Is Isaiah 9:6 About Jesus? | Pastor Daniel Batarseh

Front to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the

government shall be upon his shoulder, and he shall be called

wonderful counsellor, mighty God, everlasting Father, Prince

of Peace, one of the most profound, precise and paramount

prophecies concerning the Lord Jesus Christ.

And we hear it so much during this time of the year, do we

not? Yes, because it is treasured and

it is important, but I'm not certain how many believers

understand why it belongs to the Lord Jesus Christ.

Why is Isaiah 96 attributed and exclusively belonging to Jesus

of Nazareth? And that's what I want to

discuss with you in the opening moments of this service.

I want you to consider first, what may seem to be obvious,

that this prophecy is granted to the Lord Jesus Christ in the New

Testament. You remember in Luke 211 where

the angels appeared in glory before those shepherds at night,

and they said to them in their declaration, front to you, this

day is born in the city of David, a Savior, the Christ who

is Lord. Listen carefully to how the

angels heralded this message. They borrowed the language from

Isaiah the prophet to bring to mind how God kept His promise

even though he gave it 7 centuries before the arrival of

the very thing he prophesied. For unto us a child is born, and

in centuries pass, and the angels arrive on the scene and

say, for unto you this day is born.

And so it's very difficult to dispute how these angels are

being very strategic in their choice of words.

They are clearly making a connection.

This Jesus who was born this night is the Jesus who was

defined in Isaiah 96. The second thing that confirms

this further is what Matthew says, and Matthew adds something

and he quotes Isaiah, not necessarily verse 6, but very

close to verse 6. And I think because we're not as

familiar with the context of that awesome prophecy, people

tend to miss how there's even more confirmation that Christ is

indeed the fulfillment of that promise.

So Isaiah 96, we all know it, but do you know Isaiah 91?

Do you know Isaiah 9/2? Well today you're going to learn

it. So turn with me to Isaiah 9,

verse one, and consider the context of this prophecy, Isaiah

9, beginning in verse one. But there will be no gloom for

her who was in anguish in the former time.

He brought into contempt the land of Zebulun and the land of

Naftali, but in the latter time He has made glorious the way of

the sea, the land beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the nations.

The people who walked in darkness have seen a great

light. Those who dwelt in a land of

deep darkness, On them has light shone.

So notice that in preparation for Isaiah 96, Isaiah is saying

something to two specific tribes, two out of the 12 tribes

of Israel. He mentions Zebulun, he mentions

Naftali. Those are tribes that most

people are not very familiar with.

They may be able to rehearse the names by memory, but there's not

much given to us about these tribes in comparison to Judah or

Benjamin, for example. But Isaiah mentioned something

that happened historically with these regions.

They were found in the upper northern part of the Promised

Land. And he doesn't get specific

about their history, but he does say something about a

gloominess, a dark past, something that essentially

haunted them for many years. And though he is not specific,

when you consider the wider testimony of the Bible, you do

discover that there is one blot, there is one specific state that

surely would have tormented them as a people.

You find it in Second Kings 15. You don't have to turn there.

Let me just summarize it for you.

When the Assyrians invaded this land, they took into captivity

the very tribes that are mentioned here, Zebulun and

Naftali, were taken from their homes and brought into a foreign

place. And surely this would have been

an embarrassing thing in their history.

This would have been something that would have made them

cringe, something that they wish would have been erased.

And the Bible defines it as a gloominess.

And yet in the same breath that describes something that they

would have known, even though he's not being specific, they

would have known the reference. The Spirit through the prophet

promises these particular tribes that whatever gloominess they

knew would soon be eclipsed by a glory, that whatever dishonor

they were haunted by would soon be dispelled by a great

privilege. And that's why He says here that

in the latter time, look at verse 1.

He has made glorious the way of the sea.

He's speaking about the region there they were by the water.

He has made glorious the way of the sea.

And whatever glory was going to come, evidently it was going to

spill over into Gentile territory.

Because the last part of verse 1 is what?

The land beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the nations.

So something was going to take place that would affect more

than just these two tribes, though they would be the center

of this glory in a sense. They would be the focus of it.

It would have such a wide range of impact.

And what is this glory that will come and sweep away this gloom?

While the exciting answer again is found in verse 2, The people

who walked in darkness, the darkness of their past, the

darkness of their current shame. Because why did they go into

exile? Their idolatry, they're

rebellion, they're evil. Finally God said enough is

enough. You're going to disobey me, Then

I'm going to take you out of the things that I promise is yours,

at least for a time. So that darkness, the people who

walked in darkness have seen a great light.

Those who dwelt in the land of deep darkness.

On them a light has shone. And what is this light?

It is a metaphor. Is it a physical light?

Is it some kind of miraculous intervention?

Verse 6 is the answer for to us a child is born, to us a son is

given. Whoever this child is, this

royal seed would also be a light bearer, and his arrival is going

to impact a specific region, the region of Zebulun and Naphtali.

