The Promise Proclaimed

Sermon Series: The Promise of Christmas
Isaiah 9:1–7

December 9, 2007

Manuscript

Big Idea: The promise of Christmas is Jesus, the light of God who comes to shine into your life enabling you to break free from sin and serve the living God.

Introduction
Series: The Promise of Christmas

Week #1 – The Promise Whispered in Genesis 3:15

Week #2 – The Promise Foreshadowed in Genesis 22 with Abraham’s near sacrifice of Isaac

Today – The Promise Proclaimed Part 1 – Isaiah 9:1-7

Start with common story of depression at Christmas

That may not be your struggle at the holidays but most all of us have gone through seasons in your life when you have been in a funk and feeling a little gloomy...maybe uncertain about your future or maybe just a general sense of uneasiness or unrest in your soul. At the time Isaiah proclaimed the promise contained in this text the Nation of Israel as a whole was carrying those types of feelings. There was a growing sense of darkness and gloom as war was once again bearing down on them –The Kingdom of Israel was losing its strength and influence in the region and Isaiah had been warning them about the impending attacks of the great power of Assyria.

If you could see Jerusalem during Isaiah's time, it might not look like you were in darkness, because the outward forms of religion were still in place. Like someone in pain on the inside but smiling on the outside, things looked fairly normal. But, the people were going through the motions of spiritual devotion, but their hearts were in fact, dim and gloomy, depressed and hopeless. The threat of Assyrian attack gripped all their hearts casting a shadowy sense of death over their lives. The future looked bleak at best. People were desperate for a message that might help them make sense of their circumstances and give them a rope of hope to hold to in the middle of confusing times.

You can get a glimpse of the desperation and unrest that plagued the people by looking a Isaiah’s comments in Chapter 8:19-22 which lead up to chapter 9. {READ}

The laments of these doomsayers are flooded out by the bright light of Isaiah’s promise

[Transition] – Look with me at the first two verses of chapter 9.

The promise of Christmas will be like a great light slammed on to blast away darkness (Isaiah 9:1–2).
Isaiah informs his despondent friends that there is light at the end of the tunnel for them. It is a light that would come centuries later. Though in the near term God would use the kingdom of Assyrian to bring a necessary discipline on his people, to get their attention and revive their devotion to him, Isaiah promises that it is only temporary. Isaiah announces hope that in the long term, there will be a great light that will rise in the region of Galilee, by the sea, along the Jordan River. And this light would totally change their lives. This light would completely reverse the effects of spiritual darkness and bondage.

Matthew wants us to know that this reference is clearly describing the promise of Christmas, the Messiah, the Son of God, Jesus who spent most of his earthly ministry in the area of Nephtali and Zebulun, “When Jesus heard that John had been put in prison, he returned to Galilee. Leaving Nazareth, he went and lived in Capernaum, which was by the lake in the area of Zebulun and Naphtali— to fulfill what was said through the prophet Isaiah:...” – Matthew 4:12-17

[Illustration] – Whenever I think about the effects of darkness I think about the time Cindy and I went camping with our friends in Ohio during our first year of marriage. It was in the late summer afternoon and when we were about two miles from the camp ground we had to pull over because a thunder storm made it impossible to drive because of the heavy downpour. After it cleared we made our way to the camp ground and it was a ghost town. No one was around. Turns out they had all sought cover because a tornado had just gone through the campground. As we made our way to our site, huge trees had been torn up and tossed over the camp road. It was like maze getting to our sight. We set up camp in the soaked site, ate dinner and went to bed. During the night a heavy soaking rain settled in. In our tent it was wet and as dark as I had ever remember. I literally could not see my hand in front of my face. I didn’t sleep at all. In the middle of the dark night listening to the rain and the wind as we lay awake in the middle of the densely wooded camp ground, I heard the sound of a tree cracking and creaking and coming down. I opened my eyes as big as I could get them only to see more black darkness and I thought...this might be the end. And I wondered how badly it would hurt to have a 60 foot oak tree fall on you. Boy was I relieved when I heard it hit the ground and I was still able to see black darkness.

