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Big Idea: Through unrelenting grace God will deliver an inexplicable victory which a Child will usher in.
Our family watched the Jim Carey version of “The Grinch” the other night. Our kids are in their twenties and wanted to watch a movie with us. It was lovely and Christmassy and fun.
In case you are not aware it is a Dr Seuss story about a Grinch who hates Christmas. Problem is he lives within earshot of the town of Whoville. The Whovillians are obsessed with boisterous celebrations of the Christmas season.
For the Grinch Christmas is not, “The most wonderful time of the year.”
And for some in our church and certainly some in our bit of Brisbane Christmas may actually be the worst time of the year.
Not because they are Grinches, but for a whole host of reasons. Isolation, loneliness, broken, difficult or dysfunctional relationships, financial pressure, disillusionment (things too commercialised), depression, dislocation, or just the expectation that you have to be happy when you really don’t feel happy.
Maybe that’s you. Maybe this is the time of year where you sit quietly, sadly, lon-el-ily in your own little darkness, while everyone else gets stuck into the Yuletide festivities. Maybe for you Christmas sucks!
Today, whether you are enjoying or enduring the early stages of the Christmas season I want to draw your attention to Isaiah 9.
Isaiah is an 8th Century BC prophet. In the Old Testament.
Christmas hadn’t been invented in Isaiah’s day. You might hear that and give a little, “if only.” But this passage does look forward to that first Christmas … and it’s with a sense of hope.
But like the Grinch’s cave this passage is set in the context of gloom and darkness. Darkness is used as a metaphor for the spiritual and physical distress of Isaiah’s audience. But in this context of gloom and depression and the looming judgement of God we have Isaiah 9 and a message of hope, even when things feel sucky.
Where does Isaiah find hope in Christmas when everything feels sucky?
Isaiah 9 conveys three hope inducing truths (surprise, surprise, 3 points).
Isaiah finds hope in …
In the darkness of condemnation, being under God’s judgement there is a promise of hope.
Read v1-2
This is prophecy. The context is the approaching action of God. The Assyrian Army are on their way. God’s judgement has been declared. The punishment like a flood is pouring into the land. It cannot be halted nor avoided.
When I was a young fella we experienced quite a few floods. I remember one time looking down the road that led to our house and actually seeing the flood approaching. My little brother asked if someone had left the hose on? Rain had filled the river way upstream. It was overflowing and that water had to go somewhere. We stood in the sun watching the water sparkling and edging its way toward our house and belongings and we could do nothing to stop it. Things were going to get wet.
God’s judgement is coming, a time of reckoning. His justice demands it, the wages of sin have always been death.
We all rebel against God’s rightful rule and sin against his revealed Word.
Romans 3
9 What shall we conclude then? Do we have any advantage? Not at all! For we have already made the charge that Jews and Gentiles alike are all under the power of sin. 10 As it is written: “There is no one righteous, not even one; 11 there is no one who understands; there is no one who seeks God. 12 All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one.”
We might divide people into those who enjoy Christmas and those who don’t.
God’s categories are … those who need Christmas. One group of people – sinners.
Reading this passage with a young fella who expressed surprise that such a thing was in the Bible!
So where’s the hope? Word one, verse 1 … Nevertheless. There is gloom and darkness … nevertheless, You are a sinner … nevertheless Judgement is coming … nevertheless, A note of hope.
Now, be aware that in these verses … Isaiah is a bit like a Hobbit lost in a caravan park … he gets his tenses mixed up.
He talks about future events as if they were in former times and later times. He describes the light of hope in the darkness as if they had already been revealed (v2), when in this passage we are actually still waiting to discover it.
That’s the nature of Christian hope. Timelines and tenses really don’t matter.
Because of the unrelenting grace of our eternal God his decision to save his people means that it’s as good as done. The inference in these verses, though you deserve judgement, and judgement is approaching, there is hope. A sure and certain confidence in the promise and grace of God. I wonder if you know that hope? Really.
God did exercise grace toward the original readers. But he has fulfilled his promise of hope to all the world.
It is no coincidence that Jesus ministered throughout Galilee, in the northern suburbs of Israel (cf v1).
Jesus, light of the world. Jesus, God’s eternal plan of salvation for his people to rescue them from their sin. Jesus, God’s gracious gift to a world under judgement.
Isaiah highlights and foretells of God’s unrelenting grace to sinners 700 years before he delivered fully and finally in Jesus.
God’s unrelenting grace means hope in every season, no matter how sucky they feel.
