Welcome and Introduction
- It’s great to be at Manly Life tonight and to be in worship and prayer with you all
- So much going on at the moment… we have done talks and carols at ICMS, the local university, at Manly West Public School and at Playtime
- And Thursday night… (almost) and Zali…
- Friday Youth has come to an end – amazing year. I’d love a bunch of you to consider being leaders next year.
- Christmas production this morning… photos… Jesus mum had Covid…
- So he was replaced and new Jesus got a bit overwhelmed cried…
- There is so much to give thanks for.
If I haven’t met you yet, my name is Tim and I am the Senior Pastor here at Life Church.
- We have a campus here at Manly and one in Haberfield….
- And we have changed gears in the last week to focus ourselves on Christmas…
- Yes, it has begun!
- My daughter Hope has given me her extensive Santa’s letter with her gift requests….
- I’ve done mine too; I wrote – “Dear Santa. This year please give me a big fat bank account and a slim body. And please, don’t mix those two up like you did last year. Thanks Tim.”
My wife Victoria proudly announced to me that she has finished all of the Christmas shopping at the end of November…
- It frustrates her to no end that I like to wait until about 2 days before Christmas, head to David Jones and then buy a whole lot more stuff for the kids and her!
- I call it panic buying…. Haha! But I like to contribute a few unnecessary presents.
I am not sure how you understand the Christmas story…
- Sometimes in between the baby in a manger, the last minute shopping, Santa, the giving and receiving of gifts
- We loose sight of the significance of what it is we celebrate at Christmas…
An article in The Guardian in London researched what children think Christmas is all about…
- A four year old informed his father that the wise men had bought “Gold, common sense and mirth”. I’m not so sure about that…
- Another little boy who on reciting the Lord’s Prayer was heard to say “Forgive us our Christmases as we forgive those who have Christmased against us.”
- Maybe you feel Christmassed against…
- I did as I circled for parking at Warringah Mall last week.
Ok, so for Christmas this year we are doing a series in Isaiah 9 and God’s promise of sending a child into the world to make things right again!
- The glorious promise of Christmas of God with us…
- It is one of the most brilliant and striking prophecies that foretell the coming of Jesus
- And one that is accurately fulfilled in the birth, life and ministry of Jesus.
- And that was the early church’s understanding…
- In John 12:41. John says, having just quoted a bit from Isaiah; “Isaiah said this because he saw Jesus’ glory and spoke about him.”
- Pretty cool.
- The gospel writers clearly understand Jesus in terms of Isaiah’s prophecies.
Let’s read the passage… Isaiah 9:2, 6-7.
The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned.
6 For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders.
And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
7 Of the greatness of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever.
So if you know the bible story, it all kind of begins with a promise to a man named Abraham that God would bless his family and that all nations would be blessed through them!
- And in God’s remarkable faithfulness, that is what starts to happen…
- Abrahams descendants become a big family and in turn a great nation…
- They are set apart from other nations and they eventually get a land, a King and a kingdom.
- But ultimately they fail at their task of being God’s chosen people to bring about God’s blessing…
- Indeed they become like the nations surrounding them and are overcome by idolatry and immorality.
- Hardly the blessing to the nations that the people of God were meant to be.
So by the time we come to the Prophet Isaiah, written around 700 years before Jesus
- God’s plan for restoration and blessing narrows down…
- So it starts with one man, Abraham, expands to the whole family of Abraham who were meant to be a blessing…
- But we are now introduced to a mysterious child who will fulfill God’s promise of bringing his blessing into the world.
- Are you with me?
- So it goes from a man, to a nation that has gone astray, back to a solitary child who will put things right.
Interestingly, we first meet this mysterious child in Isaiah 7:14, two chapters earlier….
- Verse 14; “Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.”
So we are told that hope and restoration will come through a sign, a virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.
- Now the idea of a sign is important in the history of God’s people.
- A sign always signifies a direct, divine intervention.
- Think Exodus where continually God says to Moses, “I will give you a sign.’ And it always refers to some miracle or divine act of rescue.
- So this child will be a sign.
- A remarkable miracle that will involve a virgin conceiving… this will be a divine intervention in human history unlike any other.
And this child will be called Immanuel. That of course being Hebrew for “God with us”.
- So somehow in this child the presence of God will be made known.
- Into the questions and longings of the human heart that ask, where are you God, and what are you like?
- This child will be God with us.
- A sign, a revelation, an awesome and clear intervention in history that will assure us that hope has arrived!
Now to us who know Jesus, it is pretty obvious who fulfils these promises…
- But to the people reading or hearing Isaiah, it would have been quite baffling as to what God was going to do.
- Who is this child?
- And of course no one comes on to the scene in the immediate of following 700 years.
- But, how glorious for us, that this Christmas, we know… we have met him!
- Jesus. Immanuel, God with us!
So if you have ever been to any Christmas service anywhere, ever… you will know Matthew 1:22-23
- Matthew the gospel writer after telling the story of Joseph and Mary and the virgin conception of Jesus…
- It says this took place to fulfil what the Lord had said through the prophet “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son and they will call him Immanuel (which means God with us).
- The idea of conception between a virgin and the Holy Spirit being that in Jesus we will meet someone fully God and fully human.
- And all through the Gospels the significance of this is that in Jesus we can know God, we can trust God, and be reconciled to God.
- This is God with us.
So we come to today’s passage which is the second passage in Isaiah about this promised child.
- And just so you know, there is a third… Isaiah 11 which speaks of a branch from Jesse who will bring justice, lift up the poor and draw all nations to God..
And so Isaiah 9 points again to how God’s plan to bless all nations and bring light occur?
- How will hope make a comeback, how will God act?
- How will the world be put to rights?