And the same Holy Spirit who moved upon Isaiah to give this

prophecy move the disciple Matthew to tell us and to affirm

the fulfillment of it. So go to the New Testament now

in Matthew chapter 4, and I want you to see the fulfillment of

Matthew 4 · chapter mention

this prophecy beginning in verse 12 of Matthew chapter 4.

Matthew 4 · chapter mention

And sound team, if you can help me with the buzzing again, thank

you so much. Matthew 412 Now when he heard

that John had been arrested, he, being Jesus, withdrew into

Galilee, and leaving Nazareth, he went and lived in Capernaum

by the sea in the territory of what?

Zebulun and Naftali, so that what was spoken by the prophet

Isaiah might be fulfilled. The land of Zebulun and the land

of NAFTA lead the way of the sea beyond the Jordan, Galilee of

the Gentiles. The people dwelling in darkness

have seen a great light, and for those dwelling in the region and

shadow of death on them a light has dawned.

Jesus is that light, and He in fact intentionally moved and

relocated his headquarters into Galilee.

Why? In order to fulfill this very

prophecy, and not just to fulfill the prophecy that was

given, but to also give a preview of what he would do on a

larger scale. So Jesus intentionally moves

into this region that was historically known as being dark

with their history, their past, their behavior in a sense their

record before God. And the same Jesus who moved

into that darkness is willing to move into the darkness of any

heart that is willing to receive him.

Here is Christ's Messiah willing to make his ministry hub in this

place among tribes that are often overlooked and not really

considered, as I mentioned earlier.

And additionally, tribes that we're notoriously known of

rebelling in their sin against God, teaching you and I that

he's willing to move into the life that has a despicable past

perhaps, or sin that they are ashamed of.

The same Christ who moved there physically is the same Christ as

willing to move in spiritually. That's the Christmas message.

And so we find Jesus here fulfilling this.

And what would this produce exactly?

Well, let me finish Isaiah 9, where we read here in verse

three. You have multiplied the nation,

you have increased its joy. They rejoice before you as with

joy at the harvest, as they are glad when they divide the spoil.

So what would this light produce as it came in an envelope, this

darkness Joy. That's why you should be happy

around this time, not because things are cozier, nothing,

because merely we're going to be gathered together with people

that we love, hopefully, but because we are remembering the

Christ, the Holy One who is willing to move into a place

that is dark. And I hope you have that joy.

If you don't, then perhaps Christ hasn't moved in yet.

You know about him. You can probably quote Isaiah

96, but does he live in you, and does he minister in you as he

ministered in Galilee? Does he minister through you?

If not, I pray to God that today would be the day where you would

accept Him not just as a tradition, but as your treasure.

So it's clear the New Testament testifies that Isaiah 9,

including six, belongs to Jesus of Nazareth.

Now let me give you the second and final reason why he does

because no one in all of human history can fulfill the role

that Isaiah describes. Nobody can walk in the shoes

that Isaiah defines concerning this child.

The reason why I bring that up is because in recent years, this

prophecy about Jesus Christ of Nazareth has been challenged by

skeptics, has been challenged by unbelievers, has been propagated

and preached by those who deny that Jesus Christ is the

Messiah. And this is predominantly come

from Jewish rabbis who have made a case that Isaiah 96 cannot be

of this Jesus of Nazareth, but someone else.

And I want to spend this time though we're going to get, and

we're going to conclude in a message of hope.

I want to spend this time to teach, if that's OK.

I want to teach about these objections so that if you hear

anybody daring to come to you and saying Jesus is not in

Isaiah 96, you put him there. You can say no, God put him

there. So this is a time of equipping

now. This is a time of growing and

learning about our faith. So I want Isaiah 96 to become

more precious to you than just something you hear quoted around

Christmas time. I want you to see it as a

profound testament of the accuracy and the supernatural

authorship of the Bible. So how are we going to do that?

Well, I'm going to present to you some of these objections.

And I remember hearing it for the first time, not from the

mouth of a Jewish person, but through the mouth of a Muslim

man who had an online platform and invited people to challenge

him and him challenge Christians.

And so I had a conversation with them and for the first time

years ago that I hear the things that I'm going to present to

you. So it's not just those who are

Jews that are echoing these statements, but many people who

deny Christ as the Messiah. So do you know how to defend it?

Do you know how to say with confidence?

No, no, no, no, no, you got it wrong.

This is indeed about my master. What's the argument?

Here's the first one. The first argument that comes to

us is about how Christian translators have deceptively

changed the tense of Isaiah 96 to make it appear as though it

is something to come, when in reality, in the original

language it says that it's already happened.

So I want to read to you Isaiah 95.

That's the Jewish quotation and reference for Isaiah 96 in our

Bibles. So in the Tanakh, it's not

Isaiah 96, it's going to say Isaiah 95.

And I'm going to quote to you from the JPS, the Jewish

Publication Society translation, the newest rendition of it, the

newest revised version from 2023.

Listen to the language and tell me if it sounds different.

Isaiah 9, five from the JPS. For a child has been born to us,

a son has been given us, and authority has settled on his

shoulders. He has been named the mighty

Goddess, planning grace, the eternal Father, a peaceable

ruler Has has has it already happened?

