Isaiah 9:2-7. [2] The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shined. [3] You have multiplied the nation; you have increased its joy; they rejoice before you as with joy at the harvest, as they are glad when they divide the spoil. [4] For the yoke of his burden, and the staff for his shoulder, the rod of his oppressor, you have broken as on the day of Midian. [5] For every boot of the tramping warrior in battle tumult and every garment rolled in blood will be burned as fuel for the fire. [6] For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. [7] Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will do this. (ESV)
When the angels appeared there to those shepherds, they came with a song of “peace [on earth], good will toward men.” (Luke 2:14) …But that brings up a real question: if you’ll look around, there doesn’t seem to be much peace. As a matter of fact, our world is saturated with a lack of peace. Now, there’s an old Christmas carol that goes this way: “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”. (Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, as cited in Adrian Rogers, “The Prince of Peace,” in Adrian Rogers Sermon Archive (Signal Hill, CA: Rogers Family Trust, 2017), Is 9:6–7.)
Isaiah 9 speaks of a great light that has dawned upon a people walking in darkness, prophesying the coming of a Messiah who will establish peace, justice, and righteousness forever. It reminds us that despite the darkness of our circumstances, we can find peace through Christ. It encourages us to trust in His promises and to seek His peace in our lives, especially during the turbulent times of life.
The prophecy of Isaiah 9:2-7 not only anticipates the birth of Christ but also highlights His role as the bringer of peace and the fulfillment of God’s redemptive plan throughout Scripture, cnnecting the Old Testament promises to their New Testament realization in Jesus. In a world filled with chaos and confusion, Christ offers us true peace as our light in the darkness, fulfilling the promises of God that we can live in trust and hope. Isaiah 9:2-7, in four ways shows us the Peace of Christ: A Light in the Darkness through: 1) Proclaiming the Light of Peace (Isaiah 9:2), 2) Promising Peace from Joy (Isaiah 9:3-4), 3) Preparing for Lasting Peace (Isaiah 9:5), and finally: 4) Presenting the Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6-7).
The Peace of Christ: A Light in the Darkness is first seen through:
1) Proclaiming the Light of Peace (Isaiah 9:2)
Isaiah 9:2. The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shined. (ESV)
The people are described here as those who walked in darkness because the northern tribes had rejected David’s dynasty in favor of Jeroboam (1 Kings 12:1–20). They dwelt in a land of deep darkness because of captivity when in 733 B.C., Tiglath-pileser III besieged Damascus, invaded the region of Galilee, including Zebulun and Naphtali, and incorporated it into his kingdom (2 Kings 15:29) in fulfillment of God’s Word. “Gloom” and “distress” result from oppression and separation from Yahweh’s covenantal love. In verse 2, following the lead of the previous verse, explains why there will be no gloom where in fact the darkness had been absolute. They have seen a great light because with the suddenness of dawn (cf. 60:1) comes the announcement that light has appeared to these people. They did not produce it nor are they responsible for it. Where they had been groping in darkness, or sitting in the land of death’s shadow, they suddenly find themselves blinking in the light. Throughout the Bible, God’s presence is equated with light (42:16; 2 Sam. 22:29; Job 29:3; Ps. 139:11, 12; 1 John 1:5). So here, there is light for these people because their sin and rebellion are not enough to keep God from manifesting himself to them. True, they could not continue to choose their sin and have the light, but if they wished to be freed from their sin, nothing could prevent God’s light from shining, as it, in fact, has in Jesus. Jesus is light, and we need Him because the world is such a dark place. … The world understands its problems and analyzes them incessantly and understands them extremely well but cannot find the solution to them. That’s why the world is a dark place. (Timothy J. Keller, The Timothy Keller Sermon Archive (New York City: Redeemer Presbyterian Church, 2013).)
Please turn to Luke 1 (p.804)
In Luke 1, Zechariah, filled with the Holy Spirit, like Elizabeth (v. 41), gives a prophecy (vv. 68–79), a single sentence in the Greek text. It is often called the “Benedictus,” from its first word in the Latin Vulgate. It begins with a word of praise, and Zechariah lists the cause of his praise. It is a time of salvation visiting the people of God with the dawning of the “sunrise … from on high”—that is, with the coming of Christ. (Crossway Bibles, The ESV Study Bible (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2008), 1946.)