- If it is not going to come through the collective people of God, Abrahams family…
- And so a child’s arrival signals the end of doom…
- Through this mysterious child, he will reign and form a government, or a kingdom, that will know no end.
So again, if you have ever been to a Christmas service anywhere… ever… you will know this passage!
- To people walking in darkness, a light appears… there will be rejoicing and the oppressors rod will be broken off an enslaved people.
- Hostility will end…
- For to us a child is born, he will be called wonderful counsellor, mighty God, everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
- And then the promise that this ruler will reign on David’s throne forever, establishing it with justice and righteousness.
- It’s a remarkable promise! A child whose reign signals the end of gloom and the dawning of a Kingdom of light!
Now this would have particularly struck Isaiah’s contemporaries
- Because this King was to be everything that their Kings were meant to be, but were not.
- And all of the attributes are the character and attributes of God through their history.
- Now of course Israel were not meant to have Kings, because Yahweh, their God was to be their ruler.
- But they persist in asking God for a King like all the nations around them
- God listens to their requests and is gracious to allow it to happen… but then surprise, surprise, the Kings of God’s people end up like other nations Kings.
- They thirst for power, they are violent, greedy, making alliances with other nations rather than trusting God.
- So its all a bit of a mess, and yet there is also this theme that a true King will one day emerge who will fulfil the expectations of Yahweh!
- You with me?
So the names of this child…
Wonderful Counselor speaks to wisdom and maybe they would have reflected on King Solomon…
- Who had been so wise, and yet later in life threw it all away
Mighty God, is sometimes translated as Divine Warrior.
- Their King was meant to trust God for victory and yet so often they make alliances with other nations for protection.
Everlasting Father speaks to the King’s concern for his people,
- And yet what they had with their Kings was rulers who enriched themselves and oppressed the poor.
Finally, Prince of Peace
- And we are going to get more of that particularly in the Isaiah 11 passage, with the image of the lion lying down with the lamb through this child…
- But the Davidic Kings of Judah were constantly at war with the surrounding nations.
- Rather than being God’s instruments to bring blessings and peace.
So I don’t know if you have ever wondered why Matthew’s gospel starts with the genealogy of Jesus, the Messiah, the Son of David…
- But now you do!
- Here comes a King to sit on the throne of David whose Kingdom will know no end.
- The genealogy makes that link…
- And I don’t know if you’ve ever wondered why there is so much talk about the Kingdom of God in the gospels… but now you do.
- This is about a child who will reign rightfully, justly and with righteousness for all the nations…
A King who will be Wonderful Counselor – think Jesus teaching the Sermon on the Mount and the wisdom and truth of his teaching
- A King who will be Mighty God – fully divine and in perfect unity and trust with his Father
- A King who will be Everlasting Father – think of Jesus compassion and kindness.
- A King who would be Prince of Peace – think Jesus telling Peter to put away the sword and forgiving his enemies.
- The child… Immanuel, God with us, will become the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords…
One of my favourite scenes in all of the Gospels is in Matthew 23:37
- Now, listen! Listen to the voice Jesus uses. He is not far from being betrayed and crucified…
- And he says something very profound…
- (SLOW) 37 “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were not willing.”
- I would become a follower of Jesus on this verse alone…
- In Jesus do you hear the voice of God?
- Do you hear the people’s true King and his heart for Abraham’s children?
- I do.
- Here is her King, this is what it looks like.
- He longs to gather them and care for them like a hen gathers her chicks under her wings…
- This is the child named Immanuel…
- This is God with us.
Well to finish today, a couple of thoughts on verse 2
Isaiah 9:2 The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned.
Well in Matthew 4, the author quotes this very verse to signify the beginning of Jesus ministry.
- And immediately we are told, verse 17…
- Jesus began to preach the “repent, for the kingdom of Heaven has come near.”
- Clearly Jesus is to be understood in light of Isaiah 9’s promises.
In John 1:19 – the Apostle John writes…
- “The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world.”
- Clearly Jesus is to be understood as the great light dawning in the darkness.
- Not just for God’s people, but for everyone!
- The blessing that was meant to come through God’s people is coming through God’s son.
John 8:12 “When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.””
- Clearly Jesus self understood himself to be light that will bring life and blessing and peace.
John 12:36; Jesus says;
- “Believe in the light while you have the light, so that you may become children of light.”
- This is the offer this Christmas for all living in darkness…
- Come to Jesus and believe and become children of light!
I love Christmas, and I do love how despite all the consumerism and Santa and rushing around…
- We still remember in this season the light dawning, Jesus coming to be with us!
- That we who walk in darkness have seen a great light
- And that is a reason to celebrate!
It has been a lot this evening, but let me leave you with these two challenges.
- Firstly, carve out the time in the busyness of the season to come to Jesus
- 2 Corinthians 1:20 For no matter how many promises God has made, they are “Yes” in Christ.
- Focus your heart and mind and soul on Jesus – God’s yes to all of his promises.
- Get to know him, spend time with him, be devoted to him
- Become a child of the light!
And then finally, that we will reflect that light into the world this Christmas.
- In the sermon on the Mount, Jesus says, “you are the light of the world.”
- Our light is a reflected light…
- Our love is a derived love, our goodness is imputed goodness
- But none the less.. we bring the light of life, that Jesus has put in us!
There is going to be lots of opportunities for that….
- I know we are putting hampers together at Manly Life for the disadvantaged through The Lighthouse Foundation here on the Northern Beaches…
- Give gifts through Baptist World Aid…
- There are some great Christmas services we can invite friends to…
- We can be a presence of peace and blessing for people around us
- We can make room at our Christmas lunch tables for people with no one to go to
- Maybe we can go and be reconciled to a family member, or make space for God’s grace!
- So lets reflect the light of Jesus!
- Amen!