Please turn back to Isaiah 9, looking at verses 1-7, continuing in our Advent series.
! I remember the first time I ever held each of my girls when they were born.
! And I remember the midwife handed the baby to me every time.
And every time I was just so nervous to hold them because the midwife was handing me something just so small and fragile.
Into my hands. I was just, realized I was just holding this tiny, weak, vulnerable little baby.
How terrified I might drop her. I never did, don't worry.
But in many ways, we are right to feel that way about a newborn, aren't we?
That is what a baby is. We think of babies and we think of weak, vulnerable, needy.
Well, as we continue our Advent series here in Isaiah, and we think more about the birth of Christ,
this passage in Isaiah, it gets us to think deeper about what we think of when we think of the baby Jesus.
That's what Isaiah is speaking of here. Look at verse 6.
For to us a child is born, to us a son is given.
So last week, we saw in Isaiah 7, God promises a child from a virgin to end the fears of this world.
Well, here in Isaiah 9, we are seeing more about who this child is.
This is a prophecy looking ahead, a prophecy about the Lord Jesus telling us who he really is.
And so you can kind of think of this passage as like an x-ray on the manger.
So as Mary laid that child, that son, into that manger,
Isaiah 9 is kind of like an x-ray on that manger,
getting us to look deeper into who that baby really is.
And this x-ray reveals something mysterious.
We see he really is a child, just like my girls, weak, vulnerable, needy.
He was cold. He was a cold, crying, hungry baby.
Human in every way.
But at the same time, mysteriously, Isaiah shows us he is also something much, much more.
This child is a king, and this child is a divine king.
And this child, this divine king, has come to do something.
He's come to end the darkness of this world.
So as we continue in our Advent series, I want us to use this time to think more about the mystery of the manger.
So Advent, it's all about the build-up to Christmas, isn't it?
It's all about remembering the wait before Christ's birth.
Well, I want us to think, what are we building up to?
Who exactly are we waiting for?
Who exactly is that boy in the manger?
And the big thing to see is something mysterious is going on in that manger, but also something wonderful.
That child is the king and the divine king to end the darkness of this world.
And so as we look at the manger, this is the first thing I want us to see.
There is a king in that manger.
Look what this passage says about Jesus, verse 6.
For to us a child is born.
To us a son is given.
So there is no doubt to who, to what is in that manger.
It is a child.
A son.
A boy.
You can look into that manger in Bethlehem and say these words of Isaiah.
For to us a child is born.
And what is every child like?
What were my girls like?
The child in that manger, the baby Jesus, he is weak.
Vulnerable.
Needy.
Like any baby, he jolts when he hears a loud noise.
If they had needles back in those days, in modern medicine, you could do the heel prick test on him and he would cry.
He wriggles and screams because he's hungry.
He's wrapped up in swaddling cloths because he's cold.
There's an unhelpful line in Away in a Manger that goes,
The cattle are lowing, the baby awakes, but little Lord Jesus, no crying he makes.
But that can't be true because who is in that manger?
It's a child.
And children cry.
If we can truly say a child is born, then that means a real child, not a super-powered baby.
Not a baby that found this world easy, no.
The son of God really took on true, frail humanity.
Not sinful, not fallen, but frail humanity.
Humanity that can suffer.
And that is what Isaiah's x-ray shows us.
We can look into that manger and see truly a child is born.
That is a son of a virgin.
But at the same time, Isaiah says something remarkable about this child.
Look at verse 6 again.
And the government shall be upon his shoulder.
This is a picture of carrying something on his shoulders.
So kids, or adults as well, has your dad ever put you on his shoulders?
Think about that.
Maybe on a walk, you go on a big hike and you get tired.
What does dad do?
He puts you on his shoulders, doesn't he?
And what is dad doing when he does that?
He's holding you up, isn't he?
He's carrying you.
You're resting on him.
And if he lets go, you fall, don't you?
And so when you're on his shoulders, you're completely dependent on him, aren't you?
The responsibility of looking after you and the power to keep you safe, it all rests on dad.
And when you're on his shoulder, he's the one in charge, isn't he?
Well, as we look into that manger, what does that baby, what does Jesus have on his shoulder?
The government shall be upon his shoulder.
Now, what is this government?
Well, look at verse 7.
It's the throne of David.
