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If anybody is very uncomfortable 
about the weather or the temperature in here, there is a live stream 
feature up in the fellowship hall. There's two furnaces, so 
that furnace works. So if you're too chilly and you 
want to tune in, you can go upstairs and there will be a live stream 
feed there. So if anybody wants to, please 
go. I was told to wait a minute in case anybody wants to go, 
but nobody's moving. But if you do decide to go up 
there, feel free to do so. Well, for our message this morning, 
you can turn with me to the prophet Isaiah, Isaiah chapter 9. Isaiah 
chapter 9, a very familiar passage of scripture at this time of 
the year, when we focus upon the Lord's incarnation, the coming 
of the second person of the Trinity into this world. As John tells 
us in John 1.14, the Word became flesh. and dwelt among us, and 
we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the 
Father, full of grace and truth." And as we look at this particular 
passage, it's a promise of that Messianic King. So I want to 
read chapter 9, verses 1 to 7. Nevertheless, the gloom will 
not be upon her who is distressed, as when at first he lightly esteemed 
the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, and afterward more 
heavily oppressed her. By the way of the sea, beyond 
the Jordan, in Galilee of the Gentiles, the people who walked 
in darkness have seen a great light. Those who dwelt in the 
land of the shadow of death, upon them a light has shined. 
You have multiplied the nation and increased its joy. They rejoice 
before you according to the joy of harvest, as men rejoice when 
they divide the spoil. For you have broken the yoke 
of his burden and the staff of his shoulder, the rod of his 
oppressor, as in the day of Midian. For every warrior's sandal from 
the noisy battle and garments rolled in blood will be used 
for burning and fuel of fire. For unto us a child is born, 
unto us a son is given, and the government will be upon his shoulder, 
and his name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting 
Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government 
and peace there will be no end. upon the throne of David and 
over his kingdom, to order it and establish it with judgment 
and justice. From that time forward, even 
forever, the zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this. Amen. Well, let us pray. Our 
gracious God and Holy Father, we thank you for the written 
word of God. We thank you for the power of 
our Lord Jesus Christ and the saving of his people from their 
sins. We thank you for the glory of 
the incarnation. that the second person of the 
Trinity would take on our humanity in order to redeem our humanity. 
We give praise to Father, Son, and Holy Spirit for this glorious 
redemption that you have wrought. And we pray now that as we consider 
our blessed Savior in promised form, our hearts would be drawn 
out in worship and in praise and adoration. As well, God, 
we pray for those who are dead in their trespasses and sins, 
that You would awaken them by Your power, that Your Holy Spirit 
would bring that conviction for sin and set forth Christ in His 
offices to save to the uttermost all who draw nigh unto God through 
Him. As well, Father, strengthen and sanctify and encourage each 
of our hearts, forgive us for all of our sin and transgression, 
and fill each one of us now with Your Holy Spirit. And we pray 
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. Well, as I said, this is 
a very famous, popular, and obviously well-known passage of Scripture 
during December, typically every year. And the focus will be on 
verses 6 and 7, but first I want to look at the historical context, 
and then secondly, we'll look at the identification of the 
king, and then thirdly, the description of his kingdom. Because that 
is essentially what the prophet does in verses 6 and 7. He tells us, or he identifies 
for us, the coming king who will save his people from their sins, 
and then describes something concerning the kingdom that he 
will govern. But in terms of the historical 
context, Isaiah lived at an interesting time. He lived at the time when 
the northern kingdom was going to fall, and at a time when the 
southern kingdom needed to be encouraged, needed to be strengthened, 
and as well needed to be warned that they didn't follow suit 
along with the northern kingdom. And then we have this in chapter 
8 in terms of the Assyrians and in terms of what they will render 
to the northern tribes. So on the heels of that, the 
Prophet then comes along and gives encouragement. You'll find 
that often in the Prophets. You'll get a testimony, a promise 
of some destruction or some judgment. But always appended to that is 
a promise of blessing and mercy and a reality that God will not 
forsake His people. God will not forget His people. but God will vindicate, God remembers, 
and God visits with blessing. So that's how chapter 9 verses 
1 to 7 function. There's going to be bad, the 
northern kingdom's going to fall. There's going to be bad, eventually 
the southern kingdom's going to fall. But there's going to 
be blessing and good in a reunification of both houses of Israel under 
Messiah and a worldwide campaign of gospel preaching to the uttermost 
parts of the earth for the inclusion of sinners from every tribe, 
tongue, people, and nation. So background, bad, but this 
in the foreground is a promise of good. So notice this promise 
of hope for Israel in chapter 9 verses 1 to 2. Notice, nevertheless, 
this is on the heels of having been reminded that there is judgment 
coming. Nevertheless, the gloom will 
not be upon her who is distressed, as when at first he lightly esteemed 
the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali. Those two places 
are very much important in the context. When the Assyrians descended 
into Israel, these two tribes, these tribal allotments, would 
have been the first in the wake of the devastation and the decimation. So Zebulun and Naphtali, by virtue 
of where they're at geographically, would suffer this Assyrian incursion. And then notice, and afterward 
more heavily oppressed her by the way of the sea beyond the 
Jordan in Galilee of the Gentiles. The people who walked in darkness 
have seen a great light. Those who dwelt in the land of 
the shadow of death, upon them a light has shined. So the prophet 
says, though there has been bad or there will be bad, he oftentimes 
uses different verbal tenses. He speaks in the past and in 
the future, but he says, though the Northern tribes will fall, 
there is a day coming when they will be blessed. There is a day 
coming when the North and the South will be blessed in the 
Messiah. Now that day is in the arrival 
of the Lord Jesus Christ. You can turn to Matthew chapter 
four. Matthew chapter 4, at the outset of our Lord's ministry, 
there is a direct fulfillment of this particular passage. It's 
imperative that we understand that the champion of verses 6 
and 7 is the Lord Jesus. It wasn't Hezekiah, it wasn't 
some other earthly king at the time of the monarchy, but it's 
rather a reference to the Messiah. As one man says, Isaiah is looking 
beyond the limits of historical kingship, since the exalted language 
used in 1-7 rules out any earthly king. The prophet looks forward 
to the ultimate king of Davidic line, the royal Messiah. So look 
at Matthew 4 at verse 12. Now, when Jesus heard that John 
had been put in prison, he departed to Galilee. And leaving Nazareth, 
he came and dwelt in Capernaum, which is by the sea, in the regions 
of Zebulun and Naphtali, that it might be fulfilled which was 
spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying, The land of Zebulun and 
the land of Naphtali, by the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan, 
Galilee of the Gentiles. The people who sat in darkness 
have seen a great light, and upon those who sat in the region 
in shadow of death, light has dawned. From that time Jesus 
began to preach and to say, Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is 
at hand. So going back to the prophet in chapter 9, specifically 
verses 1 and 2, promise blessing after the decimation of the northern 
and southern tribes. And then notice that the prophet 
prophesies good things in verses three to five. Notice, he says, 
you have multiplied and increased its joy. They rejoice before 
you according to the joy of harvest as men rejoice when they divide 
the spoil. Again, in the context, and this 
is all going to help us as we move through a description of 
the kingdom and the identification of the king, there is this promise 
that there will be joy. There's this promise that there 
will be blessing. There will be celebration. And if we ask 
the question, why will there be joy? Why will there be blessing? Why will there be celebration? 
