[SPEAKER_00]: If you have a Bible with, you're going to open up with me to Isaiah chapter nine.
[SPEAKER_00]: Isaiah nine is one of the wonderful, wonderful Christmas passages that we read every single year.
[SPEAKER_00]: I just want to read this for us tonight.
[SPEAKER_00]: And actually, as I read this, honestly, I want to read this as a Thanksgiving prayer to God, okay?
[SPEAKER_00]: So actually, as I read, and this is different than what we usually do, usually we stand.
[SPEAKER_00]: But as I read, actually, I want us to bow our heads, if you guys would.
[SPEAKER_00]: So you can bow your head as I read this and just make this a thankful prayer tonight as we think about what God has done for us.
[SPEAKER_00]: The government will be on his shoulders, and he will be called wonderful counselor, mighty God, everlasting father, Prince of Peace.
[SPEAKER_00]: Of the increase of his government and peace, there will be no end.
[SPEAKER_00]: 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.
[SPEAKER_00]: The zeal of the Lord Almighty
[SPEAKER_00]: accomplish this.
[SPEAKER_00]: Amen.
[SPEAKER_00]: This is the order of the Lord.
[SPEAKER_00]: Thanks for your time.
[SPEAKER_00]: Thank you guys, man.
[SPEAKER_00]: Thank you all so much.
[SPEAKER_00]: Man, I love just singing those songs together and and worshiping God in His words.
[SPEAKER_00]: So yeah, open up with me, Isaiah 9 if you're not there already.
[SPEAKER_00]: We're going to walk through that for the last few weeks.
[SPEAKER_00]: If you guys have joined us for our Advent series, our Christmas series leading up to tonight.
[SPEAKER_00]: We've been talking about these songs that are in recorded in the gospel of Luke specifically, no other gospel records, the songs that Luke records, Mary's Magnificate and Zechariah's Benedictus and the angels, Gloria and XLC's Dayo, and last week we talked about simians, Nuke Demintis, now dismiss your servant in peace, right?
[SPEAKER_00]: We've been looking at these songs that are sung around the birth of Jesus and just kind of encouraging
[SPEAKER_00]: God deserves our songs.
[SPEAKER_00]: He deserves our songs and more than deserving our songs.
[SPEAKER_00]: It should be within our hearts, within our minds constantly our souls who are saved and redeemed by Jesus.
[SPEAKER_00]: It should be within us who want to sing to him.
[SPEAKER_00]: I think to rejoice in song over this newborn King and this crucified king and this risen king and this living king that we have in Jesus Christ.
[SPEAKER_00]: Hey, man, we should sing.
[SPEAKER_00]: We should sing to him.
[SPEAKER_00]: And so here's my question tonight.
[SPEAKER_00]: Here's my question as we look at Isaiah chapter nine.
[SPEAKER_00]: My question is this, who exactly are we singing to?
[SPEAKER_00]: When we say, that's a good question.
[SPEAKER_00]: I don't know if you guys asked questions.
[SPEAKER_00]: When you read the Bible, I think we should ask questions as we read things.
[SPEAKER_00]: Obviously, we know we're singing to Jesus, but who is he?
[SPEAKER_00]: Who is this Jesus person that we sing to?
[SPEAKER_00]: Because listen, there's all sorts of opinions about who this guy is in the world.
[SPEAKER_00]: I mean, you could find most people in the world, pull them aside, ask them some opinion about who they think Jesus is.
[SPEAKER_00]: They've probably heard of Jesus and they probably have a thought on who he is.
[SPEAKER_00]: Some people worship him as God and King and Lord and save your Messiah.
[SPEAKER_00]: Many people do not, most everybody would agree.
[SPEAKER_00]: He was at least some sort of good God, right?
[SPEAKER_00]: But we, as Christian people, if you are in Christ, of course, we worship him differently, see him differently uniquely among all people in the world.