That means King David.
It's talking about the throne over God's people, his redeemed people.
It's talking about the throne over God's church.
And as we look into that manger, there is something resting on that tiny little shoulder.
The government of God's people.
And think about government.
Government's all about rule, isn't it?
So the British government rules and controls and orders this land.
Well, Christ rules and controls and orders his people.
The church.
And what kind of person does that?
What kind of person has a throne and rules?
It's a king.
If you x-ray, if you scan that manger,
you will find that there is royal blood pumping through that baby's veins.
And so, at that point,
it may be a tiny little shoulder wrapped in swaddling cloths.
But that shoulder is carrying something huge.
He is perfectly carrying the entire weight and responsibility
of billions of billions of redeemed souls.
The weight of salvation itself is resting on that child's shoulder.
That child is the one keeping his people, his church,
you and me and everyone in Christ.
That child is keeping all of us from falling.
But it's also even more than that.
This government, it goes beyond the church.
Because look at verse 7.
Of the increase of his government and of peace,
there will be no end.
This government, it's the throne of David.
It's over his kingdom.
And this kingdom has no end.
This is a universal government
that lasts for eternity.
It's God's complete rule over all creation,
heaven and earth.
Carrying this government,
it means that this child has the right
to command atoms where to go.
This government,
it's the ability to order angels
to come and go between heaven and earth.
It's the authority to calm storms.
The authority to heal disease.
God's people are at the centre of this kingdom.
The church is at the heart of it.
But this government,
it goes beyond the church
and it covers all creation.
The reach of this kingdom has no end.
And so when Jesus grows up,
30 years after the manger,
and preaches his first sermon,
what does he preach?
The kingdom of heaven is at hand.
The king has arrived.
And that should be no surprise
that that's his first sermon
because he was carrying something
on his shoulder as he preached.
It was something he was born to carry.
The government shall be upon his shoulder.
Abraham Kuyper,
a theologian,
he famously said this about Christ.
There is not a square inch
in the whole domain of our human existence
over which Christ,
who is sovereign over all,
does not cry,
mine.
Although that little baby
couldn't speak yet,
as he lies in that manger,
he has every right to say,
this whole world is mine.
There is a king in that manger.
And so there is something
mysterious going on.
There is a child,
weak, vulnerable, needy,
that needed his mother,
needed warmth,
but at the same time,
in that manger,
is a king
who must be bowed to
and listened to
and feared and respected.
And while he needs his mother,
at the same time,
in every way,
we need him.
Because look what this king
has come to do
as he carries the government
on his shoulder.
Verse 2.
The people who walked in darkness
have seen a great light.
Those who dwelt
in a land of deep darkness,
on them has light shined.
This king has come to bring light.
And what does light do?
Light dispels darkness.
So think,
you walk into a dark room,
it's pitch black,
darkness everywhere,
and then you turn on the big light,
you hit the switch.
What happens to the darkness
in that room?
It disappears, doesn't it?
The darkness doesn't hang around
whilst the light is also shining.
No, no.
Light dispels darkness,
replaces it.
Well, this child has been born
carrying this kingdom
in order to dispel darkness.
And what is this darkness?
Well, you already know.
You can feel it right now.
The darkness here in Isaiah,
it's the curse of this world.
It's exactly how we talk about darkness.
We speak about a dark time in life,
don't we?
A time of suffering.
Maybe a period of life
that's just gone off the rails.
We say,
that was a dark time in life.
That's the darkness going on here.
We speak of anxiety
and depression as darkness.
darkness.
We speak of dark thoughts
and it feels like all the colour
and light has gone from life.
That's the darkness.
We speak of something
having a dark side to it,
don't we?
When something is evil
or corrupt
or there's an injustice,
that's the darkness.
And of course,
the Bible speaks of the valley
of the shadow of death.
Death itself
is a darkness in this world.
It is a shadow
that weighs very heavy on us.
And what has this king come to do?
Shine light
into all that darkness.
To dispel it,
destroy it.
To use the government
that is on his shoulder
to bring an end to the darkness
that weighs so heavy on us.
Christmas time
is all about recognising
that a light has come
to actually end
the curse of darkness.
A king has come
with the authority
to end sin
and suffering itself.
That child
in that manger
does need his mother
but we must not miss.
