The Deep, Sweet Wonder of the Immanuel Child

Take the word of God, but to the old part of the book to Isaiah chapter 9 as we have our second installment of Isaiah chapter 9 verses six and seven child will be born to us, son will be given to us the basket this morning. What is the greatest commandment. What is the greatest commandment with the Bible makes it very very clear. The greatest commandment is to love the Lord our God with all of our heart, soul, mind and strength. That's what God's after he wants you to love him to treasure him above all others. And out of that flows your service and your obedience and your work for him. That's what is after. I think that's a foundational truth of why God came to us the way he came to us on October 10 this year. My youngest daughter and a clear brought into this world, my sixth grandchild, a baby girl named Georgianna Bell of Taylor that a good southern name and Georgianna Bell is a precious gift to our family. She is a deep suite gift of love. After she was born her mom put on social media that Sam and I are in love.

Of course they are. Sam and I were riding down the road the other day. Don't know where we were going, but he said you know it's amazing how much you can love that little thing. Yes it's amazing. There's just something amazing there is a deep sweet love for a baby that is the gift and the design of our heavenly father. All babies are sweet are thing all babies are precious stand, they sometimes get the devil in him.

Nothing.

But there still sweet and precious but you know what makes a baby precious.

I mean really the deep suite preciousness is there yours it's when they're your own. That makes it richer and deeper and sweeter than anything else this review. For a moment the historical context here you remember King Ahaz King of tiny written that Judah represents the true people of God and how King Ahaz and all of tiny Judah are terrified that the northern kingdom generally called Israel. Now, which represents the apostate church. The northern kingdom is made an alliance with Syria to invade tiny Judah occupy her remove King Ahaz and put a puppet king in his place. So there terrified and in this terrified condition God keeps sending to King Ahaz into the nation as a whole. Encouragement's case basically saying this.

Your mind, I've chosen you and I EL moment with you.

Remember, that's what Immanuel means God is with us. I'm with you. Do not trust anything else or anyone else trusted me your salvation. I am God with you. Well we know the story. Ahaz didn't trust.

But the thing over the pit but bring up this morning is the primary mean it's maybe the primary vehicle God used to keep telling Judah and King Ahaz the trust me out with you was the Emmanuelle child, the Emmanuelle child and we saw how least I think is very obvious that for those people of that day, those for the two boys born to Isaiah and everywhere. Isaiah with those two boys, their very names made statements to the people that God is with you. He's going destroy your enemy.

He's going to save you trust him. He's Emmanuelle God is with us, but then we come to our text that were looking in all the sudden the Emmanuelle child prophecy advances. It amplifies and the prophet writes a statement here that in no way could be referring to Isaiah's to mortal boy in no way could be referring to anyone other than Jesus Christ himself is look at it together again this morning. Isaiah chapter 9 beginning in verse six to encourage them to trust God that he was with them.

The text says very, amazingly, says for a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us and the government will rest on his shoulders and his name will be called wonderful Counselor, mighty God, eternal Father, Prince of peace. There will be no end to the increase of his government or of peace on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and uphold it with justice and righteousness from then on and forever more.

King went to next time you look at this to preach on this last phrase the zeal of the Lord of hosts will accomplish the why was I going to happen. The seal of the Lord of hosts will accomplish this. I'm entitled the second message the deep sweet wonder of the Immanuel child's love. I'm convinced that's what God is getting if I could just get you church get all of us to marvel to be taken back by the deep sweet love of the Emmanuelle child three thoughts here I notice he came in and unexpected manner. Here, King Ahaz and Judah are terrified there's impending doom on the border, there's no way I can defend themselves against the alliance of Syria on the northern kingdom and God to assure them said a child is born, to us lots of delightful paradoxes. It not that first of all, let's remind ourselves that we saved a child as an emblem of hope when a baby is born. It's a day of hope is not it's a day of joy and it's a day of promise. I remember when I was in high school. One of our best friends are older brother was married and he had his first child, and it was a baby boy. I remember seeing that baby boy right after they brought him home from the hospital bed in a crib there in the bedroom and he put up a piece of paper all that that little baby boy laying there and all that piece of paper and said future All-American future Road scholar future president of the United States, with a capacity know that well yeah he was an egomaniac, but nevertheless a child brings a day of hope does it not promise enjoy you know a new child, a new baby in the house so changes everything. I mean it's a new day.