The prophet answers with three particulars. Notice in verse 
four, The people of Israel will undergo victory over their enemies. There will be great blessing 
because the enemies of God, the enemies of Israel, will be denounced. They will be decimated. Verse 
5 underscores the same thing. That as a result of this judgment 
from God against their enemies, they will enjoy peace. And then 
notice in verse 6, it all hinges upon this child who is born. So the reasons for Israel's joy 
are found in verses 4, 5, and 6. 4, 4, and 4. Notice how each 
verse, 4, 5, and 6, begins with that word 4. You're going to know this joy 
because God is going to destroy your enemies. You're going to 
know this joy because there's going to be an abundance of peace 
among you. And you're going to know this 
joy because of this child. You're going to know this joy 
because of this son. You're going to know this joy 
because of the Messiah of God Most High, the champion of Israel, 
the victor, the triumphant one, the supreme one, the one we read 
of in John 1.1, in the beginning was the Word, and the Word was 
with God, and the Word was God. That one from John 1.14, the 
Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory. 
So Israel's blessedness is looked forward to in terms of the coming 
of the Messiah of God Almighty. So that's the context. Now let's 
look at the identification of the king and the description 
of his kingdom. In the first place, how does 
God deal with his enemies? How does God deliver the death 
blow with his enemies? He does it through the birth 
of a child. He does it through the birth 
of a child. Notice in verse 6, for unto us 
a child is born. We would think we need the biggest, 
most baddest, strongest, and most vicious warrior in order 
to combat our enemies. But when God comes to deal with 
His enemies, He sends the Son of His love. And that second 
person of the Trinity takes on our humanity such that He is 
a child born. This reminds us of Genesis chapter 
3. You can go back there. Genesis 
chapter 3 is the first promise given concerning Messiah. And 
it tells us that Messiah would be a man. The Messiah would be 
a child. The Messiah would be born of 
a woman. In Genesis 3, 15, I will put 
enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her 
seed. He shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel. 
So the promise given to Israel concerning their deliverer always 
included a man. It always included a man born 
from a woman, and it always included that that man would start off, 
like every man does, as a child. Now in Galatians 4.4 it tells 
us that in the fullness of the times, God sent forth his son, 
born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those under the 
law. The incarnation is glorious because 
it is the means by which God Most High makes peace. It is 
the means by which God most high renders judgment upon his enemies. 
It is the means by which God most high blesses his people 
profusely. But when we go back to the prophet, 
we see that he's not only a child born, and I'm separating these 
two parts because I think both deserve emphasis. For unto us 
a child is born, but then it says unto us a son is given. It's not just born, but he comes 
as a gift. Genesis 3.15, I will put enmity. There will be a son born of a 
woman. And that son born of a woman 
will crush the head of the devil himself. John 3.16, we've been 
going through that glorious gospel in our Sunday morning services. 
God so loved the world that he did what? He gave his only begotten 
son. I don't think it's any accident 
that Jesus uses that language in John 3.16. It evokes the memory 
of the anticipation concerning the coming King. He's given to 
us. We don't deserve Him. We didn't 
ask for Him. We didn't say, Lord, we've really 
messed things up. Can you send the second person 
of the Trinity to take on our humanity? Man did not come up 
with the scheme of redemption. It is God. It is divine initiative. And not only is a child born, 
but he is a son that has been given to us. a divine profusion 
of blessing for the people of God. He is not deserved by us. He's not esteemed by us, as the 
prophet will go on later to say in chapter 53, there's nothing 
about him that attracts us to him, but because of God's sovereign 
grace, because God chose us in him before the foundation of 
the world, such that when God deals with us and opens our eyes 
to behold not only our sin and the wickedness of it, but to 
see the savior and the beauty of him, We know it's not because 
we deserved it, but because God is a gracious God. God is a giving 
God. God provides for needy sinners 
what needy sinners stand in need of. Now, having said that, if 
you're a needy sinner here this morning, listen to what God says. There is a son given, and that 
son is given for the salvation of sinners. So the idea is that 
you have violated God's law. You have transgressed God's law. You have lacked conformity to 
God's law. God calls you to live in a particular 
way, and you don't. You choose to live in the opposite 
way. to kill instead of live. You 
choose to engage in sexual perversion instead of do what God says. 
