His Name is…
Reading: Isaiah chapter 9 verses 2-7:
Ill:
• A little girl walked into her local pet shop,
• And the lady behind the counter said,” Hello What's your name, little girl?".
• The little girl replied,..."Tweacle, 'cos dad says I'm thweet”
• The assistant said,..."AAAh, what can I get you, today, Treacle?"
• And Treacle said,..."I wanna buy a widdle wabbit"
• So the assistant kneeled down by the rabbit pen, and said,..
• "Which widdle wabbit do you want to take home,
• the widdle bwack one,
• or the fwuffy white one with the pink eyes,
• or that wuvwy bwown one with the long ears?"
• Treacle thought for a moment and leaned over and whispered in the assistant's ear;
• “I don't fink my pyfon really cares!”
Sometimes things are not how they seem:
• These verses that we know so well, possibly quote by heart;
• Are set in a context that you might not expect!
(a). The darkness:
2 The people walking in darkness
have seen a great light;
ill:
• A mother was tucking her small son into bed.
• Outside was a terrible severe thunderstorm.
• She was about to turn the light off when the boy asked in a trembling voice,
• “Mommy ,I’m scared, will you stay with me all night?”
• Smiling, the mother gave him a warm, reassuring hug and said tenderly,
• “I can’t dear. I have to sleep in Daddy’s room.”
• A long silence followed.
• Then a shaky little voice said, “The big sissy!”
IN ISAIAH CHAPTER 9:
• Gods people were living in dark times.
• Israel the northern kingdom and Judah the southern kingdom (split by a civil war).
• Both nations were in darkness.
(a). Dark circumstances:
• Their circumstances were bleak, Assyria the aggressor;
• Had already started invading the north and would soon conquer the whole land.
(b). Dark spiritually:
• Spiritually the nation was walking in darkness;
• Selfishness & sinful actions dominated in the majority of people.
• The early chapters of Isaiah do not make pleasant reading.
Ill:
• Superstitions (2:6),
• Materialism (2:7; 5:8-9),
• Idolatry (2:8,20),
• Arrogance (2: 12-17; 5:15),
• Lack of good leadership (3:1-4),
• Social disintegration (3:56,12-14),
• Sensuality (3:16-26),
• And alcoholism (5:11-13,22).
• And if you keep looking;
• You probably find a whole load of other things going on!
GODS PEOPLE WERE TRULY IN THE DARK AND THERE WAS NO HOPE!
(a). No help in themselves.
• Because they themselves were the problem!
• ill: Like the blind trying to help the blind!
(b). No help in the monarchy.
• The final years of Israel's monarchy were a period of political uncertainty.
• Kings like Shallum and Menahem were quickly assassinated.
• The royal and political leaders of the day were also swamped by darkness;
(c). No hope in their religious leaders.
• Religion had become syncretistic (syn-cret-is-tic);
• A mixture of every conceivable practice of the Canaanites, Assyrians and Egyptians.
• ill: The so called people of God;
• Were even sacrificing children to Molech, the god of the Ammonites;
Question: What could turn the nations hopelessness into hope?
Answer: The answer is not ‘WHAT’ but ‘WHO’!
• The people may have ignored and forgotten the true God,
• But the true God had not ignored or forgotten them!
• And into their situation of darkness,
• God would shine his light and so dispel the darkness.
(B). The light:
ill:
How many Christians does it take to change a light bulb?
• Pentecostal: Ten:
• One to change the bulb & nine to pray against the spirit of darkness
• Presbyterians: None:
• The lights will go off & on at predestined times
• Roman Catholics: None:
• Candles only
• Baptists: At least 15:
• One to change the bulb and three committees to approve the change.
• Anglicans: Nine:
• One to change the bulb and eight to talk about how much better the old one was.
• Amish: None:
• What’s a light bulb?
• Brethren: None:
• What do you mean change!
Isaiah tells these people that light is coming:
• Notice that God’s light did not shine to condemn them,
• But rather to bring them hope.
• The people would not have to dwell on their sin and remain in darkness,
• Instead they could look to the light and find a remedy, a cure in the child to be born!
Question: What could turn the nations hopelessness into hope?
Answer:
• The answer is not ‘WHAT’ but ‘WHO’!
• The birth of a child to the royal house of David.
• Note the contrast in these verses:
• King Ahaz was looking to Assyria (World superpower) for help,
• But that course of action would bring only death and even more darkness.
• In contrast;
• Those who look to this child, however, would experience peace and light.
Note:
• This prophecy would have an immediate;
• But a lesser fulfilment through Isaiah’s second son,
• Isaiah’s second son ‘Maher-shalal-hash-baz’,
• Was also given the name Immanuel (chapter 8 verses 8&10),
• And this prophecy was partially fulfilled in him.
• But only partily –
• Maher-shalal-hash-baz could never fulfil all that which is described in verse 9;
• We know that it is Jesus who is in view here,
• Only He was able to fully fit the picture Isaiah describes;
• Only he;
• He alone can fully bear and fulfil the names given here.
(c). The Messiah
Ill:
• An American guide in Arizona was asked;
• ‘How long does it take to see the Grand Canyon?’
