THE PROMISED ONE
ISAIAH 9:1-7 PRINCETON CHRISTIAN CHURCH 18 DECEMBER 2022
One of the most amazing and wonderful truths about our God is that He is never surprised. He is never in the dark about anything.
As we come to this season of our year when we remember and celebrate the coming of our Savior to earth, I want us to look at the planning and preparation God was carrying out before His Son came to earth.
To do that we must look at the Scriptures which describe what will happen through prophecy. The Old Testament contains over 300 references about a future Savior. This Savior will be anointed by God to deliver his people from oppression.
And guess what! God was not surprised. He was not caught off guard. In fact, His plan was put into place all the way back to Genesis. His plan is recorded in the Old Testament in these Passages: Genesis 3:15 estimated to have been written about 1500 BC; Genesis 12:3; Isaiah 7:14, said to have been written 700 years BC; Micah 5:2 -written 800 years BC; Hosea 11:1
Written about 800 years BC; Psalm 22 – this entire Psalm is about the coming Savior, estimated to have been written 1000 BC; Isaiah 53 – again, this entire Psalm is about our Savior suffering at the crucifixion.
The New Testament, of course, speaks those prophecies through the life, death, burial, and resurrection of that promised Messiah. And the Gospel accounts show how Jesus fulfilled the Messianic Prophecies and ultimately delivered humanity from the oppression of death through the promise of eternal salvation.
Let’s go to Isaiah, chapter 9, verses 1-7. READ.
Now, you are asking, “what does that have to do with the coming of the Christ child?” Well, it describes some of the evil that is taking place in the land. These words climax all that has gone before, and in this vision of a righteous people and a prosperous king reigning over a people emancipated and delivered out of their terrible bondage. In the midst of judgment, Isaiah is reminding his hearers, there is the promise and the certainly of the deliverance of the Lord God Himself. So much so that even those parts that have suffered the most are those that will rejoice the most in the salvation of the Lord.
Now, regarding prophecy --- We can test the accuracy of prophecy found in Scripture by just one way. And that way is this: We test the accuracy of prophecy by asking one question --- Did it come to pass??? That is the only way to know if something that is prophesied is true or not.
The Old Testament prophecies described the waiting Messiah’s birth in detail. They foretold that the Savior would be born of a woman, and He would defeat Satan to redeem humanity. Also, the Savior would come from the seed of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and from the tribe of Judah. Scripture, and prophecy, announce that He would be born to, not just a woman, but to a virgin. He would be the heir to King David’s throne and would reign for eternity.
Isaiah calls on the people to rejoice in that a new day is dawning for the oppressed nations and the peoples of the earth. He tells them how it is to be. The king, for whom all Israel has longed for and waited for – that King is about to begin His reign. And the whole earth is to know the power of His dominion and the inspiration of His saving and redemptive government.
Peace is to be the dominant feature of His reign. The weapons of war are no longer needed. This king is so great and mighty that no one title of Majesty is sufficient to describe Him.
In verse 6 there we see some of the names which have described Him. Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.
Unto us a child is born…it is virtually impossible to see this passage of Scripture and question whether or not this prophecy is speaking of Jesus Christ, the son of God. He is the only one able to deliver and save the souls of mankind in its desperation to lead man into the new and better way of the commandments of God.
This One, who is to come, is no mere man. He is called the Everlasting or Eternal Father. His fatherhood over His people will never end. Those words mean one who in His own being is
Eternal, and is thus able to give the gift of eternal life.
He is the Prince of Peace. That title is the greatest of all because that is what He brings to mankind – Peace With God. Peace to mankind.