Grow With Pastor Joe

In Charles Wesley’s famous carol, we sing, “Glory to the Newborn King.” As Americans, we don’t think much of kings. America was literally founded on the principle of rejecting and rebelling against an overbearing king. However, in the Bible and in God’s eternal plan, kingship and the kingdom of God is prioritized. God is the king of the universe for He created it all and holds all authority to rule and reign. Everything in existence falls under His kingly authority. At Christmastime, we often hear about the newborn king who was ushered into the world without a throne, crown, or scepter. Yet, the reality is that Jesus possessed all of those things before the manger in Bethlehem. Jesus is the eternal king of the universe who possesses all authority, ability, and right to rule over all things. The kingship of the Lord Jesus Christ is declared throughout all of the scriptures, but there are several key scriptures that discuss King Jesus. In Matthew 1:1-17 we see Jesus’ legal lineage that declares His right to rule, not just over Israel, but the nations as well. Then, in Matthew 2:1-12, sometime after his birth the wise men from the east come and say to Herod, “Where is he that is born King of the Jews? For we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him.” When Jesus was born, he was born to a poor Jewish virgin and her husband Joseph. He was laid in a manger used for feeding animals and wrapped in swaddling clothes. At His birth, Jesus didn’t look like a king, but He was as much king in the manger as He will be when He comes again in all of His splendor and glory. Throughout Jesus’ life, there are no instances of Him wearing a crown, holding a scepter, or sitting upon a thrown. Yet, in Matthew 27:27-50 we see the King of Kings being belittled, mocked, and abused as he has a scarlet robe placed upon His bloody back and a crown of thorns beaten into His skull. Above His cross we see the inscription ‘THIS IS JESUS THE KING OF THE JEWS.’ Then we even see those dying with Him mocking His title of King. Jesus was King before he was ever laid in the manger cradle and He was still the true King of Kings there upon the cross. Jesus is Lord and King.

            As we continue our journey of looking at Christmas in Isaiah, we come to another familiar prophecy of the coming Messiah-King in Isa. 9:1-7 which says, “¹Nevertheless 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.” Today, we will focus on Isa. 9:6 to sing with the angels, ‘Glory to the newborn King.’ In this passage both advents of Christ are in view. There is the advent that we celebrate at Christmas, the incarnation of Christ. Then, there is the second advent of Christ which is in the future when He will return with His Church and set up His Millennial Kingdom and reign from David’s throne in Jerusalem over the nations. While both are in view for us in the scripture, the Jews only saw one coming of a Messiah-King who they believed would be a human anointed by God and would restore the kingdom of Israel only. God had bigger plans. You and I can look back at His first coming to see Him in a manger cradle without a crown to then the cross with a crown of thorns. Then, we can now in faith look forward to the second coming of Christ who will usher in His Kingdom which will have no true threat or end (See Rev. 19:11-16; 20-22).

            Before we go further, we must see the context of Isa. 9:6. Isaiah has been sent by God to prophecy to Judah during the time of the divided kingdom. Both Israel and Judah have wicked kings. They have continued down the road of unfaithfulness and unrighteousness by committing the same idolatry and immorality as the gentile pagans that surround them. In the previous chapters, Isaiah has prophesied to wicked king Ahaz who rejects the word of God. However, God is gracious and promises Immanuel, God with us, which of course is the Lord Jesus Christ. Because of the continued rejection of God’s rule over His people, God gives Isaiah the prophecy of a greater judgment of captivity that will destroy the kingdoms of Israel and Judah. A time of gloom and doom of judgment is seen and linked to our passage in the connecting verses that helps to set the scene in 8:13-22. In that passage we see Isaiah’s call to submit in faithful fear to the Lord and the lack of light in those who are contrary to God who Judah and Israel both have sought counsel from. Then, as the pattern in the Old Testament pronouncement of judgment upon God’s people, God graciously offers mercy and the promise of future redemption and restoration through a coming Messiah-King. From the gloom of judgment there is then the glimmer of hope that allows the weary world to rejoice in the promises of God’s mercy. There will be greater joy than the great judgment that Israel and Judah must face for their sinfulness against God. How wonderful these promises of Christ are. Imagine for the people hearing this prophecy. They had wicked kings, but were being promised a king and kingdom of righteousness and glory. The darkness of judgment will give way to the greater light of joy that Christ will bring as the glorious King who will bring a more glorious Kingdom than they could ever imagine. Now that we have set the scene, we will focus on the glory of the king in Isa. 9:6 as we see His nature and His names.

