"The Coming King" - a Sermon on Isaiah 9:1-7

1. Introduction

2,700 years ago Isaiah saw the gloom in which much of humanity existed. But Isaiah also knew that God would not leave humanity in such a state, without options, for very long. There was the prophetic word itself from Isaiah, and his contemporaries like Amos and Micah, that offered insight into the way forward, which always relied on a change of heart and a new focus on dealing with societal injustice.

Then would follow God’s ultimate answer to the plight of humankind – that being God’s own incarnation into the world through the birth of Jesus. Through Jesus, and all that he was and is and lived and taught, the people of the world would have the chance of reclaiming their inheritance – an open and ongoing relationship with their creator. Such a relationship would not only be for personal advantage, but would be guided and directed toward impacting communities for good.

In following the Prince of Peace, we would become the peace-makers the world so desperately needed. As Jesus followers, this Christmas, we can reconstitute in our minds the concept of the coming King. We prepare expectantly, enter into the majesty of the narrative of Jesus’ birth, celebrate joyfully, and commit ourselves again to the baby who becomes the Saviour of the World.

2. What did Isaiah see?

Isaiah lived in a time when Israel was divided into separate kingdoms – north and south (ruled by different kings). The north was especially being threatened by the growing power of Assyria – Isaiah seeing this as being a result of an entrenched social and economic corruption, where the poor were being cheated of their land and sold into slavery, while the rich lived in unrestrained luxury. This was a disintegrating society, imploding from within, which was, through their behaviour, ignoring all of God’s offers of relationship. This ultimately led to broad loss of land, and the people’s exile.

Isaiah also, from his own testimony in chapter 6, despite knowing the clear call of God upon his life, understood his own faults and shortcomings … “Woe is me! I am lost, for I am a man of unclean lips”. Societal gloom, injustice and violence on a national scale commences in the individual hearts of those who either only care for themselves, or who don’t care enough about others to work for change.

That is one side of what Isaiah saw. The other side is a God who, no matter how much is ignored, will not be dissuaded from loving humankind and will actually go to extraordinary lengths to achieve reconciliation with people. As verse 7 puts it … “The zeal [or, the passionate commitment] of the Lord will do this”. God will not abandon us!

Such a prophet as this, who could so deeply empathise with the dire state of his nation and people, but at the same time repent of what lay dark within him, would be well positioned to visualise how God would act and actually think God’s thoughts. Isaiah went on to say … “Yet my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts”. A transformed Isaiah was seeking a transformed society through religious or spiritual renewal.

Isaiah would seek through the words that he spoke (so impactingly that they have been recorded and preserved for our illumination) to facilitate the people of Israel’s return to God and a renewed trust and confidence in their Creator; which in turn would be evidenced in a change in the way they lived in their interpersonal relationships and societal responsibilities. If the people would just change their focus toward God, then the gloom and anguish of the past would be no more, and the occupied lands around the Sea of Galilee (mentioned in verse 1) will be liberated, for foreign aggression will diminish and peace and security will be restored. Such things will be a sign of God’s redeeming and transforming power.

As we see with the verses that follow, a whole new mindset emerges when steps are taken by human beings toward God, and God has been found by them to be present … light dawns, joyfulness is born, new resources are discovered, oppression is broken, and intimacy with God is experienced.

Sadly though, for the most part, this message of Isaiah, in his own time, fell on deaf ears. The people of Israel did not experience the glorious potential of such a vision. Isaiah, in speaking the words of verses 6 and 7, may have been envisioning that the next or a future king in the line of David might lead such a renewal, yet in this, at least at the political level, he would have been disappointed. Good kings and bad kings alike came and went, but none brought the significant change necessary.

3. The Spiritual Fulfilment

In the post-new testament era in which we live, we see how God ultimately acted to bring about restoration of God/ human relationships, and how intuitive and knowing Isaiah was 700 years before Jesus. There would indeed be a king, humanly speaking, in the line of David, yet also be the divine Son of God. This will be the ultimate kingly figure who will reign over a superb kingdom, consisting of all those who will believe in and follow this king. And this king’s name is Jesus; and authority will rest easily and assuredly upon his shoulders.

Jesus is indeed the Light of the World, who illuminates new possibilities within the context of many levels of darkness and difficulty. Jesus is indeed Saviour of the World, who brings freedom from many levels of oppression. And Jesus would not perform such a ministry from on high from an exalted throne, but rather as the Suffering Servant … amongst the people, in the press of the crowds, in a fishing boat, in the leper colony, on a cross. Indeed that area around the Sea of Galilee referred to by Isaiah (v.1) has indeed been made “glorious” by Jesus’ presence there.

Jesus fulfils Isaiah’s dream of the ultimate leader in four others ways as well.

· “Wonderful Counsellor” – meaning a ‘wonder of a counsellor’, who would offer and live out divinely inspired wisdom and sensitive care. Jesus is the ultimate reference point for guidance, but also the one who can carry our burdens and calm our fears.

· “Mighty God” – Jesus was and is fully divine, a member of the trinity of Father, Son & Holy Spirit, which is the divine community of God. Jesus’ particular role in this was to be the ‘redeemer’, to bring about salvation through an act of sacrifice on behalf of all people … this being a “mighty” act of grace.

· Jesus is at one with Father God, and in all ways represents God to humanity. If we want to know what God is like, then we need wonder no longer, because we can look at Jesus. What does God think about this or that issue or happening – well we look to the Jesus of the Gospels as our reference point. In this way Jesus fulfils Isaiah’s dream of the coming of the “Everlasting Father”. Jesus befriended and guided disciples on earth indicating that God sought personal, purposeful, permanent and loving relationships with people (that would be ongoing into eternity).

· “Prince of Peace” – meaning an ‘administrator of peace’ in people’s lives or the one who makes peace a reality. Jesus makes it possible for us to have peace with God, be at peace within ourselves, to have peace within our relationships and with other people, and to become peace-makers in the world. Even though sometimes it seems other people make it almost impossible for us to live at peace with them, and the conflict in the world is so rampant we just want to give up altogether on this concept of peace, a crucial part of being a follower of Jesus is to persist in pursuing peace at all levels, and also living with integrity in the midst of any ongoing disharmony.

4. Our Challenge

King Jesus came 2000 years ago, yet many didn’t recognise him in the terms that Isaiah foresaw, and oh so many don’t recognise him now. In a way, Jesus comes again each Christmas celebration looking to be recognised for who he is. We know who Jesus is!!! Others, sadly, don’t know who Jesus is!! Possibly some people have had some exposure to the Gospel and Jesus-followers (sadly not all of this may have been positive); yet will need more good seeds to be sown into the garden of their lives before something begins to really take root.

In this way there is much of Isaiah’s grand vision for us still to witness, especially as we consider verse 7, and even more especially the first phrase!!! The full potential of what God has provided through Jesus has still to be maximised: in me, in you, in everybody around us, in society generally.

Yet even with the responsibility give to us as Jesus-followers to care for each other, the community and the earth, and aid the cause of salvation, it will not be our efforts that bring about the endless peace, justice and righteousness that Isaiah sees, it will be “the zeal of the Lord” … the passionate commitment of God … that “will do this”.

God working through us – what an extraordinary concept!