This prophecy on the birth of John the Baptist, preparing the way for the person and message of Christ, begins in Luke 1:67
Luke 1:67-79. 67 And his father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied, saying, 68 “Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for he has visited and redeemed his people 69 and has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David, 70 as he spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets from of old, 71 that we should be saved from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us; 72 to show the mercy promised to our fathers and to remember his holy covenant, 73 the oath that he swore to our father Abraham, to grant us 74 that we, being delivered from the hand of our enemies, might serve him without fear, 75 in holiness and righteousness before him all our days. 76 And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High; for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways, 77 to give knowledge of salvation to his people in the forgiveness of their sins, 78 because of the tender mercy of our God, whereby the sunrise shall visit us from on high 79 to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.” (ESV) (We will return to Luke 1 in our final point)
• When life seems bleak, the promise of Christ’s light offers hope and renewal. Christ’s peace and light can shine and transform lives. In this we are encouraged to turn in faith to Jesus, the true light, for guidance and peace.
Luke 1 explains how back in Isaiah 9:2, the Lord will graciously turn humiliation into glory. How? By the coming of the Messiah of David (9:1–7). but on them has light shined because their salvation will come from the very one whom they rejected. The new era will be characterized by great joy. The Messiah will free his people from their enemies and bring the actualization of the Davidic ideal. All these events are manifestly in the future from the prophet’s point of view, yet the verbs are all in the perfect tense. Apparently, these are prophetic perfects. Isaiah has a point of view different from the normal one. In the uncertainty of his own milieu he nonetheless can look at a future moment and describe its events with the certainty of completed actions. No medium or spiritist could do that. The spirits could not explain the origins of the earth, much less the end of it (cf. 41:21–24). But God could give that kind of insight to his prophet. (Elwell, W. A. (1996). Vol. 3: Evangelical commentary on the Bible. Baker reference library (Is 9:1). Grand Rapids, Mich.: Baker Book House.).
Illustration: 5272 Poinsettia Coloring
One Advent a family had a tree which they trimmed on Christmas eve. The whole lighting effect was to be accomplished with red bulbs, and, when their work was finally done, they turned out all the other lights in the room so that the bulbs on the tree should give out the only illumination. At that point they saw a startling thing! Near the base of the tree was a poinsettia plant, having some red flowers and some white ones. When the other lights were turned out and the red lights turned on, it was absolutely impossible to determine which of the poinsettia flowers had red petals and which had white—they were all white in the red light. What a perfect illustration that was of what happens to our sins when they are washed in the blood of Christ! They may be as scarlet, but when the red of Christ’s shed blood is applied they become as white as snow. (E. Schuyler English as recorded in Paul Lee Tan, Encyclopedia of 7700 Illustrations: Signs of the Times (Garland, TX: Bible Communications, Inc., 1996), 1196–1197.)
The Peace of Christ: A Light in the Darkness is now seen through:
2) Promising Peace from Joy (Isaiah 9:3-4)
Isaiah 9:3-4. [3] You have multiplied the nation; you have increased its joy; they rejoice before you as with joy at the harvest, as they are glad when they divide the spoil. [4] For the yoke of his burden, and the staff for his shoulder, the rod of his oppressor, you have broken as on the day of Midian. (ESV)
Verses 3-4 emphasize the joy and liberation that comes with Christ’s kingdom. This is the freedom from spiritual burdens people experience when they trust in Jesus. The imagery of breaking yokes and bringing joy speaks to how Jesus relieves us of our struggles and brings joy even amidst trials. Embracing His peace can transform our lives. As a result of God’s revelation of Himself through his Messiah, Isaiah 9:3 speaks of a joy which sweeps over the people, the joy of abundance. Instead of depopulation and dwindling away (7:20–23), the nation swells and grows (49:19–23); instead of the harvest’s being meager (5:10), it is abundant (35:1, 2); instead of becoming spoil themselves (8:1), they will divide the spoil (33:23). What is dealt with here are all the elemental fears of people, and the prophet says that in place of fear there is joy. But it is important to see that the real source of joy is the Lord. It is before him that they rejoice (2 Sam. 6:16; Ps. 27:4, 6). And this is true, for apart from the presence of the Creator who gives meaning to life, all other pleasures are dust and ashes (Ps. 16:11). The problem here is that the nation had been greatly multiplied and the people were more religious, but the joy was gone. They had a lot of religion, but (not a delight in God Himself). It was a period of great manifestation but no real joy. (J. Vernon McGee, Thru the Bible Commentary: The Prophets (Isaiah 1-35), electronic ed., vol. 22 (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1991), 94.)
