Christmas Series - 2014
Sermon # 1
“The Prophecy of the King”
Isaiah 9:1, 6-7
John MacArthur tells the story of “A little girl came home from Sunday-School triumphantly waving a paper. “Mommy!” she said, “My teacher says I drew the most unusual Christmas picture she has ever seen!”
The mother studied the picture for a moment and concluded it was indeed a very peculiar Christmas pic-ture. ‘This is wonderfully drawn, but why have you made all these people riding on the back of an airplane?’ the mother gently asked.
‘It’s the flight into Egypt,’ the little girl said, with a hint of disappointment that the picture’s meaning was not immediately obvious. ‘Oh,’ said the mother cautiously. ‘Well, who is this mean looking man at the front?’ ‘That’s Pontius, the pilot,” said the girl, now visibly impatient. ‘I see. And here you have Mary and Joseph and the baby,’ the mother volunteered. Studying the picture silently for a moment, she summoned the courage to ask, ‘But who this fat man sitting behind Mary?” The little girl answered with a sigh. ‘Can’t you tell? That’s Round John Virgin!’
We laugh, but the sad truth is that little girl’s mixed-up perspective of Christmas is not really much more muddled than the notions the average person carries around.” [John MacArthur. “God Is With Us: The Miracle of Christmas.” (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1989) pp. 13-14.]
The truth is that much of what most people associate with Christmas is a product of a mixture of pagan ideas, myths, and legends derived from culture. But the only reliable source of information about Christmas is the Bible and so for the next few weeks leading up to Christmas we will be examining various aspects of the Christmas story.
The Christmas story in the Bible begins earlier than most people would suspect – hundreds of years earlier. There are over 300 Old Testament prophecies of the birth of the king. In them we are told:
• Where He would be born.
• What He’d do.
• What He’d say.
• How He’d die.
• How He would rise from the dead.
But the centerpiece of all the Old Testament prophecies concerning the coming king has to be Isaiah chapter nine, beginning in verse one. “The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned…. (6) For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. (7) Of the greatness 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 righteous-ness from that time on and forever.” (Isaiah 9:2, 6-9)
About 700 years before Jesus was born the prophet Isaiah introduced the coming king. In the days of Isaiah, the world looked dark, and bleak, and hopeless. The nation of Israel had turned their back on God and God, in turn He had turned His back on them. To punish them, God was bringing a nation from the North (named Assyria) and that nation was going to sweep down upon them like a flood tide and they wash over them in vengeance.
There was something in Isaiah’s words that spoke to His people. There was something in the message of this Child that was to be born, this Son that was given, that gave Israel a reason to hope.
Many in Isaiah’s audience were not godly people.
They were walking in darkness - in the shadow of death - because they’d abandoned God. And it was to this audience (who walked in darkness) that God gave the guarantee
* of a great light
* a child of hope and promise
* a future for their people that would be a wonderful counselor, a Mighty God, an Everlasting Father, and a prince of peace. (Isaiah 9:6)
Verse six, reveals four names of Jesus and each of the four names unlocks an aspect of His character. They teach who He is and How He can help us today!
“For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”
First, He Is The Wonderful Counselor.
A counselor is someone you listen to. Someone you accept advice from. And people will listen to the advice of all kinds of counselors. Some listen to the advice columnist like, Joyce Brothers, Dear Abby, Ann Landers and Dr. Laura Schlesinger. Some people listen to talk show hosts like: Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, Glen Beck. Some people listen to famous people like Oprah Winfrey, Dan Rather, Ellen DeGeneres. Folks will listen to political experts, quasi-religious leaders, comedians, actors, singers, and the list goes on and on.
If those people (whom they listen to) say it - it’s got to be true. These counselors are so influential that people will form their opinions based upon what their "counselors" say. Whoever you listen to is your counselor. Sometimes those counselors will give you good advice… and other times they won’t.
The problem for Israel, was they had gotten into the habit of listening to the wrong counselors, sounds very familiar today. Look with me to Isaiah 8:19, “When men tell you to consult mediums and spiritualists, who whisper and mutter, should not a people inquire of their God? Why consult the dead on behalf of the living?” There were men in Israel who were giving the people bad advice. These men were advising Israelites to listen to someone other than God – mediums and spiritualists and folks that said they talked to the dead. Apparently these men were trusted enough by the people to be taken seriously. And because Israel listened to these counselors, their nation was going to suffer terribly.
The counselors of this world CAN help you with some of your problems. But they can only help you so much. By contrast, Jesus (the Wonderful Counselor) has the ability to help us deal with the root cause of all our problems. What is the root problem of all our problems? Sin!!! Matthew 1:21 says, “She (speaking of Mary) will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will SAVE HIS PEOPLE FROM THEIR SINS."
