The Mighty God Made Flesh

By Pastor Matt Black

August 20, 2006
Lord's Day Evening
Isaiah 9:6

Introduction:  Open your Bible to Isaiah 9.  Stand with me as we read verses 1-7.  Tonight come to a passage in Scripture that is so magnificent it is hard to grasp it.  It is like looking into the pure midday Sun.  It is beautiful, but it is almost too much for us to bear. 

You will remember that the context of these verses is the Assyrian invasion of Israel.  Two large scale invasions were carried out.  Thousands of the Jewish people were slaughtered and most of the rest, about 27,000 were taken captive to Assyria.  The northern ten tribes were near distinction.  In the midst of this “shadow of death” a “great light” would shine.  Jesus Christ would come to rule His people.  Let’s read about that here in verses 1 through 7.

Isaiah 9:1-7, “Nevertheless the dimness shall not be such as was in her vexation, when at the first he lightly afflicted the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, and afterward did more grievously afflict her by the way of the sea, beyond Jordan, in Galilee of the nations. 2  The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined. 3  Thou hast multiplied the nation, and not increased the joy: they joy before thee according to the joy in harvest, and as men rejoice when they divide the spoil. 4  For thou hast broken the yoke of his burden, and the staff of his shoulder, the rod of his oppressor, as in the day of Midian. 5  For every battle of the warrior is with confused noise, and garments rolled in blood; but this shall be with burning and fuel of fire.

6  For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. 7  Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.”

Last week we learned about something that would happen that would end war altogether.  God would multiply the nation of Israel.  Remember we learned that God’s promise to multiply the nation was not physical in the context of Isaiah 9.  God would multiply the nation not through physical birth, but spiritual birth.  Remember verse 5 tells us that physical war, as it related to the Kingdom of God would be done away with.  The “warrior is with confused noise, and garments rolled in blood” as it related to God’s plan would be for the “burning”.  Everything pertaining to human war goes to the bon fire!  God’s people now would have no need of these things.  The battle would be one a different way.  Jesus said in John 18:36, “My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight,”  It would be won like in the day of Midian, without anyone suffering casualty.  God would deliver His people from slavery, burden, and taskmaster of sin without a drop of blood.   How would He do this?  This brings us to our text today in verses 6 and 7.  He would do this through the birth of a child.  The Assyrian problem and the problem of all those that opposed God’s earthly people would begin to disappear the moment the child was born. 

We must read each word of verse 6 very carefully.  Let’s take the first phrase: “6  For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given…” 

1. The Grateful Recipients of the Child.

(6) “Unto us”… This child would be born into the race of Adam.  Christ is called the “last Adam” and the “last man” (1 Corinthians 15:45, 47).  The first Adam affected the destiny of the entire human race.  He plunged us all into death. God warned Adam and Eve not to break their relationship with God.  He said to them, “In the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die” (Genesis 2:17).   And so, “In Adam all die,” (1 Corinthians 15:22).  So Christ was born among sinners!  Unto us sinners this child is born!  Sinners and reprobates who never sought him, now are finding Him and are multiplied unto the nation.  Turn over to Isaiah 65:1, “I am sought of them that asked not for me; I am found of them that sought me not: I said, Behold me, behold me, unto a nation that was not called by my name.”  Unto US a child is born.  US—those unworthy sinful people chosen out of this world to be grafted into Israel.  As Peter says in 1 Peter 2:9, “ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar [PURCHASED—BLOOD BOUGHT] people”.  We become part of the Kingdom of God; we as Gentiles are “graffed in” to spiritual Israel (Romans 11:17).  All of this is FOR US!

2. The Lineage of the Child.

Isaiah goes on to tell us exactly is happening on our behalf.  6  “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given…”  “A child is born”.  The fact that Christ was a child refers to His earthly family.  He wasn’t just any child. 

• He was “the son of David, the son of Abraham” (Matthew 1:1).
• ABRAHAM: God had promised Abraham this child when He said in Genesis 22:18, “in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed.”

• DAVID: Romans 1:3 tells us that “Jesus Christ our Lord…was made of the seed of David according to the flesh.”

• This Child was the promised “seed of the woman” (Genesis 3:15).  Normally the “seed” is applied to the man.  All people by the seed of the man.  But here Jesus is said to be the “seed of the woman.”  When it comes to His birth into humanity, He has no earthly father.  Joseph was Mary’s husband, but he was not the father of Jesus.  Matthew 1:18 tells us that “the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost.”  The Spirit of God miraculously gave a virgin life in her womb!!  Isaiah had already prophesied in chapter 7:14, “a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.”  So Jesus had no earthly Father.  God was His Father.

