Isaiah chapter 9, verses 6 and
7. 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. 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 righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the
Lord Almighty will accomplish this. So in these verses, we
have what is the base, or I like to say the rock, from which we
will build this study on. But without the first line of
verse six, we wouldn't have the rest of what we will be looking
at today in our study. For to us, a child is born to
us a son is given. Our study is titled The Coming
Messiah. Many times we talk about things
that we just can't wrap our minds around. We can say that about
many things that are presented to us in the God's Word. This
is just another one of those mysteries of godliness, God becoming
man. How do you understand what seems
so incomprehensible? Beyond all question, the mystery
from which true godliness springs is great. He appeared in the
flesh, was vindicated by the Spirit, was preached among the
nations, was believed on in the world, was taken up in glory. That was from 1 Timothy 3.16. And just another quick read here.
In Philippians 2, it says, God took on himself the form of a
servant and was made in the likeness of men. So if you would like
to turn with me to 1 Corinthians chapter two, I'm gonna look at
a couple of verses, they're nine and 10. What we're going to be looking
at is how God, the ancient of days, came to us as an infant. God the Father, through God the
Son, became flesh and dwelt among men. To us a child is born, to
us a son is given. This seems so contradictory,
how can God as spirit become God the man? It seems so fantastical,
so galactical as to be out of this world, but there are no
contradictions here. Though every word is true, it
is not something we grasp on our own, but we accept it, we
believe it through the faith of Christ that is in us. and
then only by revelation, as scripture is only interpreted in the light
of scripture. So in 1 Corinthians 2, 9 and
10, the Apostle Paul tells us this. However, as it is written,
what no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and what no human
mind has conceived, the things God has prepared for those who
love him. These are the things God has
revealed to us by his spirit. And then staying in chapter two,
we read in verse 16, for who has known the mind of the Lord
that he may instruct him, but we have the mind of Christ. So
what does this all mean? What is this mind of Christ? The mind of Christ is something
all true believers possess. What we could not or would not
accept before, we now know is God's wonderful truth. He had
a plan to redeem for himself and for his namesake, a people.
He sent his one and only son, born as a child, and he was called
Jesus because he would save sinners. He would die on a cross. He shed
his blood for those God's purpose to redeem. And we believe by
the mind of Christ that on the third day, he rose to life and
is now in heaven, exalted to the throne with the father and
rules over all his creation for all eternity. And we know we
are sinners saved by grace. We are all rebels who at one
time would say, I will not have this man rule over me. But then
one day when it pleased God, he revealed his son in us. and
changed our stony hearts into hearts of flesh. He wrapped us
in his loving arms, and as we just stood there, and then for
the first time experienced his irresistible grace. Henry Mahan
wrote these words down in the study of 1 Corinthians 2 that
I happened to just find online. There is no seeing Christ except
in his own light. He is the lesson learned, yet
he himself is the teacher. He is the one to whom we look
and the light by which we see. He is not only the tabernacle,
the priest, and the mercy seat, but he is the sacrifice and the
one to whom it was offered. What Henry wrote, we know these
things to be true. If Christ is not in us, we can't
see him. If he's not the teacher, we can't
learn of him. He is the one we must look to.
