Isaiah 9:1-7 JESUS - GOD’S ANSWER TO OUR NEED
Basingstoke 16th December 2001
Are you ready for Christmas?
A Californian doctor has given a health warning about stress it causes!
"The Christmas Season is marked by more emotional stress and more acts of violence than any other season of the year!"
Christmas is an excuse to get drunk, have a party, get something, give a little, leave work, get out of school spend money over eat, and all kinds of other excesses.
For the Christian, Christmas is an excuse to exalt Jesus Christ in the face of a world that is at least for a while tuned in to His name.
Let’s Exalt the NAMES OF JESUS given in Isaiah 9:6
"For unto us a Child is born unto us a Son is given and the Government shall be upon, and His name shall be called Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God Everlasting Father Prince of Peace."
Isaiah wrote a few hundred years before Jesus, but he had every detail right!
He Wrote in the present tense- He was so certain. The Coming of this child brought tremendous Hope
Jesus is God’s Answer to our need. He meets us in our darkness and confusion with light!
1. GOD’S LIGHT IN OUR DARKNESS
One of the things we enjoy at Christmas is light.
Gloomy streets transformed, trees are lit up, Houses competing with each other.
v2 People walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned.
Not a literal darkness like groping round for the light switch.
But a Moral darkness - people are walking in it - Habitually living in it.
Everything about their behaviour is wrong.
i) Darkness was seen in wrong attitudes and behaviour in Isaiah 5.
v8 Materialism - joined house to house, join field to field, extending improving building, adding to their wealth.
v11 Partying enjoying life without any regard for God
v21f Wise in own eyes, full of pride, heroes at drinking and mixing drinks, given to bribery corruption perverting justice.
v20 Values all upside down. Call good evil and evil good. Everything is relative no absolute ethics.
Walking in darkness alone alienated from God!
ii) Darkness was seen in their refusal to trust God or believe Him.
King Ahaz (Chap7) surrounded by enemy armies looking all directions for help except from God. Even though Ahaz was promised a sign of God’s help. 7:14 “The Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son and will call His name Emmanuel. God with us”. Before child was weaned God would use the Assyrians to remove their enemies. “God with us” was no word of comfort- but God with us in judgement!!!
iii) Darkness was seen in looking for guidance in the wrong directions.
8:19 Men were consulting mediums and spiritists who whisper and mutter. Should not a people inquire of their God?
Q? I ask the question are things any different today? The darkness is in our Society!
·Wrong Attitudes & behaviour, No trust in God, looking in all the wrong directions.
·Darkness expressed in interest in the occult, astrology, and spiritualism. Whether Harry Potter stories are themselves harmful or not Christians differ but they reflection of interest in occult among people in our society.
·Can’t pick up paper without being confronted with your stars!
·Darkness expressed in violence in our streets, where people can’t feel safe, murder become an everyday event.
·Darkness in many towns – Oldham, Leeds struggling with racial separation prejudice and fear. · Children (often victims of violence and abuse) now in the case of the Jamie Bulger killers have even become abusers and murderers.
·Darkness in the absence of absolute standards of right and wrong.
What’s happened to us? Marriage no longer regarded as lifelong commitment
Where its normal for couples to live together?
Not unusual for children to be brought up with just one parent?
Divorce has become so easy. Abortion so widely accepted.
Relationships between two men or two women no longer viewed as wrong.
Darkness where money and profit are motivating factors - the means for valuing things in life. Rich get richer and the poor get poorer.
· Darkness ignores the need for a day of rest - passes laws undermining society and threatens further family life.
Darkness not just in Society but in our own individual lives!
Darkness where God’s been left out of the reckoning. Marginalized!
Q? How much of King Ahaz is in you? Where’s your security and your help?
Q? How much are you trusting God for guidance and direction?
Q? When did you last talk to Him about things going on in your life?
We were made for God - to live for Him to reflect His character but instead of choosing light we so often have chosen to live in the darkness without Him!
Where do we go with all this? Do we despair at the darkness?
No! God’s Answer is in His Christmas Gift to us!
You don’t need to stumble on blindly through life in the dark.
For to us a Child is born and His name shall be called Wonderful Counsellor.
Many these days seek guidance from Counsellors-therapists
Good News if you are groping for a way out of your Darkness..
Jesus is the Wonderful Counsellor! He is Light for your darkness this Christmas!
Jesus is "Wonderful" Everywhere amazed people by his love and compassion, healings, deliverance even raised the dead!
People Wondered at His words of wisdom - never trapped by questions
Jesus has the very nature and authority of God.
Jesus is truly is the Counsellor.
Usual for Kings or Prime ministers to be surrounded by advisors and counsellors. Jesus needed none. Full of grace and truth. I am the Truth!
Our dark world desperately needs Jesus - the Wonderful Counsellor
You in your darkness need the light of His truth, and the wonder of His counsel.
Q? How long have you been walking in darkness? There’s a better way!
God is offering you His Wonderful Counsellor.
Jesus said I am the Light of the world He who follows me will never walk in the darkness.
You must decide to turn from what you know is wrong
To turn and trust in the Counsel and Direction of Jesus Christ.
Jesus is God’s Answer to our need. He meets us in our darkness but also saves us from it because...
2. GOD’S POWER TO SAVE US
No ordinary child. Isaiah says: Unto us a Child is born and he shall be called wonderful counsellor, MIGHTY GOD!
Jesus came as an ordinary baby - born in such humble surroundings
He lived the same as any other child of his day.
