We Need A Savior
Isaiah 9:6-7
Today, a heartfelt, emphatic, highly required message.
I know you guys know, but for the benefit of those watching the video years and years from now, this past Friday, on December 14, 2012, a twenty-year-old boy walked into a small elementary school, called Sandy Hook Elementary, in Connecticut, and he murdered twenty children. They confirmed that the oldest of the victims (besides the parents) was seven. His victims all ranged in age from five to seven years old, some of whom were shot up to eleven times. It’s just sickening. He killed seven adults, and then himself.
The town is in shock, as you know. The country is in shock – and it should be. It’s the second worse school shooting we’ve ever had in our country. But that’s the problem, isn’t it? That they rate school massacres now. Comparing them to previous school massacres and deciding which massacre is worse than the other. Isn’t that the problem? That we’re categorizing them, and rating them?
Isn’t it amazing that these tragedies are becoming more and more common? So much so, that we have to compare them to the past tragedy to see? You know, part of the media blitz was communicating with people who have been involved with past, recent tragedies similar to this one. This should never happen. We shouldn’t be able to have a reunion of people all over the country who have been involved in a massacre at a school. So, when it gets down to kindergarten and first grade, it has reached an all-time low.
My brother, in Hawaii, who is even more cynical than I am, says “Bro. We deserve to be wiped off the planet as a race.” Now he is an extremist, more of an extremist than me. But what he was saying is that humankind has reached a new low.
So, in response to the school shooting on Friday, one of my favorite writers (if not my favorite), Max Lucado, one of America’s favorite Christian writers wrote a prayer. He actually wrote this prayer and sent it out, even before most of us knew the event had occurred. So, here’s Max Lucado’s prayer.
A Christmas Prayer by Max Lucado
Dear Jesus,
It’s a good thing you were born at night. This world sure seems dark. I have a good eye for silver linings. But they seem dimmer lately.
These killings, Lord. These children, Lord. Innocence violated. Raw evil demonstrated.
The whole world seems on edge. Trigger-happy. Ticked off. We hear threats of chemical weapons and nuclear bombs. Are we one button-push away from annihilation?
Your world seems a bit darker this Christmas. But you were born in the dark, right? You came at night. The shepherds were night shift workers. The Wise Men followed a star. Your first cries were heard in the shadows. To see your face, Mary and Joseph needed a candle flame. It was dark. Dark with Herod’s jealousy. Dark with Roman oppression. Dark with poverty. Dark with violence.
Herod went on a rampage, killing babies. Joseph took you and your mom into Egypt. You were an immigrant before you were a Nazarene.
Oh, Lord Jesus, you entered the dark world of your day. Won’t you enter ours? We are weary of bloodshed. We, like the wise men, are looking for a star. We, like the shepherds, are kneeling at a manger.
This Christmas, we ask you, heal us, help us, be born anew in us.
Hopefully,
Your Children
So, Max Lucado is right. The darker the night, the more we need a Savior. In the Book of Isaiah, the verses we are going to look at, are so perfectly applicable to the darkness of our time. In the Book of Isaiah, Israel, the People of God, were in a very, very dark time. A very dark time. And so, God speaks through Isaiah to his People and says, I know it’s dark, it’s going to get darker. In Isaiah Chapter 8, God warns the People that more darkness is coming. He warns them of the Assyrian invasion, the beginning – you might say the first stage of the ultimate captivity – and he says, Evil is going to be so bad upon the People of God it’s going to come like a flood. It sounds like some radical Christian preacher today – evil is coming so bad on the people of God that it’s going to come like a flood.
In Isaiah Chapter 8, God makes it clear that the evil is coming, that it’s coming wide and deep, and he gives his people the way to make it through. Listen, carefully. In Isaiah Chapter 8, he tells the people, This is what you need to get through the evil and dark times that are coming. He gives them two commands; they both say the same thing. You have got to cling to God to get through what you’re going through.
The first one is in verse 13. Isaiah says to the People on behalf of God,
Isaiah 8:13 (NLT)
13 Make the Lord of Heaven’s Armies holy in your life. He is the one you should fear…
These are words for reverence and awe and of respect for the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, the Lord of Hosts. The Mighty God. Isaiah says, Here’s how you’re going to get through the evil that’s coming upon your land like a flood. Make the Lord of Heaven’s Armies holy in your life. In verse 19 Isaiah tells the People, Don’t look to the world. To look to mediums. Don’t look to the world’s ways. Instead, in verse 20 he says,
Isaiah 8:20 (NLT)
20 Look to God’s instructions and teachings! People who contradict his word are completely in the dark.
Listen, I’m a positive lover of America. This is the greatest country in the world. But we are systematically contradicting God’s Word in every single thing we do as a nation. And God’s Word is true. People who contradict his word are completely in the dark.
Here’s what God says to the People, with the evil coming.
1). Make the Lord holy
Make the Lord of Hosts, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, make him holy in your life.
2). Look to his instructions not the world’s
If we make God holy in our life, it means that we’ve set him apart, that we’ve put him in a different place than everything else in our life. That we’ve given him priority. We’ve given him focus. We’ve sanctified him in our life. We’ve set him apart and made him holy where he belongs, where he deserves to be, and we’ve given him reverence. That’s the fear of God.
And then, to look to God’s instructions obviously means his Word. To do things the way God says to do them. Why? Because the people who contradict God’s Word are in the dark. It’s a message to a nation, to us it’s a message to us individually, and a prayer for the nation that we would again put God where he belongs and that we would choose to listen to his Word instead of man’s darkness.
Does God have the answer for the evil in our country? For this evil, we’ve just experienced in our country? Yes. Yes, he does. Yes, God has the answer. We can shut down the Capitol building, as long as we don’t shut down the Word of God, we can shut down the capitol buildings and get the answer. But instead, we’re shutting down the Word of God.
God has an answer. Please hear me. And when somebody challenges you, “Why did God allow this to happen?” You look them right in the eye and you say, “God wasn’t responsible for this. Evil was.” God is the answer. He’s not the problem. The problem is evil, and sin, and a dark world, and a society that’s turning away from God. The answer is in God – not the problem. Why is it that a culture that is running God out of everything in its culture, when something like this happens, they say, “Where’s God?” And as one politician who’s taken a lot of heat has said, (Mike Huckabee), “Hey, you ran him out of the society. Why are you questioning now why darkness and evil are taking over?” He gets slammed hard for saying the truth.