You choose to blaspheme instead of honor him. And I'm not saying 
you, we all did this until God opened our eyes to that reality 
and showed us the son that he gave, the son that he provided, 
the son that hung on that cross, the way that that serpent hung 
on that pole, such that everybody who looked to him lived. That's 
the emphasis in the prophet here. He is a child born, he is a son 
given. But notice thirdly, he has universal 
sovereignty. Look at the language. The government 
will be upon his shoulder. The government will be upon his 
shoulder. The idea is very clear. He rules all things. He governs 
all His creatures and all their actions. There's nothing outside 
of His purview. There's nothing that exists out 
there that is somehow a renegade thing. The Lord Christ Most High 
has ascended to the position of universal empire. In fact, 
turn to John's Gospel, later in John's Gospel, in John chapter 
18, where, interestingly, Jesus does exactly what Isaiah does 
in Isaiah chapter 9. When Jesus is before Pontius 
Pilate, Jesus is asked concerning his identity, and Jesus underscores 
that he is in fact a king, and he describes something concerning 
his kingdom, just like we see in verses 6 and 7 in Isaiah chapter 
9. But notice in John 18, specifically 
at verse 35, well, verse 36, Jesus, oh, back to verse 34. 
Sorry about that. Jesus answered him, are you speaking 
for yourself about this? Or did others tell you this concerning 
name? Pilate answered, am I a Jew? 
Your own nation and the chief priests have delivered you to 
me. What have you done? Now notice what Jesus responds. 
He starts first with his kingdom. and then with himself as king. 
So let's just invert the order that we find in the prophet for 
a moment. Notice he says, my kingdom is not of this world. 
My brethren, I think there's a lot of faulty understanding 
in this statement. Because some will say, well, 
Jesus is Lord of the church, but the state is sovereign in 
her prerogative. And you just have to do whatever 
she says. No, Christ is not in terms of 
this world. In other words, my kingdom is 
not of this world. It didn't originate from the 
world. I wasn't voted into office. I didn't run a campaign. It wasn't 
dynastic in terms of the way men conduct earthly kingdoms. 
My kingdom is not of this world, but it certainly includes this 
world. in the mediatorial reign of our 
Lord Jesus. In Matthew 28, 18 to 20, he says, 
all authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. So 
when he says, my kingdom is not of this world, he doesn't mean 
that his kingdom doesn't involve this world. It doesn't originate 
from the world. Now notice, he says, if my kingdom 
were of this world, my servants would fight. Jesus authorizes 
or legitimizes the use of violence in a sin-cursed world. He does 
that. He may not do it in some sort 
of an ethical treatise, but he says, if my kingdom did originate 
from this world, if I was a competitor to Pontius Pilate, if I was a 
competitor to Caesar, if I was a competitor in the earthly sense, 
know this, my servants would fight. And what's the implication? 
My servants would win. In other words, Pilate, you have 
no authority except what has been given to you from on high, 
and what you're engaged in right now is according to my purpose 
and to my plan. But then notice what he goes 
on to say, so that I should not be delivered to the Jews, but 
now my kingdom is not from here. Now notice the question. Pilate 
therefore said to him, are you a king then? Jesus answered, 
you say rightly that I am a king, for this cause I was born. The only mention of the birth 
of Jesus in John's gospel, and it's a royal purpose. John deals 
with the incarnation. John deals with theology in John 
1, 1 to 18. As I mentioned before, in the 
beginning was the Word. The Word was with God and the 
Word was God. That Word became flesh and tabernacled among us. But where do Matthew and Luke 
start? They start in Bethlehem. They start with a baby born. 
They start with that child that is born. The only reference to 
Jesus' birth in John's gospel is before Pontius Pilate, and 
it's a royal purpose. The thing that ought to disturb 
us at Christmas time is that everybody likes to have gentle 
Jesus, meek and mild, in his infantile state, in a manger, 
in a position that is non-threatening. in a position that is absolutely 
tamable, in a position that is absolutely manipulated by us. The Bible tells us that with 
reference to the royal reign of Jesus Christ, it is the purpose 
for which he was born. That's what he says to Pontius 
Pilate. This is the same thought or concept 
in Isaiah 9, 6. The government will be upon his 
shoulders. Isn't that encouraging? The government 
isn't on our shoulders. The government isn't on Justin 
Trudeau's shoulders. The government isn't on Joe Biden's 
shoulders. If all there is is what we see, 
this is far more messed up than you and I had ever even imagined. But Christ at the right hand 
of God Most High rules. He reigns. He's sovereign. He has universal empire. That's 
the emphasis in Matthew 28. That's the emphasis in Ephesians 
chapter 1, 19 to 23. He's exalted at the right hand 
of God, far above all principality and power and dominion and every 
name that is named in this age and in that which is to come. 
When John the Apostle comes to write his letter to the churches 
of Asia Minor that were suffering for the cause of Jesus Christ, 
he starts off with a Trinitarian greeting in Revelation chapter 
one. And he mentions that Jesus Christ 
now, right now, at the time that he wrote, is the ruler over the 
kings of the earth. I think the church needs a fresh 
dose of that medicine because these are discouraging times 
in which we live. These are troubling times in 
which we experience. And yet Christ is over all these 
things presently. He's ruler over the kings of 
the earth. And you might say, well, you know, you mentioned 
a couple of guys that are over us and it wasn't that bad back 
then. Nero was no friend of the church 
of Jesus, brethren. The earthly rulers and political 
leaders that obtained at the time of the Roman Empire weren't 
godly upright men. If you read about that period 
in history, it was wicked, it was debauched, it was wretched. I mean, we decry the sin, the 
crime of abortion. We think that this is the only 
time that we've ever experienced. Abortion's always been. In the 
first century, the Church of Jesus Christ lived in a pagan 
environment where abortion was more often rendered by infanticide. If you had a baby girl, they 
weren't as helpful to the family unit, so you basically just threw 
it out with the trash. If the dogs got it, or if pimps 
or persons that came to prostitute people got it, well, that's just 
the way it happened. It was a wicked season in the 
history of the world. And yet, what was the anthem 
for the early church? Yahweh said to my Lord, sit at 
my right hand till I make all of your enemies your footstool. 