• There are dark things that promise pleasure and fulfillment in life. But when exposed in the light for what they really are, they are hollow and unfulfilling. To have true joy, is to walk in the light of God's way.
Now in Isaiah 9:4, the immediate cause of the rejoicing is explained. They rejoice because the Lord has freed them. It is not necessary to look for some specific liberation which Isaiah has in mind. It is apparent from the whole context that it is final deliverance which is in view. This is what God holds out to his people and that for which they justly pray and believe. The immediate reference to this yoke in verse 4 is that of the Assyrian emperors who delighted in telling how they imposed their heavy yokes upon captive peoples. Here Isaiah looks off to a day when One mightier than the Assyrians of this world will break those yokes to pieces. He, too, will impose a yoke, but, paradoxically it will be easy. When will the burden be broken? It will be broken when Christ comes again. Why is it that Israel today cannot enjoy peace? Why are they plagued along every border? They are having all this trouble because they rejected the only One who can bring peace, their own Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ. The power of the oppressor will not be broken until the Lord comes the second time (J. Vernon McGee, Thru the Bible Commentary: The Prophets (Isaiah 1-35), electronic ed., vol. 22 (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1991), 95.).
Please turn to Matthew 11(p.766)
As in the time of captivity that Isaiah spoke, during the Roman occupation in Jesus time, the people of God were oppressed by the burden of religious legalism imposed on them by the scribes and Pharisees. But Jesus explains that he provides “rest for your souls” (v. 29)—that is, eternal rest for all who seek forgiveness of their sins and freedom from the crushing legalistic burden and guilt of trying to earn salvation by good works. ( Crossway Bibles, The ESV Study Bible (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2008), 1843.)
In Matthew 11, Matthew recounted starting in verse 25
Matthew 11:25-30. 25 At that time Jesus declared, “I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children; 26 yes, Father, for such was your gracious will. 27 All things have been handed over to me by my Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him. 28 Come to me, all 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." (ESV)
• In farming, a yoke is a wooden frame joining two animals (usually oxen) for pulling heavy loads was a metaphor for one person’s subjection to another, and a common metaphor in Judaism for the law. The Pharisaic interpretation of the law, with its extensive list of proscriptions, had become a crushing burden (cf. 23:4) but was believed by the people to be of divine origin. Jesus’ yoke of discipleship, on the other hand, brings rest through simple commitment to him (cf. 1 John 5:3) (Crossway Bibles, The ESV Study Bible (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2008), 1843.).
• The reason why God does not wish you to remain and follow darkness is because of His love for you. Embracing His light is walking a path the removes burdens.
For the people to whom Isaiah spoke back in Isaiah 9:4, when will the burdens be lifted. He cites them as on the day of Midian. When is this day of Midian? With these few words Isaiah calls to mind historic events which would give credence to the eschatological hope. Gideon and his people, faced by an oppressive horde, discovered that in God weakness is strength, and they watched in amazement as God used them to bring deliverance (Judg. 6, 7). So, Isaiah alludes to those events as evidence that the picture he projects is entirely feasible, given the character and power of their God. Isaiah is looking ahead to a Liberator even better than Gideon. (Raymond C. Ortlund Jr. and R. Kent Hughes, Isaiah: God Saves Sinners, Preaching the Word (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books, 2005), 98.)