So who are you talking about? And I'll be honest, I think most

people, when they are discussing this and the original languages

are brought up, they feel helpless and almost as though

they take the word of the one who knows those languages at

face value. Because you don't speak Hebrew

or you don't know Greek. But I want you to be comforted

because you don't necessarily have to know Hebrew in order to

engage in this conversation or to make sense of this apparent

conundrum. What are we dealing with here?

Well, here's an answer. What you'll find in the Old

Testament on more than one occasion is that the prophets of

God often refer to future events as though they had already

occurred. This is a consistent pattern.

It's a literary device to convey of an event to come that it is

so certain it's as though it already took place.

It's an idiom. It's an artistic way of

communicating the certainty of a matter, and this is commonly

known as the prophetic perfect or the prophetic past tense.

So you're saying something that is to come, but you're speaking

as though it already took place. Why?

To communicate. This is so going to happen.

Just consider it a done deal. And that's not only found here

in Isaiah 96. Let me just give you 2

quotations from the same prophet, the same book to make

this matter clear. So turn to Isaiah 5 and look at

verse 13. I hope you're taking notes.

It's important to remember these things.

Isaiah 513. Here's the prophet saying.

Therefore, my people go into exile for lack of knowledge.

Their honored men go hungry, and their multitude is parched with

thirst. This is even more clear if you

have a new King James Version or King James Version.

Here's how the new King James would read it.

Therefore, my people have gone into captivity or the King

James. Therefore, my people are gone

into captivity. How does the ESB render it?

My people go into exile. What's amazing about this?

The people didn't go into exile yet when Isaiah prophesied this,

it was still to come. But what is he implying?

The same literary device as though it already happened?

My people go into exile. They have gone into exile.

It's going to happen. Judgment is sure to arrive.

O people of God, It's not just there.

Look at Isaiah chapter 10, beginning in verse 28.

Isaiah 10 · chapter mention

What you're about to read is a description of the movements of

the Assyrian army as they're encroaching upon Jerusalem.

So this is almost like a chartering of the movements of

the Assyrian invasion that is to come.

And excuse me if I don't get all these names right as I read

these verses. Isaiah 1028.

Look what the prophet says. He has come to Ayat.

He has passed through me grown at Mick Mash.

He stores his baggage. They have crossed over the past.

Notice the tense at Giba. They lodge for the night.

Rama trembles. Gibeah of Saul has fled.

Cry aloud. O daughter of Galim, give

attention. O Laksha, O poor Anatot, Madmina

is in flight. The inhabitants of Gabim flee

for safety. This very day he will halt at

Nob. He will shake his first at the

mount of the daughter of Zion, the hill of Jerusalem.

So notice he's giving a play by play every movement of the

Assyrians as they come closer and closer to the holy city.

But notice the language that he uses.

He has come, He has passed. They have crossed over.

It didn't happen yet. There's still generations that

need to come to pass before this is realized.

But he's speaking as though it already took place.

Why? Because prophets would do this

to convey something as though it has already taken place.

And I want to also mention while we're here that this is a

message of hope. By the way, the reason why

Isaiah is telling this to the people of God is because he

wants to let the people of God know.

As God, I'm aware of every move of the enemy.

It's true spiritually as well. I know the playbook of the

enemy. I know what he's thinking next.

I know his next move. I know his every angle.

And so I'm letting you know that I have this knowledge even

before it happens. I know where he's going to be,

where he's going to rest, how he's going to come.

But I also want to let you know that I already took care of it.

So notice, as the Assyrians are coming closer and closer to

Jerusalem, he also lets the people know I know where they're

going to stop because I'm going to make them stop.

They're not going to be able to come and invade.

They're not going to take one soul away from you.

Why? What's the extent of what

they're going to do? Look at verse 32 again.

This very day. He will halt that knob.

He will shake his first at the mount of the daughter of Zion,

the hill of Jerusalem. That's the most he's going to

do, shake his first. And I'm going to take care of

him right there and then. And we read of it later on where

185,000 Assyrians were slaughtered in one night.

So this is a truth for us to be relieved by as well.

God knows everything and if you belong to Him, then you have

nothing to fear. Any scheme is already understood

and registered by your protector and we can look at more

examples, but I think the point is clear, right?

Isaiah 96 is not about something that has already happened, is

something that will come to pass with absolute certainty.

However, apologists, they need to bank on this and they will

fight for this and they will try to cast doubt, especially on

those who don't know these things to make it seem as though

no, no, no, this is already history.

And the reason for that is because they need to make a case

based on that. Everything falls if if that's

not laid out. And so the argument continues.

Let's just suppose that you hear this and you don't know how to

answer. How would they follow it up?

They will. They will follow it up with

this. After determining the past

tense, they will go on to say that the names ascribed to the

king are simply representative titles, like many names of kings

or prophets that communicate a characteristic of God.

Right. So you think of the prophet

Isaiah. What does his name mean?

Salvation is of the Lord or God saves.

That's what Isaiah means. What about what about Joel?

Yahweh is God and we can give example after example.