Think about all the differences light brings to darkness. Threats seem nearer...sounds are louder. In darkness vision is drastically reduced. Colors are diminished to shades and shadows of blacks and grey. Forms are fuzzy at best. We often feel more alone, more helpless, more insecure, vulnerable and unsure of things in the dark.

But, when the light comes, clarity returns, colors are realized, forms have distinct detail and dimension. When the light comes our confidence is renewed, our sense of safety and security returns. We feel more protected. In the morning, I was so anxious to see where this tree actually fell. I wasn’t sure I was going to be able to get out of the tent it sounded so close. But, in reality, it was about 100 yards away...still too close...but not as close as it sounded.

Folks; light makes all the difference! The promise of Christmas, the Son of God, the seed of the woman Mary wants to shine his light in and around your life to protect you from danger.

He wants to shine his light so that you can see how the enemy is tricking you.
He wants to expose his lies that are disguised as promises.
He wants to expose your enemy’s plan to keep you bound up in negative, destructive habits and patterns of living.
He wants to illuminate the enemy’s tactics that are designed to abuse you, take advantage of you and destroy you.
He wants to shed light on the enemy’s strategy to keep you discouraged, full of self contempt and self-doubt.

The light of God that comes at Christmas wants to help you see any shadow of darkness in your life AND THEN bring all the power of God and the resources of heaven to reverse the effects of darkness in your life.

Have you experienced the light of God shining into your life?

The light of God can help you see truth.
The light of God can help you discern a lie.
The light of God can reveal the meaning of life and your purpose in it.
The light of God can illuminate the way to eternal life and give you sure footing to get there.
The light of God can help you see the correct path or decision or choice. The light of God can help you see when you are being a jerk or when you are in the wrong and it can help you see when you need to apologize and ask for forgiveness.

Have you asked him to shine his light in you?

[Transition] – When the light of God shines into your life shadowy gloom and hopeless despair is replaced by victory, rejoicing and peace. Look at verses 3-5.

The promise of Christmas will bring victory, rejoicing and peace (Isaiah 9:3–5).

The literal military "oppressor" is Assyria, but Isaiah is more profoundly referring to Satan—the original oppressor we saw in week one in Genesis 3:15. The darkness speaks of literal bondage and oppression, but also of spiritual bondage and oppression, their spiritual darkness and moral confusion which cultivated a sense of hopelessness.

[Illustration] – see if you can find stats on number of people who consult pychics, mediums and palm readers, etc.

But, the promise of Christmas comes to change all that. Life as they had known it would be turned upside down. Darkness would give way to the light of a new day where defeat would be replaced by victory, gloom and despair would be replaced by rejoicing and celebration and the bitter oppression of the battle that would be replaced by peace and well-being.

God's victory over Satan’s dark rule would be as improbable—and as complete—as Gideon's victory of Midian. The story in Judges 7 tells us that the Midianite army was a massive, abusive hoard, completely overwhelming but God chose Gideon, the most insignificant man, from the most insignificant tribe to pull together a measly 300 men to defeat an army whose number was too big to even count. The point of using this situation is because it is a wonderful display of divine power, without the use of any adequate human means. When the light, the promise of Christmas comes it will the whole course of our salvation would rest in a tiny little infant.

[Transition] – Isaiah finishes off his proclamation of promise with the hopeful reminder that the promise of Christmas is God’s perfect leader for your life. Read verses 6-7

The promise of Christmas is God’s perfect leader for your life (Isaiah 9:6-7).
The promise of Christmas is a child born “to us” or for us meaning that the promise of Christmas is a child born FOR OUR BENEFIT. The child is given to us by God. The child will hold the authority, capability and responsibility to be the leader our lives. Isaiah gives us 5 descriptors of what is rule and reign will be like.

The promise of Christmas is your "Wonderful Counselor". This is not pointing to God’s compassionate understanding of our emotions and psyche as much as it points to his role as our King and leader who wisely and confidently decides on and carries out his royal plan of action that will cause the entire world to marvel. The adjective that describes his counsel is literally “marvelous.” This role of the promise of Christmas speaks of his competent and informed leadership in our lives. It speaks to his trustworthiness. You can trust his leadership in your life. You can trust his counsel and direction in your life. What he says will happen, will happen and what he promises will come to fruition.