One of the repeated pieces of advice Jesus gave people during His ministry was this: “Go and sin no more” (John 5:14; 8:11)
Don’t try to make excuses for it.
Don’t try to ignore it or rationalize it.
Sin isn’t going to go away on its own.
We must deal with it. We must confront it.
Jesus issues an invitation for all who are in need of a wonderful counselor to come to Him. “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. (29)Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. (30) For My yoke is easy and My burden is light." (Matthew 11:28-30)
And the only way we can deal effectively with sin is to realize that only the Wonderful counselor can help us remove sin’s power and guilt.
He wasn’t just a Wonderful Counselor.
He wasn’t just a great teacher.
He wasn’t just a good example.
He IS the Mighty God…
Secondly, He Is The Mighty God.
The word translated “mighty” (gibbor) means “strong one or the powerful valiant warrior.” So the term “Mighty God” is actually a military title. He is the God who fights for His people.
A couple of chapters before what we read this morning, in Isaiah 9 we read this: “Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.” (Isaiah 7:14) Commenting on that prophecy, Matthew quotes about the virgin bearing a son, and then he explains: “…they will call him Immanuel — which means, ‘GOD WITH US.’” (Matthew 1:23).
Isaiah’s message was plain: A virgin was to give birth to a son, and He would be known as “God with us.” And this child that was to be born - this Son that was to be given would be called “the Mighty God, the everlasting Father.”
The New Testament reinforces this: When the angel appeared to Mary and told her that she was to be the mother of the Messiah: "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will over-shadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the SON OF GOD.” (Luke 1:35)
He is not only the Mighty God …
Third, He Is The Everlasting Father.
It may be a little confusing when we talk about Jesus as the “everlasting father.” How can the Son be the Father? That question takes us into the complex arena of doctrine of the Trinity. Suffice it to say, Jesus is not called the “everlasting father” because there is confusion about the nature of God the Father and God the Son. Jesus is called the “everlasting father” because of His father like qualities. He is still God the Son but His love and grace are like that of a father with his children.
The name literally is “the Father of Eternity.” He is before, above and beyond Time. There has never been a time when He was not and there will never be a time when He will not be! He is the great “I AM”! By the way, if you are saved, your life is tied to His and you will live only as long as He does! This verse also says that He is our “Father”. This word means “producer or generator.” In other words, He is our source! He brought us into being and He sustains our lives by His power.
For those individuals in our day who struggle for a positive father image here is one that is worthy of the name. In his letter to the Romans Paul wrote, “For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father.” (16) The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, (17) and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ,…” (Romans 8:15-17) Here is a father who will never leave you nor forsake you! But remember this is true only if you are a part of the family by placing your faith and trust in Jesus as your Savior.
He is not only the Everlasting Father…
Fourth, He Is The Prince of Peace.
The term literally means “the prince whose coming brings peace,” and thus speaks of the effects of His coming. He brings peace to troubled hearts. The New Testament describes at least three spheres of peace:
Peace WITH God- Makes It Possible to be Friends with God. (Romans 5:1)
“Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.”(Romans 5:1)
God offers peace to those that want it. Peace is a positive change in a relationship between two people who once were enemies. It is more than just the end to hostilities it means the restoration of a broken relation-ship. It is what happens when two people who have not been on speaking terms are reunited. We are not made right with God by our good deeds, not by the ritual we practice. We are made right with God by what Christ did for us. Jesus is our Prince of Peace because He makes peace with God possible.
The reconciliation necessary between God and man is possible “through our Lord Jesus Christ.” Isaiah defined man’s problem in Isaiah 53:6 where he says, “All we like sheep have gone astray, We have turned everyone to his own way; And the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all.”
This reconciliation is possible because of an exchange. The doctrine of justification says essentially that we have been made right before God because of what Christ did for us on the Cross. Man’s part is to put our faith in Christ and His work. God’s part is that He cleanses us from sin and credits to us the righteousness of Christ. Because of this Paul writes in Ephesians 2:14, “For He Himself he is our peace, who has made both one…” The result of this exchange is Peace with God, this not just a feeling of peace but a state of Peace.
We must experience peace with God before we can experience the peace of God.
Peace OF God – Brings Calm in the Storms of Life.
This is a peace that is experienced internally. In the book of Philippians the Apostle Paul writes, “and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” (Phil. 4:7) The peace of God is the sense of moment by moment joy which we can have as we trust our Heavenly father in the midst of problems of life.
In John Jesus is recorded as having told His disciples, “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” (John 14:27) When Jesus said those words He was warning His disciples of His upcoming death. It was going to be a scary and disturbing time. But Jesus wanted them to understand that they could have peace in the middle of the trials and difficulties that were about to come upon them.