[SPEAKER_00]: We do worship him as our King, as our Messiah.
[SPEAKER_00]: who has come to save us from seeing it.
[SPEAKER_00]: So I think Isaiah helps the answer that question and Isaiah chapter nine.
[SPEAKER_00]: So quick, context, in the beginning of Isaiah nine, he's actually Isaiah of the prophet Isaiah is actually prophesying about this area, these two tribes of Zebulan and Nephtaulay, okay, there are two tribes and northern Israel, and he's actually prophesying to them that there would be a day when those who live in that region northern Israel along the Jordan River.
[SPEAKER_00]: When they will no longer walk in darkness, he says they will no longer live in the shadow of death.
[SPEAKER_00]: He says they will no longer grieve in loss, but they will rejoice as with a harvest.
[SPEAKER_00]: They will no longer be burdened under the yoke of oppressors, but with no freedom.
[SPEAKER_00]: They would no longer fear the threat of invasion and war.
[SPEAKER_00]: but they would have peace.
[SPEAKER_00]: You see, it was the northern part of Israel that first experienced the invasions of the Assyrian army in Isaiah's time and before Isaiah's time.
[SPEAKER_00]: And so the armies came in through the north and they were the first ones who experienced this loss, this woeful time in Israel's history.
[SPEAKER_00]: And so when Isaiah makes this prophecy, he's saying, it will be y'all, it will be y'all in the northern parts.
[SPEAKER_00]: along the Jordan River in Galilee, he actually says the word Galilee of the Gentiles who would experience this light that will dawn upon the people of God and you will experience it first.
[SPEAKER_00]: Okay, so that's the context and then he gets to verse 6 and that's when he makes the statement like we just read.
[SPEAKER_00]: For to us, he says to us, a child is born.
[SPEAKER_00]: So the question is how, how would they experience this peace, how would they experience this freedom, how would they experience,
[SPEAKER_00]: How would they experience no longer being burdened under oppression, no longer the threats of invasion and war?
[SPEAKER_00]: How would they experience this?
[SPEAKER_00]: And this answer is, a child is going to be born.
[SPEAKER_00]: He says, for to us, that us, he's talking to all Israel.
[SPEAKER_00]: We know by extension now because an Isaiah writes very much about this.
[SPEAKER_00]: If you read the book of Isaiah, Isaiah speaks more to the Gentiles than really any other Old Testament book.
[SPEAKER_00]: Isaiah speaks very much to, yes, the people of God, the people of Israel.
[SPEAKER_00]: But he also speaks to all people on the earth.
[SPEAKER_00]: And he prophesized towards the kingdom that God would set up that would not just be for Israel.
[SPEAKER_00]: It would be a kingdom over all the earth.
[SPEAKER_00]: And so that's who us the child is born.
[SPEAKER_00]: That's us.
[SPEAKER_00]: That's all the earth.
[SPEAKER_00]: Jews and Gentiles are like to us a child is born.
[SPEAKER_00]: Now that's a pretty general statement, right?
[SPEAKER_00]: To us a child is born.
[SPEAKER_00]: That very next thing he says he gets more specific to us a son that relates to the word child that child is what?
[SPEAKER_00]: A son.
[SPEAKER_00]: And he said a child is born and the word that relates to born would be the word given for us to us a child is born and then he says to us a son is given not just is a child going to be born specifically a son is going to be given.
[SPEAKER_00]: All right, all children that come into this world are born.
[SPEAKER_00]: But this specific child that Isaiah prophesies of, who will be the light that will dawn in Galilee, who will be the one who ends the oppression and ends the loss and who takes them out of the shadow of death, that would be a son that would be given specifically, a male child, not just born, but given, specifically given by God, the context of the entire prophecy is God is going to do a work in his people in this land in Galilee.
[SPEAKER_00]: When you read the gospel of Matthew, specifically Matthew, has in mind as he writes his gospel, that he wants to express to the people that are reading it, that Jesus is the prophesied Messiah.