In other words, the thought of Christ being a universal sovereign 
steeled the blood of the saints in the early church. They were 
not cowards. They were not wimps. They were 
not ones that ran from the various issues that faced them, but they 
preached King Jesus in the midst of it. They preach the glory 
of this universal empire resting upon the Son of God's love. And then notice, back in verse 
37, you say rightly that I am a king. For this cause I was 
born, and for this cause I have come into the world, that I should 
bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth 
hears my voice. How does Christ conquer? He does 
it through His Word. In Revelation 19, you have that 
description of the rider on the white horse. And there's a sword 
that does what? It proceeds from His mouth. It is the Word of God by which 
He saves enemies. It is the Word of God by which 
He damns enemies. It is the Word of God by which 
He rules the nations at this particular time. but Christ has 
universal empire. Spurgeon said, Our Lord, in effect, 
tells us that truth is the preeminent characteristic of His kingdom 
and that His royal power over men's hearts is through the truth. We sing with Watts, He rules 
the world with truth and grace and makes the nations prove the 
glories of His righteousness. So going back to the prophet 
Isaiah, This one promised to Israel is a child born. This 
one promised to Israel is a son given. And this one promised 
to Israel is one upon whose shoulders the government of the universe 
is placed. If you cannot find solace, comfort, 
joy, and encouragement there, then you need to repent. Your 
King, your Savior, your Lord is in absolute control. He is 
in absolute charge. Everything that happens, happens 
according to His plan, His purpose, and His will. And as the people 
of God, instead of complaining, instead of murmuring, instead 
of grumbling, we ought to rejoice in the triumph of our blessed 
Savior and in His position of royal authority at the right 
hand of the Father. But then notice, the prophet 
now gives us specific descriptions or identifiers of our blessed 
Savior. So back to Isaiah 9, 6, after 
the government will be upon his shoulder, he then says his name 
will be called Wonderful Counselor. Wonderful Counselor. I hope you see the connection 
that the one upon whose shoulders the government of all things 
has been entrusted actually has the ability to carry out the 
task. Right? If he wasn't wonderful 
counselor, and he had this authority, we might be in a sad state. Again, 
go back to our own places of political rule. They have lots 
of authority. But when mixed with incompetence, 
that doesn't prove blessing for the people. But when you have 
royal authority and power, and absolute omnicompetence, Then 
the children of God can sleep peaceably at night. Notice the 
emphasis on wonderful counselor. What does he mean by wonderful 
counselor? I think we all get the counselor. 
He speaks good things to us by his word. In John 14, six, he 
says, I am the way, the truth and the life. In John 18, we've 
just seen that he advances his kingdom by the truth so that 
counselor aspect is very obvious, but what's wonderful about it? 
Ralph Davis makes the observation that wonderful here is probably 
something like divine. He is deity. And the wonder element, 
I'm just quoting Davis, implies deity. It is really equivalent 
to supernatural. He gives us a few parallel uses. 
Genesis 18, 14. Is anything too wonderful for 
the Lord? The New King James renders it 
hard, but the same sort of idea. Psalm 139. The psalmist says, 
such knowledge is too wonderful for me. It is high. I cannot 
attain it. Yeah, it's good in terms of quality, 
but it's good in terms of its divine characteristic. And then 
as well in Isaiah 28-29, this also comes from the Lord of Hosts, 
who is wonderful in counsel and excellent in guidance. Davis 
summarizes the use of the same kind of terminology here in verse 
6, points to the child's deity. He's wonderful counselor. He's divine. He's both God and 
man according to Genesis 3, 15, according to Isaiah 9, 6, according 
to John 1, 1 to 18. The blessed hypostatic union 
wasn't an invention in the New Testament. You see it alluded 
to here. You see the two natures in the 
one person. He's a child born. He's a son 
given, but he's wonderful counselor. And I almost call him the apostle. The prophet doesn't stop there. 
He continues to predicate concerning this particular Savior, His divinity. Alec Mottier makes this observation 
concerning the connection. He says, the decisions of a king 
make or break a kingdom, and a kingdom designed to be everlasting 
demands a wisdom like that of the everlasting God. And then 
when we turn to the New Testament scriptures, is Jesus a wonderful 
counselor? Certainly he's divine. Is he 
a great counselor? In Colossians 2, the apostle 
tells us that all of the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are hidden 
where? They're hidden in Christ. Believer, you have access to 
the mind of Christ. You have the word of the living 
and true God. You have the ability for counsel. 
You have the ability for stability. You have the ability to be instructed 
and encouraged for this wayward world. You have everything that 
comes from this child, this son, this one who has universal empire, 
this one who is God, and this one who gives counsel to his 
needy people. But then notice what he goes 
on to say. Wonderful counselor. And then 
he says, mighty God. Has anybody ever engaged in Jehovah's 
Witnesses at this text? What do they say? They say, well, 
he's mighty God, but it doesn't call him almighty God. You know 
what that demonstrates? They're dumb. The Bible refers to Yahweh of 
Israel as mighty God. It does so in the prophet Isaiah, 
specifically in chapter 10, a whole chapter over in verse 21. The remnant will return, the 
remnant of Jacob to the what? to the mighty God. Yahweh is 
referred to as mighty God in Deuteronomy 10 at verse 21. He's 
referred to mighty God in Jeremiah 32 at verse 18. So the fact that 
he's mighty God does not invalidate the doctrine of the triune God. 
Rather, it underscores it, it highlights it, it demonstrates 
His consubstantiality with the Father. As the Father is divine, 
so is the Son. They have the same divinity, 
three subsistences in the one divine essence. But back to the 
text. Notice, mighty God. John Calvin says he is therefore 
called the mighty God for the same reason that he was formerly 
called Emmanuel in Isaiah 7, 14. He says, for if we find in 
Christ nothing but the flesh and nature of man, our glorying 
will be foolish and vain, and our hope will rest on an uncertain 
and insecure foundation. But if he shows himself to be 
to us God and the mighty God, we may now rely on him with safety. Now because we're in John's gospel, 
because we've recently gone through chapter 2 in our confession study, 
and we have rehearsed the multiplicity of texts that demonstrate that 
Christ is in fact the second person of the triune God, we 
won't duplicate that here. But look at John 1, look at John 
20, look at Romans 9, look at Titus 2. Look at 2 Peter 1, look 
at how the New Testament authors refer to our Lord Jesus Christ. Yes, according to his true humanity, 
he sorrowed, he wept, he bled, he suffered, he died. But according 
to his divinity as well, he's the creator, John 1, 3. He is 
the sustainer, Colossians 1, 17. And he certainly is the redeemer 
as we find all throughout the New Testament. Divine works are 
predicated of our blessed Savior. He is God. He is almighty God. But then notice next, he says, 
everlasting Father. Everlasting Father. Now, I think 
this confuses persons at times, but let me just try to explain 
it. The Son is not the Father, and the Father is not the Son. 
