Christmas Eve - 2019
Sermon Notes
Nevertheless, there will be no more gloom for those who were in distress. In the past he humbled the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the future he will honor Galilee of the nations, by the Way of the Sea, beyond the Jordan—The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned. You have enlarged the nation and increased their joy; they rejoice before you as people rejoice at the harvest, as warriors rejoice when dividing the plunder. For as in the day of Midian’s defeat, you have shattered the yoke that burdens them, the bar across their shoulders, the rod of their oppressor. Every warrior’s boot used in battle and every garment rolled in blood will be destined for burning, will be fuel for the fire. For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. 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. (Isaiah 9:1-7)
Thesis:
The hope of Christmas is far smaller than you ever imagined and far greater than you ever dreamed.
Far Smaller: nothing about this story is how I would have written it.
Galilee of the nations: the last place you’d expect to find a king, the King.
Assyria:
Northern Kingdom, primarily two tribes (here listed: Zebulun and Naphtali)
The first to fall to the Assyrian Empire in 733.
Inhabitants taken into exile, land lay empty
Some remained behind
New inhabitants came from the nations around
Assyria eventually (50 years later) repopulated the north.
Became, in Isaiah’s language, “Galilee of the Nations”
Under the Greeks and Romans, Galilee, separated from Judea by Samaria, became a hotbed of the resistance movement, a place for Jewish guerilla freedom fighters
By the time of Jesus, it was a diverse, multi-ethnic place (which, in our day, is generally considered a good thing, but at that time was not), and the Jewish presence was not the kind of people you’d invite over for dinner.
The moral of all of that backstory is, it’s not the sort of place you’d expect to find a king
A child
The hope of the nation on the shoulders of a child: this, in itself, is not particularly unique. Plenty of nations in world history have placed their hope in an heir to the throne.
What is unique about this story is what that heir to the throne was actually like when He showed up.
Before, we get into the details of how He was born and lived, what’s craziest about this whole thing is that He was born and lived at all.
Isaiah called Him mighty God.
Yet, the mighty God was born a baby (had to be fed and carried by someone He had created)
Throughout His life, He experienced everything that makes us human.
Born in a manger, not a palace
His birth was not hailed by dignitaries from around the world, or even local officials. His family didn’t even show up. It was just Mary and Joseph and, eventually, some shepherds (not the kind of people you’d want to show up at the hospital).
Born to a teenage peasant girl and a working-class father.
Born to a teenage peasant girl who had gotten pregnant before she was married (a big deal in an honor shame culture; she, Joseph, and Jesus would have carried this with them throughout out their lives. I’m not sure if you’ve ever tried to imagine what Jesus’ childhood was like. If so, have you ever imagined Him being bullied?)
He grew up in Galilee, as we’ve already mentioned. He spoke with a Galilean (country) accent.
And, what’s most remarkable about this king is that He was born low and then made it His life’s ambition to descend even lower.
He spent the bulk of His time among the poor, the diseased, the outcast.
And, after a brief time in the spotlight, was arrested, convicted, and executed as a criminal.
The point of all of this is: this is a King who does not measure up to our standards of kingliness, who does not meet our expectations. But, that’s not the end of the story. As we continue on in Isaiah’s prophecy, we come to see that this King who does not meet our expectations exceeds our wildest hopes and dreams.
Far greater
Government upon his shoulders: authority
He is the King who is able to rule the nations
His impact is not just spiritual but actual. His reign is good news for the real world
Isaiah goes on to say that His government and peace will be expansive and everlasting.
And that His Kingdom will be built upon the foundation of righteousness and justice. Now, we don’t have time to dig into it here, but whenever those two words appear together in the Bible, they refer to a righting of wrongs.
My life’s message: Jesus is King and His Kingdom is the hope of the world.
Wonderful counselor: beauty and wisdom
Two nouns: wonder/beauty and counselor. Two possible translations:
“Wonderful. Counselor.”
A wonder of a counselor
Either way, the way Isaiah has set this up, “Wonder” should not be glossed over. He is making a strong statement: this King will be beautiful. He will be compelling. He will be inspiring. He will be a masterpiece, a true wonder.
But, not just a masterpiece in Himself. He will be a masterpiece that creates other masterpieces. He is a wonder of a counselor. In other words, everything that He is, He counsels. He is not just a paragon. He is an example. He wants to make others like Him.
Mighty God: power
This one’s pretty self-explanatory.
But nevertheless astounding. Some 700 years before the incarnation, Isaiah prophesied that God would show up as a man.
Talk about exceeding anyone’s expectations. They were expecting a divinely anointed king. Isaiah said, the King wouldn’t just be divinely anointed but would be divine, wouldn’t just be sent by God but would be God.
Everything that was true of God walking around as a man (the fullness of God in bodily form).
Everlasting Father: Intimacy
Common for us. Not for them. We are used to referring to God as Father but they were not.
Enduring intimacy
Prince of Peace:
Prince who brings shalom (wholeness)
Again, exceeding expectations: they were expecting a King sent by God to come and restore the nation of Israel. What they actually got was a King who is God come to restore the goodness of all of creation. They wanted a return to the monarchy under David. He is aiming at a return to Eden.
The power of this “name” is not in unpacking these individually but in holding them in aggregate (in viewing them through each other)
Mighty God who is a counselor
Everlasting Father who is the Mighty God
Prince of peace who is all of these things
All of these exist in one person. Let it never be said that all religions are essentially the same. There is no one else like this Jesus that we celebrate here today. That we more than celebrate. That we experience.
Immanuel does not mean “God was with us.” God is with us.
Let it never be that our Christmases, or any of our traditions, devolve into mere remembrance. God. Is Here.)
The hope of Christmas is far smaller than you ever imagined and far greater than you ever dreamed. This is a King who does not live up to our expectations and who, by disappointing us, saves us.
Our response: what we need to receive the hope of Christmas
A humble heart
A persistent seeking of greatness in small things.
God loves small things
Requires a small ego
“Who among us will celebrate Christmas correctly? Whoever finally lays down all power, all honor, all reputation, all vanity, all arrogance, all individualism beside the manger; whoever remains lowly and lets God alone be high; whoever looks at the child in the manger and sees the glory of God precisely in his lowliness.” -Dietrich Bonhoeffer
A refined palette
Not just hunger but hunger for the supremely satisfying.
“If I don’t love it, I don’t swallow.”
Not satisfied with less
A prophetic imagination
Isaiah saw 700 years into the future
Ability to see through what is to what will be and, on the basis of what will be eschatologically, what can be presently