In short, the argument is that in the same way that these names

do not imply the deity of the ones who bear them, so it is

with this child. It's not that this child is

everlasting Father. It's not that this child is

Mighty God. He is just holding these titles

as a testament of what God will do and who God is.

Just like Isaiah, just like Joel, just like Daniel.

You've made too much of this child.

Here's the problem. If we just take the title, which

is usually the most contested part of this prophecy, Mighty

God, what you'll discover is that it is mentioned more than

once the very few times in the Old Testament.

And every time just Mighty God is brought up, it always refers

to God himself. Always.

So you're in Isaiah, right? Go to Isaiah 10.

Look at verse 21. A remnant will return, the

remnant of Jacob to the mighty God al Gabor, the mighty God.

That same phrase is found in another prophet's writings.

You don't have to turn there. Let me quote it to you.

Write it down if you need to remember it.

And Jeremiah 3218, Jeremiah 3218.

You show steadfast love to thousands, but you will pray the

guilt of fathers to their children after them.

Oh great and mighty God El Gabor, whose name is the Lord of

Hosts. If you want to use another one,

though not exactly spelled out like these two references, it's

found in Deuteronomy. Listen to this language in

Deuteronomy 10/17. For the Lord your God is God of

Gods and Lord of Lords, the great, the mighty and the

awesome God who is not partial and takes no bribe.

So it's clear Mighty God alone is purely and exclusively

ascribed to God Himself. But no, no, no, no, they're just

titles. They're just titles given to a

human king. And which king do people agree

that this is about if it's not about Jesus?

You ready for this one? Hezekiah?

This is about King Hezekiah. This is not about Jesus of

Nazareth. Where did you get that silly

idea from? I have a question.

Where do you get the idea that it's a Hezekiah and there's

reason for it? There's reason for it because

when you dig in, you see here that there is images and there's

a there's a wording and there are certain phrases that are

found in Isaiah 9 and Isaiah 10 that are repeated and are

mirrored later on in Isaiah 36 and Isaiah 37.

And what's happening on Isaiah 36 and 37?

Well, we have a record of the Assyrians invading and

surrounding Jerusalem and God giving them victory.

So I don't have time now in one single message to go through all

these evidences of the claim that this is in connection to

Isaiah 36, Isaiah 37, where Assyria was overthrown under the

reign of Hezekiah. But that's where they're going

to go. That's what you're going to

hear. And it seems compelling.

Yeah, I see that. I see that there is, there is

correlation and there is an overlap here.

There's something that is connected.

Hezekiah. Why not Josiah?

Well, because the context suggests that it is about him.

And as convincing as these cross references may be, it still

doesn't satisfy the demands of Isaiah's descriptions of this

king. If everything that I've shared

up to this point has been a little overwhelming or difficult

to retain one, take comfort. It's recorded.

You can revisit it, but 2 all you really need to do is

remember this one point that I'm about to share.

If you can remember what I'm about to share, it's enough for

you. Want to be confident and also to

perhaps convince somebody else who is honestly skeptical about

this being Jesus? Isaiah 96 is not just a prophecy

about a king. It's also prophecy about a

Kingdom. It's not just about a person,

it's about a government. And when you consider the

government that will be ushered in and established by this

child, you'll realize that it doesn't fit with Hezekiah.

So we read verse six. Look at verse 7.

You know it well, but let's refresh our memory of the

increase of His government and of peace.

There will be no end on the throne of David and over his

Kingdom to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with

righteousness. From this time forth and

forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of hosts

will do this. Hezekiah was one of the holiest

kings in all of Judah's history. Hezekiah was a man of God.

Hezekiah accomplished much, but Hezekiah falls short of what is

said here about this administration, because even

after Hezekiah, yes, was used, his faith connected with the

power of God and the Syrians were expelled.

Yes and yes. Hezekiah, though he was on his

bed sick, received a miracle in addition of several years on his

life. After his healing, Hezekiah fell

into pride. The Babylonians came to to kind

of check up on him, and he decided in his pride to show him

all that he had, and Isaiah condemns him for that.

Hezekiah would also have a successor named Manessa his son,

and Manessa would be realized as one of the most wicked kings in

Judah's history, though he repented and was restored by

God. And if Hezekiah really fulfills

Isaiah 96, then why was it that other prophets anticipated a

king to come? A king far after Hezekiah's

reign and even his life? You remember the prophet

Zechariah. What did he say long after

Hezekiah, long after the temple was destroyed?

You usually hear this one around Easter time.

And there is no argument that this is about Messiah.

Even among Jews. I'm sure there are some who

would argue against it. But listen to Zechariah 99.

Rejoice, great Leo, daughter of Zion, shout aloud.

O daughter of Jerusalem, behold, your king is coming to you

righteous and having salvation. Is he humble and mounted on a

donkey? On a colt, the full of a donkey?

Why are you looking for another king?

If Hezekiah was a fulfillment of this perfect perpetual Kingdom,

this argument makes sense. I hope it does.

Zechariah tells of the people, tells the people there's another

king coming. Well, if if there's this

increase of the government of peace with no end, why are we

looking for another king who's going to usher in another

Kingdom? It should have happened already.

