Unto Us a Child Is Born
Chuck Sligh
December 7, 2014
TEXT: Isaiah 9:6 - “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, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.”
INTRODUCTION
Illus. – One of my favorite pieces of classical music is Handel’s Messiah. When Handel composed The Messiah he completely withdrew from the world for twenty-three days straight. So immersed was he in his music that the food brought to him was often left untouched. Describing his feeling when “The Hallelujah Chorus” burst on his mind, Handel said, “I did think I did see all Heaven before me, and the great God Himself.”
In that wonderful oratorio is one song based upon our text titled, “Unto Us a Child Is Born.” The reason Handel included it is in The Messiah is because Isaiah 9:6 is one of the towering Old Testament prophecies concerning the promised Messiah.
Isaiah 9:6 is part of a larger passage of prophecy, starting at the beginning of chapter 8 and continuing through verse 7 of chapter 9, which details the coming of Israel’s Deliverer, often called the Messiah, or the Christ. That Messiah is none other than the Lord Jesus Christ.
Let’s look at this beautiful verse this morning and see what the Messiah is like:
I. “For unto us a child is born…” – TELLS US HOW JESUS WOULD COME AS A MAN.
• He would be BORN.
He entered the world like any other baby.He was BORN!
Illus. – of the omnipotent God being born as a helpless baby. (EXPAND)
• He would be born a CHILD.
In other words, though He would still be 100 per cent God, yet He would also be a human being.
Compare Philippians 2:6 – “Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: 7 But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:”
Imagine that.
• He would be born UNTO US.
God would come and dwell among us…Among us who are sinful. Among those who would turn him away. Among us who, as Isaiah 53 puts it, have, like sheep gone astray, and have turned to our own way, instead of God’s way.
This is the marvelous truth called the INCARNATION. The incarnation is the truth that God came to dwell among us. One of the names of Jesus is Immanuel which means “God with us.” John tells us about that in His Gospel: John 1:14 – “And the Word was made 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.”
II. “...unto us a son is GIVEN…” – TELLS US HOW JESUS WOULD BE THE GIFT OF GOD TO MAN.
Note John 3:16 – “For God so loved the world, that HE GAVE his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
With this holiday season upon us, many people have interrupted their daily routines by shopping for gifts they plan on giving as an expression, an act, or a demonstration of their love or appreciation for the people in their lives.
But they are gifts that are temporal, which will break down, and wear out, and rust, and decay with the passage of time. Isn’t it wonderful that so much time, energy and resources are given to gift-giving? But we must never forget that they are all short-lived!—
God gave to us a gift that is…
eternal,…
everlasting,…
the greatest of all gifts,…
the unspeakable gift.
What is that gift?—The gift of Jesus Christ.
“For unto us a Son is GIVEN.”
III. “...and the government shall be upon his shoulder...” – REMINDS US OF HIS FUTURE RULE.
In His first advent (advent means “coming”)…
Jesus came as a simple little child…
He came as a lowly servant…
He came into the home of a simple carpenter.…
He was born in a humble manger.
Illus. – of “For Better or Worse” cartoon a few years ago: The family was visiting a barn, with all the attendant smells and odors that you have in a barn. One of the children asked, “Did it smell like this that first Christmas?”
Well, yes, it probably did. Because Jesus was placed in a little manger, which is a feeding trough for animals, indicating that they may have been in a barn or a cave where animals were kept.
Jesus was born in humble surroundings.
In His first advent, Jesus had no riches – Illus. – Henry G. Bosch said:
Socrates taught for 40 years, Plato for 50, Aristotle for 40 and Jesus for only 3. Yet the influence of Christ’s three-year ministry infinitely transcends the impact left by the combined 130 years of teaching from these men who were among the greatest philosophers of all antiquity. Jesus painted no pictures; yet some of the finest paintings of Raphael, Michelangelo, and Leonardo da Vinci received their inspiration from Him.
Jesus wrote no poetry; but Dante, Milton and scores of the world’s greates poets were inspired by Him. Jesus composed no music; still Hydn, Handel, Beethoven, Bach and Mendelssohn reached their highest perfection of melody in the hmns, symphonies and oratories they composed in His praise. Every sphere of human greatness has been enriched by this humble Carpenter of Nazereth.
In His first advent Jesus had no servants to wait on Him. In His first advent Jesus had no earthly kingly reign.
But the next time Jesus comes to earth, things will be entirely different!
In His second advent King Jesus will be seen in all His royal majesty and glory. Note Philippians 2:9-11 – “Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: 10 That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; 11 And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” (EXPAND)
IV. “and his name shall be called…” – TELLS US WHAT HE WOULD BE LIKE.
He would be (and IS)...
1) Wonderful
• Wonderful because of WHAT HE IS – merciful, full of grace, loving, longsuffering, both able and willing to save.
• Wonderful because of WHAT HE HAS DONE – He died on the Cross for wicked sinners such as us! But to die for worthless sinners such as we is truly wonderful!
• Wonderful because of WHAT HE IS NOW DOING –
He is preparing a place for us – John 14:1-4 – “1 Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. 2 In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. 4 And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know.”
He is serving as our advocate before the Father – 1 John – “2:1 My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: 2 And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.”
• Wonderful because of what He is going to do. What is that? He will come again to deliver us from this world. He will give us a new body. He will wipe away all our tears when He creates the New Heaven and the New Earth. He will live with us in Heaven forever.
2) Counselor
A counselor in difficult times (an encourager). (EXPAND)
A counselor in difficult decisions. (EXPAND)
3) The Mighty God
He is mighty.
He could heal the sick.
He could make blind eyes see.
He could make the lame to walk again.
He could calm the waves of the sea with only three little words from His lips—“Peace be still.”
He could raise the dead.
He could raise HIMSELF from the dead.
He could forgive sins. (And He still can today!) (EXPAND)
He is God.
Not just another human teacher.
Not just a great human being.
Not just a wonderful philosopher.
Not just a great example.
Note just a holy prophet.
But GOD—every bit as much God as God the Father. (The doctrine that Jesus was fully God is known as the “deity of Jesus Christ.”)
4) The everlasting Father – Literally the “Father of eternity.”
Though He had a human beginning, it was not His beginning. Jesus is the “Father of Eternity.” Again, this phrase testifies to the deity of Jesus Christ. God the Father always was and always will be.
Likewise, Jesus Christ, the Father of Eternity, always was and always will be—He is the Father of Eternity – John 1:1-4 – “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 The same was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. 4 In him was life; and the life was the light of men.”
5) The Prince of Peace
• He gives Peace WITH God.
Ephesians 2:12 – “That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world: 13 But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ. 14 For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us;”
Ephesians 2:16 – “And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby: 17 And came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh. 18 For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father.” (EXPAND)
• He gives the Peace OF God.
Philippians 4:6 – “Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. 7 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”
It is easy to not have the peace of God during the Christmas season.
POEM –
On the twelfth day of Christmas
My littlest love gave to me
Twelve dogs a-leaping
Eleven cats a-creeping
Ten fingers gripping
Nine toes a-tripping
Eight drinks a-spilling
Seven glasses filling
Six friends and things
Five telephone rings
Four crayoned walls
Three loud calls
Two Kisses free
And one mother up a pear tree!
(–Edna Bowman)
Jesus wants to give you peace. Jesus wants to be your Peace this Christmas season.
• He will someday bring peace on earth.
This was the promise to the shepherds. This will take place when Jesus comes in His second advent. (DEVELOP)