If you are here hearing of God’s unrelenting grace that is the light shining in the darkness. That is God is inviting you to call on him. Why not respond to God’s unrelenting grace.
Isaiah finds hope in …
In a season of gloom Isaiah talks of rejoicing.
Read v3.
As the story goes the Grinch doesn’t like Christmas because his heart is two sizes too small.
Instead of being deflated in defeat and dishonour Isaiah sees full hearts of rejoicing and joy. The joy of a farmer at the time of harvest. The joy of a soldier after a military victory.
I don’t know much at all about wars and plundering. I do know about the joy of a good harvest.
Growing up in a farming family I know a good harvest means the promise of Christmas presents and holidays.
So these verses tell me that God is not too concerned about over commercialising Christmas. The promise is of abundance and rejoicing.
Which are the result of an unexpected victory. Read v4-5.
The burden of oppression, the power of the enemy will be removed. The uniforms and weapons of war will be destroyed. There will be a victory.
But this is an unexpected victory. Read v4a (NIV). For as in the day of Midian’s defeat.
Reference to Gideon (Judges 6-7). Gideon’s call (???) Three hundred men each with some pottery, matches and a trumpet. Prevail against an ocean of soldiers with swords and spears and camels.
Judges 7
12 And the Midianites and the Amalekites and all the people of the East lay along the valley like locusts in abundance, and their camels were without number, as the sand that is on the seashore in abundance.
To say that the victory was unexpected from a human point of view is a bit of an understatement. Bit like the deciding State of Origin match being played and Suncorp. Bit unexpected, lovely to watch.
But do you see what Isaiah is saying here. Like the days of Gideon God will bring the victory. You cannot read that Judges account and come to any other conclusion. It was God who won the victory.
No matter how unlikely, no matter how unexpected from a human point of view God will deliver his people to much joy and much rejoicing.
For the people of Israel in the days of Judges there wasn’t a bigger threat than the Midianites. In the day of Isaiah it was the Assyrians.
But in reality our biggest threat is the threat of Death.
An article in the paper this week reported on how the wealthy stay healthy. How people with lots of disposable cash are using it to undergo different treatments to live longer – meditation caves and cryotherapy. Death is the greatest enemy.
And yet Paul declares for all those who trust in Jesus death has been swallowed up in victory and death has lost its sting.
Isaiah promises that hope is found in God’s Unexpected victory; a victory over death.
Next week we’ll consider the passage where the angel says to Mary that she is to call her son Jesus because he will save his people from their sin.
While we were still sinners Christ died for us. It looked like his opponents had won. But three days later eternal victory was declared. If we are saved from sin then death has no victory over us. Another reason for hope in any season no matter how sucky it feels.
Unrelenting Grace. Unexpected Victory. Unto us a child is born.
Finally, Isaiah finds hope in …
Personally, I love Christmas. And to me there are no more Christmassy words than Isaiah 9v6.
Unto us a child is born. unto us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counsellor [supernatural helper], Mighty God [divine warrior], Everlasting Father [eternal king], Prince of Peace [deliverer of victory. Shalom = I win you lose].
Turns out that these words were not penned by Hallmark on their pretty cards.
In fact, these are the focus and climax of what Isaiah has been building to in this passage. Here is the revelation of the true hope of Christmas. This is a declaration of war on the enemies of God’s people and the Saviour will arrive as a child.
Here the account of that first Christmas in Luke.
Luke 2
8 And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. [It’s night, shepherds are in the dark fields] 9 An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. [a messenger from God turns up and there is a terrifying light] 10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. [the message of Christmas; the battle is over, the harvest is here sort of news] 11 Today in the town of David a Saviour has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. [God’s King] 12 This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” [The birth of the promised baby. The mystery revealed, the sign given, salvation is here]. 13 Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, 14 “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favour rests.”
The first Christmas carol – picked up in our song, The First Noel.
This is how Isaiah finishes our passage.
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. The zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this.
Good News. It is the zeal of the Lord not the feel of his people that gives us hope in every season no matter how sucky it feels.
The Grinch does have a happy ending. He discovers hope and joy at Christmas.
How you feel about the Christmas season does not change the truth revealed at that very first Christmas.
Jesus, God the Son come to earth as a baby, to grow into a man, to announce the Kingdom, point us to the Father, and to deal with our sin on the cross and our eternity through his resurrection.
Life is found through faith in him. Hope is found in what he offers. Maybe you came here deflated. You can leave full – prayer at front …
Whatever your feelings for Christmas one right response. O Come Let Us Adore Him.
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