You need to know. If you run God out of your life, expect darkness to take his place.
Evil is the problem; God is the answer.
Here’s the good news. Jesus Christ is no stranger to darkness. Jesus Christ is no stranger to evil times. Jesus Christ came into times that were even darker than the ones we live in. Jesus Christ came into times that were even more evil than the ones we live in. Jesus Christ knows darkness. He came because of the darkness. He came to conquer the darkness. He came to be the answer because there was no other answer for the darkness and the evil that was permeating the world. Jesus Christ is the answer. He’s not the problem. You’ve got to get it clear in your mind. The only hope we have in this evil world is Jesus Christ.
And so, we don’t question God. We thank God. Thank you, Lord, that I can come to you. That I can fall at your feet, that I can cling to you, that you’re my source of strength, and comfort, and victory. That you’ve already provided an answer for this evil demonstration.
Isaiah 9:1 (NLT)
1 Nevertheless, that time of darkness and despair will not go on forever…
Isaiah is prophesying about the coming of Christ. And he says you People of God are in a dark place. It’s going to get darker, but here’s the good news… that darkness will not go on forever.
…The land of Zebulun and Naphtalib (The Tribes who were given land by Joshua up around Galilee) will be humbled, but there will be a time in the future when Galilee of the Gentiles… will be filled with glory.
Don’t you know that we, as a gentile nation, are putting ourselves in a position with God whereby he may have no choice but to humble us? The good news is the darkness and despair will not last forever because God sent a Savior. God sent an answer. And there’s a day coming when Galilee of the Gentiles (the Gentile nations) will be filled with his glory! Amen! It’s our only hope.
God knows the darkness. He knows the despair. He is not surprised about it. And he is already prepared and provided and sent the answer. He does not leave us alone. He does not turn his head. He IS involved. Sovereignly. For good. The fact that you can’t understand that doesn’t make it not true. He is at work sovereignly. And there’s a day coming where things will change.
Isaiah 9:2 (NLT)
2 The people who walk in darkness will see a great light. For those who live in a land of deep darkness, a light will shine.
Amen! Now listen, we know what’s coming – if you’re familiar with these famous verses. But is this not a prayer for our nation, today? The people who walk in darkness will see a light. For those who live in a land of deep darkness, a light will shine. That’s what we need in our lives, first. And then we need to do what God calls us to do, where he calls us to do it, to whom he puts in front of us. We need to tell people, “Listen. Jesus Christ is the answer. He came as a Savior because that’s what we need. We need a Savior. God sent his Light into the darkness.”
But how do we appropriate it? How do we receive it, make it impactful in our lives? Isaiah told us in Chapter 8 – number one, we make the Lord holy in our lives. The Lord of Hosts. The Lord of Heaven’s Armies. We make him holy in our lives. We set him apart and say there is no other God. “God you are God alone. You are my God. You are my Savior. You are my Hope. You are my Rock. You are my Provision. You and you alone are my Comfort.” And then the second thing we do, is we actually follow him. We actually listen to his instruction and then do it. That’s what Isaiah says.
We make him holy and then we follow him. That’s our hope and we cannot look to the world’s answers because the world always contradicts God. The world has always contradicted God because Adam gave control of the world to a little “g” god named Lucifer. He’s controlling this world. And so, he will always be in direct opposition from God.
So, Isaiah goes on in Chapter 9 after verse 2. Let me summarize it.
He’s encouraging the People of God, Israel. And he’s saying, Listen. The Savior is coming. Light is coming into the darkness. I know there’s darkness, but here’s what’s coming. First, he tells them that the Savior is going to bring rejoicing to the People. And then, he tells them that the Savior is going to break their yoke of slavery. And then, he tells them that this “King” (is the word he uses) will lift their heavy burden. This King will break the oppressor’s rod. And this King will end the bloodshed of war. That the clothing stained with blood from war will be burned. That’s a Savior!
That’s a Savior of peace and that is what God has given us. He has given us a Savior of peace. We need to not make the same mistake that Israel made in Jerusalem when Jesus Christ came in as a Savior and they said, “That’s not the kind of Savior we want.” We want the kind of Savior who will give us what we want. Do you know why Jesus Christ was rejected as the Savior of Israel? Because he wasn’t giving them what they wanted. They wanted military and political rule. They wanted things to work with the Romans the way they wanted them to work. And Jesus Christ said, No. What you need is salvation. What you need is the life of God in you. What you need is the power of the Holy Spirit. Jesus Christ came to give us what we need. And the world rejected him.
Don’t do the same thing. Don’t say, “Well yeah. That’s all fine for religious people, but what I need is… the government to do ‘this.’ I need ‘this.’ I need ‘that’” and come up with some worldly solution. Man, we need a Savior. That’s what we need. And when we see a tragedy like this, we say, “Lord, we need a Savior, so bad!”
So, continuing the context into the famous verse, of God sharing with Israel that that answer is coming. Yes, the time is dark, and it’s difficult. And the enemy is coming upon you like a flood. But listen, here is your hope! Here it is! This is God’s answer to the darkness of the times.
Here’s the hope for God’s People living in dark times.
Isaiah 9:6-7 (ESV)
6 For to us a child is born… that’s God’s answer!
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.
God knows you. He knows the darkness. He knows the evil. He knows the evil one. He knows what we need; he sent us the answer. It’s Jesus Christ born in a manger. That’s God’s answer to the darkness of the times of this world. That’s his answer. Please hear me when I tell you, that’s his only answer.
For unto us a child is born…
Evil is the problem. God is the answer. When someone challenges you as a Christian about evil in the world, you tell them, “Listen, don’t you blame God. Evil is the problem. God has provided the answer to the evil that we see in this world. His name is Jesus. He was born as a child.”
Let’s look at God’s answer, piece by piece.
Isaiah 9:6 (NLT) begins 6 For unto us a child is born, That’s Christmas, right? You don’t have to know very much about the Bible to know that that is speaking of Christmas. It is the famous Christmas verse. Here’s the question. Do you know that that is really the answer? Do you as a Christian know that that’s really the answer? When someone challenges you, and says, “How could God let this happen? Your God. If your God was a God of love…”
Listen, God knew it was going to happen and he already provided the answer. God has already given the answer. It’s in Isaiah 9 verse 6. For unto us a child is born, yes!
