Unto Us Child is Born

Welcome to God's Word for You, a ministry of Sharon R.P. Church in Morning Sun, Iowa. Check us out online at www.sharonrpc.org. We pray that this message will be a blessing to you and that the Lord will use it to transform your faith and your life. Please turn in your Bibles with me to Isaiah chapter 9. Isaiah chapter nine, and we'll be looking this morning, the full sermon will come from six through seven, but I want you to see the context. So we're gonna start reading at verse one and go through verse seven. If you're using the New King James Pew Bibles, you'll find that on 611. Isaiah chapter nine, beginning at verse one.

Nevertheless, The gloom will be upon her who is distressed. And when at first he lightly esteemed the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, and afterward more heavily oppressed her by the way of the sea beyond the Jordan in Galilee of the Gentiles, the people who walked in darkness have seen a great light. Those who dwelt in the land of the shadow of death, upon them a light has shined. You have multiplied the nation and increased its joy. They rejoice before you according to the joy of harvest, as men rejoice when they divide the spoil. For you have broken the yoke of his burden and the staff of his shoulder, the rod of his oppressor, as in the day of Midian.

For every warrior's sandal from the noisy battle and garments rolled in blood will be used for burning and fuel of fire. 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. Of the increase of His government and peace, there will be no end. Upon the throne of David and over His dominion, to order it and establish it with judgment and justice. From that time forward, even forevermore, the zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this. That ends this portion of the reading of God's Word. The grass withers, The flower fades, but the word of our God endures forever.

There's a profoundly theological moment in a popular movie a while back that gave us an insight into kind of how some people in American culture think about a week like this week. You know, there's many RP pastors who refuse to preach on the incarnation of Jesus this week. I choose to do that because the elephant's in the room, so we're going to talk about it. But how many people think about Jesus and His incarnation, Jesus coming and becoming man in the flesh? Was this portrayed in a great theological insight of the movie Talladega Nights? Or Ricky Bobby prays, oh, I like to think of Jesus as baby Jesus. He's sitting there in that crib. But you notice, as they go through this whole monologue of how they want to think about Jesus, it's not how the scriptures want to think about Jesus.

No, this morning we find a Jesus who is not some infant laying in a manger, but he came for a purpose. A Jesus Christ who came to earn a crown and a title. And the passage before us this morning is a passage that is meant to stir up our hearts, to receive this Jesus as our King, as our Lord, as our Prince of Peace.

And so this morning, Isaiah chapter 9 beginning at verse 1 started with great darkness. People are about to go into captivity. Ahaz is a wicked king. Assyria looms over them like a shadow of darkness ready to destroy them at any moment. But God says in the midst of that darkness, there's going to be a blinding light that breaks through the dark clouds. And this period of instability and threat is going to disappear. Gloom and war and exile and defeat are gonna give way to light, to joy, and to victory. But how? How is it gonna happen? God Himself is going to intervene. And that's where we pick up in verse 6. God would send His anointed King, Jesus, the Messiah.

Notice verse 6, there's a promise given to the ancient Israel. For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given. This was a promise that someday there would be a son who would come of the people of Israel. Somebody who God himself would send to them as a gift. This son would come to them and the son's name would be Jesus. This son who would be given to save his people is what was declared in Matthew chapter 1 verse 23 by the angel. Behold, the virgin shall be with child and bear a son and they shall call his name Immanuel. God with us. God would give a son, but the son would not be like any other son. Notice, who would this son be? What does it go on in verse six? And the government will be upon his shoulders. This son would indeed be a ruler.

The son that God gave would be a king. He would be the one whose star would rise up and the men from the East would see him and go and try to find him. They would go bearing costly gifts, traveling hundreds of miles for days, weeks, and stand before the throne of a tyrant named Herod and say, where is he who has been born King of the Jews? And they came to Bethlehem and found Jesus there.

And they bowed down to Him. this is the one who it would be the king he jesus would bear the weight of leadership the full weight of the government would be upon his shoulders and jesus would not come and be some lazy governor some horrible ruler no he would rule with care and diligence with self-denial and integrity Jesus would be a king sent by God for the good of his people, not to lead from his own interest by even pouring out himself to love and care for those whom he governs.

And it was his full weight to bear. Notice, and the government will be upon his shoulder. Being the king would not be a light thing, not an easy thing, but a weighty thing, a hard thing, often lonely, often challenging. But Jesus came. And He knew that to receive His crown of glory, to ascend up into heaven, He would have to bear the weight of that leadership upon His own shoulders as He carried that cross. Jesus knew what it was going to cost him when the magi came bringing their gifts.

