories of Ephraim, Naphtali, and Zebulun. Dark days for the nation. Yet, here Isaish offers hope of the restoration of their future and fortunes. Israel thought Isaiah prophesied a political Messiah. (Isn’t it the case that we always want to interpret God’s plan through the events of our own day, our own ideologies, our own biases, as if we are the most important era in history? Christmas demonstrates that God has His own glorious plan that runs on His own glorious time table with the results eternally glorifying His Person! )

b. All of mankind lived in gloom and darkness until Christ came to grant joy, peace, forgiveness, meaning, and purpose. (What about you? Life full gloom/darkness? You need to let in and experience the light of Christ! “The people who walk in darkness shall see a great light.”) Illust: It is said that on the evening of June 18, 1815 a man stood in the tower of England’s Winchester Cathedral gazing anxiously out to sea. Finally, h found what he was looking for - a ship sending a signal by use of lights. He strained to see the message. All of England held its breath with him, wanting to know the outcome of the great battle between the Duke of Wellington, and the French dictator Napoleon Bonaparte. Bonaparte, who had once ruled much of Europe bar England. Now the decisive Battle of Waterloo had been fought. So, as the man stood in the tower of Winchester Cathedral waiting to relay the news that would determine England’s fate. The signal came just as a heavy fog was rolling in. It only just got through, but how he wished it hadn’t, for the signal appeared to read: "Wellington defeated” The man signaled to other stations and the news spread across the countryside, bringing great gloom and sadness. But then came a glorious reversal. As the fog lifted, and the message became clear, the fullness of the signal became apparent: "Wellington defeated the enemy"! PTL! The fog of the OT with glimpses of God’s Covenantal love has lifted in the Person of Jesus Christ! We now see the message clearly! God loves you!