[SPEAKER_00]: That's his main goal.
[SPEAKER_00]: Luke wants to talk about how Jesus served the last loss in the least.
[SPEAKER_00]: Mark wants to really highlight his ministry activity.
[SPEAKER_00]: John wants to highlight that he's the son of God.
[SPEAKER_00]: Matthew wants to show he's the prophesied Messiah and Jesus fulfills all of them.
[SPEAKER_00]: So when Jesus begins his ministry and Matthew 4, it's this passage, Isaiah 9, that he quotes, because where does Jesus begin his ministry?
[SPEAKER_00]: Galilee.
[SPEAKER_00]: Just like Isaiah said to Galilee, the northern part of Israel, this light will dawn makes to us a child is born, to us a son is given after Jesus' baptized and he goes into the wilderness for 40 days.
[SPEAKER_00]: He comes back across the Jordan River and where to see begin his ministry in Galilee, the northern part of Israel.
[SPEAKER_00]: And so Matthew quotes the very beginning of Isaiah chapter nine, but here's the thing, when a writer, when a Jewish writer would quote the beginning of a prophecy, his point was the entire prophecy applies to what till person I'm talking about, right?
[SPEAKER_00]: So they would just quote the very beginning.
[SPEAKER_00]: He quotes the very beginning of Isaiah nine, but it is to say that this Jesus who began his ministry in Galilee, he didn't just fulfill that part of the prophecy.
[SPEAKER_00]: He fulfills all the prophecy.
[SPEAKER_00]: So who is Jesus in Matthew's opinion?
[SPEAKER_00]: The son that was given, and specifically there's more, who is the son that was given, keep reading, he says, and the government will be on his shoulders.
[SPEAKER_00]: The government will be on his shoulder shoulders are a symbol of strength, carrying a load, a burden, authority, power.
[SPEAKER_00]: So the sun to be given, and Isaiah's prophecy would be a what?
[SPEAKER_00]: A king, a ruler, the government would rest upon this sun, upon this child born, upon this one who would begin his ministry in Galilee.
[SPEAKER_00]: The government was rest on him, and that means he is a ruler, he's a king.
[SPEAKER_00]: So that's who this son that was born.
[SPEAKER_00]: That's who this child that was born.
[SPEAKER_00]: The son given would be.
[SPEAKER_00]: But what else is his nature?
[SPEAKER_00]: Let's keep reading this is one of the most famous Christmas passages here as they are 96 and he will be called wonderful counselor.
[SPEAKER_00]: wonderful counselor.
[SPEAKER_00]: A word wonderful.
[SPEAKER_00]: It can be marvelous, astonishing, even miraculous.
[SPEAKER_00]: Often in the Scriptures, God's spoken of as doing wonders, right?
[SPEAKER_00]: That same word, wonder, God's wonders.
[SPEAKER_00]: That's God's miracles, things that are out of the ordinary, beyond the course of nature.
[SPEAKER_00]: Right?
[SPEAKER_00]: And Isaiah wrote this about the wonder of the counselor, the wonderful counselor who this son would be, right?
[SPEAKER_00]: And the counselor is one that gives trustworthy and wise guidance, a good teacher.
[SPEAKER_00]: And so who is Jesus?
[SPEAKER_00]: As we see the gospel writers explain who this man is.
[SPEAKER_00]: This son of God is.
[SPEAKER_00]: He's called the word of God.
[SPEAKER_00]: He's called the truth.
[SPEAKER_00]: He's called the light.
[SPEAKER_00]: His disciples
[SPEAKER_00]: Jesus taught and he guided and he counseled men, women, children, Jews, Samaritans, Gentiles, rich, and poor.
[SPEAKER_00]: Jesus is the wonderful counselor, the great teacher.
[SPEAKER_00]: In Matthew 17, Mark 9 and Luke 9, we see this moment where Jesus goes up on this mountain.