But much more importantly the second half of the first sentence – to us a son is given; Amen! What’s God’s answer to this problem? I’ll tell you what it is. He gave his own Son to die for black-hearted sinners that were full of evil and headed to hell. That’s God’s answer. God’s answer was to come in the form of a man, in Jesus Christ, to take on the sin of the world and to pay the penalty of that sin to overcome it. Why? Because that is the only way to overcome it. No political way, no philosophy on life. Jesus Christ – that’s God’s answer. He gave a son.
If you just have to know one answer, when someone says, “What about God? What did he do?” Let me tell you what he did.
John 3:16 (ESV)
16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
God loved the dark, black, sinful, evil-filled, murdering world – God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, The Pre-eminent One of Creation, to die for them. That’s how much God loved the world. “Don’t you blame my God. He gave his Son for you.” …he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. Listen, I want you to know that God knew the darkness of this world, he knew where it was going, he knew the only answer was an eternal fix. That eternal fix had to deal with the evil of sin and so he dealt with it. And he sent his Son to die, to take on the sin of the world, so that whoever would believe, whoever would put their full faith and trust in Jesus Christ as Savior, would not have to perish in their sin, but instead, would have eternal life.
Listen, you only know how big that is when you understand eternal torment and eternal life. You just get a grasp on what eternal torment is that you deserve for your sin, get a little glimpse of what eternal life is, and you’re going to say, “You know what, God? I appreciate the way you handled this.” It’s better. This is the only thing that could work. It’s the best thing that can work. The world is dark. And into the darkness and the evil of the world God sent his Son to save every person who would receive him, who would believe in his name (John 1:12 says). God’s answer is to send us a Savior. Born in a manger to die on the Cross so that you would not have to perish in your sins but you could have eternal life. That’s God’s answer. He sent a Savior.
6 …and the government shall be upon his shoulder, Now, Isaiah and the Old Testament prophets looked at mountaintops in a row. If you can imagine being on a mountaintop, if you look from mountaintop across a range of mountaintops, you can’t tell how far apart the peaks are. You just see peak, after peak, after peak, after peak, after peak. And in your vision, they all look right next to each other. But if you get in an airplane and look at them, they could be hundreds of miles apart. But you can’t see them hundreds of miles apart because of the way you are looking at them across the tops. That’s the way the Old Testament prophets saw prophecy.
So, when Isaiah says, a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, he’s looking at two mountaintops that are at least two thousand years apart. Why? Because the government of this world has not been placed on the shoulders of this Son yet. Of this Son who was given. Jesus Christ is not carrying the burden of the government of this world, but here’s a news flash! He’s going to! He will. He’s going to. So, two thousand years later he hasn’t done it yet, but he will, we’re going to come back to that.
First, I want to get to – really the heart for me – of the message. And that’s in the fourth character traits, the four qualities, the four “names” isn’t even a big enough word because we don’t understand a name like the Hebrews do. In Hebrew, a name is a reflection of a quality, of a character trait. And so, Isaiah lists four character traits or qualities of this child who’s born, this son who’s given, so that you can say if you will hear it, not only did God send me a Savior for eternity, but this is who he IS in my life. If you will let him be who he IS, he will be these things in your life.
Isaiah 9:6 (ESV)
6 …and his name shall be called…
Meaning, this is who he is, and if you will allow him to be, this is what he will be in your life. How do you allow him to be this? Isaiah tells us in Chapter 8. Make the Lord holy in your life. Sanctify him, set him apart in your life, and actually follow his instructions. Follow him and this is who the Savior will be in your life.
6 …his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor… The Hebrew translations translate it Wonder Counselor. He’s a Wonder of a Counselor. The word in the Hebrew means more literally, extraordinary or marvel or marvelous. It’s the closest word that Hebrew has to supernatural. He is a Supernatural Counselor.
What you need, is you need the Supernatural Counselor. You need the Wonder Counselor. You need the Miraculous, Supernatural Counselor who lives within you to lead and guide you for his name’s sake (Psalm 31:3 (ESV) says). You need something more than somebody’s opinion in your life. Jesus Christ is it. Not only did he come to save you from your sin, to be the answer to the darkness in this world, but in the process, he will be your Wonder Counselor, your Supernatural Counselor.
Proverbs 3:5-6 (ESV)
5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.
6 In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.
What does this mean? It means that the path that you’re supposed to be on – he will put you on it. “Yeah, but, how? I need signs. I need direction. I need understanding.” No, you don’t. That’s exactly what you don’t need because his ways are higher than your ways, his thoughts are higher than yours. You can’t understand them so just trust him. Don’t lean on your own understanding. Acknowledge him in all your ways, and he will put the path straight in your life for you. It’s supernatural. And when God changes your life, you need to know it’s supernatural, it’s not logic or reasoning that you can grasp. It’s the Wonder Counselor in your life. His name is Jesus!
Say to him, “Lord, do some Wonder Counsel in me. Lead me and guide me for your name’s sake. I’ll trust you; I’ll lean on you. I’ll acknowledge you. Make my path straight” And he will. He has promised to. Amen!
6 …his name shall be called… Mighty God… El Gibor. (It’s one of the fun names to say.) Mighty God. This name has to do with military victory. This is the God of Military Victory. Do you have something in your life that you need the God of Creation to conquer for you? The Mighty God conquers because he’s the Mighty God. Not because you’re trying harder, or whatever you’re doing. It’s because you have the Mighty God – El Gibor – in your life and he comes as a conqueror, or a Conquering King to conquer in your life.
And so, not only will he provide you with Wonder Counsel, with supernatural guidance, leading and guiding you, but he will conquer the enemies in your life supernaturally – if, if, if, if you will make the Lord of Hosts holy in your life, if you’ll set him apart. If you’ll revere him. If you’ll give him the reverence and the awe, and the worship that he deserves. If you’ll give him full reign of your life not only will he give you Wonder Counsel, but he will be your Mighty God – your Conquering, Victorious God.