Brought up by ordinary parents doing an ordinary job of work carpenter.
Became hungry and thirsty as we do. Knew tiredness after work.
When he cut himself he bled. He knew full range of human emotions from intense sorrow to joy, compassion to anger. He wept He sang. He lived and he even died.
What is Amazing is that whilst He was an ordinary man Jesus was also God!
Philippians tells us "He laid aside his majesty".
Just at times glimpses shone through in His miracles, and His transfiguration.
He made claims that could only be true if he were God.
"I am the way the truth and the life!"
"I am the resurrection and the life!"
Was He mad? A confidence trickster starting a cult? Or God?
I can’t answer the question for you - you must make up own mind look at evidence
You will very soon become convinced that here was the Son of God
"All the fullness of the Godhead dwelt in Him in bodily form"
Vitally important that Jesus is God. No sinful human being like us could deliver us from the darkness in which we’ve chosen to live. Human sin leads to judgement - leads to condemnation - leads to death.
The Justice of God demands punishment.
We are all guilty – all caught like flies in a web with no escape from consequences of our darkness.
This child’s coming - MIGHTY GOD brought Israel hope
They were helpless, in their own moral and Spiritual darkness. They’d done wrong and God was judging them for it. At the mercy of Assyria facing separation from each other & God!
To be saved from their distress God would have to step in, they were powerless to turn things around- despite best efforts.
This Christmas the coming of "The Mighty God" is hope for you and me.
Darkness of sin has cut us all off from God - He may seem so remote to you.
Darkness of sin has deadened us inside – taken away our desire for God. Darkness is like a spiritual anaesthetic leaving us paralysed
Satan has blinded your eyes - confused your thinking. You are spiritually dead!
Only Hope is if God steps in – If God stoops down, defeats the enemy Satan, Only hope if God removes the dark cloud, breathes the life of His Spirit in us!
Good News is - that’s exactly what God did at Christmas-
The Mighty God came down to Calvary and from an empty Tomb did what we could never do! Paid the death penalty for sin - No power can condemn you!
He rose from death destroying its power - no fear can rob you!
Sting of death is removed - Satan no longer has power- Hope is yours!
Mighty God has won a victory just as when He defeated Midian (v4)
The OT Story where Gideon sent 30,000 army home and fought with 300. God who wins the battles! It is God who is Mighty!
Message for you this Christmas - Jesus has power to save!
To lift you out from sin and judgement, and from destruction of death!
Jesus is God’s Answer to our need. In this child born in the manager is: God’s Light in darkness - Wonderful Counsellor and here is God’s Power to Save- Mighty God
3. GOD’S LOVE IS ASSURED
“For unto us a child is born.. Everlasting Father.” Jesus never takes Father God’s place. – this Name describes His love So often when God wants to speak of love He’s pictured as a Father.
Psa 103 As Father has compassion on His children so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him.
His Love forgives heals redeems satisfies renews, slow to anger, not repay for sins,
knows our weakness, keeps his promises.
Luke 15 Father welcoming home the prodigal throwing arms round him forgiving the rejection and rebellion, selfishness.
Heart of Jesus is like a perfect Father - full of love for you.
You may feel you are too far away from God, too bad, too much failure
But Nothing can separate you from the Love of God for you in Jesus!
Nothing –not death, life, angels, demons, present future height depth Nothing in all creation will be able to do it!A Young boy stood one Christmas in front of picture of absent father.
He turned to mother wistfully and said “I wish Dad could step out of the picture.”At Christmas Father God stepped out of the picture. Word became flesh!
Love came down at Christmas- shown at Easter- I love you this much!
God’s Love and justice meet at Calvary
Sin was punished and sinners set free!
Jesus is God’s Answer to our need.Name of Jesus- God’s Light in Darkness- Wonderful Counsellor
God’s Power to Save - Mighty God. God’s Love Assured - Everlasting Father
4. GOD’S PEACE IS GIVEN
“For unto us a child is born...Prince of Peace”Until sin is forgiven there can be no peace. you’ll always know guilt and shame, unsure of God, lack assurance of eternal life. NO PEACE FOR WICKED! By walking in darkness you are an enemy against God- wilfully
God is your enemy too. Darkness/disobedience affront to His majesty
He isn’t just upset by it - Its an outrage- blasphemy!
He has declared war on you and will win - to the death.
But the Good News of Christmas is this Child is PRINCE OF PEACE!
Jesus Arms stretched out in love embracing God’s wrath against sin! Calvary- the final battle ground- there the war over sin finished. He is our Peace!
v5 Picture describes this peace..warriors boots and bloodstained clothes burnt in the fire along with weapons? No longer carry burden v4 Yoke around neck is shattered!
American scientists once sent astronauts into space to repair the famous Hubble Telescope in orbit. For days they worked to replace solar panels, electrical parts and some of the lenses. The cost ran into hundreds of millions of pounds to save a telescope.
God in His immense love has sent Jesus Christ on a rescue Mission!
His plan was to bring you and me out of darkness into light of His love
His purpose was to bring you into peace with Him.
The work Jesus came to do was not to patch up but remake you.
A free gift to you but to Him it was at infinite cost. His own life.
Is Christmas going to be a time of stress for you this year?
Or will you remember it as time you found peace with God.
Receive Jesus Wonderful Counsellor guide out of darkness into Light
Receive Jesus Mighty God, know His power to save you from darkness.
Receive Jesus Everlasting Father know His great love for you.
Receive Jesus Prince of Peace know the peace of being right with God