and he gives us the light to see, and he is the sacrifice,
and the one to whom the sacrifice is offered. So let's turn now
to the first chapter of John, where we will take a look at
a couple verses beginning there in verse one. Isaiah starts out
his foretelling of God's coming to this world as a man, becoming
flesh and dwelling among us, man is the son of God with the
words, For to us a child is born, to us a son is given. As we look at this mystery of
God becoming flesh, let's read John chapter one, verses one
and two. In the beginning was the word,
and the word was with God, and the word was God. He was in the
beginning with God. And if we drop down to verse
14 of John chapter one, And the word became 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. This is what we are
reading about back in Isaiah when the prophet first calls
him a child and then a son. He then states that the government
will be on his shoulders, he calls He goes on to call him
the wonderful counselor, mighty God, everlasting father, and
then ending with the prince of peace. So staying in John, let's
turn to chapter 17 for just a moment. The verse we just read in John
one was the testimony of the apostle John as to how God the
spirit became God the man through his holy son. In John 17, we
have the Son himself telling us a very similar story in his
priestly prayer, all to the glory of the Father and the Son. So
John chapter 17, verses four and five, I have glorified you
on the earth. I have finished the work which
you have given me to do, and now, O Father, glorify me together
with yourself, with the glory which I had with you before the
world was. with the glory which I had with
you before the world was. Where was Christ before he was
on this earth? He was in his glory. He was in
the heaven as the Holy Trinity, God the Father, God the Son,
and God the Holy Spirit. But as Christ's own words clearly
say, by divine purpose he was sent here, born as a child, to
dwell among men, taking on their flesh so as to be like them. Let's take a quick look at Philippians
chapter two. We'll be reading verses five
through 11. I referenced this passage just a little bit earlier,
but there's so much more to it than what my brief comment spoke
to. This will speak to how our Savior came to this earth with
no desire to be equal to God, but to be a humble servant, a
servant who came here with a purpose. So let's begin reading there
in Philippians two, verses five through 11. In your relationships
with one another have the same mindset as Christ Jesus, who
being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God
something to be used to his own advantage. Rather, he made himself
nothing by taking the very nature of a servant being made in human
likeness. And being found in his appearance
as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death,
even death on the cross. Therefore God exalted him to
the highest place and gave him the name that is above every
name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow in heaven
and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge
that Jesus is Lord to the glory of God the Father. So I read
through that, can't help but think, I could have just stayed
right here in this whole passage and preached this same message
this morning. Because presented here is a clear
picture of Christ dwelling among men, taking on the nature of
a servant, a servant made in human likeness, humbling himself
by being obedient to death on the cross. This is Christ being
perfect in obedience, becoming for us our perfect obedience,
not in the flesh but in spirit. Then Paul goes on to speak of
Christ's ascension to the highest place, where he is ruling and
reigning as Christ the Lord for all time to the glory of God
the Father. And that gives us a perfect segue
into the next part of our study in Isaiah 6, as we continue to
look at the son who has been given to us. Note here, not offered,
but given, and how the government will be on his shoulders. So
if you would like to turn to Psalm 132, we will begin our
look at the government on his shoulders and what that all means.
In Psalm 132, we will take a quick look at a couple of verses there,
starting with verse 11. As you're turning there, just
a quick look at the Hebrew word translated as government in Isaiah
9.6. It means dominion, power, or
sovereignty, all through legal authority. Israel's savior was
to be a sovereign king who would rule on David's throne. So looking
at Psalm 132, it is written in verse 11, the Lord swore an oath
to David, a sure oath. He will not revoke one of your
own descendants I will place on your throne. And then reading
down a few verses in 13 and 14, He says, for the Lord has chosen
Zion. He has desired it for his dwelling,
saying, this is my resting place forever and ever. Here I will
sit enthroned, for I have desired it. Here, Zion speaks to the
Old Testament Israel and its people. In the New Testament,
it's a reference or picture of the true church of God, the kingdom,
and its people, the elect. The place where the promised
Messiah established and governing and reigning even right now.
So if we look now in the book of Luke chapter 1 and we'll be
starting in verse 26 Luke chapter 1 verse 26 in this passage of
Luke we see what it is that the prophet is telling us in the
verse 7 of Isaiah 9 Messiah's government and its peace will
never end, and he will rule on the throne of David forever.