[SPEAKER_00]: He takes a few of his disciples with him and says he's transfigured before them.
[SPEAKER_00]: The glory of Christ comes through for them to see, but they can't really see it because he's shielded by a cloud in this moment.
[SPEAKER_00]: And they see his glory, at least through the cloud.
[SPEAKER_00]: And then they hear the voice of God, and God speaks out of the cloud and he says, this is my son, listen to him.
[SPEAKER_00]: It's what he says.
[SPEAKER_00]: Listen to him, why?
[SPEAKER_00]: Because he's the wonderful counselor.
[SPEAKER_00]: He's the one who teaches the greatest teachings though the world is ever known.
[SPEAKER_00]: He's the one who speaks truth.
[SPEAKER_00]: He's the one who is truth.
[SPEAKER_00]: Y'all, what love we have received in the birth of this king that he is our wonderful counselor.
[SPEAKER_00]: But Isaiah says he's more than that.
[SPEAKER_00]: He's mighty God.
[SPEAKER_00]: So as much as this newborn king would be close and personal as our counselor, he would also be high and exalted and glorious as our God.
[SPEAKER_00]: Some would actually argue, and this is why I asked the question, who is this Jesus?
[SPEAKER_00]: Some argue that Jesus is not co-eturnal with the Father, that he's not the co-eturnal God.
[SPEAKER_00]: But the New Testament authors go to great lengths, specific lengths, to clear that up and
[SPEAKER_00]: as much as they can.
[SPEAKER_00]: John 1-1.
[SPEAKER_00]: John 1-1 says this in the beginning was the word and the word was with God and the word was God.
[SPEAKER_00]: Speaking of Jesus, that's actually my favorite Christmas story right there John 1 1.
[SPEAKER_00]: In the beginning was the word the word was with God the word was God He later says he became flesh and dwelt among us.
[SPEAKER_00]: So who is this this Jesus this word of God?
[SPEAKER_00]: It says he was with God and so he's a distinct person from the Father God.
[SPEAKER_00]: He sees some unique person But he also says he was God.
[SPEAKER_00]: So he shares in the nature and the will and the purpose and the power of Almighty God
[SPEAKER_00]: So he's both with God and he is God, the mystery of the triune God right there in John one one.
[SPEAKER_00]: There's some other scriptures here on the screen, Colossians one, Hebrews one, Philippians two.
[SPEAKER_00]: John chapter eight, Jesus himself makes this statement before Abraham ever was.
[SPEAKER_00]: I am.
[SPEAKER_00]: Jesus said that about himself.
[SPEAKER_00]: Jesus is God.
[SPEAKER_00]: Mighty God.
[SPEAKER_00]: And Isaiah 714 says this, the Virgin shall give birth to a child.
[SPEAKER_00]: And his name shall be called Emmanuel.
[SPEAKER_00]: Emmanuel means what?
[SPEAKER_00]: God with us.
[SPEAKER_00]: In that name, that God gives to us on how He gets the name.
[SPEAKER_00]: Jesus, Jesus means God is Savior.
[SPEAKER_00]: So Jesus is what He would do for us.
[SPEAKER_00]: But Emmanuel is who He is for us.
[SPEAKER_00]: If Jesus is what He would do, are Savior.
[SPEAKER_00]: Emmanuel is who He is.
[SPEAKER_00]: He's God.
[SPEAKER_00]: with us.
[SPEAKER_00]: Right now you hear the transcendent glory and the imminent personality of Jesus in that one name.
[SPEAKER_00]: God with us.
[SPEAKER_00]: I lifted up close and personal at the same time.
[SPEAKER_00]: God with us, this is who this son would be.
[SPEAKER_00]: Number three, Isaiah calls in the everlasting Father.
[SPEAKER_00]: Now this is an interesting one, right?
[SPEAKER_00]: That Jesus is here called the everlasting Father.