So you're left with only two conclusions about Isaiah 96.

If it's not about Jesus, then it's failed prophecy.

It's failed prophecy because Hezekiah didn't usher in this

kind of government. So you either deal with a God

who lied or a God who fulfilled His promise, but in another

person. And we believe that He kept His

word. And that is where it was,

realizing Jesus of Nazareth. I hope that makes you excited.

But Jesus of Nazareth did not bring in World Peace.

That's the argument that you'll usually hear if you quote Isaiah

9/6 or Zechariah 99, among other scriptures.

OK, if Jesus is who you say he is, then where all the weapons

of war being turned into farming equipment?

And where is Jerusalem being the headquarters of the world?

And where are the kings and and the governors and the mayors

flooding to Jerusalem to receive counsel from the Lord?

Where is that? How do you make sense of that?

And I say it's coming because what you fail to understand, my

dear friend, is the same misunderstanding that the Jews

and Jesus they had, that you are so focused on the prophecies of

a conquering Messiah that you miss the ones of the suffering

Messiah. So who fulfills those ones?

Because Messiah would come and establish a Kingdom, yes, but

Messiah must also die for the sins of his people.

So my Messiah came to accomplish not some prophecy, but all

prophecy. And in his first advent he came

to be a sacrifice. And in his second advent, he

will come to be the ruling king forever.

That's my Messiah. And so we believe the prophecies

of a suffering Messiah and a ruling Messiah are found in one

person. And because of the New Testament

and the Christian movement, sometime after Jesus arrived on

the scene and the church emerges, you had Jewish people

now trying to wrestle with these prophecies as they are brought

to the surface of the suffering Messiah.

So here's here's what some have concluded.

So you have these prophecies of a suffering Messiah and a ruling

Messiah. Christians say it's one person.

No, no, no, it can't be Jesus of Nazareth.

So they have to be two messiahs. There's going to be a suffering

Messiah and there's going to be Messiah, son of David.

OK, so you think it's two We believe it's one big difference.

And so I lay this before you for you to be confident that this is

indeed about Jesus. Can I, can I put a cherry on the

top of this before we move on? So the accusation from the

beginning is you Christians, not you personally.

The church massaged Isaiah 9/6 to the degree that it makes it

be something that it's not. And you have manipulated

translations as though it is a future thing and as though it's

about Messiah when it's about 1 king out of the roster of the

kings of Judah. And here's how you can respond.

The idea of Isaiah 96 being about Messiah, not just any

ordinary king, but about the King of kings, the ultimate seed

of David who is to come, didn't originate with Christians

necessarily saying, what do you mean?

I'm saying that ancient Jewish writers, teachers, rabbis,

commentators also believe that this is about Messiah.

So I have three sources here. I'm just going to read one of

them to you. This is from one who is known as

Rambam. Rambam was one of the most

influential Jewish philosophers from the Middle Ages, legal

scholar. He was a physician, and he is

considered one of the greatest Jewish thinkers of all time.

And I want you to hear what he said in his epistle to Yemen.

There was these Jews who were in Yemen who were really struggling

with their faith. And one of the struggles that

they had was about Messiah, their expectation of the

Messiah, when the Messiah would come, who the Messiah would be.

And so in this epistle to Yemen, we read here what I'm about to

quote to you, beginning with this quote.

The Messiah indeed ranks after Moses and eminence and

distinction. And God has bestowed some gifts

upon him which he did not bestow upon Moses, as may be gathered

from the verses. So what is he, What is Rambam

saying here? He's saying, I want to prove to

you how Messiah is greater than Moses, and I'm about to quote

you some verses to show how He is superior even to that great

man of God. So I continue, his delight shall

be in the fear of the Lord. Isaiah 11/3.

The Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him.

Isaiah 11. Two, and righteousness shall be

girdle on his loins. Isaiah 1156.

Appalachians were divinely conferred upon him, as the

following passage indicates. For a child is born unto us, and

his Son is given to us, and the government is upon his shoulder,

and he is called, and he quotes what we know to be Isaiah 96.

Then he goes on to Psalm 2, verse 7.

Psalms 2:7

Thou art my son, this day have I begotten thee.

And he finishes with this. All these statements demonstrate

the preeminence of the Messiah. That is from one of the

greatest, most influential Jewish writers in all of

history. He's saying that this is about

Messiah, so don't go and point fingers at the church.

And I have a quotation here from the Targum.

I have the quotation here from the Talmud, Sanhedrin showing

that this is about Messiah. Not saying that they think this

is about Jesus as Messiah, but about Messiah nonetheless.

Because the argument again is this is about Hezekiah and

Hezekiah is not Messiah. Strange arguments, but I present

this to you. Be fortified in your faith.

And now give me the last few minutes of this afternoon in

this church service to talk about Jesus.

Can I do that? This is about Jesus, precious

Jesus. And I want to quickly glance

over four titles that we see here.

He is wonderful counselor. He is mighty God.

