Advent Midweek 2 – Isaiah 9 –
December 10th, 2014
In the Name of Christ Jesus, our Advent King +
In the Name of Christ Jesus, our Advent King +
One of the things that is so refreshing about the
Scriptures, about the prophets, is that they never feel the need to softsell or
white-wash anything. They are blunt and
honest, and blunt and honest about the harsh and lousy realities of life in a
sinful, fallen world. “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.” Whom is Isaiah addressing here? People who have been walking in darkness –
those who are faced with doubts and despair even as they go about their daily
life, their normal walk. Isaiah is
addressing those who live in a land, not just of darkness, but of deep darkness. A land that is rife with wickedness and
trouble, a land where so often there is little or no leadership, or what
leadership there is oppresses and rules unjustly. It’s a wonderful, poetic way of describing
the blunt and often sorrowful and nasty reality of this world, realities Isaiah
saw terribly clearly in his days. And
there are no platitudes – Isaiah doesn’t waste his breath saying, “It’s not so
bad.” He doesn’t just tell folks to just
buck up. That’s not the way of the
Scriptures – when addressing the sinful fallen world – that’s what it is. Sinful and fallen. Gloom and darkness.
Yet there is this – even though there is gloom, even though
there is darkness, real, impactful, frightening and terrible darkness, God does
not leave you to your own devices in the midst of those troubles. No, He sends a great light – indeed, He sends
the Light of Light, Christ Jesus, to be the Savior, Redeemer, and rescuer. And what we see here in the rest of Isaiah 9
is Isaiah recounting, telling who exactly the coming Messiah would be, how He
would be Light in the midst of that darkness.
How He will come and give growth and joy and put an end to war. And then we move to the famous part from the
Messiah. “For to us a child is born, to us
a son is given.” The prophecy
pointing forward to the coming Messiah highlights the idea of hope, of
something new – but also a wait. A kid
isn’t elected president the day after the Baby shower; oh, sure, one of my kids
might cure cancer, but it ain’t going to happen tomorrow. Isaiah is calling for patience, but hope in
that patience. There will be One coming
in the future.
And
what shall He do? “And the government shall be upon
His shoulder.” This is one of those wonderful bits of language that can
be read, can be seen two ways – a theological, prophetic surprise. Yes, Christ Jesus would be the ruler, He
would take the burden of ruling upon Himself.
But how would Christ Jesus do this – how would Christ Jesus take up rule
and leadership? When the government,
when Pilate places the cross upon His shoulder.
What we have here is a pointing towards the Cross – and of course we
do. The world is full of darkness, deep
darkness, and the Messiah who comes to rescue us, to be the light in the midst
of this darkness is going to run head on into the worst of it. So there He will be – innocent, falsely
accused, a victim of an unjust government and a bloodthirsty mob. The government is laid upon His shoulders as
He goes to His death in order to destroy the very violence and wickedness that
He suffers from.
This
is an important point – because what comes next is the famous “name” section –
“And His name shall be call-ed”. And
these names are important, but they are all tied to the fact that the Messiah
comes and suffers, dies, and rises. They
are tied to the fact that the Messiah takes upon Himself, upon His shoulder the
weight and wages of sin and brings redemption.
Because Jesus goes to the Cross, what will Christ Jesus be called? He will be called “Wonderful.” Why is Christ Jesus called wonderful? The Latin puts this as “Admirabilis” – as the
one you look upon and admire with awe and wonder. Because what do you see when you see Christ
Jesus? Though He is God, He doesn’t
cling to that fact, He doesn’t demand His rights as God. Rather, He comes down from heaven, empties
Himself, and goes to the cross for our sake.
There is nothing more wondrous, more admirable than this, nothing more
profound.
Jesus
is the “counselor”. Now, normally we
think of a counselor as someone who gives advice. I’m the circuit “visitor” but that used to be
called the circuit counselor – I’d give advice.
But this word here is bigger, stronger than that. A counselor, a helper – this is your
attorney. It’s counselor like in the
phrase “legal counsel.” Jesus is your
defense lawyer – and he’s a good one to have.
When Satan comes with his accusations, when he cries and threatens that
you deserve death and hell and eternal punishment – you have the best defense
lawyer ever. Christ Jesus has already
borne your punishment; He has already died for you. He has taken up your sin – there’s no more
sin to pin upon you. That’s some defense
counselor! Christ Jesus is your great
defense.
Jesus
is the “Mighty God.” If you want to
understand the might or power of God, you don’t look to earthquakes or thunder
– you look to the Cross. Consider from 2
Corinthians, where Paul is lamenting the thorn in his side, and God tells Paul,
“My
grace is sufficient for you” – but the verse doesn’t stop there, it
continues, “for My power is made perfect in weakness.” Where do you see the power, the might of
God? In weakness, where God Himself
hangs upon the Cross – and what does He cry out there? “It is Finished”. That word for “finished” is the exact same
word for “made perfect”. Everything is
accomplished, completed, made perfect – you have salvation and redemption won
for you by God suffering and dying for you, and that is how you see that He is
the Mighty God.
Jesus
is the Everlasting Father. Now, of all
the names Isaiah gives, this is the one we use the least for Jesus today – and
partially this is to avoid confusion between Jesus and the Father when we are
speaking about the Holy Trinity.
Partially, this is because we don’t have a king, we don’t have a tribal
set up. Think on the old Native American
title for the president – he was the “great white father.” The leader is the “father” – that’s why the 4th
commandment, honor your father and mother, extends over all sorts of government
and authority. Christ Jesus’ rule is
everlasting, He sits at the right hand of the Father and of His kingdom there
will be no end.
And
then there is the final name – Jesus is the Prince of Peace. He is the One, who as soon as He is risen
from the dead breaks into the upper room, dark and cold and locked for fear of
an angry mob, and who declares to the Apostles “Peace”. Jesus is the One who creates His Church to go
out all throughout this rough and tumble world to proclaim peace – to proclaim
the forgiveness of sins and restoration to God.
He is the Prince – all authority in Heaven and on Earth has been given
to Him, and He uses that authority to make peace, to forgive sins.
“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 uphold it with justice with
righteousness from this time forth and forevermore.” The Messiah
comes, the Light of Light comes to stand up to the darkness of this sinful,
fallen world. He comes to conquer over
sin and death with His own perfection and death and resurrection, and all this
He does for you, to redeem you, to save you.
Thus He is Wonderful, the Counselor, the Mighty God, Everlasting Father,
the Prince of Peace, and He shall be called this forever and ever. Come quickly, Lord Jesus. In the Name Christ Jesus, our Advent King.
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