The promise of Christmas is the "Mighty God"—this little child possesses all of the attributes of deity. This title stresses his divine power and bravery as a warrior. God’s never a loser and those with God are never losers. No foe is too large, no challenge too great...nothing is impossible with God. When you let him lead in your life he brings his power to break free from destructive habits and patterns of living.

The promise of Christmas can be your "Everlasting Father"—he cares for you, provides for you, sustains you, nourishes and grows you, and looks after your needs. This title lets us know that Jesus will be an enduring, compassionate provider and protector. The tender compassion of Jesus is stressed here. When you let him lead in your life there is no situation, no pain, no hurt, no problem, no difficulty that he doesn't understand or that he can’t help you through.

The promise of Christmas can be your "Prince of Peace," as the angels sang on the night of his birth. This informs us that when he sets up his rule and reign in your life he begins a transformation that works to bring wholeness and well-being to you and to your relationships. When you let him lead in your life and you listen to his word, apply it and follow it...you will come to experience peace with God, peace with others and peace within yourself. The promise of Christmas will usher in a grand peace process into your life.

When Jesus was born the angels declared to the shepherds "Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, 14"Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests." Luke 2:8-14 –

What’s more, as the leader of your life, the promise of Christmas will rule with absolute justice and righteousness for eternity. In other words, he will always have your best interest at heart and he’ll never betray you or sell you out or throw you under the bus. No unfair treatment, no prejudicial treatment and no favoritism. The promise of Christmas will be the perfect leader of your life, if you’ll allow him to be that.

And to all this, Isaiah adds a remark that guarantees that Jesus can be this kind of leader in our lives. Verse 7 says, “The zeal of the Lord will accomplish this.” “Zeal” is a word that used in the Old Testament to signify not only God’s intense love for his people but his jealousy for them. It speaks about his disposition to protect and favor them at the expense of others. At times it was used to speak of God’s jealousy for his own name and reputation and his readiness to take offense at anything that oppose them. So, the zeal of God here refers to his passionate jealousy partly for his people and partly for his own honor. You threaten either one of those and God jumps to defend them. The mention of God’s jealousy here forms a rock solid foundation for our hope in this promise of Christmas. (J.A. Addison, The Prophecies of Isaiah, pp. 206-207)

Now, what does it mean to have a relationship with Jesus, the promise of Christmas? Remember when we looked at the Genesis 3 text? The choice that Adam and Eve made to ignore God’s direction and rebel against him is called sin. Sin introduced estrangement between God and the soul of humankind. This is because a holy God cannot have intimate fellowship with sin in any form.

Isaiah describes it this way in chapter 59:2, “... your sins...have cut you off from God.”

Habakkuk 1:13, “Your eyes are too pure to look on evil; you cannot tolerate wrongdoing.”

But, when we believe that Jesus is the light of God that comes to blast the darkness and reverse the effects of sin and it’s consequences in our lives by his death and resurrection on the cross, it means that our relationship with God can be reconciled. Ephesian 2:12 puts it this way, “...remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world. 13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ.”

Where there was estrangement, there is now harmony. Where there was once distance, there is intimacy. Where there was once hostility, there is now peace. And as our text says, gloom, despair and hopelessness is replaced with victory and rejoicing like the full bodied celebration that happens in a time of plenty after prolonged scarcity, in a time of victory after prolonged defeat and a time of release after prolong bondage.

Conclusion
To our culture, Christmas is all about tinsel and mistletoe, Christmas cards and trees, food, and gifts. And all those things are good and encouraging and useful. But, those things fall flat and lose their taste if the light of God, the promise of Christmas has not personally shed its light in our lives.

Invitation – If you have never invited Jesus to be the LIGHT and LEADER of your life, I would encourage you to do it today.

You might say something like this to Jesus, “I need your light to reverse the effects of sin and darkness in my life. I ask you today to forgive all my sin. And I ask you to be the Lord and leader of my life, giving me the power to stop walking in darkness and instead, walk in your light.”

Pray – If those words match the desire of your heart, then share then speak them to God in the privacy of your own heart and in your own words.

If today is the first time you have called out to God to be your forgiver and leader, your Savior and Lord then I’d love to know that. As we stay in this mode of prayer, just look up at me and lock eyes with me so I know and so I can pray for you.