Seven centuries after the writing of these events in Isaiah, the
angel Gabriel announces the Messiah's birth to his mother Mary. This
is where we will begin our reading in verse 26 of Luke chapter one. In the sixth month of Elizabeth's
pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in
Galilee, to a virgin, pledged to be married to a man named
Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin's name was Mary. The
angel went to her and said, Greetings, you who are highly favored. The
Lord is with you. Mary was greatly troubled at
his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. But
the angel said to her, do not be afraid, Mary. You have found
favor with God. You will conceive and give birth
to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. He will be great and
will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will
give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over
Jacob's descendants forever. His kingdom will never end. Now we see what the prophet was
foretelling us is exactly what our reading of Luke 1 says. Isaiah
tells us in 9.6 that the government will be on his shoulders, and
then in verse 7, he will reign on David's throne forever. So
here I'm going to just go through three verses really quick. I
just call it a quick read. A couple short verses that reference
Christ's rule, his governance, if you will, and how he does
it with all authority, might, and preeminence, starting with
the verse from Matthew 28, where it says, then Jesus came to them
and said, all authority in heaven and on the earth has been given
to me. Then in 1 Corinthians 15 it says,
for he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his
feet. The last enemy to be destroyed
is death, for he has put everything under his feet. And then in Colossians,
we read, and he is the head of the body, the church, he is the
beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything
he might have all preeminence. All these verses point to the
same thing, that even though this world will someday end,
Christ's preeminence and sovereignty over all things will never end.
All of his enemies will be destroyed, and everything except God the
Father will be under his feet demonstrating his preeminence
in all things, a preeminence that can never be challenged.
As it is said, of the greatness of his government and peace,
there will be no end. So then moving along in our study,
we will now be looking at the title that was given to the Lord,
our wonderful counselor. In the next part of verse six,
we see the prophet revealing the titles of this child who
is born, the first being Wonderful Counselor. In studying this,
I saw a difference in how different translations interpret this. Some say he shall be called Wonderful,
then a comma, Counselor. And some say Wonderful Counselor,
with no comma. But I think no matter how you
look at it, we know our Lord is wonderful, and he is our wonderful
counselor, so it's easy to accept that. Just as he is a wonderful
Redeemer, wonderful Lord, wonderful Savior in all things, he is wonderful. We will do a quick breakdown
of each word and then look at them as a whole. The word wonderful
in this passage literally means incomprehensible. The Messiah
will come and will cause us to be full of wonder. The word here
means much more than the way it's used in normal conversation
today. We can talk about things like
a nice big piece of rhubarb pie as being wonderful. Things are
considered wonderful if they are pleasant or lovely. In contrast,
Jesus is wonderful in a way that is boggling to the mind. The
same word for wonderful is used in Judges when Manoah, Samson's
father, asked the angel of the Lord what his name was. The angel
of the Lord responded, Why do you ask my name, seeing it is
wonderful? In other words, he asked, why
do you ask my name, seeing it is beyond your understanding?
It was incomprehensible to Manoah. The second part of Messiah's
title is counselor. Oftentimes, words in the Bible
mean something different than what they might mean in today's
usage, like what we just saw with wonderful. So I thought
the same might be true of counselor. So I went to Strong's Concordance
and found out that actually it pretty much means the same as
how we use it today. It's to advise, to counsel, to
make determinations for others. A great example in the Bible
of one who would be considered a great counselor would be King
Solomon. So if you'd like to turn in your Bibles to Isaiah
11, we will see what makes the one we are speaking of such a
qualified counselor. In a later chapter in Isaiah,
he is called one who is wonderful in counsel and excellent in guidance. In Isaiah 11, verses one and
two, which speak of the shoot coming up from the stump of Jesse,
we will plainly see the answer. They give a beautiful description
of the wonderful counselor. A shoot will come up from the
stump of Jesse, From his roots a branch will bear fruit. The
spirit of the Lord will rest on him, the spirit of wisdom
and of understanding, the spirit of counsel and of might, the
spirit of knowledge and fear of the Lord. And he will delight
in that fear of the Lord. Wonderful counselor, he is the
one who has wisdom and understanding. the spirit of counsel and of
might. He has the spirit and the knowledge
and fear of the Lord. Though we call many things wonderful,
nothing compares to the wonderfulness of Christ. He is our wonderful