            First, let us see the nature of the king. When we say nature, we are speaking of one’s being, essence, existence, and the expression of such. Another way to put it would be His attributes including who He is and what He is like. As we have already addressed, Isa. 9:6 is clearly speaking of the Lord Jesus Christ. When dealing with the person and work of Christ, we must begin with understanding His nature. Jesus is the second person of the triune God who is the “fulness of the godhead bodily” (Col. 2:9). In the first half of Isa. 9:6 we see the two natures of Christ. This is what we call the hypostatic union, or in other words, Jesus the Son of God is truly God and truly man. “The hypostatic union is the term used to describe how God the Son, Jesus Christ, took on a human nature, yet remained fully God at the same time. Jesus always had been God (John 8:58, 10:30), but at the incarnation Jesus became a human being (John 1:14). The addition of the human nature to the divine nature is Jesus, the God-man. This is the hypostatic union, Jesus Christ, one Person, fully God and fully man. Jesus’ two natures, human and divine, are inseparable. Jesus will forever be the God-man, fully God and fully human, two distinct natures in one Person. Jesus’ humanity and divinity are not mixed, but are united without loss of separate identity. Jesus sometimes operated with the limitations of humanity (John 4:6, 19:28) and other times in the power of His deity (John 11:43; Matthew 14:18-21). In both, Jesus’ actions were from His one Person. Jesus had two natures, but only one personality.” (What is the hypostatic union? | GotQuestions.org) This is an incredible mystery as 1 Tim. 3:16 states, “And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.” 1 Tim. 2:5-6 also says, “⁵ For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; ⁶ Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.” Jesus is truly man for He is the child that was born. This clearly expresses that the coming King would be a man, but we must understand that Christ had perfect humanity for He was not born of man and woman but born of a virgin without Adam’s sinful nature or guilt (See Isa. 7:14; Rom. 5; 1 Cor. 15). Jesus was a true human being in that he was a baby in need of a mother’s milk and care. He submitted Himself to their care. He grew, ate, drank, walked, talked, read, sang, and experienced all of the emotions that we experience, yet without sin. Jesus lived as a man to experience our humanity and to take upon Himself the sins of humanity as the perfect High Priest and Mediator (See Heb. 2:9-11; 4:14-16). Jesus being truly man doesn’t diminish or distort His true deity. Neither Jesus’ human nor divine nature detracts from the other. Jesus is the son who is given. He is Mary’s child, but He is God’s eternal Son who took on flesh and lived as the sinless true and better Adam. The Lord Jesus possessed and possesses all the attributes of God for He is the God-Man. Jesus declares His Sonship (this includes both His divine and human natures) throughout His teaching and ministry. In a conversation with a Pharisee who would have been an Old Testament scholar, Jesus declares that He is the Son who is given for the salvation of all who believe (John 3:16-21). Then, in John 6:22-59, Jesus declares that He is the “Bread of life” and that He “came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me.” Once more, in John 7:28-31, Jesus declares that He is sent from the Father to offer salvation to all who will believe. The nature of Christ is an incredible thing to ponder. Jesus throughout eternity will show the evidence of His humanity as He ever abides as a resurrected man with the scars to prove His vicarious death for sinners, but as God He is to be worshipped forevermore. Understanding the nature of the king reminds us that He is greater than all of the kings of the earth and that He is not like the kings of Israel, Judah, or the wicked nations. He is a good and gracious King for He is the God-Man who is perfect and holy in all that He is and does.

            Second, let us see the names of the king. In the Old Testament, the names of God reveal to us His nature. He is the uncreated, self-existent, omniscient, omnipotent, omnipresent creator, sustainer, and ruler of all of creation. The names or titles that are given to the Messiah-King that is promised in this passage express the nature of the Lord Jesus Christ in His attributes and actions. When we speak of the glory of God, there is His intrinsic glory which is His nature. Then, we speak of His ascribed glory which is the praise that we give to Him for who He is (nature or attributes) and what He has done, is doing, and will do (actions). All that Christ does corresponds perfectly to His attributes. God never acts out of character. He is who He is and all that He does expresses who He is. Each of these names could be its own sermon, but we will examine all five here although many commentators and preachers lump two of them together.

One, Jesus is “Wonderful!” The word wonderful describes something that is miraculous, majestic, or marvelous. It is something that causes awe and wonder to those that behold it. The very name of Jesus causes our hearts to wonder and be in awe. Everything about the Lord Jesus Christ is wonderful in the sense that all that He is and does is exceptional; however, the idea is that all that He is and does leads us to be in wonder and awe of His very being. You can’t behold the wonderful Lord Jesus and come back bored. To behold the wonderful Lord Jesus by faith leads us to be bowed down in awe, fear, love, and worship. By way of application, don’t forget that all that God is and does is wonderful. God can only be and do great things! The very name of Jesus is so wonderful that it is the only name that can save. No other name is so controversial or incredible. Everyone will bow at the wonderful name of Christ. 