We really need him.
In your darkness,
whatever that may be,
you may be looking
for light right now.
Looking for help,
looking for rescue
from this dark
and cursed life
and maybe you just have
no idea where to go.
Well, you cannot miss this.
A child has been born
who is the light
to shine into your darkness.
In that manger
is a king
and the government
of creation
is on his shoulder,
a king
to end this darkness.
And the reason
he can shine this light,
the reason he can have
this power
is because of who he is.
We could so easily ask,
why can one little child,
how can one son
shine so much light?
How can such responsibility
be on such tiny shoulders?
Well, we need to look
even closer
into the manger.
Look closely
at that x-ray
and Isaiah shows us
even more
of who this child is.
There is not only a king
but there is a divine king
in that manger.
That's my second point.
There is a divine king
in that manger.
Look at the end
of verse 6.
Isaiah gives four names
for this baby.
Did you see verse 6?
Wonderful counsellor,
mighty God,
everlasting father,
prince of peace.
Now names,
names are always important
in the Bible.
Names aren't just random.
Names tell us
about who a person
really is.
It's an insight
into their character.
Well, this is giving us
an insight
into who Jesus really is,
who that baby is
in that manger.
And so just look
at the first name.
Wonderful counsellor.
Now, counsellor here,
it doesn't mean therapist.
Okay?
That's often how we use
the word counsellor,
isn't it?
No.
Counsellor
means someone with wisdom.
So, we take counsel
from someone
when we need wisdom
from them,
don't we?
So, if you want
your car fixed,
you need wisdom,
counsel from someone
who knows how to fix them.
You take counsel
from John Silver.
He's not here tonight.
But, when he's better,
take counsel
from John Silver.
Or, if you're struggling
in your family,
you may take counsel
from an older couple
because they know
how to help.
They have the wisdom.
A counsellor
is someone with wisdom
to deal with
this fallen world.
And, wonderful,
it doesn't just mean
really nice.
So, we might say,
oh, I had a wonderful
time at lunch.
Meaning, I had a really
nice time at lunch.
No, no.
It doesn't mean that.
Wonderful,
it means what it says.
It means full of wonders.
And, who does wonders
in the Bible?
Well, God does wonders.
Think of the Exodus.
All those plagues
and miracles
were God's signs
and wonders.
And so, who is Jesus?
He is the one
who has the miraculous,
wondrous wisdom of God.
He is the one
full of divine wisdom.
in that manger
is the one
who not only
has the right
to rule this world,
but he also
knows how to do it.
He has the wisdom,
the counsel,
to fix the darkness
in this world.
He is the
wonderful
counsellor.
And, look at his other name.
Mighty God.
this king
has the power
and might
of God himself.
That little boy
can carry
the government
on his shoulder
because
he was carrying
the galaxies
before he was even born.
And he's called
Everlasting Father.
Now,
this isn't getting
the persons
of the Trinity
confused, okay?
So you might
read this
and wonder,
hold on,
I thought Jesus
was the Son of God,
not the Father.
Hold on,
how can he be called this?
And if you're
in my Sunday school,
I hope your Trinity
senses are tingling
right now.
I hope you've been listening.
Well,
this isn't calling
the Son
the Father.
This isn't mixing up
the first and second
person of the Trinity.
No.
He is called
Father
because
fathers
care for
and love
their family.
And as mighty
God,
Jesus has been
caring for
and loving
his people,
his church.
As a father
loves his family
with an
everlasting
divine love.
Everlasting
Father means
this baby
is the
everlasting
God
who loves
his people.
And finally,
he's the
Prince of Peace.
with the
government on
his shoulders,
he's a
prince.
And a
prince who
brings not
war,
not strife,
not burdens,
but peace.
So this child,
what do these names
say about him?
He's a child
full of divine
wisdom,
full of divine
power,
full of divine
love and
divine peace.
all this is to
say that this
child is,
without any
doubt,
this child
is God
himself.
Not merely a
prophet,
not merely
just a holy
person,
but the
eternal,
mighty God
taking on
a human
nature.
And being
born a
child held
in the arms
of his
mother.
so that
when she
places him
in that
manger,
that that
child we
see in
that
manger,
we must
bow to
him as
king,
and bow
to him
as God.
There is a
divine king
in that
manger.