Brethren, we are not Sibelians. There is distinction between 
the persons. The Father is unbegotten, the 
Son is begotten from the Father, and the Spirit proceeds from 
the Father and the Son. It is those eternal relations 
of origin that distinguish the persons of the triune God, each 
person having the whole divine essence. All of that is Trinitarian 
theology. I think the movement here has 
to do with Christ's relation to his people. Christ's relation 
to his people. He's a child born, he's a son 
given, he has universal empire, and he is, in fact, wonderful 
counselor and mighty God, which underscore, again, his divinity. But it's not this cold, far-removed, 
distant, machine-like divinity. He's an everlasting Father to 
us. He is the God who is able, as 
the Apostle says in Hebrews chapter 4, to sympathize with us in our 
infirmities. He is our everlasting father 
in a redemptive sense, in a relational sense. He is the head of the 
church. He is the one to whom we go in 
times of need. He is that blessed one who affords 
protection and provision and kindness and love. The emphasis 
here is on that connection that he bears with his people. Turretin 
says he is a child born in time as man, but also a son who is 
the father of eternity, as God. And then look at the last statement 
that he makes concerning the identification of the king. He 
calls him Prince of Peace. We're just saying that, didn't 
we? Prince of peace. And what do you think about when 
you think about peace? Don't answer, but you think about 
the absence of chaos, right? You think about the absence of 
issue. You think about the absence of tension. You think about the 
absence of disruption. Peace is that wholeness and that 
completeness, that shalom that the Hebrews really emphasized 
and really wanted and really wanted to enjoy. But in terms 
of this prophecy concerning him as Prince of Peace, we're not 
to think of Jesus as a hippie. The way that peace is gained 
and garnered is through strength and power. Go back for just a 
moment to verse 4. For you have broken the yoke 
of his burden and the staff of his shoulder. I think that's 
probably a referent to the Exodus. The way that God has dealt with 
enemies in the past is the way that you can expect God to deal 
with enemies in the future, right? The way that God broke the back 
of Egyptian oppression was through 10 plagues, which culminated 
in the death of the firstborn in Egypt. Now when Israel marched 
with boldness out of the confines of Egypt, the Egyptian army gave 
chase. What happened to them? The Lord 
God Most High opened the Red Sea so that the children of Israel 
could peacefully walk through there. And then the army of Pharaoh 
went in behind them, their chariot wheels fell off. They had, at 
least for a moment, a recognition that things aren't gonna go well 
for us today. And then those waters of water 
or walls of water collapsed upon them. That's how peace is achieved. Then notice what he goes on to 
say in verse four. He says, the rot of his oppressor 
as in the day of Midian, most likely a reference to Judges 
6 to 8. Remember the Midianites were 
the foe, the resistance, the opposers rather of the nation 
of Israel. And in Judges chapter six to 
eight, God raised up a judge, a deliverer, a savior by the 
name of Gideon. And remember the Lord tells Gideon 
to whittle down the troops. You need only 300. When it comes 
time to battle though, you know how peace was achieved? It wasn't 
through an exchange of watches and chocolates in Geneva. It 
was exchanged through bloodshed. In Judges chapter eight specifically, 
you had the Israelites with the sword of the Lord and Gideon. 
Do you know what Yahweh did to the enemies? That were more numerous 
than locusts, the text tells us. He turned them against each 
other. He confused them in such a way 
that Midianites killed Midianites. Amalekites killed Amalekites. Midianites likely killed Amalekites. 
Amalekites likely killed Midianites. You get the point. You had 300 
Israelites against all of these enemies and peace was the end 
game. Well, brethren, I know that it's 
not sort of politically savvy or correct to say this today, 
but peace is gained through strength. Peace is gained through victory. Peace is gained through power. 
And as New Testament Christians, we shouldn't be surprised by 
that. In Romans 5.1, it says, therefore, having been justified 
by faith, we have peace with God. But how did that peace come 
along? That peace came along through 
the life, the death, and the resurrection of our Lord Jesus 
Christ. In other words, it was a hard 
fought peace. As well, you have that statement 
in Colossians chapter 1. You can turn there to see that 
peace comes through victory. Peace comes through strength. 
Peace comes through power. The Prince of Peace, again, isn't 
Jesus the hippie that says, let's drink chamomile tea and dialogue. Christ reigns with a rod of iron. Christ shatters his enemies. Christ decimates those opposers. Notice in Colossians 1, at verse 
19, for it pleased the Father that in him all the fullness 
should dwell, and by him to reconcile all things to himself, by him, 
whether things on earth or things in heaven. Notice, having made 
peace through what? The blood. of his cross. Gordon Clark says, when we pause 
to consider, this is staggering, the preceding verses have described 
Christ in transcendent terms. He was the creator in whom all 
the fullness dwells, the heir of the universe for which it 
was created. Now when the creator of heaven 
and earth, the creator himself voluntarily suffered on the cross 
for our sins, we can only stand in awe and worship. So this idea, 
or moniker, or nomenclature of Christ as Prince of Peace, again, 
we received the benefit, we received the blessing, we received the 
goodness from it, but it was a fought-for peace. It was a 
blood-shed-gotten peace. And not just in the spiritual 
realm. Turn over to Revelation chapter 6. Revelation chapter 
6. My view of revelation is that 
the object of judgment in this book is Jerusalem. Now, various 
persons will disagree with that proposition, and that's fine. 
I think we can all go to heaven, well, not all of us, but those 
in Christ, believing that or not. But the purpose or the idea 
is that somebody is a target of destruction. Somebody is an 
object of judgment. Whatever you may see that to 
be, whatever you may perceive that to be, it should be within 
the realms, obviously, of exegetical responsibility and theological 
consistency and that sort of thing. Again, I think the book 
of Revelation is the big apocalypse. I think it's Matthew 24, Mark 
13, Luke 21, expanded and commented on, and developed, 
and theologized, and its application given to the churches. But again, 
persons don't always agree with that, but somebody, somehow, 
at some time, is getting judged, according to the book of Revelation. 