It starts it's just an aroma that permeates the house of a new deep suite love does something to us men to hold our new babies are grandbabies, and surely that's a foundational part of God's messes to Judah that I'm of God, deep suite love for my own of course, the final fulfillment in the message of Christmas morning is that God's plan birth that it is in his infinite wisdom and love was a step out of eternity and into time into this world God stepped into this world to be with us.

He comes in the form of a man, even a tiny baby and nothing can stop him in his divine mission to seek and secure is all but in this immediate context for the prophet to say a child will be born to us, that's a real paradox. Perhaps leave a real troubling that their deliverance is a baby and their salvation is the baby here. King Ahaz and Judah are terrified of this physical invasion of the nations to the north and God does not give a message of a new military commanders coming on the scene. God does not give the announcement of a new king that will bring them victory in salvation. Nothing like that in that context. God gives a baby announcement you know why least part of the reason is that God does not deliver us. God does not save us from war and oppression by bringing greater war and oppression know as the prophet comes to the heart of God's message of salvation a baby's face appears because God is not like us is holy, he superior to us. First Corinthians 121 reminds us that since in the wisdom of God the world through it said you could say so-called wisdom did not know did not come to God.

The world can take all of her wisdom but she will never find God with it.

God's wisdom is not like our wisdom is different than us and interestingly, in this text as the prophet is giving them an assurance that I deliver. I Savior a salvation for them is coming. The good trust in God he doesn't ever mention that this one coming in this child coming that he's a king.

We don't know exactly why, but perhaps that's because when you consider the kings of this age. They were all such vile creatures.

They had so corrupted the term. It wasn't fit to use it for God's Messiah just as a child will be born a delightful paradox, but more it's a note of the deep sweetness of God. Salvation so that he comes to us as a precious baby.

This is expressing the sweetness of God's love toward his children to come to them to come as a man to come as a precious baby all the wonder of the deep suite love of the Emmanuelle child, I don't think we get that enough if I could if I could just infuse into the bone marrow of every choir member. The glories of the deep suite love of God for you, you would sing like you've never sung before I can take you 10 million seminars and I can give you dozens of three points and eight points and six steps in five steps to do this and be better that, but none of that matters until we are apprehended by the deep suite love of God. That's much of what God's telling to Ahaz and to Judah that you know how deeply I love you love you have no comprehension but maybe the closest you'll ever come is when you embrace one of your own babies number two. Not only did he come in a matter we just never would've realized. Secondly, he came to a particular people. It came to a particular people. The prophet simply says a nonsex, a child will be born to us, don't miss that pronoun. There not a child will be born child will be born to us. Georgianna bail was so precious to us largely because she was born to us last week we looked at the Emmanuelle prophecy and noted that part of it again was for Judas day and it was for King Ahaz this day to encourage standup that God was with them and they were to trust in God against the northern kingdom and Assyria are rather Syria and later of Syria, but now we get to chapter 9 verses six and seven. Remember, the prophecy expands and amplifies until it such that it can only be fulfilled in Jesus Christ.

He is the ultimate fulfillment of the Emmanuelle prophecy. He is the embodiment of God with us.

Looking again in chapter 6 and seven. The middle chapters of verse six the government will rest on his shoulders. He's wonderful, counselor, and I got notes on all this already. I just don't have time to preach at all this morning but if you are not speak to a man on the streets after Christ takes the goblet of the world on his shoulders, and I would say what you think about the wisdom of your new king and leader and that person on the street would only ever say I have no words.

It's wonderful. That's what that means. But Jesus could be that King the eternal father. Only Jesus, the Prince of peace. Only Jesus there will be no end to the increase of his government or peace. Only Jesus on the throne of David. He came in the lineage of David to establish and uphold it with justice and righteousness, but would be nice if we had more justice and righteousness in our government today, then, is going to last forever. Morton no one but Jesus could be referred to here. Only Christ could fulfill this now the eighth, the ancient Jewish translators and Bible interpreters don't want to admit it's Jesus, I said it was King has a cop on the world could King Hezekiah fulfill those profits. Certainly, it's not Isaias to boy's made her shout out hasp as M. Jacob, a remnant will remain in speedily God's going to destroy your enemy and give you the spalls that was with those two boys Naismith know they work. They were emblems.