• The guide replied;
• ‘Some see it in five minutes others want to stay for days or weeks’.
• Likewise we could spend weeks looking at these great names & titles;
• But we only have minutes to appreciate them.
• So I am going to pick out a few key truths concerning Jesus;
• That we can focus our thoughts on.
I MAKE IT SIX NAMES & TITLES GIVEN TO THE MESSIAH IN VERSE 6.
(1). Child.
• 'For to us a child is born…' (9:6).
• Mention of the words 'child', 'son', 'born' and 'given',
• Remind us of the incarnation of Christ.
• “The Word became flesh and pitched his tent among us”
Ill:
In the late 1800’s the authorities in Hawaii came up with a cunning plan.
• Whenever anyone showed signs of the highly contagious & incurable disease called leprosy;
• They were immediately sent to live on one of the islands of Hawaii,
• The island called Molokai.
• Molokai was a place without hope;
• A place of hopelessness where people were sent simply to rot and slowly die.
In 1873 a Catholic priest named Father Damien:
• Felt called of God to go and live on this island;
• And to spend his life ministering to these people.
• He built hospitals, clinics, churches and;
• He even built some 600 coffins during his ministry there,
Whenever he preached he would tell these outcasts;
• That God had not forsaken them.
• That God knew them and loved them and valued them.
• At all his Church gatherings,
• Father Damien would stand and address the people with these words;
• “My dear brethren,”
• But one morning in 1885,
• Twelve years after his arrival at the age of 45,
• In a calm clear voice, instead of “my dear brethren”
• He began his address with “my fellow lepers…”
• He too had caught leprosy;
• He truly had become one of them,
• And in becoming one of them he also answered with great authority the question,
• “Where is God?”
• The answer was clear:
• ‘In the midst of us’.
• 'For to us a child is born…' (9:6).
• Remind us of the incarnation of Christ.
• There is nothing unreal about the form which Jesus took.
• He was born after a full term pregnancy.
• He became a real baby! Flesh & blood, fully human.
Veiled in flesh the Godhead see
Hail the incarnate Deity
Pleased as man with man to dwell
Jesus, our Emmanuel!
(2). Son.
'For to us a child is born, to us a Son is given’
• You can only give that which you have in the first place.
• ill: I cannot give you a million pounds unless I already own a million pounds.
• A son was given to the world by the Father;
• ill: John chapter 3 verse 16.
Ill:
C. S. Lewis
• “Lying at your feet is your dog.
• Imagine, for the moment, that your dog and every dog is in deep distress.
• Some of us love dogs very much.
• If it would help all the dogs in the world to become like men,
• Would you be willing to become a dog?
• Would you put down your human nature,
• Leave your loved ones, your job, hobbies, your art and literature and music,
• And choose instead of the intimate communion with your beloved,
• The poor substitute of looking into the beloved’s face and wagging your tail,
• Unable to smile or speak?”
• What we would not do and could not do for an animal;
• God was both willing and able to do for us!
Ill:
• He swapped the adoration and worship of the angelic creatures in heaven.
• For a world who would reject and despise him.
• He swapped the splendour and glory of heaven.
• For a stinking stable in Bethlehem;
• (ill: cob webs for curtains, central heating was the animals who shared it with him!).
• He swapped the riches of paradise;
• To live in poverty (ill: no home, no money....no sin!)
Ill:
• God manifest in flesh, oh wonder to behold!
• Creative power within the breast that felt the blast of cold.
• God in our likeness made, oh may we understand
• The One who made the wondering worlds appear as lowly man!
• He stood within the realm He fashioned with a thought;
• His creatures gazed upon Him; alas they knew Him not,
• They cried out for His blood, His claims cast down as dross,
• They spat upon His princely face, then nailed Him to a cross.
• BUT He made the tree for that cross of wood,
• He made the hill on which it stood,
• And in some hidden vein of land
• He made the steel that pierced each hand;
• He made the sun which hid its face;
• He made the fathers of that race
• Who, in their hatred knew Him not.
• He made the fiends with which He fought,
• And there, in death, He made a way
• Back to Himself……………..Eternally.
(3). 'Wonderful Counsellor'
• Taking the words 'Wonderful Counsellor' as a single title,
• We have an expression which means something like: 'He is a wonder of a counsellor.'
Ill:
• In Bible times you didn’t ‘Google’ when you wanted an answer;
• Kings had around them a team of counsellors, advisers, learned men.
• A team of ‘magi’, wise men advising them about the different aspects of their kingdom.
• But, the Wonderful Counsellor of Isaiah’s prophecy has no need of a team of advisers.
• He is able in Himself to know what is right;
• He is able in Himself to make right decisions without resort to a second opinion.
Note:
• The word 'wonder' is generally attributed to a work of God.
• It is generally used to describe the miracles and wonders performed by God:
Ill:
Psalmist (Psalm 136:3-4).
'Give thanks to the Lord of lords:
His love endures for ever.
to him who ALONE does great wonders,
His love endures for ever'
e.g.