So let's pick up in Revelation 6, at the opening of the sixth 
seal. Revelation 6 at verse 12. I looked when he opened the sixth 
seal, and behold, there was a great earthquake, and the sun became 
black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became like blood. And 
the stars of heaven fell to the earth as a fig tree drops its 
late figs when it is shaken by a mighty wind. Then the sky receded 
as a scroll when it is rolled up, and every mountain and island 
was moved out of its place. And the kings of the earth, the 
great men, the rich men, the commanders, the mighty men, every 
slave, and every free man, Notice what they do. They hid themselves 
in the caves and in the rocks of the mountains and said to 
the mountains and the rocks, fall on us and hide us from the 
face of him who sits on the throne and from the wrath, notice, of 
the lamb. You mean the prince of peace 
is also called the, there's wrath of the lamb? How do you think 
he gets peace? How do you think peace is achieved? Do you think it's manufactured 
by Google and pumped out into society? Or do you think there 
is a child born, a son given, who has universal empire, who 
is wonderful counselor, who is mighty God, who is everlasting 
father, who is the prince of peace, that secures that peace 
by at times crushing heads. Notice. And they said to the 
mountains and the rocks, fall on us and hide us from the face 
of him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the lamb. 
For the great day of his wrath has come and who is able to stand? Great question. And a question 
that the church should take seriously and it should add something to 
our gospel preaching that Paul the apostle knew of in 2nd Corinthians. He says, knowing therefore the 
terror of the Lord, we do what? We persuade men. We preach a 
God without law, a God without judgment, a God who only ever 
promises happiness, and we wonder why persons aren't alarmed. Well, 
we've fashioned Jesus into an idol in the service of man in 
the Western world. We need to preach the thunder 
of Sinai, the blessed balm of Gilead in the Gospel, and the 
reality that if you refuse, You reject, you resist, you will 
stand before this one who has wrath and who will consign his 
enemies to the lake of fire. So back to Isaiah chapter 9 verse 
6, we have a robust identification of the king. Harman says, taken 
together, the terms speak of the child as one who will instruct 
with wisdom, which is divine, who will act in power as the 
mighty God, who will love and care for his children eternally, 
and whose coming will bring lasting peace and blessing. It's most 
glorious. Now let's look thirdly and finally 
at the description of the kingdom. Four things that we can say here. 
First, this kingdom is everlasting. His kingdom is everlasting. Again, 
a passage that comes up often in December time is Luke chapter 
1. The promise concerning the Davidic 
son. It says that of his kingdom there will be no end. You see 
that in verse 7 of the increase of his government and peace. 
There will be no end. We have by grace entered into 
an eternal kingdom. We have by grace entered into 
something that is most glorious and most blessed. Brethren, I 
suggest when you read Revelation 21 and 22 and those glowing and 
glorious descriptions about the new Jerusalem, you realize that 
it's never gonna come to an end. Have you ever gone anywhere really 
good as a kid? It always comes to an end, doesn't 
it? Have you ever gone anywhere really good as an adult? It always 
comes to an end. But when we enter into that blessed 
state, we'll know something of what Newton meant when he said, 
when we've been there 10,000 years, bright shining as the 
sun, we've no less days to sing his praise than when we first 
begun. It is an everlasting kingdom. Those words should steal our 
souls. It should give us courage. It 
should give us strength. It should give us meaning. It 
should give us sense concerning all of the nonsense that we see 
around us. And it's not just a promise of 
its everlastingness, but there's a promise as well of its pervasiveness. of the increase of his government 
and peace, there will be no end. Search the Psalms and the Prophets 
and you'll see things like the knowledge of Yahweh will cover 
the earth as the waters cover the sea. Think about that language, 
the waters cover the sea. Well, of course they do. Well, 
as profusive as waters covering the sea is, so will the knowledge 
of Yahweh. You get that in Psalm 72, a psalm 
that Canada has in its history that is absolutely rejected. 
The Canadian concept of Christ having dominion from sea to sea, 
which comes right out of Psalm 72 and has been utilized in Canadian 
history to sort of make things nice and noble in our country. 
Brethren, it's high time that we return to that as a nation 
and confess the kingship and the glory of the Son of God. 
But with reference to the comprehensiveness of His kingdom, you have the 
promise of God. Of the increase of His government 
and peace, there will be no end. Notice, secondly, the kingdom 
is covenantal. It says, upon the throne of David 
and all over his kingdom. I mentioned last week, we won't 
duplicate that effort here, but in 2 Samuel 7, there is what's 
called the Davidic Covenant, a promise of God or by God to 
David that from David's line, one would take David's throne, 
would sit upon that throne, and would reign in an everlasting 
manner. So this promise is connected to God's covenant, which means 
that it is absolutely true. It is absolutely sure. When God 
appears to Moses via the burning bush, Moses asks, who do I say 
sent me? And God reveals the name, I am 
who I am. And then in verse 15 of Exodus 
chapter 3, he invokes the covenant. I'm the God of Abraham, Isaac 
and Jacob. What does that mean? It means 
any thought that you may have ever had that this won't come 
to fruition, banish it. Because the God of covenant is 
the God of absolute, absolute faithfulness. and integrity and 
veracity. And we see that Jesus sits upon 
David's throne again in Luke 1 and then in Acts 2 at 30 and 
31. The kingdom thirdly is just. The kingdom thirdly is just. 
Notice what he says, upon the throne of David and over his 
kingdom, to order it and establish it with judgment and justice 
from that time forward even forever. Don't we just long for justice? 
I mean, we're righteous, right? I mean, we're not noble people. 
We've got, you know, a whole multitude of sins and enough 
in us to keep us in hell for an eternity of eternities, and 
yet there's something in us that is just upset about the The double 
standards that seem to be obtaining in life today, where somebody, 
if you're affiliated with the right political party, everything 
is golden. You're fine. There'll be no, 
you know, recompense or no judgment, no nothing for anything you ever 
do. But if you're associated on the other side, you're treated 
like a demon. You're treated like a pariah. 
