And Christ Came Text: Isaiah 9:6
6For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.
This prophecy of the coming Christ was given some 700 years before his birth. The prophecy of this child’s birth tells us that this lad would be special – that the child would be unique. Of course the One that Isaiah is speaking of is Jesus. According to Isaiah chapter nine, He would be called: Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.
It’s wonderful to know as a believer that Christ is Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father and the Prince of Peace!
However, in Isaiah chapter 8 right before this great prophecy you will quickly read that all hope was gone!
The language in Isaiah 8 is ominous and dark and foreboding. People are rejecting God’s ways and are walking and living in darkness. Despair is rampant in the nation, distress is common and the pressures of an enemies attack lurks in every shadow.
The people are afraid and stressed out. Why are they afraid? Was it because they had an enemy poised on its border, the nation called Assyria, powerful and vicious? Is that why they were afraid? NO!
They were afraid because they had totally lost sight of God, and that is why God sent Isaiah, to help them recover their sight. They had forgotten the words of Isaiah 7:14 (NKJV) "Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel.”
The days of God’s nearness – GONE - The days of God’s great works – GONE - The days of God’s glory – GONE - The days where a word from the book brought comfort – GONE!
Why? Because God’s people turned away from a loving and caring God!
Isaiah 8:19-22 (RSV) And when they say to you, "Consult the mediums and the wizards who chirp and mutter," should not a people consult their God? Should they consult the dead on behalf of the living? 20 To the teaching and to the testimony! Surely for this word which they speak there is no dawn. 21 They will pass through the land, greatly distressed and hungry; and when they are hungry, they will be enraged and will curse their king and their God, and turn their faces upward; 22 and they will look to the earth, but behold, distress and darkness, the gloom of anguish; and they will be thrust into thick darkness.
It’s interesting that God says in verse 20 that all they need is the teaching and the testimony, in other words, just look to God’s word and become His wittiness because that’s all you will need!
The uprising of palm reading, witchcraft, séances, horoscopes and psychic fairs is not only Satanic and evil; it is just one more evidence of how lost people are around us!
This was the culture of Isaiah’s day as well as it is today!
The next several verses in Isaiah indicate that God was going to do something new and significant. These are the exact words that many people need to hear today…if they can listen…
Isaiah 9:2-4 (NLT) The people who walk in darkness will see a great light. For those who live in a land of deep darkness, a light will shine. 3 You will enlarge the nation of Israel, and its people will rejoice. They will rejoice before you as people rejoice at the harvest and like warriors dividing the plunder. 4 For you will break the yoke of their slavery and lift the heavy burden from their shoulders. You will break the oppressor’s rod, just as you did when you destroyed the army of Midian.
And then Isaiah says that this will all be fulfilled because of the birth of a baby who will be named Jesus Christ.
Can Jesus really be all that? Can Jesus really do all that?
Let me say as a reminder that this whole book is about Jesus and the greatness of God. It is all about how life apart from Jesus is
- meaningless- clueless- fatiguing- empty and dark!
Without Jesus there is no reason, no purpose, no way, no path, and no hope for the future and no forgiveness for the past. That’s what we believe!
John1:1, 14 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 14 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.
Isaiah 9:6-7 (KJV) For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. 7Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.
So 2,000 years ago the miracle begun, but it was already set up from the foundations of the world. Luke 1: 26-37 Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, 27 to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. 28 And having come in, the angel said to her, “Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!” 29 But when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and considered what manner of greeting this was. 30 Then the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31 And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name JESUS. 32 He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give 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.” 34 Then Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I do not know a man?” 35 And the angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God. 36 Now indeed, Elizabeth your relative has also conceived a son in her old age; and this is now the sixth month for her who was called barren. 37 For with God nothing will be impossible.”
Then we read in Luke 2:1-20 1 And it came to pass in those days that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. 2 This census first took place while Quirinius was governing Syria. 3 So all went to be registered, everyone to his own city.4 Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, 5 to be registered with Mary, his betrothed wife, who was with child. 6 So it was, that while they were there, the days were completed for her to be delivered. 7 And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. 8 Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid. 10 Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. 11 For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12 And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.” 13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying: 14 “ Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!”15 So it was, when the angels had gone away from them into heaven, that the shepherds said to one another, “Let us now go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us.” 16 And they came with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the Babe lying in a manger. 17 Now when they had seen Him, they made widely known the saying which was told them concerning this Child. 18 And all those who heard it marveled at those things which were told them by the shepherds. 19 But Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart. 20 Then the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told them.
Just as the shepherds were told about ‘Jesus’ they also got to see Him. Think about this, One day soon, we will get to see everything we have heard!
1. Christ came to stay. 2. Christ came to undo satan’s works. 3. Christ came to save the lost. 4. Christ can relate because He’s been there! 5. Christ just calls today ‘Come!’