Illustration: At the 1989 World Congress on Evangelism, or Lausanne II, in Manila, testimonies from Christians around the world were highlighted by the witness of a Chinese believer who had been imprisoned for his faith. Demeaned as a human being and isolated from human contact, his cell was in a dark dungeon and his work assignment was to clean the sewers deep in the underground darkness. He told of standing up to his knees in human waste going about his repulsive work. But against the stench and pollution of the sewer, he began to sing, “I come to the garden alone, While the dew is still on the roses, And the voice I hear Falling on my ear, The Son of God discloses, And He walks with me And He talks with me And He tells me I am His own And the joy we share As we tarry there, None other has ever known”. When his captors realized that they could neither break his spirit nor put out the brightness of his song, they released him to tell his story far and wide. Needless to say, wherever he went, revival followed and village after village came to Christ. (David McKenna and Lloyd J. Ogilvie, Isaiah 1–39, vol. 17, The Preacher’s Commentary Series (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc, 1993), 136–137.)
The Peace of Christ: A Light in the Darkness is now seen through:
3) Preparing for Lasting Peace (Isaiah 9:5)
Isaiah 9:5. For every boot of the tramping warrior in battle tumult and every garment rolled in blood will be burned as fuel for the fire. (ESV)
Here we see that the burning of warriors’ boots and garments signifies the end of warfare and the establishment of peace. In Christ, there is a cessation of the internal struggles and conflicts that often plague human hearts. This transformation should encourage us to seek peace not only with God but also with others, living out the peace of Christ in practical ways. We shall see not just the destruction of weapons of war, but of our human desire to use them. God will then burn them in the “fire” of his wrath (S. H. Widyapranawa, The Lord Is Savior: Faith in National Crisis: A Commentary on the Book of Isaiah 1–39, International Theological Commentary (Grand Rapids; Edinburgh: Eerdmans; Handsel Press, 1990), 53.).
Please turn to John 14 (p.847)
Isaiah 9:5 shows that the Lord will put an end to oppression by putting an end to the warfare upon which oppression rests. God will not supplant oppression with greater oppression, nor will he replace warfare with warfare. Instead, He will do away with wars. In John 14 we see how Christ brings true and lasting peace. He begins in verse 27:
John 14:27-30. 27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. 28 You heard me say to you, ‘I am going away, and I will come to you.’ If you loved me, you would have rejoiced, because I am going to the Father, for the Father is greater than I. 29 And now I have told you before it takes place, so that when it does take place you may believe. (ESV)
• Just as Isaiah was talking about a peace that would occur in the future, here we see how the coming of Christ brings peace to our troubled and afraid hearts. The Father as the one who sends and commands is “greater” (in authority or leadership) than the Son. However, this does not mean that Jesus is inferior in his being and essence to the Father, as John 1:1, 10:30, and 20:28 clearly show (Crossway Bibles, The ESV Study Bible (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2008), 2054.).
Illustration: There was a story once of a lady who was dying, and the doctors were not certain that she knew that she was dying. They told the loved ones, “She can’t live long. You’d better go in and talk with her.” And so, they didn’t know how to tell her she was dying, so someone came to her and thought they would kind of beat around the bush a little bit. And, they said, “Have you made your peace with God?” She smiled radiantly and beautiful and said, “No, I’ve not made my peace with God.” They said, “Well, do you intend to make peace with God?” She said, “No, I don’t intend to make peace with God.” Again, her countenance was absolutely beautiful. They said, “Aren’t you afraid to meet Him without making peace with Him?” She said, “I have no reason to make peace with God. I am resting in the finished peace that Jesus has already made by His cross.” And, the Bible says, “Having made peace [by] the blood of his cross [he hath reconciled God and man].” (Colossians 1:20) Jesus, my friend, is the Prince of Peace. Isaiah speaks of that peace, and he calls it “peace … like a river.” (Isaiah 66:12) (Adrian Rogers, “The Christmas Story according to Isaiah,” in Adrian Rogers Sermon Archive (Signal Hill, CA: Rogers Family Trust, 2017), Is 9:6–7.)