• Isaiah himself tells us that this is a word associated with deity;
• He himself attributes it to God: (chapter 28 verse 29):
'All this also comes from the Lord Almighty,
wonderful in counsel and magnificent in wisdom'
In the person of Jesus Christ we see the wisdom of God made visible:
• It refers to perfect understanding of the will of God,
• Knowing exactly what is right and what God’s purposes are.
Ill:
New Testament equivalent is the word ‘amazed’:
• ill: Mat. 7:28 Amazed at His teaching, it was powerful and new
• ill: Mat 8:27 Amazed that the winds and waves obeyed Him
• ill: Mat 13:54 Amazed at who He was. “Where did he get all this?”
• ill: Mat 15:31 Amazed at His healing power when a mute spoke
• ill: Mat 21:20 Amazed that a tree would obey his orders
• You see, Jesus had no limitations!
• Whatever words rolled off his tongue reordered reality,
• Made broken muscles, tongues, bones, winds, clouds, demons obey Him.
• ill: Mk 1:27 Amazed at how demons obeyed Him
• ill: Mk 2:12 amazed at how paralysed bodies sprang to life
• ill: Mk 6:51 amazed that he walked on water
(4). ‘The 'Mighty God'
• As Counsellor he has the wisdom to rule,
• As the Mighty God, he has the power to execute his wise plans.
Question: What comes to mind when you hear someone described as “mighty”?
Answer:
• Probably the words; ‘strong’, ‘powerful’.
• The word carries the idea of “hero”, ‘a doer of great things’,
• Of mighty acts done for someone else that they couldn’t do for themselves.
Ill:
• We all have heroes – every dad wants to be his boy’s hero.
• A little boy came home with his school project:
• It was a beautiful autumnal leaf with the words
• "I am thankful for my dad" printed on it.
• The father with eyes full of tears said;
• "Thank you darling, this means so much to me."
• They boy nodded and then said;
• "Well, I wanted to write ‘Man UTD,' but my teacher wouldn't let me."
Note:
• The word carries the idea of “hero”, ‘a doer of great things’,
• Of mighty acts done for someone else that they couldn’t do for themselves.
• Notice that it is combined with another word ,
• “God” – “Mighty God”.
• In giving the child this name,
• Isaiah is describing him as a hero who is far more than any earthly hero.
• i.e. sports star or pop star or human being etc.
• Isaiah tells us that our child is a divine hero,
• He is a God who does heroic acts.
• ill: He would on our behalf defeat our biggest enemies;
• Sin, death and the devil!
(5). 'Everlasting Father'
• 'Everlasting Father'
• Is literally 'Father of eternity'.
• Now do not confuse this title here with the title of 'God the Father';
• That we give to the first person of the Trinity.
• Each person of the Godhead is distinct, Father, Son & Holy Spirit.
• We need to remember that.
To the Jewish people the word ‘Father’ meant ‘originator’ or ‘source’,
• Ill: John chapter 8 verse 44:
• Satan is called the father (originator) of lies
• Ill: Here in this verse Jesus is called the Father (originator or source) of eternity,
• If you want anything eternal you must get it from him.
Note:
• ‘Everlasting’ - The rule of this child is enduring and everlasting. It knows no end.
• And his government will be like that of a father.
• ill: The best things about a good father include:
• Compassion, loving care, protection, guidance, support, encouragement.
(6). ‘Prince of peace’
Ill:
• A little boy and girl;
• Were singing their favourite Christmas carol in church the Sunday before Christmas.
• The boy concluded "Silent Night" with the words, "Sleep in heavenly beans."
• "No," his sister corrected him, "not beans, peas."
• 'The Prince of peace'.
• He is the 'peaceful prince'.
Note:
• The word 'prince' is the same word translated elsewhere in the Bible as 'commander';
• In other words this child has the authority & power to execute his will.
Ill:
• I might have the desire to stop a speeding motorists,
• But I do not have the power!
• They can drive right past me and ignore me.
• But if I was a policeman in uniform, then the story would be different,
• I have the power to stop any vehicle;
• If it ignores me then I can call on backup support to stop any vehicle.
Peace is one of those words you would write down as describing Jesus Christ:
• At his birth (Luke chapter 2 verse 14).
• 'Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favour rests'
• In his ministry (Luke chapter 7 verse 50);
• “Your faith has saved you, go in peace”
• John chapter 14 verse 27.
• As Jesus was leaving his disciples for the cross, it was peace that he promised them
• John chapter 20 verse 19, when he had risen from the grave,
• He greeted them with the words: 'Peace be with you!'
• The apostle Paul in Romans chapter 14 verse 17 taught;
• An essential part of belonging to God's kingdom, is knowing his peace.
• Paul again tells us in Romans chapter 5 verse 1.
• The first-fruits of being made right with God is his peace!
Notice:
• This prophecy is enclosed, as between two book-ends,
• By two references to Jesus' rule (verses 6 & 7).
• His greatness will never cease.
• His character is abiding.
• In the present we can know peace WITH God.
• In the present we can know the peace OF God.
• And one day in the future when he sets up his earthly kingdom;
• We will see Peace upon earth.