• Turn over to Luke 1:30-35.  The amazing conception of Jesus is related here.  We read, “And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God. 31  And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS. 32  He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: 33  And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end. 34  Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man? 35  And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.”  So the “power of the Highest” overshadowed Mary, and a virgin most definitely conceived and later gave birth. 

• Every child has a certain and definite lineage.  This child is born

• physically as the rightful heir to the throne of David,
• born in fulfillment to the promise of Abraham, and
• born as fulfillment to the promise given to Adam and Eve that the “seed of the woman” would crush Satan’s head (Genesis 3:15). 

So we see the lineage of the Child.  Secondly we see…

3. The incarnation of the Child.  We find that the child is “born”.  There is only one meaning to this word.  We’ve all experienced it, though none of us remember our own birth.  We all know what this is referring to. 

• John 1:14, “And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us,”

• The angels announced His birth: Luke 2:11, “For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.”

So let’s step back for a moment.  The Lord who stands outside heaven and earth and all the billions of universes and clusters of universes was “made flesh”.  He inhabited a human body.  God was made flesh. 

Isaiah then further reveals who it is that is going to multiply this nation of spiritual Israel.  He says “unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given”.  The idea of Son here really is pointing to the fact that He is heir to a Kingdom. Here we see not only His humanity, but also regality.  He is born a king.  His being “born” points to His human parentage, and His being “given” point to divine parentage. 

4. We see the sovereignty of the Child.

(6) and the government shall be upon his shoulder:  Christ is said to have all authority to govern and control this Kingdom.  As the Governor and Head of the church, He has been given specific control of all things for the purpose of bringing the Church to Himself: Matthew 28:18, “All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.” In Ephesians 1:22, “And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church,” The government is upon Christ’s shoulders.  He carries the load.  This refers to the Church, the Kingdom of grace.  Remember Christ’s Kingdom is Heavenly.  He is the governor who allows people to enter into the Kingdom of God through the new birth (John 3:3).  Again, remember Christ clearly says John 18:36, “My kingdom is not of this world.” 

5. We see the Titles of the Child.  (6) “and his name shall be called”. 

Christ has a Name “every name that is named” (Ephesians 1:21).  “God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name” (Philippians 2:10). 

The old hymn asks “What child is this?”  Chapter 7 of Isaiah says He is Immanuel, God with us!  But Isaiah 9:6 Goes into not just His name, but these titles reveal, not just an outward name, but these names are an actual description of this Child’s being and character.  Five designations are given.

• Wonderful:  This title has to do with Christ’s Diety.  Though Christ is born of a virgin, and is truly 100% man, He is also 100% God.  This title refers to His divinity.  It says He is literally a “wonder”, that which is not of this world!  Christ said in John 8:23, “I am not of this world.”  Christ came from heaven.  He prayed in John 17:5, “O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was.”  This child is “Wonderful”.  He is something that is not of this world, though He is born into this world. 

• Counsellor: This title has to do with Christ’s Omniscience.  Christ is the incarnation of wisdom itself.  Christ is the Wisdom of God (1 Corinthians 1:24).   He is the one that can counsel and convict the heart.  He is called “The Word” (John 1:1).  He is the Logic of everything.  Everything

• The mighty God, This title has to do with Christ’s Omnipotence. Revelation 1:8 has Christ proclaiming this very title as “the Almighty”. 

• The everlasting Father: This title has the idea “Father of eternity”.  He is from everlasting to everlasting!  “In the beginning was the Word…” (John 1:1), yest Christ stands outside of time.  “Before Abraham was,” Jesus said, “I am” (John 8:58).  Christ is the “Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, the First and the Last” (Revelation 1:18).  Christ stands outside of time and is the source of all things.  He is the Creator and sustainer of all things!

• The Prince of Peace: He is the prince of Reconciliation! 2 Corinthians 5:21 tells us that God made Christ “to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.”  Christ is the Prince of our Reconciliation!  He is the Captain of our Salvation (Hebrews 2:10).  In Christ we are accepted, we have grace and peace (reconciliation)! 

Conclusion: Are you living under the sovereign government of Messiah?  It is one thing to understand the character and being of Christ, but do Christ’s attributes hold sway over your life?  Is His life a miraculous part of your life; can you call Him “wonderful”?  Do you get your counsel from Him?  Is He the Almighty in your life?  Have you been reconciled to Him?  The Mighty God was made flesh to save sinners!  That one truth has transformed the world, and may it transform you!!

Closing Hymn:  225 Away in a Manger