Our God is mighty. He is awesome. He is omnipotent and there is nothing going on in your life that he cannot overcome! Nothing!!! And if you say, “Yeah, but, how?” go back to step one – Wonder Counsel. Supernatural Counsel. Miraculous Counsel. He will be your Wonder Counselor. He will be your Mighty God. He will supernaturally lead you, supernaturally conquer for you.
6 …his name shall be called… Everlasting Father… Don’t get hung up on trinitarian theology. (Talk to me later about it if you want.) This is a Hebrew idiom, which means a “phrase of speech”. It’s an idiom that means “The Father of Eternity.” It’s the word for “Creator.” It’s the Creator or the Originator of Eternity. Jesus Christ is the Originator of Eternity. He is equally God, Holy God, but he is separate and distinct from the Father. He IS separate and distinct but he IS equally God in all ways, along with the Holy Spirit (who is a Person). Jesus Christ is the Father of Creation. He’s the Originator of Creation.
Did God send you a mighty angel to help you? Did he send Michael or Gabriel? He might have if you were in a bad spot temporarily. But he didn’t send a host of angels to help you. He sent the Originator of Eternity. He sent the Father of Creation. He sent one who began it all to help you. There’s nobody higher. There’s nobody higher than the Father of Eternity, the Everlasting Father.
Look at Colossians.
Colossians 1:15-16 (ESV)
15 He (meaning Jesus) is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. (Meaning the Priority or Preeminent One)
16 For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him.
That Savior that was born in the manger, he’s the one that created all that was created. He was the Agent (or the “Father” in Hebrew) of Creation. And he’s the one that came to save you. Jesus is the Father of Creation – the Originator of Creation. He came himself. Is it enough? Yes, it is enough!
6 …his name shall be called… Prince of Peace. Another great Hebrew name. Sar Shalom. It means, the Prince of Peace. The Prince is a term for the administrator, for a governmental administrator. He is the administrator of Shalom. Peace is a bit short in our vocabulary for defining Shalom. Shalom is that famous Hebrew word that means (deep sigh), “everything is in its place.” Nothing missing, nothing broken, nothing out of place. It’s that great peace where everything is aligned, everything is as it should be. The world is at peace. Shalom.
And he is the administrator of Shalom, he brings Shalom into your life. How? By the other qualities. Because of who he IS he brings Shalom into your life. And if you will grow in your knowledge of him as the Wonder Counselor, allow him to counsel you supernaturally, if you will experience him as El Gibor, the Mighty God, if you’ll understand that the Father of Everlasting, the Source of Creation is at work in your life then you will receive from Sar Shalom, the Prince of Peace – peace. You’ll receive Shalom. You’ll say, “Yeah, I know it’s dark and it’s difficult. But man, you need to know my God. Because my God brings peace regardless of my circumstances.”
He is the Prince of Peace. Allow him to be. How? By making God holy in your life, setting him apart in your life, and by following him. You will experience him as he IS. Wonder Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
What more do you want from God? This is everything.
Yes, the trials and tribulations are here. And I don’t mean to be a doomsayer, I’m a positive person (I keep telling myself that), things are probably going to get darker for Christians in this country. Some of the trials, some of the tribulations that we go through may seem overwhelming. What the country is going through, and especially what this town in Connecticut is going through – overwhelming beyond our ability to grasp the grief.
Is God enough? Yes. How did he enter that darkness? By a child being born in a manger. By a son being given to be crucified to be our Savior. By him being the Wonder Counselor, the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace. Jesus Christ is the answer. Evil is the problem. Jesus Christ is the answer.
One day, he will rule and he will reign and he will invite you – he invites you today – to rule and reign with him.
Isaiah 9:7(a) (ESV)
7 Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, . . .
Speaking of the eternal reign of Jesus Christ that starts in the Millennium (which we’ll get to in our study of Revelation when we reach Chapter 20). We haven’t reached that point yet, but there’s a day coming when Jesus Christ will actually rule and reign, from Jerusalem, which is a promise God made to Israel, that there will be one of the line of David who will sit on the throne in Israel and rule. And listen, God is not in the habit of breaking promises, in fact, he’s never broken one. God made promises to Abraham that are still being fulfilled. God didn’t say when, he just said he would. And there will be a King in the line of David who will sit on the throne of Jerusalem and rule the world with Peace and with a rod of iron. That’s Jesus Christ. That’s this child who was born. That’s the son who was given.
Isaiah 9:7(b) (ESV)
7 …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…
It’s coming – hold on! You’re on the winning side, if you’re in Christ today, you’ve already won. Just hang on! I don’t mean “hang on” to imply that you can lose your salvation, I mean just stand in it. Stand in who Jesus Christ has made you. Read Ephesians Chapter 1 and believe it because it’s true. Stand in the victory that Christ has given you. He has made you free. The Savior is going to rule the earth and he’s going to invite you to rule with him.
To let us know how serious it is, we read the following at the end of this verse.
Isaiah 9:7(c) (ESV)
7 …The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.
I already told you, the Lord of Hosts means the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. The zeal means his “passionate commitment.” God is on fire to make this happen! This is not an, “Oh, by the way, or oh, I might, or oh, I’m thinking about it.” The zeal of Lord of all of Heaven’s Armies has guaranteed this is coming, this is going to happen, and you can join it today. God is serious about this victory. He’s serious about it. He knew exactly what he was getting into, he knew the depth of the darkness. He knew the depth of sin. And he knew his only answer was to come, himself – Jesus, and die for us because he knew nothing else would work.
The darkness of this world, the darkness of this event, the darkness of your sin, does not surprise Jesus Christ. The darkness that’s in your heart does not surprise Jesus Christ. And, by the way, it’s not hidden from him. He knows, and he loves you anyway. He loves you so much he died for you to give you his righteousness in place of your sin. That was his plan.
No matter how out of control the world gets, Jesus Christ is the same. He is your answer. Don’t look anywhere else.
Isaiah 9:6 (ESV)
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.
And remember Isaiah told you how to bring this into your life.
Isaiah 8:13 (NLT)
13 Make the Lord of Heaven’s Armies holy in your life. (Set him apart. Give him priority like nothing else in your life) He is the one you should fear… (meaning have reverence towards)
Isaiah 8:20 (NLT)
20 Look to God’s instructions and teachings! People who contradict his word are completely in the dark.
Jesus Christ came to offer light to the darkness that we see. He came to be the answer for the evil that we see in the world. Evil is the problem. Evil and sin and the evil one. Jesus Christ is the answer.