The plan was already set for him to bear the cross that would earn him the right to bear the government upon his shoulders. And so what is this Jesus like? What is this child who would be born, this son given, this king that would rule the people, what would he be like?

Well, his name will be called Wonderful Counselor. Mighty God, everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Wonderful. Jesus is marvelous. Jesus is full of all. We see this time and time again in Jesus's life, in his birth, in his death, in his resurrection, and in his ascension.

The shepherds were in awe when they heard about the announcement of Jesus being laid in a manger in swaddling cloths. They worshiped him. They were filled with awe that these things were true and were announced by heavenly hosts. The disciples were in awe.

They were wandered at Jesus when he spoke to the wind and the waves and they ceased and there was a calm. They wandered at Jesus. When Jesus turned the water into wine, Mary pondered these things in her heart. People wondered, they stood at Jesus often with their mouths on the floor, their jaws gaping. How could such a man do these things? He was full of awe. They couldn't understand it. And then at his resurrection, once again, they were filled with awe. How could this be? How could he be alive? They didn't know how he could do these things.

And then at the ascension, when he was lifted up into heaven, we even see Stephen, when he is giving his testimony of Jesus Christ, standing in awe of Jesus, sitting at the right hand of God, the Father Almighty, as his face shines like an angel. Because Jesus is awesome. He's wonderful. He's full of wonders. He does wonderful things and we stand in front of Him and we stand in awe of who He is. But He's also a counselor. And Jesus is omniscient. He knows all things. He knows the will of the Father. He knew the plan of redemption. He knew how He was going to save His people from His sins. And He indeed is the counselor of each and every one of us, is He not?

As we hope in Jesus Christ, when you go to Him in prayer, how often do you lack wisdom and go? And Jesus gives it to you. Jesus has absolute wisdom. He is the display of wisdom to us. The gospel itself is the wisdom of God on display. God reconciling us to himself through the person and work of his son is the wisdom of God. And so when we see the gospel, we see God's wisdom, and we see that he indeed is a wonderful counselor. He shows us the way of eternal life. But Jesus What else is He like? He's not just wonderful and a counselor, but He's also mighty God.

Make no doubt about it, Jesus Christ is God. Fully man and fully divine. Jeremiah 23, 6 said of the Messiah, in His days Judah will be saved and Israel will dwell safely. Now this is His name by which He will be called, the Lord our righteousness. Jesus is the Lord, our righteousness. He is the mighty God.

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. Jesus indeed is divine. This is why when Jesus, after His resurrection, came into that upper room, and doubting Thomas, Had said, I'm not gonna believe unless I'm able to put my fingers in his hand or put my hand in his side. Jesus showed up and he said, okay, buddy, now's the time. Go ahead, put your finger in my hand. Go ahead and put your hand in my side. And he didn't even, the text doesn't even tell us he did it. What does Thomas do? He falls down on his face and he cries out, my Lord and my God.

Because that's who Jesus is. No mere mortal man, but he is mighty God, full of strength and able to save. He has a shared divine essence. And if anybody was to try to argue that somehow Isaiah 9, verses 6 and 7 is talking about some other king of Israel, that's straight up blasphemy. Because no other king of Israel, not Hezekiah, not Josiah, not any other king could ever be called mighty God. But only Jesus alone.

But notice, This is a curious one, one that brings theological challenges next. And his name will be called Everlasting Father. The Westminster Larger Catechism, we just have this theological problem. How is Jesus the Son going to be called Everlasting Father? How does that work?

The Larger Catechism, question 11, I think is very helpful with this. The Scriptures manifest that the Son and the Holy Spirit are God equal with the Father, and ascribes to them such names, attributes, works, and worship as are proper to God only. The nerdy theological Latin word for this is communicatio divinorum. The communication of the divine. Sometimes the titles of the father are given to the son and sometimes they're given to the spirit. And so it's not always cut and dry because the three are one is the point here.

This is why when Philip said, show us the father and that'll be enough for us. Jesus stood in front of him in his flesh and he said, Philip, how long have I been with you? If you've seen me, you have seen the father. You see, because Jesus and the Father are one, from all eternity and to all eternity.

This is why Jesus was able to say before Abraham was, I am. Colossians chapter 1 says Jesus is the exact image of the invisible God. By Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Jesus and for Jesus. He is before all things and in Him all things consist. Jesus is one with the Father. This is not to say Jesus and the Father, there's no distinction. No, but that's their perfect unity. That when Jesus does the work of the King, we know this is the work of the mighty God. Because that's who Jesus is. Do you see the Son who has given this child, who is born, is wonderful, He's a counselor, He's mighty God, He's everlasting Father, but He is also the Prince of Peace. Jesus is the one who purchased and secured peace.