The Peace of Christ: A Light in the Darkness is finally seen through:
4) Presenting the Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6-7)
Isaiah 9:6-7. [6] For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. [7] Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will do this. (ESV)
The titles of Christ in verses 6-7 teach about His divine authority and the peace He brings. By reflecting on how Jesus fulfills each role—Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace—believers can be reassured of His sovereignty and His ability to bring about eternal peace and justice. Trusting in His governance leads to hope. This results in joy as it says in Isaiah 9:6 because God has delivered from oppression, and He does that because he has brought an end to war. But how will he do that? This verse supplies the answer. It lies in the coming of a person, thus fitting biblical thought throughout. Ultimately, God’s truth is not merely in the realm of ideas; ultimately, it is meant to be incarnated (cf. Mal. 2:17–3:1; Col. 1:15, 19, 20, 27). How can a child bring such joy? He is not just another child born on earth; this child is someone special and unusual. His coming is tied to all the prophecies of his work (John A. Braun, Isaiah 1-39, The People’s Bible (Milwaukee, WI: Northwestern Pub. House, 2000), 126.).
This child, is also...the divine ruler … partaking of the divine attributes, and will have the most human of all arrivals upon the earth, namely, birth. The expected perfect king will be human and divine. The book of Isaiah indicates frequently that God was powerful enough to destroy his enemies in an instant, yet again and again, when the prophet comes to the heart of the means of deliverance, a childlike face peers out at us. God is strong enough to overcome his enemies by becoming vulnerable, transparent, and humble—the only hope, in fact, for turning enmity into friendship. When God sent His Christmas gift to this earth, what was God’s Christmas gift? It was the gift of Himself. It was deity wrapped in humanity. That was the first Christmas gift: Deity; God of very God; a Son given, wrapped in humanity; a child born (Adrian Rogers, “History’s Greatest Happening,” in Adrian Rogers Sermon Archive (Signal Hill, CA: Rogers Family Trust, 2017), Is 9:6–7.).
Somehow a virgin-born child would demonstrate that God is with us (7:14). Now he says “to us a child is born” (Isaiah including himself with his people in their deliverance as he did in their sin [6:1]) and this child has those traits which manifest the presence of God in our midst. Surely this child (also described in 11:1–5) is presented to us as the ultimate fulfillment of the Immanuel sign. First, for this child the government shall be upon his shoulder. He will have all power in heaven and earth in order to govern, protect, sustain, and control all things. Jesus claims such authority and power (Matthew 28:18) (John A. Braun, Isaiah 1-39, The People’s Bible (Milwaukee, WI: Northwestern Pub. House, 2000), 128.)
He is also described as the Wonderful Counselor. The root of Wonderful is used to describe the miracles which God performed in Egypt, namely, the dividing of the sea, the safe crossing of the Red Sea, the leading by pillar of cloud and fire, the cleaving of the rocks in the desert and the providing of water. All these mighty miracles are characterized as wonders. The word refers to what God has done and not to the work, of man (Young, E. (1965). The Book of Isaiah: Volume 1, Chapters 1-18 (334). Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.).
Throughout the first part of the book of Isaiah, especially, the folly of human wisdom is mocked, for usually such counsel lacked any spiritual wisdom (1:26; 3:3; 5:21; 19:11–15; 28:7–10; 29:9–14; 30:1, 2; 31:1–3; 47:10–13). By contrast, the Coming One would give wondrous counsel, unfailing in the depth of its wisdom. For it is true wisdom which knows that in weakness is strength, in surrender is victory, and in death is life (42:1–4; 49:4, 21; 50:4–9; 52:13–53:12; 55:6–9; 57:15; 58:6–12; John 12:24–26). So, this counselor is a wonder because his counsel goes beyond the merely human. … He is the Counselor. He is the One that gives you wisdom. How are you supposed to live? How are you supposed to learn? What are you supposed to do? It’s all wrapped up in Jesus. In Colossians chapter 2 and verse 3, the Bible says, in Jesus “are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.” (Colossians 2:3) There is wonder in His name. There is wisdom in His name. (Adrian Rogers, “History’s Greatest Happening,” in Adrian Rogers Sermon Archive (Signal Hill, CA: Rogers Family Trust, 2017), Is 9:6–7.)