I know you guys know, but for the benefit of those watching the video years and years from now, this past Friday, on December 14, 2012, a twenty-year-old boy walked into a small elementary school, called Sandy Hook Elementary, in Connecticut, and he murdered twenty children. They confirmed that the oldest of the victims (besides the parents) was seven. His victims all ranged in age from five to seven years old, some of whom were shot up to eleven times. It’s just sickening. He killed seven adults, and then himself.
The town is in shock, as you know. The country is in shock – and it should be. It’s the second worse school shooting we’ve ever had in our country. But that’s the problem, isn’t it? That they rate school massacres now. Comparing them to previous school massacres and deciding which massacre is worse than the other. Isn’t that the problem? That we’re categorizing them, and rating them?
Isn’t it amazing that these tragedies are becoming more and more common? So much so, that we have to compare them to the past tragedy to see? You know, part of the media blitz was communicating with people who have been involved with past, recent tragedies similar to this one. This should never happen. We shouldn’t be able to have a reunion of people all over the country who have been involved in a massacre at a school. So, when it gets down to kindergarten and first grade, it has reached an all-time low.
My brother, in Hawaii, who is even more cynical than I am, says “Bro. We deserve to be wiped off the planet as a race.” Now he is an extremist, more of an extremist than me. But what he was saying is that humankind has reached a new low.
So, in response to the school shooting on Friday, one of my favorite writers (if not my favorite), Max Lucado, one of America’s favorite Christian writers wrote a prayer. He actually wrote this prayer and sent it out, even before most of us knew the event had occurred. So, here’s Max Lucado’s prayer.
A Christmas Prayer by Max Lucado
Dear Jesus,
It’s a good thing you were born at night. This world sure seems dark. I have a good eye for silver linings. But they seem dimmer lately.
These killings, Lord. These children, Lord. Innocence violated. Raw evil demonstrated.
The whole world seems on edge. Trigger-happy. Ticked off. We hear threats of chemical weapons and nuclear bombs. Are we one button-push away from annihilation?
Your world seems a bit darker this Christmas. But you were born in the dark, right? You came at night. The shepherds were night shift workers. The Wise Men followed a star. Your first cries were heard in the shadows. To see your face, Mary and Joseph needed a candle flame. It was dark. Dark with Herod’s jealousy. Dark with Roman oppression. Dark with poverty. Dark with violence.
Herod went on a rampage, killing babies. Joseph took you and your mom into Egypt. You were an immigrant before you were a Nazarene.
Oh, Lord Jesus, you entered the dark world of your day. Won’t you enter ours? We are weary of bloodshed. We, like the wise men, are looking for a star. We, like the shepherds, are kneeling at a manger.
This Christmas, we ask you, heal us, help us, be born anew in us.
Hopefully,
Your Children
So, Max Lucado is right. The darker the night, the more we need a Savior. In the Book of Isaiah, the verses we are going to look at, are so perfectly applicable to the darkness of our time. In the Book of Isaiah, Israel, the People of God, were in a very, very dark time. A very dark time. And so, God speaks through Isaiah to his People and says, I know it’s dark, it’s going to get darker. In Isaiah Chapter 8, God warns the People that more darkness is coming. He warns them of the Assyrian invasion, the beginning – you might say the first stage of the ultimate captivity – and he says, Evil is going to be so bad upon the People of God it’s going to come like a flood. It sounds like some radical Christian preacher today – evil is coming so bad on the people of God that it’s going to come like a flood.
In Isaiah Chapter 8, God makes it clear that the evil is coming, that it’s coming wide and deep, and he gives his people the way to make it through. Listen, carefully. In Isaiah Chapter 8, he tells the people, This is what you need to get through the evil and dark times that are coming. He gives them two commands; they both say the same thing. You have got to cling to God to get through what you’re going through.
The first one is in verse 13. Isaiah says to the People on behalf of God,
Isaiah 8:13 (NLT)
13 Make the Lord of Heaven’s Armies holy in your life. He is the one you should fear…
These are words for reverence and awe and of respect for the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, the Lord of Hosts. The Mighty God. Isaiah says, Here’s how you’re going to get through the evil that’s coming upon your land like a flood. Make the Lord of Heaven’s Armies holy in your life. In verse 19 Isaiah tells the People, Don’t look to the world. To look to mediums. Don’t look to the world’s ways. Instead, in verse 20 he says,
Isaiah 8:20 (NLT)
20 Look to God’s instructions and teachings! People who contradict his word are completely in the dark.
Listen, I’m a positive lover of America. This is the greatest country in the world. But we are systematically contradicting God’s Word in every single thing we do as a nation. And God’s Word is true. People who contradict his word are completely in the dark.
Here’s what God says to the People, with the evil coming.
1). Make the Lord holy
Make the Lord of Hosts, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, make him holy in your life.
2). Look to his instructions not the world’s
If we make God holy in our life, it means that we’ve set him apart, that we’ve put him in a different place than everything else in our life. That we’ve given him priority. We’ve given him focus. We’ve sanctified him in our life. We’ve set him apart and made him holy where he belongs, where he deserves to be, and we’ve given him reverence. That’s the fear of God.
And then, to look to God’s instructions obviously means his Word. To do things the way God says to do them. Why? Because the people who contradict God’s Word are in the dark. It’s a message to a nation, to us it’s a message to us individually, and a prayer for the nation that we would again put God where he belongs and that we would choose to listen to his Word instead of man’s darkness.
Does God have the answer for the evil in our country? For this evil, we’ve just experienced in our country? Yes. Yes, he does. Yes, God has the answer. We can shut down the Capitol building, as long as we don’t shut down the Word of God, we can shut down the capitol buildings and get the answer. But instead, we’re shutting down the Word of God.
God has an answer. Please hear me. And when somebody challenges you, “Why did God allow this to happen?” You look them right in the eye and you say, “God wasn’t responsible for this. Evil was.” God is the answer. He’s not the problem. The problem is evil, and sin, and a dark world, and a society that’s turning away from God. The answer is in God – not the problem. Why is it that a culture that is running God out of everything in its culture, when something like this happens, they say, “Where’s God?” And as one politician who’s taken a lot of heat has said, (Mike Huckabee), “Hey, you ran him out of the society. Why are you questioning now why darkness and evil are taking over?” He gets slammed hard for saying the truth.
