The Mystery Man
By: Matt King
Tags: Bible, Bible Study, Devotional, Student Ministry

So yesterday we looked at Isaiah 7 and it forces us to also look at Isaiah 9 to get a better understanding of the child being prophesied about. We saw yesterday that the child could be the Messiah, but that he could also be a future king in the line of David that would be a godly king.

But, before we jump to Isaiah 9, we need to go back to Isaiah 7 for a moment. Many scholars take the view that when Isaiah gave this prophecy and Isaiah 9, he had an immediate fulfillment idea in King Hezekiah, meaning Isaiah believed that Hezekiah was the child of the prophecy. However, if you don’t know the story of King Hezekiah, he was alive when Isaiah gave this first prophecy, but he becomes king after King Ahaz and Hezekiah is a great king, one that few could compare to. However, Hezekiah fails to live up to the expectations of the prophecy and Isaiah. 2 Chronicles 32 says that Hezekiah was a proud king and failed to truly give God all of the glory and because of this, wrath came upon him and Jerusalem. Therefore, scholars have stated that because of this failure, Isaiah realized that the prophecy could not be about Hezekiah and could only be about a future king to come, potentially the future Messiah.

So, in Isaiah 9, we get more information about this prophesied child and it’s worth looking at. Specifically, Isaiah 9:6–7 says,

“For to us a child is born,

to us a son is given,

and the government will be on his shoulders.

And he will be called

Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,

Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

Of the greatness of his government and peace

there will be no end.

He will reign on David’s throne

and over his kingdom,

establishing and upholding it

with justice and righteousness

from that time on and forever.

The zeal of the Lord Almighty

will accomplish this.”

The first part probably sounds really familiar if you have ever been in church for a Christmas service. The second part might sound familiar, but not as much. But after reading this passage, it seems a little out there to think that Isaiah might assume this is referring to an earthly king, even one so great as Hezekiah. Some scholars have tried to say that this is referring to the coronation ceremony of Hezekiah and the names are a sign that he is chosen by God and to be God’s vessel for justice and peace. Some have said that these names parallel the way Egyptians viewed their Pharaohs and is showing how the Egyptian pharaohs were nothing compared to God’s chosen king. All of these views fall short. There is too much speculation in these views and not enough evidence.

What is clear from the text tho is that this prophecy is all about a future birth. So if we take what we know from Isaiah 7, that it could have been referring to the future Messiah or a coming earthly king, to knowing that Hezekiah was not the fulfillment Isaiah might have thought he would be, we are now faced with looking to a future birth of a messianic king. Now Isaiah did not know this would be Jesus, the name Jesus was not even remotely in his mind at this time. But, we can see a few things from this passage that point to a king above any other king.

For starters, we see that “the government will be upon his shoulders”. There are a few scholars that actually say that this declaration about the child is a direct slap to the previous kings because they don’t even come close to comparing to the coming child. This child is so special and above all other kings that government as a whole, all authority possible, is going to be on his shoulders. He will be the ruler of rulers!

Second, we have 4 different names listed for this coming child. Specifically those names are, “Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” Wonderful Counselor tells us that he will be supernatural peace and comfort to those in need. Mighty God tells us that this is truly God in the flesh that will come to earth (part of the name Immanuel is the Hebrew word “El”, which is the name for God, hence the meaning of the name being “God with us”). Everlasting Father tells us that he will be like a father to all who trust him, he will care deeply for those in need and this is and will always be his character and who he is. Prince of Peace tells us that he will not only bring and end to all war and strife, but will bring peace that will live in the heart of his children, because he is their father. This can be none other than the coming Messiah, Yahweh, God, Jesus himself made flesh. His reign will have no end, David’s throne is now his, and from his throne he will bring justice and righteousness for all time.

And he comes in the form of a child, born with livestock and in a feed trough, no glorious announcement, only the gifts and welcomes from shepherds and wise men. From the humblest of beginnings, to death on a cross, to resurrection, to reigning forever in Heaven. That is Jesus and that is the true reason for why we celebrate this Christmas season.

What is so unique about this prophecy is how counter it was to what the Jews hoped for. You see, the Jews were tired of war and oppression and getting beat up on. You name the country that warred against the Jews and they just wanted it to be over. Their hope for the Messiah was this figure would come in and throw off all oppression, bringing the Jews and Israel to dominance over all. He would be a mighty and strong leader, a war-like general who would fight and win! He would be the king that no one else could equal, ruling with political savvy and power. This king would look like, sound like, and exude kingship.

And yet what they got was the exact opposite. Jesus wasn’t born at all like a king. Jesus didn’t look like a king, he looked like a well-traveled wandered used to life on the road without a home. He never fought as a warrior. He never actually was established as a king or ruler of any nation. He wasn’t political, he didn’t care about power, he didn’t care about gaining the approval of the rich and powerful to heighten his own status.

And yet the power that was in Jesus was something no one had EVER seen. He healed those lame from birth. He healed the blind. He resurrected the dead. He spoke with such grace and love that people were captivated by his words and turned from their sinful ways. He loved the kids and the needy. He served; he wasn’t served. He gave his life for those who hated him and in the ultimate show of power, he rose back to life for those very people. This is the Messiah they never wanted, but this is the Messiah they absolutely needed. This Messiah, Jesus, set the framework for what a true follower of him looks like and it was good.

So this Christmas season, focus on that. Focus on the very things that the people did not want in their Messiah and how perfect it was that they did not get what they wanted. Focus on the person of Jesus, focus on exactly who he is, and be thankful for that because he loves you as an Everlasting Father, a Wonderful Counselor, a Mighty God, and a Prince of Peace.

Passage to read: Isaiah 9:1–7

Prayer to pray: God I am thankful for you. I am thankful for your love and for the example that you set for me on what it means to truly follow you and love people. Thank you for living a fully human life so that I can trust that you understand what it’s like to be human. God help to always seek comfort in you as my father and counselor. In this season, I want to celebrate you and what you did for me and for the world. Thank you Jesus, in your name I pray, amen.