This king will also have God’s true might (Mighty God) about him, power so great that it can absorb all the evil which can be hurled at it until none is left to hurl (53:2–10; 59:15–20; 63:1–9). This little baby that was upon the straw is the Mighty God seen as creating in Genesis 1. This little baby who held Mary’s hand as a toddler and learned to walk is the One from whose fingertips suns sprang and oceans dripped. He is the Mighty God. This little boy playing with the shavings in Joseph’s carpenter shop is the One who made every tree, and every hill, and every mountain. He is the Mighty God. (Adrian Rogers, “The Christmas Story according to Isaiah,” in Adrian Rogers Sermon Archive (Signal Hill, CA: Rogers Family Trust, 2017), Is 9:6–7.)
Many kings claimed to be “father” to their people and even to their captives, yet their fatherhood was of a strictly temporal and self-tainted character. This person’s fatherhood as Everlasting Father, is claimed to be forever. When one sees that God’s fatherhood is such that it does not impose itself upon its children but rather sacrifices itself for them, it becomes plain that “everlasting fatherhood” must be of that sort (cf. Matt. 6:25, 26; 11:27–30; 18:12–14; 23:9–12; Luke 23:34; Rom. 8:15–17). “Everlasting Father” deliberately evokes covenantal kingship language from the ANE. In doing so, the announcement of the Son’s birth declares he’s the King of kings and his kingdom has no end…At Christmas when we sing that Jesus, the Son, is “Everlasting Father,” remember that the Everlasting Son possesses a kingdom that has no end. The title challenges us to ask, Where will we place our trust? Will we declare fealty to the princes of this world, or will we hope in the eternal Son alone? (https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/why-son-everlasting-father/)
The last title in the series is that of the Prince of Peace. It is appropriate that this title should come as the last of the series, for it is the climactic one (cf. 32:17). What sort of king is this? He is a peaceful king, one who comes in peace and one who establishes peace, not by a brutal squashing of all defiance, but by means of a transparent vulnerability which makes defiance pointless. Somehow through him will come the reconciliation between God and man that will then make possible reconciliation between man and man (53:5; 57:19; 66:12; Luke 2:14; John 16:33; Rom. 5:1; Heb. 12:14). But Christ came to His own and His own received Him not (John 1:11) and crucified Him. Since they denied the Prince of Peace, there will be no peace on this earth until Jesus Christ is received and recognized and enthroned. (Adrian Rogers, “The Prince of Peace,” in Adrian Rogers Sermon Archive (Signal Hill, CA: Rogers Family Trust, 2017), Is 9:6–7.)
• Does your life reflect that of peace? There is only one source of true peace. When admit that sin is rebellion against God, and ask for God's peace, then we realize that His peace is the only peace that will enable peace with God and one another.
Finally in Isaiah 9:7 we see that the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end. Again, it becomes clear that Isaiah has an eschatological figure in mind. This person will not be a king among kings in Israel. Rather, he will be the final king, the king to end all kings. Thus the prophet envisions the ideal Davidic monarch. God has not rejected his ancient promise to David, but the existence of the promise does not legitimize everything that some descendant of David, such as Ahaz, might do. It does mean, as with Israel, that God will so work in history as to keep his promise and his integrity at the same time. The virgin’s Son will be the rightful heir to David’s throne and will inherit the promises of the Davidic Covenant (2 Sam. 7:12–16; cf. Ps. 89:1–37; Matt. 1:1). (John MacArthur Jr., ed., The MacArthur Study Bible, electronic ed. (Nashville, TN: Word Pub., 1997), 968.)