He is everlasting Father. He is Prince of Peace, some

divide wonderful and counselor. So he is wonderful in one place,

counselor in another. We'll merge them together.

Wonderful counselor indeed. He is wonderful.

And what's so beautiful about this is that in Isaiah 28, nine,

we read that he is wonderful in counsel.

It's impossible to look at Jesus in the gospels and be bored.

There's something staggeringly wrong if you can look at Jesus

and read his words, see his actions, trace his love, and not

come to the conclusion he is amazing.

Don't you find it amazing how almost every world religion,

even cults, want to claim Jesus? Have you ever noticed that

everybody wants Jesus? Nobody's fighting for these

other supposed messengers or teachers, but everybody wants to

claim Jesus. Why?

Because he's wonderful. And he is wonderful in His

person, and he is wonderful in the manifestation of his

counsel. When Christ comes to rule and

reign forever, the world will be solved by his counsel.

It's amazing in this past election how so many feel a

sense of relief that hopefully problems are going to be solved.

Can you imagine the relief when the perfect Son of God comes to

fix everything and the world is going to flock to his counsel to

receive his instruction, his guidance.

He's actually going to do something that's never been

known since the beginning of time.

No more war for 1000 years. No more war.

People are going to be like, what do we do?

What do we do with all these weapons?

What do we do with all our training programs?

Or what do we do about our national security, all the tax

money that went into that? It's going to be futile.

It's going to be nothing because of the Prince of Peace.

But he's not just going to be wonderful in this council when

he comes, He's wonderful in this council now.

Today he's given us the manual for life in his word and and the

book of Proverbs talks about how when this word is is tied around

your neck and it's bound around your heart, it will speak to

you. And I'm telling you when you get

the living word in you. Oh, the counsel that you

receive. It's amazing how in in life

events or circumstances that you can't find chapter and verse

about how the wisdom of the word, the character of God,

examples and stories come to the surface and give you wisdom to

know how to deal with this situation, how to comfort you.

The greatest counsel I've ever received were from people who

knew the word of God so well that they could effortlessly not

just bring references to promises, but examples, things

that you wouldn't necessarily see at face value and just bring

counsel to my life. And it originates with Christ,

the word who became flesh. He's wonderful and counsel

reminds me of the passage in Judges chapter 13 or we're told

Judges 13 · chapter mention

of Samson's parents. We don't know the name of his

mother. We know the name of his father

Manoa. And the Angel of the Lord

appears, right? And he comes before the wife and

tells her of the supernatural birth that's going to happen

this this pregnancy, right? A judge is going to come for

Israel. She runs to her husband and the

husband asks the Lord in prayer, Oh bring that man back so that

we can receive clarity what we're supposed to do with this

child and the prayers answered and finally after he received

some kind of instruction. Manoa asked him in Judges 1317,

What is your name so that when your words come true, we may

honor you. And what is the Angel of the

Lord? Reply with in verse 18.

And the Angel of the Lord said to him, Why do you ask my name,

seeing it is wonderful. Angels are powerful, angels are

splendid in their own way. But for an Angel to say, Why do

you ask my name, seeing that it is wonderful.

I have a hunch this is no ordinary Angel.

And if you're skeptical about this being something more,

someone more than an Angel, listen to what they say.

After this encounter in Judges 1322 and Manoah said to his

wife, We shall surely die, for we have seen God.

So here's one of the many previews for those who are very

stumped by the idea of God becoming flesh.

God appeared in human like form many times in the Old Testament,

including this one. And you're saying, well he

appeared as an Angel? No, no, the Hebrew word and the

Greek word is very simple, simply means messenger.

So it's not the cartoony version with wings.

That's not an Angel. A messenger with human like

appearance comes on the scene. His name is ass.

Why do you ask my name? Seeing it as wonderful, but

Noah's think this is strange. And then he realizes we've seen

the face of God, and Israel would in fact see the face of

God again when this child would be born in Bethlehem.

Wonderful counselor, but he's also mighty God.

So he has this infinite wisdom, but he's going to have this

infinite power to execute his counsel.

But as we heard earlier, he's not just mighty, He is mighty

God. And the detail, this detail is

so important because it really transforms the entirety of the

message and carries massive implications.

What I mean, OK, how do you have mighty God as a child?

And how do you have God who is by nature eternal, being born?

So look back at Isaiah 96 again. For to us, a child is born, to

us, a son is given. Whenever in the Hebrew there

wants to be an emphasis. The author wants to make

something, he wants to under score, highlight something.

It's happening through emphasis, right?

And you can say that's the case here.

There's an emphasis, a child is going to be born, a son's going

to be given. But I think it's more deep than

that. This is a very specific choice

of words to convey a deep theological truth.

How do you make sense that mighty God will become a child?

How do you make sense that mighty God will be born?

He has no beginning. And the only answer that you can

find that will bring a sense of clarity and conclusion is the

dual nature of Christ. So notice the language, for to

us a child is born. The humanity of Jesus had a

beginning. Jesus wasn't always human from

eternity past, but he would add humanity to Himself.

But more than that, he's not just man.

And that's why we're told a son is given.

