'the Coming Wonder.' Part 2 Series

Isaiah 9: 1-7 The coming wonder part 2.

The extraordinary child

Okay, last week we went mountaineering and reached the summit of the great mission of the Messiah through the eyes of Isaiah. The Messiahs mission was to bring light and liberation to a people who are living in gloom and distress 9:1 who are walking in darkness 9:2. Isaiah’s words are filled with anticipation of a future hope, the bursting forth of light is going to dawn in a land living in the shadow of death. Liberation is going to come to a people held in captivity, the Messiah is going to come and set people free, there is going to be a time when people will be together again 9:3 filled with joy and rejoicing before God and what He has done.

Today we are going to begin to climb another summit of the coming Messiah and that is the summit of his personhood - one of which I don’t honestly believe any human being has ever reached and conquered. All we will be doing is endeavouring to get as high as humanly is possible.

Isaiah 9:6 For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be upon His shoulders. And He will be called Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, and Prince of Peace.

1. The extraordinary child ‘given to us all’.

Here is extra extraordinary event with the birth of this extraordinary child, he has already prophesised earlier His birth, His conception and extraordinary identity 7:14 who would be ‘God with us.’ Which the birth of Jesus fulfilled Matt 1:22-23. If there Isaiah reveals the divinity of the child, here he firstly reveals his humanity. What can be more human than a ‘child born’ ‘a son given’ what can be more human than that?

Isaiah’s reference to this ‘child born’ particularly ‘a son given’ would have stirred their imaginations of the covenant promises that God would work through father to son particular through David line.

And that this son was destined for greatness 9:7 Isaiah foretells Him as one whose government would be upon his shoulders – who would reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom – who would uphold justice and righteousness. This was a breath of fresh air that there was a prospect of a future king who would reunite the Kingdoms bringing peace and prosperity to their nation.

If Judah saw it in terms of their own exclusivity as a nation, we can see it in the realms of complete inclusivity with the world John 3:16 for God so loved the world that He gave.... take note the very inclusiveness given to this child to be born into the world 9:6 notice how he puts it ‘ for to us a child is born’ ‘to us a son is given’

The birth of any child is an extraordinary event, in a family’s life, but it is also a very personal event and very exclusive to the couple and family. It’s a time when the husband gets on the phone and tells family and a select group of friends, but that’s usually as far as it goes. The wonder is that this child’s birth is given for us all, all the world has the opportunity to become beneficiaries of his peace in our lives as a result of this extraordinary child given to us.

Isaiah sees a time when the nation will be enlarged 9:3 when people will come from every tribe and every nation being added to God’s Kingdom through this extraordinary child given for us. Isaiah 11: 1-2, 10-12 all peoples and nations will be gathered to Him ultimately. The commission Matt 28:19 therefore go and make disciples of all nations.

How is this accomplished? Isaiah 53: 4 -6 He would be pierced for our transgressions, crushed for our iniquities the punishment that brought us peace was upon Him. The Lord laid upon Him the iniquity of us all. This child was given to rectify the problem of our sins separating us from God. The New Testament confirms it: Matt 1:21 you shall give Him the name Jesus for he will save his people from their sins.

2. This Extraordinary child who guides ‘wonderful counsellor’

The word Wonderful: Today the use of this word ‘wonderful’ has lost its real value as it is used for everyday events like, “it’s your birthday how wonderful!” “You’ve passed your exams , how wonderful!” “We’ve just inherited £50,000 how wonderful!” “You are coming over for tea, O that’s wonderful!”

But the Hebrew word here ’Pala’ indicates something uncommon or out of the ordinary outside the realm of human explanation. This wonderful is separated from the normal course of human events: something that cannot be explained. For instance turn with me to: Judges: 13:17- 18 Where Manoah asked the Angel of God, “What is your name?” He replied “it’s beyond understanding . This is the wonder we are meeting the divine!