There will be one who establishes the throne of David in a final way by basing it upon justice and righteousness instead of violence and coercion. In this way he will manifest the truth of “God with us,” not merely in deliverance from the Syro-Ephraimite threat but in an endless rule of justice, righteousness, and peace. Isaiah assures the people of his day that it will happen as he described it. The Lord of hosts stands behind these prophecies. His zeal will not waver. Before it happened, Isaiah’s readers may have wondered if it would ever happen. Their homes would be destroyed. Men, women, and children would die at the hand of invading armies. The survivors would be led away captive to Babylon. Yet it would happen as foretold. God said so and stood behind his words. (John A. Braun, Isaiah 1-39, The People’s Bible (Milwaukee, WI: Northwestern Pub. House, 2000), 131.)
Please turn back to Luke 1 (p.803)
When Luke moves from announcing the birth of John the Baptist to announcing the birth of Jesus, we see how the mighty work of God through John’s conception and ministry will be surpassed by the greater miracle of virginal conception and the greater work of Christ. (Crossway Bibles, The ESV Study Bible (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2008), 1943.)
The peace of the rule of Christ in Isaiah was applied to Christ, before His birth, by Gabriel, when he said to Mary in Luke 1, beginning in verse 26
Luke 1:26-33. 26 In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from 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. And the virgin’s name was Mary. 28 And he came to her and said, “Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!” 29 But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be. 30 And 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 bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to 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.” (ESV)
• Just in calling Jesus the Son of the Most High, this name for the true God comes from Gen. 14:18–22 where Melchizedek, king of Salem, identifies Yahweh as “God Most High” (cf. Balaam [also a Gentile], Num. 24:16: “the Most High”; “the Almighty”). It became a common title for the Lord among the monotheistic Israelites, especially in the Psalms. (In Dan. 3:26; 4:24, 34 it is the title for God that both Daniel and Nebuchadnezzar hold in common, and is a favored name in the intertestamental book of Sirach.) Whereas John is the “prophet of the Most High” (Luke 1:76), Jesus is the “Son of the Most High.” He is the promised successor to the throne of David (see 2 Sam. 7:12–13, 16). (Crossway Bibles, The ESV Study Bible (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2008), 1943.)
By the final statement back in Isaiah 9:7 that The zeal of the Lord of Hosts will accomplish this Isaiah acknowledges that the picture he has painted will not be realized in the ordinary course of affairs. It will only happen because of God’s passionate involvement with his people. Isaiah knew that God loved (desired) his people intensely. He could not adopt a blasé, disinterested attitude toward them. That being so, the prophet was confident that God would not react casually to the bondage which would be the result of their drift from one false lover to another. No, he would not rest until, in the power of his holiness (Josh. 24:19), he had restored them to himself and given them that kind of government which would allow them to find themselves in him. (Lange, J. P., Schaff, P., Na¨gelsbach, C. W. E., Lowrie, S. T., & Moore, D. (2008). A commentary on the Holy Scriptures : Isaiah (143). Bellingham, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.)
Prayer: Father, we thank You for Jesus Christ and the reality of His life and work, what He does and means to us. Father, we do realize that He fulfills the prophecies of the Old Testament, that He fulfills the hunger of the despair of every believers heart. Father, we look at our world and we just are sickened at the condition of the lost, who have sought to eliminate you but are looking to the earth and find it just as empty and bleak. Father somehow at this time against this darkness help us to present the glorious shining light of Jesus Christ. May those to whom you are calling come to know Jesus Christ in the fullest sense, to step out of the darkness of this world into light, to Your Kingdom of light. Speak now to us Father, that each of us may respond first of all if we do not know Christ to receive Him as Savior, and if we already have, to a new commitment to share Christ with the dark world about us. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen. (John F. MacArthur Jr., John MacArthur Sermon Archive (Panorama City, CA: Grace to You, 2014).)
(Format note: Some base commentary from Oswalt, J. N. (1986). The Book of Isaiah. Chapters 1-39. The New International Commentary on the Old Testament (241–248). Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.)
Closing Hymn: “Christmas Day”
Prayer room invitation
Benediction: As the Lord spoke to Moses in Numbers 6, as He spoke to Aaron and his sons, He speaks to Us: Thus you shall bless the people of Israel: you shall say to them, The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace. (ESV)