You're treated like something that is an unclean thing. That 
bugs us, doesn't it? I think this would be a place 
in a black church down in LA, we'd say, can I get an amen? 
Yeah, it bugs us. We're created in the image of 
God. We want righteousness. We want justice. We want God 
to beat God in terms of his enemies and of his friends. And we have 
the sure promise of God that he will. So while earthly rulers, 
earthly kings, earthly magistrates, earthly governments may mess 
up and do, God most high doesn't. That ought to encourage the people 
of God, and it ought to terrify the non-people of God. You're 
not going to get by. He's not going to just wink and 
pretend he didn't see you do those things. No. The earmark 
of God's throne is righteousness and justice. Psalm 97-2 tells 
us that. Righteousness and justice are 
the foundation of His throne. Turn just over one, two chapters 
over to the book of Isaiah, chapter 11. Isaiah chapter 11. I've told 
you before that the Jews are the messianic expectation. Some 
actually believed a blind Messiah. They actually believed that the 
Messiah would be blind. It was based on Isaiah 11. Look 
at what we find in verse 1. There shall come forth a rod 
from the stem of Jesse. and a branch shall grow out of 
his roots. 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. His delight 
is in the fear of the Lord, and he shall not judge by the sight 
of his eyes, nor decide by the hearing of his ears." I think 
it was not only that he would be blind, but he would be deaf. 
Again, it's connected to this text. What's the implication? You've all seen Lady Justice 
holding her scales, What does Lady Justice have over her eyes? 
She's got a blindfold. What's the point? You do not 
judge based on appearance. You judge based on facts. You judge based on evidence. 
You judge based on objectivity. The Old Testament prohibits judges 
from being partial to the poor. Why is that? Because a judge 
isn't supposed to rule in the favor of somebody just because 
they're poor. He's supposed to rule in their 
favor because they're right. You see, that's what Messiah 
is committed to. That is the foundation of his 
throne. So verse three, his delight is in the fear of the Lord. He 
shall not judge by the sight of his eyes nor decide by the 
hearing of his ears. But with righteousness he shall 
judge the poor and decide with equity for the meek of the earth. 
He shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth and with 
the breath of his lips, he shall slay the wicked. Righteousness 
shall be the belt of his loins and faithfulness the belt of 
his waist. So going back to 9.7, of the increase of his government 
and peace, there will be no end. It is an everlasting covenant. 
an everlasting kingdom upon the throne of David and over his 
kingdom. It's a covenantal establishment. And then notice the justice of 
it, to order it and establish it with judgment and justice 
from that time forward, even forever. Again, brethren, that 
ought to encourage us, it ought to strengthen us, and it ought 
to give us that hope and that blessed realization that whatever 
happens on this side of heaven, whatever goes on in this lower 
world, God is conscious of it. God understands, God knows, and 
God is over it and in control of it. And if there has been 
a misuse in the justice system, we have this one thing sure, 
on that day of judgment, when we all stand before the Lord 
Christ to give an account of deeds done in the body, whether 
good or evil, it's not going to be lopsided. It's not gonna 
be two-tiered justice system. It's not gonna be He judges us 
based on feelings or emotions. It will be right, it will be 
just, and it will be most perfect. because it is consistent with 
the one who is described for us in verse 6. And then finally, 
notice that the kingdom is secure. It's everlasting, it's covenantal, 
it's just, and it's secure. The zeal of the Lord of hosts 
will perform this. Notice, the zeal of the Church 
of Christ will make sure this happens. That's not what it says. We do our best as the Bride of 
Christ to function in the way that He commands us and calls 
us, but it's His project. It's his endeavor. It's his kingdom. It's his power. It's his reign. 
It's his rule. It's his government because it's 
been laid upon his shoulder. And he is most worthy and most 
qualified and most excellent to carry this out. And we have 
the backing of heaven itself described by the prophet as the 
zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this. Praise God Almighty. In conclusion, three thoughts 
and then we'll go. First, the glory of His person. The glory of His person, divine 
and human. He is a child born. He was in a womb. He passed out 
of the womb. He took his first breath as a 
human. He ate, he suckled, he had all 
the things that were true of humanity, yet without sin. So 
he is a child born, and then dropping down, he's mighty God. John Owen says that the same 
person should be the mighty God and a child born is neither conceivable 
or possible, nor can be true, but by the union of the divine 
and human natures in the same person. The glory of Christ is 
seen, obviously, in a whole host of ways. But at this time of 
the year, we reflect upon His incarnation. We reflect upon 
the blessedness of John 1-1 and John 1-14. The one who was in 
the beginning with God, the one who was in the beginning distinct 
from God, and yet God, is the one who came among us, who tabernacled 
among us, who took on our humanity with all the essential properties, 
everything that is true of man, He took on. And all of the common 
infirmities, He hungered, He thirsted, He suffered, He died. 
and yet without sin. And he did that for us men and 
for our salvation. Secondly, the nature of his kingdom. 
The nature of his kingdom, it is present. When I was a kid, 
peanuts was a big deal. The Charlie Brown cartoons. I 
don't know if they're still around, but they had I know Charles Schultz 
isn't, obviously he went to be, I think with Jesus, he was a 
believer as far as I know. But Charlie Brown obviously had 
some psychoses and he needed to work out his issues and that 
sort of thing. And Lucy was his therapist, Lucy was his counselor 
and she had a little booth set up just for Charlie Brown and 
it would say, the doctor is in. If she wasn't in, it would cover 
that block. And when she got into her little 
booth, she'd take that little placard off and it said, the 
doctor is in. I think that Christians today are living as if Lucy's 
not in the booth. They're living as if the doctor's 
not in. They're living as if we're waiting 
for Jesus to take His throne. We're waiting, anticipating for 
Jesus to assume what the prophet Isaiah says that He's gonna assume 
in verse 7. We're anxiously hunkering down 
and hoping for that day. That day's upon us. That day 
is connected to the resurrection and ascension of Jesus Christ 
in Acts 2, verses 30 and 31. At the resurrection and then 
the ascension, Jesus sat down on the throne of David. That's 
what Peter says on the day of Pentecost. The same is true in 
Revelation 1, I mentioned earlier. He is the ruler over the kings 
of the earth. In other words, brethren, the king is in. We're 
not waiting for him to take his throne. We're not waiting in 
anticipation for him to occupy that position of power and judgment. 