[SPEAKER_00]: Now we know in Scripture teaches us this, he is distinct.
[SPEAKER_00]: We just talked about it.
[SPEAKER_00]: He's distinct from the Father.
[SPEAKER_00]: God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit, the Triangut.
[SPEAKER_00]: Jesus is distinct from the Father, always in Scripture, teaching.
[SPEAKER_00]: This is poetic language to express his headship and his leadership over the church forever.
[SPEAKER_00]: And also, Jesus reveals the Father's heart to us.
[SPEAKER_00]: Does he not?
[SPEAKER_00]: He reveals the love of God, the mercy of God, the kindness of God, to the people of God.
[SPEAKER_00]: Jesus is one in character with the Father.
[SPEAKER_00]: And so, he does have, I think, a fatherly attitude and heart and affection toward us, like a loving, big brother.
[SPEAKER_00]: If you have a loving, big brother, you would say he has a fatherly love towards you.
[SPEAKER_00]: And that is the love that Christ has towards us.
[SPEAKER_00]: He is the vine, we are the branches.
[SPEAKER_00]: our everlasting life.
[SPEAKER_00]: He says, these are the everlasting Father.
[SPEAKER_00]: He is the Father of our salvation, eternally in Christ Jesus.
[SPEAKER_00]: We have eternal life because He is our everlasting Father, church, rejoice in this.
[SPEAKER_00]: We talked about joy and love and peace and hope.
[SPEAKER_00]: We should rejoice in this that our salvation is set in secure and Christ our King because He gave His life for us
[SPEAKER_00]: And he revealed the Father to us so that we can know him have life in him righteous before him, everlasting life.
[SPEAKER_00]: And number four, as they call him, the Prince of Peace.
[SPEAKER_00]: Here we're thinking about how interesting it was that the angels came and they sang that song, Glory to God in the highest and on earth, peace, goodwill toward men.
[SPEAKER_00]: And it actually says there was one angel who made the announcement at first, right?
[SPEAKER_00]: But it turns out all the angel armies fill up the sky of that night.
[SPEAKER_00]: When I don't know if you ever think about this, when armies show up, what are they coming to announce?
[SPEAKER_00]: It ain't peace ever, except that night, that army showed up not to announce war to announce peace.
[SPEAKER_00]: Now, maybe they did announce where they were announcing war on the forces of evil and sin and death.
[SPEAKER_00]: that Jesus has come to King has been born, and we will make war on that.
[SPEAKER_00]: But they announced peace on earth.
[SPEAKER_00]: Goodwill, some men.
[SPEAKER_00]: on whom God's favor rests us with that goodwill to men on whom God's favor rests.
[SPEAKER_00]: They were announcing peace.
[SPEAKER_00]: This is the very essence of the eternal life that we do have in Christ.
[SPEAKER_00]: It is perfect and eternal peace with God.
[SPEAKER_00]: Because Christ's death has satisfied His justice so that we could be forgiven of the guilt of our sins and freed from their penalty.
[SPEAKER_00]: The curse of death and damnation that our sins deserved.
[SPEAKER_00]: Jesus paid for that.
[SPEAKER_00]: By our sin, listen to me.
[SPEAKER_00]: If you don't know this, you need to know this.
[SPEAKER_00]: So why Christmas exists?
[SPEAKER_00]: By our sin, we have made ourselves enemies of God.
[SPEAKER_00]: By faith in Jesus, we are no longer His enemies, but we are His children.
[SPEAKER_00]: We are reconciled to right relationship with God through the cross and the resurrection of Christ.
[SPEAKER_00]: And for all who love
[SPEAKER_00]: with God.
[SPEAKER_00]: He's our prince of peace.
[SPEAKER_00]: He's purchased it for us, but his own body, his own blood, shed for us on the cross.
[SPEAKER_00]: You see him.
[SPEAKER_00]: You know him.
