God Sent His Son: Peace -- Isaiah 9:1-7

This is the time of year that allows us to let our inner child out again to play. We decorate, we look at things and dream of getting them, we make wishes and we enjoy the season. It’s Christmas.

For many, it’s a time of Santa, candy canes, bright lights and Bing Crosby singing Irving Berlin songs. It’s a time for buying, giving and receiving gifts in brightly wrapped boxes with decorative bows. It’s a time of family, fun and a little bit of craziness.

For some, It’s a time of reflection, a time of sadness, and time of being alone. There are those who think Christmas is the most difficult holiday of all. In a world that tells us to be happy, there are those who can’t find that happiness because of a loss, a memory.

For others, Christmas is a time of shepherds, bright stars and angels. It’s a man and his young wife, alone in a stable, placing their newborn son in a manger instead of a crib. For Christians, this time of year is when we celebrate the birth of God’s Son, Jesus Christ. He is the Prince of Peace, the source of comfort and joy, peace and goodwill to all who know Him.

Background

Of the prophets, Isaiah is probably the one associated with social standings. He came from a long line of prophets, raised in Jerusalem. He was comfortable with kings and dignitaries. His time of prophecy ook place in Judah and extended over the reigns of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz & Hezekiah (Isaiah 1:1). He spoke freely to each of these kings, although it is possible that Isaiah’s time of prophecy may have begun around the time of Uzziah’s death.

In this particular passage, the prophecy takes place during the reign of Ahaz. The kings of Aram and Israel were marching against Judah, and God sent messages that Ahaz would be delivered from that threat. To assure Ahaz, God tells Isaiah to ask Ahaz what he wants as a sign of God’s deliverance. Ahaz refuses, claiming he doesn’t want to impose on God. Probably, Ahaz had already sent agents to Egypt seeking their intervention. So, God sends Isaiah back with a sign that the deliverance will come within the time that a child, born of a virgin, will be eating simple foods. God’s answer is found in the armies of Assyria. It was during this time, that God sent the prophetic promise found in today’s passage.

There are those who believe Isaiah’s words speak of a future king, and there are those who claim the words are part of coronation of a new king, Hezekiah. Regardless, there is no dispute that the words also prophecy the coming Messiah who would truly establish the throne of David for eternity. There is general agreement from Christian Old Testament scholars that the passage speaks of the birth of Jesus.

As the angel told the shepherds of the birth of Jesus, he was joined by an army of angels, who proclaimed, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom His favor rests” (Luke 2:14). And it is this peace that Isaiah speaks of.

Central Truth: God sent His Son so that we may find peace.

The birth of Jesus brought:

1. Joy (1-3)

Isaiah’s words that begin Chapter 9 are a continuation of the prophecy that began in the previous chapter. He opens the chapter with words of comfort and assurance to the lands of Zebulun and Naphtali. These were the northernmost tribes of Israel, and as the Assyrians have entered the nation of Israel, these two tribes have suffered the most.

Now, God promises that the tribes—specifically, the area of Galilee just near the boundaries between Naphtali and Zebulun—will be honored. He promises them a great light and an increase of their joy.

When Jesus was born, He was born far south of this area, but it was here that He was raised, and it was in this area where He began His ministry. As Jesus’ fame spread throughout the region, there was a dawning awareness that something special had come to the people of the area. A great light—the Light of the World (John 8:12)—had come to them, a light that would reveal God’s truth and God’s ways. This light would shine in the darkness; He was the true light that gives light to every man, and He had come into the world (John 1:9).

And the joy that is found in God’s Son, according to Isaiah, is the joy of a victor, the joy of one who enjoys an overabundance of goods. It is an unexpected but very much appreciated joy. Jesus is the source of our joy, and it is a joy that resides deep within us regardless of circumstances that surround us. Even in times of turmoil or trouble, we have a certainty that Christ is with us, seeing us through the hardest of times, and that allows us to be joyful through it all. Jesus gives us an assurance and a foundation that allows us to know Him and His joy at all times, good and bad.

1. Peace (4-5)

Isaiah tells us our joy arises from the freedom we find, the freedom of one burdened by the yoke of oppression and subjugation. The words Isaiah uses conveys the harshness of the oppression and the freedoms that are gained. There is no doubt that the world before Christ came is one that was struggling under the burden of sin and degradation. Christ removes the penalty of sin and the domination of Satan, giving us instead life in Him and peace.

Isaiah tells us that the soldiers’ equipment will no longer be needed and will be good for nothing but as fuel for a fire. We live in a world that has known very little peace. In my lifetime, our nation has been directly involved in four wars, from Viet Nam to two wars in Iraq and one in Afghanistan, the last of which is the longest war in America’s history with no end in sight. There have been other wars and conflicts between other nations of varying length and intensity. When the Bible tells us that peace will be a product of Jesus’ coming, it does not mean the end of war or of conflicts between people.

The peace Jesus brings is the ending of conflict between ourselves and God. The peace we gain is the assurance of our security found in Christ. We can face all manner of things and rest with the assurance that the oneness we find with God through Christ will see us through all things. The peace Jesus offers is one of wholeness. It is a peace that passes all understanding because it stays with us, in all circumstances, and gives us an assurance that God is with us.

1. Justice and righteousness (6-7)

Finally, the birth of Jesus brings us justice and righteousness. In one of the more familiar passages in Isaiah, we are given a description of who Jesus is. We have the benefit of seeing this from this side of the cross. We know this promise has been fulfilled in Christ, and we see how He has brought about the promises in these verses.

As the Wonderful Counselor, Jesus is the One who guides us in our daily walk. As we learn to listen to His voice, we gain insight and understanding. It is as our Wonderful Counselor that Jesus give us the wisdom to discern between the choices we often find in life. He is the One we lean on for insight and teaching. When we heed His guidance, we find ourselves not only set on the right path, but also walking in the Father’s will.

As our Mighty God, we know we have Someone who is in our corner, someone who brings us victory in life’s struggles. The Mighty God who fights on our behalf. He is the One we turn to when life’s battles must be fought. He equips us, trains us, prepares us and fights alongside us. We have victory in Christ Jesus our Lord over Satan and his minions.

The Everlasting Father gives us comfort and assurance. He is the One we look to for the love of a parent, the One to lean on when we are afraid, uncertain or weary. His care for us is great and it is eternal.

And He is the Prince of Peace. Again, the idea is that of wholeness, of being at one with the Father.

As Jesus comes into our world—Immanuel, God with us—we ushers in a world of justice and righteousness. The justice is the found in His compassion for the disenfranchised, the forgotten, the overlooked of society. The compassion of Jesus was seen in the ways He treated the multitudes that followed Him, seeking healing, care, freedom.

The righteousness that comes to us through Jesus is guaranteed by His blood in the new covenant God has made by sending His Son into our world. As we turn to Jesus for freedom from sin and for cleansing, we are made righteous, and as the Holy Spirit works in us, our righteousness is perfected as we are sanctified by His presence in us.

Conclusion

Because God so loved the world, He sent us His Son. Through this Son, we find salvation and fellowship with the Father. This relationship ushers in a peace that comes only from God and that passes all understanding. It is peace that makes us whole, a peace that extends justice and righteousness into our lives and, therefore, into our world.

As God sent His Son, so too does He send us, as an extension of His Son, into our world to make a difference and to bring the world to Him. Through Jesus, there is peace for those in whom God’s favor resides.