Savior. He is wonderful in his unchanging
love for us, wonderful in his perfect holiness, in his substitutionary
death, his resurrection, his glory as he sits on the throne
ruling and reigning in heaven. There are many who may call themselves
counselors, but there is only one true counselor. Are you tired? Are you feeling hopeless, helpless,
weak, poor? What counselor are you going
to turn to? Turn to the one and only true
counselor, Jesus Christ. Again, I'm going to quote from
Henry, from the article he wrote, where he presents this, when
you know God, Christ reveals Him. Would you know the will,
way, and purpose of God? They are all found in Christ. He is both the wisdom and the
power of God. Religious people say, are you
in trouble? Do you need the Lord? Well, then
call on us. Don't do it. Call on Christ. He is the true wonderful counselor. So now we're going to move on
to the next title, that's presented to us there in verse 6 of Isaiah
9. We will take a look at the title
given to the Messiah as Isaiah was given them by the true author
of the Holy Spirit. The next title given us is Mighty
God. With this title, how much explanation
or description do we need? There's no end or shortage to
the verses that we could go to that proclaim how our God is
mighty. It is not just the Bible that
proclaims it. Paul declares in Romans chapter
1 that creation itself proclaims it. He says, for since the creation
of the world, God's invisible qualities, his eternal power,
and divine nature have been clearly seen, being understood from what
has been made, so that people are without excuse. So just step
outside and watch the sun come up every day, and then watch
it go down every night. Look at the sun, look at the
moon, the seasons and the stars. There are so many things in everyone's
daily lives that should reveal to them the awesome, wonderful
might of our God. If only God would open their
eyes to see what they are seeing. So now let's turn to the book
of John again, John chapter 10, and we will begin reading it
in verse 27. We all know as believers that Christ and God are one.
Not many Christian, quote unquote, religions deny the deity, but
there are those that deny the Trinity. Mystery to me. But sticking to our lesson, we
know when we speak of our mighty God, we are also speaking of
our mighty Holy Spirit and our mighty Jesus Christ, the very
one who is being referred to in our text passage For to us
a child is born, to us a son is given. But to give assurance
to any who might doubt, let's just take a look at a couple
passages here in the book of John. We've already referenced
the opening verses in John chapter one. In the beginning was the
word, and the word was with God, and the word was God. But now
we'll look at John chapter 10, starting at verse 27. My sheep
listen to my voice. I know them and they follow me.
I give them eternal life and they shall never perish. No one
will snatch them out of my hand. My father who has given them
to me is greater than all. No one can snatch them out of
my father's hand. I and the father are one. I don't
know how much more plain you can get than that. I and the
father are one. And then one more. of the many
passages we can go to, please turn to John 14, seven through
11. If you would know in me, you
would know my father also. And from now on, you know him
and have seen him. Philip said to him, Lord, show
us the father and it is sufficient for us. Jesus said to them, have
I been with you so long And yet you have not known me, Philip.
He who has seen me has seen the Father, so how can you say, show
us the Father? Do you not believe that I am
in the Father and the Father in me? The words that I speak
to you, I do not speak of my own authority, but the Father
who dwells in me does the works. Believe me that I am in the Father
and the Father in me. or else believe me for the sake
of the works themselves. Again, the Father is in the Son,
the Son is in the Father, the Father and Son are one, and both
the Father and the Son are mighty. The resurrection is perhaps the
most significant proof that Jesus is true Israel's mighty God. He has all the Father's power
and authority. Jesus, even though he had the
power to lay down his life and take it up again, Humbly submitted
to the weakness and humiliation of death on the cross, wicked
men put him on the cross to do harm. But what they did not know
is this was God's plan. And he was using the evil of
men to bring about a greater good to save the lives of many. In a demonstration of God's mighty
power, he raised Christ from the dead and shortly afterward
exalted him to a place of honor at the right hand of God to rule
and reign over all creation for all eternity. In Revelation 5,
it says, worthy is the lamb who is slain to receive power and
riches and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and blessing.
Blessing and honor and glory and power be to him who sits
on the throne and to the lamb forever and ever. The mighty
power of God and the Lamb is for all time, past, present,
and future. Mighty is our God. Then getting
back to our text in Isaiah 9, we move on to the next title
given to the coming son. He is called the everlasting
father. So this does present a question. This whole time, what we've been
looking at today deals with the coming of Christ, the son of
God. But if he is the son, How can
He also be the everlasting Father? It is because of the Trinity.
