Gospel writers quoted Isaiah 9 when they began to connect Jesus with a prophecy given 700 years before His birth.
But there will be no gloom for those who were in anguish. In the latter time he will make glorious the way of the sea, the land beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the nations (Isaiah 9:1).
From the time of Isaiah’s message to the birth of Jesus, God’s people suffered one catastrophe after another. They were defeated in war, exiled, and ruled by many powerful nations.
Israel’s northern regions were hard hit by the exile and re-population of the land. Jesus ministered in Galilee for the majority of His work. As He fulfilled God’s plan for the world, He brought God’s light to those in darkness.
The people who walked in darkness
have seen a great light;
those who lived in a land of deep darkness—
on them light has shined. (Isaiah 9:2)
One of the great joys of serving Jesus is watching God “turn the lights” on for people. The only way to experience God is for God to reveal Himself to us.
It doesn’t matter if we are intellectually proficient, wealthy, poor, or simple-minded. We are all the same when it comes to knowing God. We live in spiritual darkness until God shines His light.
Jesus was the light of the world, when He walked in Galilee. His light demands a response, both then and now. Some to their own hurt choose to remain in the darkness.
Others live in something of a half-light. They follow the light out our curiosity or genuine interest, but they refuse to fully embrace the light of the gospel.
A third group of people see Jesus’ light as a way out of the darkness. They daily walk in the light and discover that Jesus is the Light of their lives.
A Child Has Been Born
The role of children figures prominently in Isaiah’s prophecy. This is how Isaiah prophesied the future child who would bring God’s light to the darkness.
For a child has been born for us,
a son given to us;
authority rests upon his shoulders,
and he is named
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. (Isaiah 9:6)
A baby laid in a manger in Bethlehem wouldn’t necessarily look like the powerful ruler mentioned in these verses. The same is true for a man who was crucified between two thieves on Golgotha.
It takes God’s gracious revelation to see that the Light of the world is Jesus. Once we respond to Him in faith, we discover that He is a wonderful counselor, the mighty God, and the Prince of peace.
Faithful Government
A central theme of the first 39 chapters of Isaiah is whether the people will trust God or substitutes for Him. When Jesus came to earth, He proclaimed the arrival of God’s kingdom. Still, He told Pilate that His kingdom was not of this world.
Seven hundred years earlier, Isaiah revealed the nature of the kingdom inaugurated by Jesus.
Great will be his authority,
and there shall be endless peace
for the throne of David and his kingdom.
He will establish and uphold it
with justice and with righteousness
from this time onward and forevermore.
The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this. (Isaiah 9:7)
Dishonest and self-serving leaders contributed to the darkness that consumed the people of Isaiah’s day. The same spirit was behind the leaders who consigned Jesus to the cross.
God’s kingdom shines light on an alternative kind of government, one based on justice and righteousness. This kind of good government can not be established by human effort. What humans can not do, God will accomplish.
In the light of God’s kingdom, we need to evaluate the kind of response we give to it. The best choice we can make is to embrace His rule. As we do, we will emerge from the darkness into God’s light.
YouTube Discussion
Rudy Ross and I discussed this passage on YouTube today.
Real Voices 