You need to know. If you run God out of your life, expect darkness to take his place.
Evil is the problem; God is the answer.
Here’s the good news. Jesus Christ is no stranger to darkness. Jesus Christ is no stranger to evil times. Jesus Christ came into times that were even darker than the ones we live in. Jesus Christ came into times that were even more evil than the ones we live in. Jesus Christ knows darkness. He came because of the darkness. He came to conquer the darkness. He came to be the answer because there was no other answer for the darkness and the evil that was permeating the world. Jesus Christ is the answer. He’s not the problem. You’ve got to get it clear in your mind. The only hope we have in this evil world is Jesus Christ.
And so, we don’t question God. We thank God. Thank you, Lord, that I can come to you. That I can fall at your feet, that I can cling to you, that you’re my source of strength, and comfort, and victory. That you’ve already provided an answer for this evil demonstration.
Isaiah 9:1 (NLT)
1 Nevertheless, that time of darkness and despair will not go on forever…
Isaiah is prophesying about the coming of Christ. And he says you People of God are in a dark place. It’s going to get darker, but here’s the good news… that darkness will not go on forever.
…The land of Zebulun and Naphtalib (The Tribes who were given land by Joshua up around Galilee) will be humbled, but there will be a time in the future when Galilee of the Gentiles… will be filled with glory.
Don’t you know that we, as a gentile nation, are putting ourselves in a position with God whereby he may have no choice but to humble us? The good news is the darkness and despair will not last forever because God sent a Savior. God sent an answer. And there’s a day coming when Galilee of the Gentiles (the Gentile nations) will be filled with his glory! Amen! It’s our only hope.
God knows the darkness. He knows the despair. He is not surprised about it. And he is already prepared and provided and sent the answer. He does not leave us alone. He does not turn his head. He IS involved. Sovereignly. For good. The fact that you can’t understand that doesn’t make it not true. He is at work sovereignly. And there’s a day coming where things will change.
Isaiah 9:2 (NLT)
2 The people who walk in darkness will see a great light. For those who live in a land of deep darkness, a light will shine.
Amen! Now listen, we know what’s coming – if you’re familiar with these famous verses. But is this not a prayer for our nation, today? The people who walk in darkness will see a light. For those who live in a land of deep darkness, a light will shine. That’s what we need in our lives, first. And then we need to do what God calls us to do, where he calls us to do it, to whom he puts in front of us. We need to tell people, “Listen. Jesus Christ is the answer. He came as a Savior because that’s what we need. We need a Savior. God sent his Light into the darkness.”
But how do we appropriate it? How do we receive it, make it impactful in our lives? Isaiah told us in Chapter 8 – number one, we make the Lord holy in our lives. The Lord of Hosts. The Lord of Heaven’s Armies. We make him holy in our lives. We set him apart and say there is no other God. “God you are God alone. You are my God. You are my Savior. You are my Hope. You are my Rock. You are my Provision. You and you alone are my Comfort.” And then the second thing we do, is we actually follow him. We actually listen to his instruction and then do it. That’s what Isaiah says.
We make him holy and then we follow him. That’s our hope and we cannot look to the world’s answers because the world always contradicts God. The world has always contradicted God because Adam gave control of the world to a little “g” god named Lucifer. He’s controlling this world. And so, he will always be in direct opposition from God.
So, Isaiah goes on in Chapter 9 after verse 2. Let me summarize it.
He’s encouraging the People of God, Israel. And he’s saying, Listen. The Savior is coming. Light is coming into the darkness. I know there’s darkness, but here’s what’s coming. First, he tells them that the Savior is going to bring rejoicing to the People. And then, he tells them that the Savior is going to break their yoke of slavery. And then, he tells them that this “King” (is the word he uses) will lift their heavy burden. This King will break the oppressor’s rod. And this King will end the bloodshed of war. That the clothing stained with blood from war will be burned. That’s a Savior!
That’s a Savior of peace and that is what God has given us. He has given us a Savior of peace. We need to not make the same mistake that Israel made in Jerusalem when Jesus Christ came in as a Savior and they said, “That’s not the kind of Savior we want.” We want the kind of Savior who will give us what we want. Do you know why Jesus Christ was rejected as the Savior of Israel? Because he wasn’t giving them what they wanted. They wanted military and political rule. They wanted things to work with the Romans the way they wanted them to work. And Jesus Christ said, No. What you need is salvation. What you need is the life of God in you. What you need is the power of the Holy Spirit. Jesus Christ came to give us what we need. And the world rejected him.
Don’t do the same thing. Don’t say, “Well yeah. That’s all fine for religious people, but what I need is… the government to do ‘this.’ I need ‘this.’ I need ‘that’” and come up with some worldly solution. Man, we need a Savior. That’s what we need. And when we see a tragedy like this, we say, “Lord, we need a Savior, so bad!”
So, continuing the context into the famous verse, of God sharing with Israel that that answer is coming. Yes, the time is dark, and it’s difficult. And the enemy is coming upon you like a flood. But listen, here is your hope! Here it is! This is God’s answer to the darkness of the times.
Here’s the hope for God’s People living in dark times.
Isaiah 9:6-7 (ESV)
6 For to us a child is born… that’s God’s answer!
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.
God knows you. He knows the darkness. He knows the evil. He knows the evil one. He knows what we need; he sent us the answer. It’s Jesus Christ born in a manger. That’s God’s answer to the darkness of the times of this world. That’s his answer. Please hear me when I tell you, that’s his only answer.
For unto us a child is born…
Evil is the problem. God is the answer. When someone challenges you as a Christian about evil in the world, you tell them, “Listen, don’t you blame God. Evil is the problem. God has provided the answer to the evil that we see in this world. His name is Jesus. He was born as a child.”
Let’s look at God’s answer, piece by piece.
Isaiah 9:6 (NLT) begins 6 For unto us a child is born, That’s Christmas, right? You don’t have to know very much about the Bible to know that that is speaking of Christmas. It is the famous Christmas verse. Here’s the question. Do you know that that is really the answer? Do you as a Christian know that that’s really the answer? When someone challenges you, and says, “How could God let this happen? Your God. If your God was a God of love…”
Listen, God knew it was going to happen and he already provided the answer. God has already given the answer. It’s in Isaiah 9 verse 6. For unto us a child is born, yes!