The year is 1863; America was embroiled in the Civil War. It was a tragic year for a poet named Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. In 1861 Longfellow’s wife, Frances or Fanny as she was known, died from an accident in their home in which she was using a candle and her clothing caught on fire and she died. And then in 1863 Longfellow’s received word that his son had been critically wounded and crippled in battle during the Civil War. He devastated, but finally on Christmas Day in 1864 he wrote the poem "Christmas Bells." You might recognize the words, he said,
“I heard the bells on Christmas Day
Their old familiar carols play
And wild and sweet
The words repeat
Of peace on earth
Good will toward men.”
And you can also understand his bitterness when he wrote next stanza.
“And in despair I bowed my head
There is no peace on Earth I said
For hate is strong
And mocks the song
Of peace on earth
Good will toward men.”
Isn’t that the way some people feel right now? “Where is this peace on Earth? There’s no peace!” But then somehow God brought him through that terrible time until he could write this final stanza.
“Then pealed the bells
more loud and deep
God is not dead;
nor does He sleep.
The wrong shall fail
The right prevail
And peace on earth
Good will toward men.”
This peace on earth; good will toward men; God wasn’t necessarily talking about peace between two people or two nations. He was talking about peace with Him. God says, “I want to have peace with you. I want to show my good will; my favor; my Grace toward you.” And, the most important peace is the inner peace you have when you come to know Jesus as your Lord and Savior. That’s what Christmas is all about! It’s not just a baby in a manger—it’s a Savior. [Martha M. Boltz. “The Civil War: beauty from tragedy, "I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day." Washington Times, 12- 22- 2011, www. communities.washingtontimes.com/neighborhood/civil-
war/2011/dec/22/civil-war-beauty-tragedy-i-heard-bells-christmas-d/]
Peace FROM God – Helps Us Reconcile to Each Other.
When we have peace with God and we experience the peace of God then we can extend that peace to others.
Conclusion
The most important part of our verse is the first three words..."For to us” The gift of Christ is a personal gift from God to us. A gift requires a response. In this one verse you have the four names of Jesus. This is what they mean to us today:
If you are confused…He is the Wonderful Counselor.
If you are weak…..He is the Mighty God.
If you are scared……He is the Everlasting Father.
If you are disturbed….He is the Prince of Peace.
I read the true story of a little girl named Jana who was in a Christmas pageant. As her mother told the story: “The day of the Christmas presentation finally arrived. My young daughter, Jana, was so excited about her part that I thought she was to be one of the main characters though she had not told me what she was to do.
The parents were all there and one by one the children took their places. I saw the shepherds fidgeting in the corner of the stage meant to represent the fields for their sheep. Mary and Joseph stood solemnly behind the manger. In the back three young wise men waited impatiently. But still Jana sat quietly and confidently.
Then the teacher began: "A long time ago, Mary and Joseph had a baby and they named Him Jesus," she said. "And when Jesus was born, a bright star appeared over the stable." At that cue, Jana got up from her chair, picked up a large tin-foil star, walked behind Mary and Joseph and held the star up high for everyone to see. When the teacher told about the shepherds coming to see the baby, the three young shepherds came forward and Jana jiggled the star up and down excitedly to show them where to come. When the wise men responded to their cue, she went forward a little to meet them and to lead the way, her face as alight as the real star might have been.The little play ended. We had refreshments.
On the way home Jana said, with great satisfaction, "I had the main part!" "You did?" her mother asked in surprise. "Yes," she said, "because I showed everybody how to find Jesus!" We serve a mighty God and an everlasting Father when we serve Jesus. And the most important thing we can do on His behalf is show others how to find Him.He is the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father… and He does want us to introduce Him.” [Jeff Strite. “Mighty God and Everlasting Father” Sermon on Isaiah 9:16 - www.sermoncentral.com]
“The Prophecy of the King”
Isaiah 9:1, 6-7
First, He Is The Wonderful Counselor.
Wrong Counselors – (Isaiah 8:19)
Man’s real problem? Sin - (Matthew 1:21)
His invitation. (Matthew 11:28-30)
Secondly, He Is The Mighty God. (Isa. 7:14, Matt.1:23, Lk 1:35)
Third, He Is The Everlasting Father. (Romans 8:15-17)
Fourth, He Is The Prince of Peace.
Peace WITH God- Makes It Possible to be Friends with God. (Romans 5:1)
Peace OF God– Brings Calm in the Storms of Life. (Phil. 4:7, John 14:27)
Peace FROM God – Helps Us Reconcile to Each Other.