Two, Jesus is “Counsellor!” While many commentators simply say that Jesus is a Wonderful Counselor (which would be true), it is best to keep ‘Wonderful’ as a title, not an adjective. The word for counselor is the idea to advise, guide, devise or plan. It is the counsel of God that created all things and devised and decreed redemption through the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus, the eternal Word of God, has revealed the counsel of God through the Bible that we have today. The Bible is inspired, infallible, inherent, and sufficient for us. It is the full and closed canon of scripture that gives to us the counsel of God for all of redemptive history, past, present, and future. Isa. 11:1-5 describe the counsel of the coming King saying, “¹And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots: ² And the spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord; ³ And shall make him of quick understanding in the fear of the Lord: and he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of his ears: ⁴ But with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth: and he shall smite the earth: with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked. ⁵ And righteousness shall be the girdle of his loins, and faithfulness the girdle of his reins.” Then, Psalm 119:105 says, “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.” Jesus is the light of the world who gives counsel to us through His Word found in both the Old and New Testament. He doesn’t give bad counsel. He possesses all wisdom for He Himself is the wisdom of God in the flesh. He is full of grace and truth. Every question or concern in your life should be brought swiftly to the Counsellor!

Three, Jesus is “the Mighty God!” Jesus was not a man who became God. He was, is, and shall always be God. There at His birth in Bethlehem, the Mighty God became a little baby. All of the might of God was in the manger in the incarnate Christ. Jesus is ‘El Gibbor,’ the Mighty God or Divine Warrior. He possesses all power which includes His authority and ability to achieve all that He desires, designs, and decrees. This is seen in Isa. 9:3-5 that speak of the coming King who will bring about ultimate victory for God’s people in undeniable fashion. Jesus is the Mighty God who was born, lived, died, and rose in total triumph over His foes.

Four, Jesus is called “The everlasting Father!” This is NOT to say that Jesus is the person of the Father. The triunity of the godhead is intact. The Father is not the Son or the Spirit. The Son is not the Father nor the Spirit. The Spirit is not the Father nor the Son. The Father sent us the Son, and the Son gave us the Spirit. The trinity is that there is one God in three persons who are coequal, coeternal, yet distinct in their person. So, what is this saying about Jesus? This is to describe Jesus as functioning as a faithful father. He is the everlasting father who protects His children, provides for His children, and is present in their lives. We see in this name the love and care of the Lord Jesus Christ for those who have been redeemed and adopted through His loving sacrifice. Col. 2:1-9 helps us to see all that Christ is saying, “¹For I would that ye knew what great conflict I have for you, and for them at Laodicea, and for as many as have not seen my face in the flesh; ² That their hearts might be comforted, being knit together in love, and unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the acknowledgement of the mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Christ; ³ In whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. ⁴ And this I say, lest any man should beguile you with enticing words. ⁵ For though I be absent in the flesh, yet am I with you in the spirit, joying and beholding your order, and the stedfastness of your faith in Christ. ⁶ As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him: ⁷ Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving. ⁸ Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ. ⁹ For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.” As Jesus stated, He and the Father are one in their eternal union within the godhead, but also one in the eternal and divine will to save sinners through the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ the Son (John’s gospel emphasizes this).

Five, Jesus is “The Prince of Peace!” In Isaiah’s day, Israel and Judah did not know peace with God, one another, or the nations surrounding them. How wonderful it is to see that this prophecy says that the coming King and Kingdom is one of peace. Peace is the idea of rest from war and to be at rest or ease. Jesus is the Prince of Peace because He has the authority and ability to give it for He has achieved and applied peace at the cross (See Rom. 5:1-11; Col. 1:15-20). He has made peace with God and man; but even more wonderfully He maintains that peace as the Great High Priest who ever intercedes and mediates for those who are His. This same peace is pronounced in the nativity account in Luke 2:14 as the angels pronounce the incarnation of Christ to the shepherds in the fields. Jesus, the Prince of Peace, offers peace to all who repent and believe. You can’t enjoy the peace of God until you have peace with God, but Jesus is the one who gives us both.

            As we bring this to a close, we see the glory of the King. Our hearts should behold Christ the King and be in awe of who He is, what He has done, is doing, and will do. The birth of the Lord Jesus Christ was the first entrance of the King of Creation into His creation; but there is coming another coming of Christ where He will enter into His world again and rule as King of Kings and Lord of Lords. We will look at the glory of the Kingdom next week, but for now, think about the King who was born at Christmas. Think about His nature and His names. Such majesty, might, and mystery! Have you lost the wonder of Christmas or the wonder of who Christ is? Do you seek His counsel in His Word and prayer? Has your heart been conquered by the Mighty God? Will you rest in His Fatherly love and care? Do you have peace with God and do you enjoy the peace of God. This Christmas and every day of the year, we should be able by faith to sing, “Glory to the Newborn King!” Submit to His rule and reign over your life. He is a good and gracious King. Won’t you come to Him? Won’t you bow before Him and come and adore Him? He is Christ the King!