He is there now. And again, that should comfort 
us. It should encourage us. It should strengthen us. It should 
help us. But as well, that kingdom is 
powerful. Listen again to Calvin. He says, God not only protects 
and defends the kingdom, but also extends its boundaries far 
and wide, and then preserves and carries it forward in uninterrupted 
progression to eternity. We ought firmly to believe this, 
that the frequency of those shocks by which the church is shaken 
may not weaken our faith when we learn that amidst the mad 
outcry and violent attacks of the enemies, the kingdom of Christ 
stands firm through the invincible power of God. So that though 
the whole world should oppose and resist, it will remain through 
all ages. We must not judge of its stability 
from the present appearances of things, but from the promise 
which assures us of its continuance and of its constant increase. 
Brethren, I could have never said that the way he said that. 
If you didn't get that, email me, you need it. Write it on 
a 3x5 card, attach it to your head, and understand the implications 
of that. There are shocks. There are assaults. There is affliction in the church. 
There are trials and tumults, both external and internal. Just like Israel, we face the 
Philistines and we face subversion. With reference to the church, 
Jesus never promised that it's going to be, you know, bluebirds 
and rose petals conducting you to heaven. There will be tribulation, 
John 16, but be of good cheer, I've overcome the world. That's 
what Christ promises his people. And that's what Calvin points 
us to in terms of understanding the power of the kingdom. The glory of God most high is 
seen in the stability, the security and the advancement of Christ's 
kingdom. And then the final thought is 
the possession of that kingdom. How do I possess? How do I own 
out? Do I have an interest in this? Well, by God's grace. Colossians 
1, the apostle says that the Father transferred us from the 
kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of the Son of His love. 
It's by grace, through faith in Jesus Christ. So that whenever 
a sinner looks onto the Lord Jesus, believes on him the way 
that Philippian jailer did in Acts 16. Remember that was Paul 
and Silas' instruction. Sirs, what must I do to be saved? 
In essence, he's saying, sirs, what must I do to enter into 
this kingdom? Sirs, what must I do to possess 
this blessed reality that I've seen in Isaiah 9, 7? What do 
I do? They said, believe on the Lord 
Jesus Christ and you will be saved. So entrance into this 
kingdom isn't based on your merit. It's not based on your good performance. 
It's not based on your law keeping because you have none of that. 
It's based on the grace of God and the instrument of faith in 
Jesus. And this is your take home message 
today. If you are not a believer in 
Christ, if you are not a Christian today, if you are not baptized, 
if you are not a participant at the Lord's Supper, if you 
cannot say concerning Jesus that he loved me and he gave himself 
for me, listen to this word, believe on him. Look to him, 
listen to his words in John 3, 14. Just as Moses lifted up the 
serpent, so must the Son of Man be lifted up. And we know the 
lesson from Numbers. When that serpent was lifted, 
the people that had been bitten by the fiery serpents, they looked 
at it and they lived. What's the take-home message? 
Look to Jesus and you will live. Look to Jesus and you will be 
a possessor, not as the sovereign, of this kingdom that the prophet 
anticipates. Well, let us pray. Our Father 
in heaven, we thank you for not only the King, but the kingdom, 
both described by the prophet in terms of promise and anticipation, 
and how we thank you that we live in that time of realization 
and fulfillment. And God, we know that Christ 
right now is at the right hand of the Father. We know that he 
has universal rule and reign over all things. And we know 
that he exercises that for the good of the church, according 
to Paul in Ephesians 1. And Lord God, as we, in the Western 
world are starting to see a bit of a season of oppression, as 
many in other parts of the world have been going through great 
trial and great persecution. May you direct all of our minds 
and all of our hearts to the right hand of God Most High, 
where Christ rules and reigns over all things. May you strengthen 
us, may you build us up in our most holy faith, may you cause 
us to be courageous in terms of our testimony for this king 
and for his kingdom. And God be merciful to any and 
all who are here this morning who have not believed the gospel. 
We pray that today would be the day of salvation, that you would 
open their hearts and grant them the graces of faith and repentance. 
And we ask through Jesus Christ, our Lord, amen. Well, you can 
stand and turn in your hymn books to 568. 568 will sing the doxology 
in praise to our triune God. ♪ Praise God from whom all blessings 
flow ♪ ♪ Praise He, all creatures here below ♪ ♪ Praise Him above 
the earth below ♪ And they sang a new song, saying, 
You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you 
were slain and have redeemed us to God by your blood out of 
every tribe and tongue and people and nation, and have made us 
kings and priests to our God, and we shall reign on the earth. 
Then I looked and I heard the voice of many angels around the 
throne, the living creatures and the elders. And the number 
of them was 10,000 times 10,000 and thousands of thousands saying 
with a loud voice, worthy is the lamb who is slain to receive 
power and riches and wisdom. and strength, and honor, and 
glory, and blessing. And every creature which is in 
heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as 
are in the sea, and all that are in them, I heard saying, 
Blessing, and honor, and glory, and power, be to him who sits 
on the throne, and to the Lamb forever and ever. And the four 
living creatures said, Amen. And the 24 elders fell down and 
worshiped him who lives forever and ever. Our blessed God, we 
thank you for your son. We thank you that he was a child 
born, that he is a son given, that the government has been 
laid upon his shoulder. And God, may this encourage and 
strengthen us as the church of the Lord Jesus in this lower 
world. Give us grace and strength to 
shine as lights in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, 
and give us the boldness and the courage to hold forth your 
word of truth. And God, we pray that today, wherever this gospel 
is preached, sinners by grace would believe and be saved. And 
we ask in the name and for the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ, 
amen. You may be seated for a brief 
time of meditation.