The people walking in darkness
have seen a great light;
a light has dawned
on those living in the land of darkness.
You have enlarged the nation
and increased its joy.
The people have rejoiced before You
as they rejoice at harvest time
and as they rejoice when dividing spoils.
For You have shattered their oppressive yoke
and the rod on their shoulders,
the staff of their oppressor,
just as You did on the day of Midian.
For the trampling boot of battle
and the bloodied garments of war
will be burned as fuel for the fire.
For a child will be born for us,
a son will be given to us,
and the government will be on His shoulders.
He will be named
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. Isaiah 9:2-6
The last decade or so has seen a shift in home decorating trends. Decorating with words is now a thing. Perhaps you’ve noticed. During Christmas in particular we see words like “peace,” “joy,” “jolly” and “believe” plastered everywhere. I too have succumb to this decorating trend. “Joy” hangs on my refrigerator year round as a reminder that “the joy of the Lord is your strength.” (Nehemiah 8:10) A “Peace” ornament in white hangs from one of my cabinet doors to remind me “let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body.” (Colossians 3:15) “Cafe” sits on top of one of my cabinets just for fun.
There is one word that we sometimes see around, during the Christmas season in particular, that doesn’t seem to get quite as much press as the rest. But it’s vitally important in our understanding of the Christmas story and finding More of God in our celebration this Christmas. That word is “Hope.” The text I’ve chosen today focuses specifically on the hope that Christ brings us in His advent.
Isaiah prophesied during some dark days in Israel’s history. There wasn’t much hope to be found in the circumstances of the people of Israel during those days. Yet Isaiah has encountered God (see Isaiah 6) and though circumstances look bleak, he continues to abide in hope. After he delivers a particularly disturbing prophecy, wreaking terror in its listeners (Isaiah 8), he writes:
“But in the future He (God) will bring honor to the Way of the Sea, to the land east of the Jordan, and to Galilee of the nations.” (Isaiah 9:1b)
The word “honor” in this passage is the Hebrew word kabad and literally means to “make heavy, weighty, full of glory and honor.” It’s not a flippant word. It’s serious and pregnant with hope for the listeners of the prophecy. You see, the kabad that God will bring is really found several sentences later:
For a child will be born for us,
a son will be given to us,
and the government will be on His shoulders.
He will be named
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
The effects of the child born to us will be seen as light (Isaiah 9:2), joy (Isaiah 9:3), freedom (Isaiah 9:3-4) and peace. (Isaiah 9:5). He will ultimately wear the crown of the kingdom of God perfectly, something the lineage of David was unable to do.
Jeremiah actually calls him the “Hope of Israel.” (Jeremiah 14:8, 17:13) He writes concerning Messiah, the Christ - the coming King:
A glorious throne set on high from the beginning
is the place of our sanctuary.
O Lord, the hope of Israel,
all who forsake you shall be put to shame;
those who turn away from you shall be written in the earth,
The Hope of Christmas is that there is a King who came and lived as a man, who gave up His life in exchange for ours and who now lives forever as the perfect King of eternity for us. Only He is able to bring the light out of darkness, joy overflowing, freedom from sin and peace in the world and in our hearts. Only He is able to give us More of Himself.
Her wish this Christmas
Was that Christmas would just pass her by
Nothing could reach her
Or answer her questions why
She feels so alone
And she wonders if all hope is gone
Hope is a candle
A light in the window
Showing the way for
A heart to come home
Hope is a Savior
Who was born in the manger
Sent down from Heaven
To rescue our hearts
Our Christmas hope
She never imagined
That for her there was hope to find
But isn't it amazing
How God brings a heart back to life
She's smiling now she's finding out
What Christmas hope is all about
Hope is a present
A gift freely given
To all who receive
And open their hearts
Hope is a promise
For a better tomorrow
In a world filled with sorrow
We always have hope
Our Christmas hope
Our Christmas hope
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