But much more importantly the second half of the first sentence – to us a son is given; Amen! What’s God’s answer to this problem? I’ll tell you what it is. He gave his own Son to die for black-hearted sinners that were full of evil and headed to hell. That’s God’s answer. God’s answer was to come in the form of a man, in Jesus Christ, to take on the sin of the world and to pay the penalty of that sin to overcome it. Why? Because that is the only way to overcome it. No political way, no philosophy on life. Jesus Christ – that’s God’s answer. He gave a son.
If you just have to know one answer, when someone says, “What about God? What did he do?” Let me tell you what he did.
John 3:16 (ESV)
16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
God loved the dark, black, sinful, evil-filled, murdering world – God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, The Pre-eminent One of Creation, to die for them. That’s how much God loved the world. “Don’t you blame my God. He gave his Son for you.” …he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. Listen, I want you to know that God knew the darkness of this world, he knew where it was going, he knew the only answer was an eternal fix. That eternal fix had to deal with the evil of sin and so he dealt with it. And he sent his Son to die, to take on the sin of the world, so that whoever would believe, whoever would put their full faith and trust in Jesus Christ as Savior, would not have to perish in their sin, but instead, would have eternal life.
Listen, you only know how big that is when you understand eternal torment and eternal life. You just get a grasp on what eternal torment is that you deserve for your sin, get a little glimpse of what eternal life is, and you’re going to say, “You know what, God? I appreciate the way you handled this.” It’s better. This is the only thing that could work. It’s the best thing that can work. The world is dark. And into the darkness and the evil of the world God sent his Son to save every person who would receive him, who would believe in his name (John 1:12 says). God’s answer is to send us a Savior. Born in a manger to die on the Cross so that you would not have to perish in your sins but you could have eternal life. That’s God’s answer. He sent a Savior.
6 …and the government shall be upon his shoulder, Now, Isaiah and the Old Testament prophets looked at mountaintops in a row. If you can imagine being on a mountaintop, if you look from mountaintop across a range of mountaintops, you can’t tell how far apart the peaks are. You just see peak, after peak, after peak, after peak, after peak. And in your vision, they all look right next to each other. But if you get in an airplane and look at them, they could be hundreds of miles apart. But you can’t see them hundreds of miles apart because of the way you are looking at them across the tops. That’s the way the Old Testament prophets saw prophecy.
So, when Isaiah says, a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, he’s looking at two mountaintops that are at least two thousand years apart. Why? Because the government of this world has not been placed on the shoulders of this Son yet. Of this Son who was given. Jesus Christ is not carrying the burden of the government of this world, but here’s a news flash! He’s going to! He will. He’s going to. So, two thousand years later he hasn’t done it yet, but he will, we’re going to come back to that.
First, I want to get to – really the heart for me – of the message. And that’s in the fourth character traits, the four qualities, the four “names” isn’t even a big enough word because we don’t understand a name like the Hebrews do. In Hebrew, a name is a reflection of a quality, of a character trait. And so, Isaiah lists four character traits or qualities of this child who’s born, this son who’s given, so that you can say if you will hear it, not only did God send me a Savior for eternity, but this is who he IS in my life. If you will let him be who he IS, he will be these things in your life.
Isaiah 9:6 (ESV)
6 …and his name shall be called…
Meaning, this is who he is, and if you will allow him to be, this is what he will be in your life. How do you allow him to be this? Isaiah tells us in Chapter 8. Make the Lord holy in your life. Sanctify him, set him apart in your life, and actually follow his instructions. Follow him and this is who the Savior will be in your life.
6 …his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor… The Hebrew translations translate it Wonder Counselor. He’s a Wonder of a Counselor. The word in the Hebrew means more literally, extraordinary or marvel or marvelous. It’s the closest word that Hebrew has to supernatural. He is a Supernatural Counselor.
What you need, is you need the Supernatural Counselor. You need the Wonder Counselor. You need the Miraculous, Supernatural Counselor who lives within you to lead and guide you for his name’s sake (Psalm 31:3 (ESV) says). You need something more than somebody’s opinion in your life. Jesus Christ is it. Not only did he come to save you from your sin, to be the answer to the darkness in this world, but in the process, he will be your Wonder Counselor, your Supernatural Counselor.
Proverbs 3:5-6 (ESV)
5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.
6 In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.
What does this mean? It means that the path that you’re supposed to be on – he will put you on it. “Yeah, but, how? I need signs. I need direction. I need understanding.” No, you don’t. That’s exactly what you don’t need because his ways are higher than your ways, his thoughts are higher than yours. You can’t understand them so just trust him. Don’t lean on your own understanding. Acknowledge him in all your ways, and he will put the path straight in your life for you. It’s supernatural. And when God changes your life, you need to know it’s supernatural, it’s not logic or reasoning that you can grasp. It’s the Wonder Counselor in your life. His name is Jesus!
Say to him, “Lord, do some Wonder Counsel in me. Lead me and guide me for your name’s sake. I’ll trust you; I’ll lean on you. I’ll acknowledge you. Make my path straight” And he will. He has promised to. Amen!
6 …his name shall be called… Mighty God… El Gibor. (It’s one of the fun names to say.) Mighty God. This name has to do with military victory. This is the God of Military Victory. Do you have something in your life that you need the God of Creation to conquer for you? The Mighty God conquers because he’s the Mighty God. Not because you’re trying harder, or whatever you’re doing. It’s because you have the Mighty God – El Gibor – in your life and he comes as a conqueror, or a Conquering King to conquer in your life.
And so, not only will he provide you with Wonder Counsel, with supernatural guidance, leading and guiding you, but he will conquer the enemies in your life supernaturally – if, if, if, if you will make the Lord of Hosts holy in your life, if you’ll set him apart. If you’ll revere him. If you’ll give him the reverence and the awe, and the worship that he deserves. If you’ll give him full reign of your life not only will he give you Wonder Counsel, but he will be your Mighty God – your Conquering, Victorious God.
Our God is mighty. He is awesome. He is omnipotent and there is nothing going on in your life that he cannot overcome! Nothing!!! And if you say, “Yeah, but, how?” go back to step one – Wonder Counsel. Supernatural Counsel. Miraculous Counsel. He will be your Wonder Counselor. He will be your Mighty God. He will supernaturally lead you, supernaturally conquer for you.