There was enmity. There was warfare. There was constant hostility between God and man. Ever since man ate that fruit, broke the covenant of works, we have been at enmity with God, enemies of God. But in Jesus Christ, There's a way of peace made for us. And it was purchased by the blood of Jesus. But Ephesians chapter two tells us it's not just the enmity that existed between God and man, but also the enmity that existed between Jews and Gentiles.

There is a wall of separation, a barrier wall. It was Gentiles on that side and Jewish people on this side, not allowed to eat with each other, not allowed to converse with one another, not allowed to be together. But in Jesus Christ, the barrier walls of hostility have been broken down. And we have been engrafted into the tree.

We have been brought into Israel by faith in Christ. He has brought us peace. But He's also given us peace in our consciences. even when our consciences might condemn us, even when our hearts may say that we are not good enough, even when our works might think that somehow they're able to separate us from Christ Jesus. No, the blood of Christ Jesus speaks out and says, it is done, paid for, peace is secured if you're in me. His peace is given to us as a royal grant. This is what he promises disciples in John chapter 14, verse 27.

My peace, I leave with you. My peace, I give to you. It's not a transient peace, it's not a fading peace, it's not like a type of peace like when you take grass and you throw it into the wind and the wind just blows it away. It's not that type of peace that's just easily blown away, but it's a peace that's rooted and fixed and deeply firmed in our hearts because it's rooted in Jesus Christ, the hope of our salvation. And Jesus preserves that peace. He commands us to have peace. He creates peace in us. And indeed, He is our peace.

There are times in your life, you know that your heart, I know it's true in my life, where we just feel like things are on shifting sand. Like we're getting attacked and we don't know what to do and circumstances and scenarios and situations seem to throw us for a loop. But what does the prophet tell us? He will keep you in perfect peace whose mind has stayed on you. Who are our minds stayed on?

But Christ Jesus. That's why we're not to be anxious about anything, but in prayer. Right, let our supplications and our thanksgivings come to God because in Christ Jesus there is a peace that surpasses all understanding because He is our peace. And no one can take our peace because Jesus reigns in peace as a Prince of Peace. And notice verse seven, what is the extent of His dominion? of the increase of his government and peace, there will be no end. There is an increase of Jesus' rule.

It's not so small, so isolated that Jesus only ruled in a little parcel of land in the Near East. It's not like Jesus only was there and only rules in Jerusalem. It's not like Jesus only rules in the little country or county of Judea. It's not like Jesus only rules in the little strip of land we would call Israel. No, Jesus Christ's dominion is over all the nations.

Go therefore into all the nations, making disciples, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them all which I have commanded you. And lo, I will be with you always, even until the ends of the age." Jesus' disciples went out. Egypt, India, Turkey, Iran, Rome, Macedonia, Italy, North Africa, and has continued to go out because of the increase of his government.

There is no end. His peace goes to all people. This is Jesus's scope It's not just relegated to a small geographical area, nor is it limited to a specific time period. It's not like Jesus reigned for a period of time, like 1 AD to 100 AD. No, Jesus' government, His dominion, and His peace know no end. Forever and ever.

He reigns as the Prince of Peace. But there's a legitimacy to His dominion as well. He's not some type of usurper, but He has a right to this government, a right to His throne, a right to the crown. Look with me at verse 7 again. Upon the throne of David and over His kingdom. Jesus is the legitimate King.

This is why Matthew chapter 1 starts with a genealogy. I can't think of a more boring way to start a book than a genealogy. I mean, somebody begat, somebody begat, somebody begat, somebody begat, somebody... Because you don't understand the Old Testament behind it.

Because see, God made a promise to David in 2 Samuel chapter 17 that he would have a son who would sit on his throne, who would reign forever. Who would be that king to reign on David's throne? That's why Matthew starts with a genealogy. So all the generations from Abraham to David were 14. David to captivity,

14. And captivity to the Christ,

14. Jesus was the promise of the covenants. He was the fulfillment of all that was good that God had given to his people. David was a king in Israel. Some of us may not be as familiar with the story of David. God had chosen David. God had sent Samuel to David, right? David was the runt of the litter. He was a little guy. He was the youngest brother, overlooked by everybody else. But as God was sending Samuel to go find a new king, he found Jesse, a shepherd. He got all of his boys together and he said, is this all of them? He said, no. I have one more. He said, call him in. He finds the youngest. And what does he do?