Here's my question. Whose son is he?

You say he's the Son of David. That's what the prophecy is

about. From the lineage of David, a

son's going to come, but he's mighty God.

So he's not just the Son of David, He's the Son of God.

And the Son of God by nature doesn't have a beginning.

That's why he's given. The Son isn't born, The Son of

God is given, but the child is born because the Son who would

come from eternity would add flesh, would add humanity.

So his humanity had a beginning, but as the eternal Son he always

was, a child would be born. A son is given humanity and

deity, one person, Jesus Christ. He's saying, well, this is

wonderful, and this is confirmed by another prophet, Micah 5 Two,

let me read it. But you, O Bethlehem Efrata, who

are too little to be among the clans of Judah, for you shall

come forth for me, one who is to be ruler in Israel, whose coming

forth is from old, from ancient days.

So whoever this ruler who'll be born in Bethlehem is, we're told

where he's actually coming from from, of old, from ancient days.

Ancient days is a phrase that's synonymous with eternity,

synonymous with everlasting. That's why in the King James and

new King James, it reads from everlasting.

Whoever this ruler is, he's going to come from eternity, son

given child born son of God, always was taking on humanity

and flesh 2000 years ago. Which leads us to possibly the

most controversial part of of these titles concerning Christ.

Wonderful counselor, mighty God, everlasting Father, hold on.

We believe in the Godhead. We believe that God is one in

being but three in persons, Father, Son, Holy Spirit.

How is it then that you have Jesus, who is the Son, given

this title that should belong to the Father alone?

And here's what we have to make sure that we're clear on.

This is not describing the roles within the Trinity.

This prophecy is not about describing the different roles

in the Godhead more than it is talking about the character of

the coming Messiah toward his people.

That's what this is conveying more than anything else.

And So what this means is that Jesus is not only going to be

infinitely wise, wonderful counselor.

Jesus is not only isn't going to be infinitely powerful, but

Jesus is going to be infinitely caring and protective as a

father would be. Another way to understand this

is that the Messiah is going to be fatherly.

The Messiah is going to be caring and loving and protective

and compassionate as a good father would be to his children.

And why is that comforting? Because we're not just learning

about a governor who's going to rule a Kingdom that's going to

dominate the universe. You're talking about a king who

actually cares everlasting father.

And as much as the Father is exclusive in that title, the

idea of the Son having certain qualities about him that are

father like it is not foreign in the Scriptures.

It's everywhere. So can I show you a couple

places in John? Turn with me to John and notice

this with me. This title does not dismiss the

unique position of the Father, but it does confirm something

about the heart of Christ for those that he brings into the

family of God. Look at John 14 verse 8.

John 14:8

John 14, eight. Philip said to him, Lord, show

us the Father, and it is enough for us.

Jesus said to him, have I been with you so long and you still

do not know me? Philip pause.

Can I say something? What he said to Philip can be

said by many and too many Christians today.

Has it been so long you still don't get it yet?

Maybe somebody needed to hear that.

Have I been with you so long and you still do not know me?

Philip, whoever has seen me has seen the Father.

How can you say show us the Father?

What's Jesus saying here? If you want to know what the

Father is like, who the Father's like, look no further than me.

I'm the exact representation of His being.

I'm the exact imprint of His nature.

You don't have to guess or wonder about distinctions.

I am exactly a copy paste of the heart, the mind, the will of the

Father. So what you can expect from the

Father, you can see an experience in the sun.

Scroll down and notice what he says in verse 18.

I, Jesus is speaking, I will not leave you as orphans, I will

come to you. Another way of understanding

this. I will not leave you fatherless.

I will come to you. Jesus will come to you.

So he is implementing parental language here, parental care,

parental protection, parental supervision.

I'm not going to leave you here without a father.

I will come to you. Not that he is the same person

as the Father, but he is father like He is fatherly.

And we see here that it's shown in the title, Everlasting

Father. And here's how it applies to us

as we anticipate the return of Christ.

So unto us a child is born, a son is given, and upon his

shoulder shall rest. What government?

So the shoulders represent strength in the Bible, right?

So the government of the world is going to rest on the strength

of Jesus Christ the Messiah. And I love how the Bible uses

the word shoulder because there's one place in the New

Testament where we read Messiah concerning his shoulder.

You know the story very well. Listen carefully to the parable

of the lost sheep, Luke 15, Three.

So he told them, being Jesus, this parable, what man of you

having 100 sheep, if he has lost one of them, does not leave the

99 in the open country and go after the one that is lost until

he finds it. And when he has found it, he

lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing.

So not only is Messiah going to have the strength to uphold this

universal government, but this Messiah will also have the love

to take sinners and care for them and protect them.

And what's so beautiful about this is that if you consider

this in the plural, then you have even a deeper thought.

The government shall rest upon His shoulder, one shoulder.

But when it comes to redeeming and securing sinners shoulders,

both shoulders. So in his caring, his love,

there is a specific type of grace and strength that's

implemented towards those that belong to him.