6 …his name shall be called… Everlasting Father… Don’t get hung up on trinitarian theology. (Talk to me later about it if you want.) This is a Hebrew idiom, which means a “phrase of speech”. It’s an idiom that means “The Father of Eternity.” It’s the word for “Creator.” It’s the Creator or the Originator of Eternity. Jesus Christ is the Originator of Eternity. He is equally God, Holy God, but he is separate and distinct from the Father. He IS separate and distinct but he IS equally God in all ways, along with the Holy Spirit (who is a Person). Jesus Christ is the Father of Creation. He’s the Originator of Creation.
Did God send you a mighty angel to help you? Did he send Michael or Gabriel? He might have if you were in a bad spot temporarily. But he didn’t send a host of angels to help you. He sent the Originator of Eternity. He sent the Father of Creation. He sent one who began it all to help you. There’s nobody higher. There’s nobody higher than the Father of Eternity, the Everlasting Father.
Look at Colossians.
Colossians 1:15-16 (ESV)
15 He (meaning Jesus) is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. (Meaning the Priority or Preeminent One)
16 For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him.
That Savior that was born in the manger, he’s the one that created all that was created. He was the Agent (or the “Father” in Hebrew) of Creation. And he’s the one that came to save you. Jesus is the Father of Creation – the Originator of Creation. He came himself. Is it enough? Yes, it is enough!
6 …his name shall be called… Prince of Peace. Another great Hebrew name. Sar Shalom. It means, the Prince of Peace. The Prince is a term for the administrator, for a governmental administrator. He is the administrator of Shalom. Peace is a bit short in our vocabulary for defining Shalom. Shalom is that famous Hebrew word that means (deep sigh), “everything is in its place.” Nothing missing, nothing broken, nothing out of place. It’s that great peace where everything is aligned, everything is as it should be. The world is at peace. Shalom.
And he is the administrator of Shalom, he brings Shalom into your life. How? By the other qualities. Because of who he IS he brings Shalom into your life. And if you will grow in your knowledge of him as the Wonder Counselor, allow him to counsel you supernaturally, if you will experience him as El Gibor, the Mighty God, if you’ll understand that the Father of Everlasting, the Source of Creation is at work in your life then you will receive from Sar Shalom, the Prince of Peace – peace. You’ll receive Shalom. You’ll say, “Yeah, I know it’s dark and it’s difficult. But man, you need to know my God. Because my God brings peace regardless of my circumstances.”
He is the Prince of Peace. Allow him to be. How? By making God holy in your life, setting him apart in your life, and by following him. You will experience him as he IS. Wonder Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
What more do you want from God? This is everything.
Yes, the trials and tribulations are here. And I don’t mean to be a doomsayer, I’m a positive person (I keep telling myself that), things are probably going to get darker for Christians in this country. Some of the trials, some of the tribulations that we go through may seem overwhelming. What the country is going through, and especially what this town in Connecticut is going through – overwhelming beyond our ability to grasp the grief.
Is God enough? Yes. How did he enter that darkness? By a child being born in a manger. By a son being given to be crucified to be our Savior. By him being the Wonder Counselor, the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace. Jesus Christ is the answer. Evil is the problem. Jesus Christ is the answer.
One day, he will rule and he will reign and he will invite you – he invites you today – to rule and reign with him.
Isaiah 9:7(a) (ESV)
7 Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, . . .
Speaking of the eternal reign of Jesus Christ that starts in the Millennium (which we’ll get to in our study of Revelation when we reach Chapter 20). We haven’t reached that point yet, but there’s a day coming when Jesus Christ will actually rule and reign, from Jerusalem, which is a promise God made to Israel, that there will be one of the line of David who will sit on the throne in Israel and rule. And listen, God is not in the habit of breaking promises, in fact, he’s never broken one. God made promises to Abraham that are still being fulfilled. God didn’t say when, he just said he would. And there will be a King in the line of David who will sit on the throne of Jerusalem and rule the world with Peace and with a rod of iron. That’s Jesus Christ. That’s this child who was born. That’s the son who was given.
Isaiah 9:7(b) (ESV)
7 …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…
It’s coming – hold on! You’re on the winning side, if you’re in Christ today, you’ve already won. Just hang on! I don’t mean “hang on” to imply that you can lose your salvation, I mean just stand in it. Stand in who Jesus Christ has made you. Read Ephesians Chapter 1 and believe it because it’s true. Stand in the victory that Christ has given you. He has made you free. The Savior is going to rule the earth and he’s going to invite you to rule with him.
To let us know how serious it is, we read the following at the end of this verse.
Isaiah 9:7(c) (ESV)
7 …The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.
I already told you, the Lord of Hosts means the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. The zeal means his “passionate commitment.” God is on fire to make this happen! This is not an, “Oh, by the way, or oh, I might, or oh, I’m thinking about it.” The zeal of Lord of all of Heaven’s Armies has guaranteed this is coming, this is going to happen, and you can join it today. God is serious about this victory. He’s serious about it. He knew exactly what he was getting into, he knew the depth of the darkness. He knew the depth of sin. And he knew his only answer was to come, himself – Jesus, and die for us because he knew nothing else would work.
The darkness of this world, the darkness of this event, the darkness of your sin, does not surprise Jesus Christ. The darkness that’s in your heart does not surprise Jesus Christ. And, by the way, it’s not hidden from him. He knows, and he loves you anyway. He loves you so much he died for you to give you his righteousness in place of your sin. That was his plan.
No matter how out of control the world gets, Jesus Christ is the same. He is your answer. Don’t look anywhere else.
Isaiah 9:6 (ESV)
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.
And remember Isaiah told you how to bring this into your life.
Isaiah 8:13 (NLT)
13 Make the Lord of Heaven’s Armies holy in your life. (Set him apart. Give him priority like nothing else in your life) He is the one you should fear… (meaning have reverence towards)
Isaiah 8:20 (NLT)
20 Look to God’s instructions and teachings! People who contradict his word are completely in the dark.
Jesus Christ came to offer light to the darkness that we see. He came to be the answer for the evil that we see in the world. Evil is the problem. Evil and sin and the evil one. Jesus Christ is the answer.