He pours oil on his head, showing that God had chosen him to be king. That pouring oil on his head, the word for that is Messiah. Anointing. Setting him apart for this special office of being a king. Our word for Christ is a translation of the Hebrew word, Messiah. God chose David to be king, but not to be king forever. God chose David to be king because he knew that he was going to have a descendant who would be king forever. And that king is Jesus.

And Jesus, with a legitimate claim to the throne, a legitimate right to his kingdom, did his work to earn that crown. Hebrews chapter 1 verse 3 says, after making purifications for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the majesty on high. Jesus sits upon a throne, but that throne was not made by any human hands.

That throne cannot be taken away by any mortal person. Because Jesus' throne is in heaven, firmly fixed and established. Because from there he reigns as governor, as prince of peace forever. And what is the character of his reign? That's where Isaiah continues. What is Jesus' kingdom like? To order it and establish it with judgment and justice from that time forward even forevermore. Jesus' reign is established, it's ordered in judgment and justice.

You know, I'm sometimes at a loss as a dad. There are times that my kids will run into the room and one of them's crying and the other one's, you know, it's clearly upset. They might be screaming. I don't know. But there's something that's gone wrong. And I want to jump immediately to a judgment and just get the crying to stop. And maybe sometimes we feel like that. Maybe we feel like we'll even go to a judge and then the judge just wants to get this case out of here right away. I don't even want to hear the details or the facts. I just get the process over with. Not so with Jesus.

Jesus has perfect judgment. As the omniscient, mighty God, He is able to give perfect judgment, to know all the facts, know all the different corresponding issues, and is able to judge perfectly and righteously. I'm gonna say there's two different aspects of this. The first is the judgment that He knew that you and I deserve.

For all we, like sheep, have gone astray, each one of us has gone our own way. And yet the Lord laid upon Him the iniquity of us all. The judgment for your sins has already been met out in Jesus. When He hung upon that cross, He took our sins for us, the full judgment and justice of God. He drank that cup of wrath for us.

So that in the new heavens and the new earth, when He comes again and reigns in perfect righteousness, there will be no sin. There will be no unrighteousness. For His reign will be one of a perfect peace, of perfect judgment, of perfect justice. That is the character of Jesus's kingdom. Forever. And notice how certain God is about this. The very last words of Isaiah chapter nine, verse seven.

The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this. The God The God who commands the angels. The one who is able to send one angel and destroy over 120,000 Assyrian soldiers in one night. The God who commands legions and legions of those angels was zealous to bring this about.

And he did it. His promise didn't return void. He said he would do it and he has done it. He's given us, he's given us our wonderful counselor, mighty God, everlasting Father and Prince of Peace. But I need to close this sermon with one last observation. Notice what it says in the very first words of verse six. And unto us a child is born. Unto us a son is given.

Is Jesus Christ yours? Do you stand in wonder of Jesus Christ? Is Jesus Christ yours? Do you receive the counsel of Jesus Christ who says, come, let's reason together. Let's go to the place where you can buy food without money and drink from the cool water of the well that will satisfy your soul forever. Is Jesus Christ yours? Can you say with Isaiah chapter six, for unto us a child is born and are you a member of the us? Is he your prince of peace? Are you under the reign of his government?

That's the question we have to ask ourselves this morning because if it is, if it's true of you that you are in Christ, that your hope is in Christ, then the light has shined in the darkness. and that there is peace forever, because our King reigns and will reign forever. Brothers and sisters, there's good news, for unto us this day a child has been born, and the government is upon his shoulders. The zeal of the Lord of hosts has done this, and it's marvelous in our sight.

Closing Prayer

Let's pray. God, we're not good enough to have a part in your kingdom. But Lord, you have been zealous to the point of even sending your own son, who considered equality with you not something to be grasped. But Lord, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. And so Lord, we stand in awe that you turned heaven and earth upside down to accomplish a salvation that we could never do. To give us a hope that we do not deserve. But because you are a good God, You have given us our Prince of Peace. So Lord, we pray that Your peace would reign in our hearts and give us joy unspeakable.

In Jesus' name we pray, amen. Thanks for listening to this week's message from God's Word for You, a ministry of Sharon R.P. Church in rural Southeast Iowa. We pray that the message would be used by God to transform your faith in your life this week. If you'd like to get more information about us, feel free to go to the website, SharonRPC.org. We'd love to invite you to worship with us. Our worship time is 10 a.m. every Sunday at 25204 160th Avenue, Morning Sun, Iowa, 52640. May God richly bless you this week.