So this Messiah is not just concerned about the eternal

reign of a government. He's concerned for every single

one of his subjects were ultimately his children that he

knows by name. That's what Isaiah is trying to

convey. He's a mighty king.

He's wonderful in counsel, but he cares about those that belong

to his Kingdom. He's not just carrying a

government, He's carrying you and carrying me on those mighty

shoulders, everlasting Father. And I hope you have a whole new

understanding of this, because not only will His Kingdom be

eternal, but those who become a child of God will belong to him

forever. He will forever be your Father.

He will forever be yours. He will forever care for you and

love you and keep you. He's not just eternal, He's

eternal in His love. And some are troubled by this

title, so they go a different direction.

They say this doesn't really mean everlasting father, it

means father of eternity. You can go there too.

And the argument is father of eternity.

In the Jewish mind, Father doesn't just mean you're a dad.

It also means you're the source of something.

So Satan is called the father of lies.

It's not like he's the a dad of lies.

He's the source of lies. So some would say, no, this is

just saying that Jesus is really the possessor of time, that

Jesus is the supervisor of all things as he is eternal, which

leads to the final thing. Prince of Peace, you heard it so

many times. So I'm not going to be redundant

here. He's going to bring peace in a

way that this world can only dream of.

But I want to present to you this thought.

Perhaps you haven't considered it.

I don't think it's an accident that out of the titles mentioned

here, Prince of Peace is brought up last.

Why is it brought up last? Because there's an equation that

before the world can ever know peace, it first has to

acknowledge and submit to the reality that He alone is

wonderful in counsel, that He alone is mighty in power, and

that He alone is everlasting Father and His care.

Until you acknowledge and submit to His counsel, His power, His

fatherly love, you will never know peace.

This world will never know peace.

And, and, and let's just put that aside now, never mind

what's going to come. Let's talk about your life and

mine. As I conclude, you will never

know supernatural peace until you personally make those same

acknowledgments. Do you submit to His counsel and

do you see it as wonderful? Or do you look at His word as

options and suggestions? OK, you can do that.

You'll never know peace, true peace.

Do you believe in His mighty power that He can perform in

your life? Intervene, protect, rescue,

provide? How can you know peace if you

don't believe that He's able to do that?

Do you see Him as a loving God? Oh, you believe?

You believe He's wonderful in His wisdom, wonderful in His

power, mighty and all those things.

But I don't know if He really loves me.

I'm just trying to do my best so that when I'm graded for

eternity, I just pass. I just want to get in.

Oh, you. And you expect peace, thinking

that God's temperament is so fickle.

You'll never know peace until you understand Him as a loving

God. And I hope that you would

realize it today. He is Prince of peace.

The world will know Him as such. But you can know it personally

today. You just have to acknowledge Him

as such. And how do you do that when you

realize that Messiah has come to suffer and die in your place,

and that He is waiting for you to respond to that news so that

you can belong to Him? And when you belong to Him, He

will take you up and put you on His shoulders, and nothing can

RIP you out of His hands. Nothing.

You know, when somebody announces that they have a child

on the way, I've never heard anybody.

As much as we celebrate babies here, I've never had anybody

come through the doors and approach me or any of the

leaders and say, I want to let you know that a child is coming

to us. That 'd be a little strange.

You say no, so and so and I, we're having a baby and we

celebrate that. What did Isaiah say this child

would be for us? He's God's gift to the world.

He's God's gift to you. News flash, he's not a baby

anymore. He's ascended on high and he's

the ruling king. But you do have to believe that

at one point he did come as a baby.

He did live as a man perfectly. He did die on a cross to pay for

your sin. He was buried in a tomb.

He did conquer death, He did rise into the heavens, and He

promised that in the same way He went up, He will come back down.

And when He comes back down, it's no longer to deal with sin,

but to redeem those who have repented of their sin and

believed on His name. Today, this Christmas service,

have you repented and believed on the Lord Jesus Christ?

If not, He is God's gift to you. Would you receive it?

Let's pray. Father, we thank You that You've

given us the ability to register all these things for the time

being. We pray that by Your help they

would be remembered. Thank You for instilling in US

greater confidence in the sufficiency, the accuracy, the

validity of Your Word. We ask that in times where Satan

would try to make us doubt that You would remind us that Your

Word is perfect. When those who don't believe in

Jesus as Messiah, we would be gentle and kind to show them the

truth and that You would give us the ability to communicate these

things in a way that would help them embrace the Messiah.

We ask, Lord, that if there's even one person here who does

not know you, who has not experienced Christ Jesus as

their Lord, that 2025 would be the beginning of a new walk with

you. Only you can perform that by the

power of your Spirit. And for those who have made that

confession, for those who have been born again, may we never

lose the wonder of who You are. May we never lose faith in the

might of your power. May we never lose the sense of

your tender, fatherly love. And may we remember that you

offer peace, that no money, no health, no amount of children,

no job can provide. Thank you for being our Prince.

Thank you for being our Lord. Thank you because you're coming

back again in Jesus name, Amen. What a mighty God we serve.

Let's celebrate Him and rejoice in His goodness.

As we stand in conclusion of this service, let's sing to the

Lord.