And this,
this is how
one child
can bring so
much light
into such
darkness in
our lives.
this darkness
we're in,
this is a
complicated,
relentless
enemy around
us.
Suffering.
We try to
avoid it
every day,
but it
always finds
us.
The sadness
of our
lives,
we try to
drown out
with any
substance,
any
distraction
we can
find.
We keep
voting in
new parties,
write new
policies,
thinking that
this will
finally deal
with the
dark side
of this
world.
But it's
always lurking.
And we
go to the
council of
doctors,
and they
can slow
death,
they can
sometimes
delay it,
but eventually
it always
knocks on
our door.
This
darkness is
too big,
too complicated
for any
creature,
any human
king to
solve.
So what
do we
need?
divine
wisdom
to know
how to
bring light
and get
rid of
this
darkness.
We need
a wonderful
counsellor.
We need
a mighty
God
strong enough
to end
death itself.
We need
an everlasting
father,
a God who
loves his
people enough
to do
something about
this.
we need
a prince
to rule
this chaos
of darkness
and bring
peace,
peace to
the anguish
of our
lives,
peace between
sinners and
God.
And that,
that is
exactly who
this child
is.
Because this
child,
when he was
older,
he hung
on a cross
and he
offered his
frail and
vulnerable
flesh,
shed his
royal blood,
all to
bring peace
to his
people.
And when
he was on
that cross,
darkness hung
over the
land because
the darkness
of the world
was falling
on him,
bearing the
sins of
his people.
and it
fell on him
so that he
could bring
light to
everywhere
else.
And because
he is
mighty God,
death and
darkness could
not win.
The divine
king was
raised to
new life.
And it's
through this
sacrifice,
this is how
the divine
king is
bringing in
his kingdom.
As you
trust this
son,
trust in his
death,
this is how
the darkness
is destroyed.
That is how
the light
comes into
your life.
With the
government on
his shoulder,
he can
command your
darkness to
disappear.
So let me
ask you today,
are you
trusting in
this king?
Do you
realise he
is a king
to bow to?
Do you
realise he
is your
God to
bow to?
Well he
invites you
today,
come to
this son,
trust
in him
and he
is able
to bring
light into
your
darkness.
The guilt
of your
sin will
be no
more
dispelled.
The
hopelessness
that we
have in
this world,
it gets
transformed
because you
will belong
to a
kingdom
without
end.
And you
will have
a certainty
that after
death you
will never
be cast
into
darkness.
You will
only enter
into the
light of
everlasting
life.
So please
do not
miss who
the child
is in
that
manger.
Don't
miss this
divine
king.
But we
can't
ignore the
fact that
there is
still so
much darkness
in our
lives.
even for
those of
us who
are trusting
in this
divine
king,
we can
so easily
wonder if
he is so
wonderful,
so mighty,
so loving,
if there's
meant to
be peace
in my
life,
why do
I still
feel the
depth of
this
darkness?
Well, the
first thing
we can't
forget is
just because
we still
feel the
darkness,
that doesn't
mean there
is no
light at
all.
Christ has
shone into
the darkness
of your
sin,
you do
belong to
this kingdom,
you are
under his
everlasting
love and
care right
now.
And so
you can
know that
there is a
sure end
to your
darkness.
When Christ
returns,
the light
will come
back to
earth and
get rid of
this darkness
entirely.
And if we
still feel
this darkness,
and we all
do,
this is what
we need to
do now,
we need
to wait,
patiently
wait.
This
Advent,
as we
remember the
wait for
Christ's
first coming,
we must
use this
time to
remember to
wait for
his second
coming.
This isn't
the end
that we're
at.
The darkness
is going to
disappear,
and Jesus
hasn't
forgotten
you.
The divine
king will
come back
for you,
the light
will return
and end
this darkness,
and so for
now,
we need
to wait.
But we
can wait
with certain
hope,
because we
know that
day is
coming.
We know
it will
be a day
of joy,
because the
light has
already come.
The divine
king has
already been
in that
manger,
he's
already hung
on that
cross,
that light
has already
shone in
the darkness.
So let's
keep waiting.
Wait for
your wonderful
counsellor,
your mighty
God,
your everlasting
father,
your prince of
peace.
The darkness
is almost
over.
The light
will return.
Let's pray.