I recall as a child looking forward to Christmas with so much anticipation. Would I get the bike I was wanting? What about the new baby doll? As I grew into a teenager, I was waiting on a new outfit or piece of technology. My anticipation grew week after week as I longed for Christmas morning, always trying to avoid my parents’ wardrobe, where I knew all the gifts were hidden!
By God’s grace, that anticipation has shifted as I’ve grown older. Each year at Christmastime, I find myself continually reflecting and wondering what it must have felt like to wait for the Promised Messiah to come.
Though the Messiah has come, we experience tension as we wait for Christ’s return. The “already and not yet” always feels so tangible this time of year. Christ has accomplished our salvation, but we are still awaiting His final and complete reign over all the earth.
Just as the birth of Christ and the promise of His return bring hope to us, Isaiah’s prophecy would have brought great hope to Israel. He shared God’s promise of one to come who would be far greater than any other king or ruler Israel had known. The promise was not just of a great king but of a Savior. This Savior would bring life, peace, and joy to all people. No earthly king could ever have the titles that we see here in Isaiah 9:6. It is only a Divine Ruler who can uphold all these names fully and perfectly. That is our Savior!
Isaiah lays out the characteristics of the child who would be born. We see that He will be like no other. This son given to us would be known as Wonderful Advisor, or the all-wise God. He is Mighty God. There is none other like our Lord in strength and position. He is the Everlasting Father, a kind protector who never runs out of care for His people. He is Prince of Peace, the One who will bring peace to the nations by His justice and authority.
While this prophecy would have been a great comfort to Israel, it also has implications for us. We rejoice as we have seen this promise fulfilled. Christ has come to earth, being born of a virgin. He then died for our sins and was brought back to life as the Risen Savior. This is why we celebrate Christmas!
Isaiah’s prophecy makes clear that this child was not just for the Jews for a specific moment in history. He is for all peoples (9:3) and for all time (9:7). Those who are walking in darkness will see light.
These specific verses also end with a timeline for this king’s rule and reign…forever! Israel would have seen kings rise and fall, start and finish, but never to last. But God promises to send a King who will reign “from this time forward and forevermore” (9:7). There is no limit to the authority and rule of Jesus, the One who came humbly as a baby so that we could be made right with God and have peace with Him.
So as we look forward to Christmas, like a child waiting for the gifts they receive, may we celebrate in the joy of knowing Christ. He has come, and He will return, which will bring peace, justice, and righteousness that never ends!