No man can really fully explain the Trinity. We can only believe
our God is one God, yet three persons, Father, Son, and Holy
Spirit. So at any time, the Son can be
the Father, or the Father can be the Son. The same would apply
to the Holy Spirit. 2 Corinthians 13 and 14 verse
14, Paul in signing off his letter to the Church of Corinth says
this about the Trinity, May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ
and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you.
This is the Trinity. In Matthew 28, Speaking to the
Great Commission, Christ gave the disciples what is known as
that, therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing
them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy
Spirit. Once more pointing directly to
the Trinity of our God and Savior. And if the Trinity is hard to
grasp, we can narrow it down to the deity, the Father and
Son who are one. We looked earlier in the book
of John 10, where Christ states that I and the Father are one.
In Exodus 3, Moses asked the Lord God, what shall we say to
the Israelites? What should he say to the Israelites
when they ask, what is the name of this God and who sent him
to them? God said, tell them that I am
that I am. Jesus says to the Jews that are
challenging him about his relationship with Abraham Before Abraham was
born. I am Even the name I am is interchangeable
and so too is the title of everlasting father That brings us to the
final title that we would be looking at today the Prince of
Peace So let's begin that by looking at Colossians chapter
1 and they'll be looking at verses 19 through 22 and if you'd like
to turn there. As we look at the next title
that is given us, we see the word peace as synonymous with
the word reconciliation. Through Christ, we have been
reconciled to God. Peace is restored. Reading here
in Colossians, we will see these words used to describe peace
and reconciliation with God. Separated by the fall, at enmity
with God, then peace restored by the blood of Christ. So starting
at verse 19 of Colossians chapter one, for it pleased the Father
that in him all fullness should dwell, and by him to reconcile
all things to himself, by him, whether things on earth or things
in heaven, having made peace through the blood of his cross. He himself is our peace. He destroyed
the dividing wall of hostility, the law with its commands and
regulations. He reconciled us to God by putting
to death the hostility between God and his elect. And now we
have that peace and access to the Father restored by the blood
of Christ. And now the spirit of peace dwells
within us. And then one more. of many passages
that we could read, turn to Philippians chapter four, verses seven through
nine. Because we have a wonderful counselor,
a mighty God, an everlasting father, and a prince of peace,
all wrapped up in one Lord, God, and savior, who gave his life
on our behalf, we do and enjoy an eternal, everlasting peace
that surpasses any and all understanding. This is what Paul says in Philippians
chapter four, reading again verses seven through nine. And the peace
of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your
minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers, whatever is
true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is
pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, If there is any
excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about
these things. What you have learned and received
and heard and seen in me, practice these sayings, and the God of
peace will be with you." The peace of God, which surpasses
all understanding, guards our hearts and minds in Christ. And
as the closing line of verse 9 says, the God of Peace, or
the Prince of Peace, as we've been reading in Isaiah, will
be with you. So wrapping it up, we return
one more time to our text in Isaiah 9, where I would like
to read, once again, verse 7. It presents to us the blessing,
the promise, and the eternity of all that we have been speaking
to this morning. Verse 7 says, 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 righteousness from that time
on and forever. The zeal of the Lord Almighty
will accomplish this. He brings to us everlasting peace
for his government, his peace, his kingdom are all established
on the principles of judgment and justice. and sealed by Christ's
blood at the cross. This is no temporary peace, for
Jesus Christ effectively, sufficiently, and once for all honored God's
law and satisfied God's justice for all who believe. In Luke
2, the coming of the child, the birth of the son, is announced
with these words of great inspiration, glory to God in the highest heaven. and on earth peace to those on
whom his favor rests. And with those words, I'll conclude.
I will finish it off by saying the Lord bless each and every
one of you during this holiday season, and each have a Merry
Christmas. It went faster than I thought
it would. Thank you all.