[SPEAKER_00]: You love him.
[SPEAKER_00]: You come to faith in Jesus Christ, and you will have life eternal in his name.
[SPEAKER_00]: That's why we sing.
[SPEAKER_00]: That's why we come in.
[SPEAKER_00]: You'll ever think about why Christian sings songs.
[SPEAKER_00]: It's kind of weird.
[SPEAKER_00]: If Jesus isn't who he says he is,
[SPEAKER_00]: But if he's who he says he is, if he's who I say it says he is, if he's who Matthew Marluch and John say he is, if he's who Paul said he was, then it makes all the sense in the world that we would sing to that King.
[SPEAKER_00]: Our wonderful counselor, mighty God, everlasting father.
[SPEAKER_00]: Prince of peace, this is our Christ, our Messiah, King, born that night in Bethlehem.
[SPEAKER_00]: His palace, a stable,
[SPEAKER_00]: His throne, a manger, our wonderful counselor, who draws near to us in love, our mighty God, whose will is perfect in whose word never fails.
[SPEAKER_00]: that everlasting father of our salvation who has purchased our redemption in our adoption as the children of God unto eternal life.
[SPEAKER_00]: And our prince of peace, who has clothed us in His righteousness that we may stand before God forever, united in perfect peace with Him, and with all who call on His name, forever in Christ.
[SPEAKER_00]: I'm going to ask the band to go ahead and come back up and
[SPEAKER_00]: We have spent the last four weeks of Advent y'all looking at these songs and singing these songs and praising this King.
[SPEAKER_00]: So here's my question tonight.
[SPEAKER_00]: We've seen Mary sing her song.
[SPEAKER_00]: We've seen Zechariah sing his song.
[SPEAKER_00]: We've seen the angels sing their songs.
[SPEAKER_00]: We've seen Simian sing his song in the temple, but my question is this, what about us?
[SPEAKER_00]: What about us?
[SPEAKER_00]: will we sing to the king?
[SPEAKER_00]: And I don't mean just right now for the next 10 minutes.
[SPEAKER_00]: I mean, will we live our lives submitted to surrender to singing to the great and glorious King Jesus, who, yes, was born in the dirt for us.
[SPEAKER_00]: He came for us, y'all.
[SPEAKER_00]: He came for us, the Apostle Paul writes this in Ephesians 5, 19 and 20.
[SPEAKER_00]: He says, speak to one another with Psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
[SPEAKER_00]: He says, seeing, seeing from the heart filled with love and hope and joy and peace in Christ Jesus.
[SPEAKER_00]: He said, seeing because you're always thankful to Him, always thankful to Him.
[SPEAKER_00]: We're not thankful to Him just one month out of the year, are we?
[SPEAKER_00]: We're thankful to Him always because He has come for us.
[SPEAKER_00]: He is the Son given to us by the Father.
[SPEAKER_00]: We sing, so let us sing tonight.
[SPEAKER_00]: Let us sing tomorrow.
[SPEAKER_00]: Let us sing in the new year.
[SPEAKER_00]: Let us sing through February.
[SPEAKER_00]: Let us sing in March and April.
[SPEAKER_00]: May, June, July, August, September, October, November.
[SPEAKER_00]: Next December, let us keep singing to the King.
[SPEAKER_00]: The Son that was given for our salvation.
[SPEAKER_00]: Jesus Christ the Lord, so if you guys will, let's stand together and let's sing together.
[SPEAKER_00]: God, would you accept our praise tonight?
[SPEAKER_00]: Would you fill our hearts with joy tonight?
[SPEAKER_00]: Would you remind us tonight that we're not just singing to a screen, we're singing to a king.
[SPEAKER_00]: And everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace, a wonderful counselor, our mighty God, your Son, our Lord, our Messiah, King Jesus.
[SPEAKER_00]: God, open our hearts, and let these songs come out of our mouths with joy in His name, amen.