They were of faint representations of the real Emmanuelle child who would call Vanessa Jesus Christ, so we do have.

Always remember the historical context rewritten when interpreting a prophecy of Christ. It has both always should have both. So remember, in the immediate context. This is deliverance for Judah being promised. But when you get to chapter 9 verses six and seven. There is a statement for all of God's true children in every age all the way down through today. The church age up into the glorified state begins that we are all to look to Christ we are all to trust in him, for he is God he is with us.

And remember, like I said last week. He's God with us, not for wrath and judgment and condemnation and retribution is with us in this deep suite love personified in the infant to save us to bring us that deliverance all who look to Christ and trust in him no him this way the deep sweetness of the father's covenant love is not seen in temporal deliverance's not for this like this is a temporal deliverance as God would save them from Syria and the northern kingdom. You and I as we live our lives.

God intervenes often, and he delivers us from disease or calamity your financial ruin are thousands. I he does do those temporal deliverances, but the deep sweetness of the father's love is not seen in these temporal deliverances like King Ahaz and Judah experience know every temporal deliverance or list of church every temporal deliverance every time God steps in and blesses you. That's just a faint reminder of the great unspeakable wonder of the salvation he's going to bring you in Christ. Every time you pray for me. All I thank God for that blessing you can sail father.

This is not to remind us of the blessing of salvation through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

So starting in Isaiah chapter 9 verse six, the prophet cast the eyes of the people of Judah and all of us to a future greater, even eternal deliverance that is only possible to the coming holy child. The divide Savior, the Messiah, Jesus Christ, the great Marvel and blessedness and deep sweetness of the father's love is fully realize when we remember the free election of God and the full deliverance which is secured by Christ, so the prophet moves King Ahaz and Judah to look to the future, even to the end then see the salvation and the preservation of God's people even forward from this day, this historical data through the church age again in all the way to the end of the age. Listen to me. God will deliver us. You look at the present time. Condition of United States of America and you think we've gone in such a vile, decrepit hole run a vicious downward spiral. What's going to happen. I don't know but I do know this God will save this your through that child.

Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is the ground of all of our hope. And he is the perfection of all of our joy would look to him as of the profits on these folks to do at this point he say yes God's gonna save you from Syria on the in the northern kingdom but more than that.

Look at the one who's coming to give you real encouragement. The brighter the Hebrews says looking under Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith look at him fall in love with him are you listen to me he's already fallen in love with you.

He's waiting on you to fall more deeply in love with him, then you will obey. Then you will honor his word and you'll serve and support his church. Too many beers just religion to many of you trust the southern culture trying to do right not be wrong so no it's being captivated by the deep suite. Wonder of the manual child's love. That's what God wants out of us now and talking about a child is born, to us where our point here is this is for particular people and there's no other way you can interpret this text when the prophet gave this try Ahaz into Judah.

He was saying I'm I'm with you to save you from Syria from the northern kingdom and eventually from Syria.

This was not a blanket word for all the people of all the nations of this day. This was a word to tiny remnant Judah because those other nations are the very people God's promising to save them from.

So this is for a particular people sweetness and that is saying to you, Judah child will be born a child is born, to us particular group. That's when you begin to see the deep sweetness of the special love. So this was a particular distinct promise for a particular distinct people. Now we do know. Use your mind. Use your mind for a lot of things you need to use your mind on Sunday morning. I've used mine a lot. Even if you can't tell it to get us here. That's why what messages turned into three, so you got use your mind now as progressive revelation unfolds.

That is, as we go through the chronology the Bible we get through to the New Testament God involves more and more and more of his plan. So, as the Scripture unfolds we learn primarily to the New Testament and we get a clear understanding of God's purpose and that is his ultimate purpose was not just delivering tiny remnant Judah.

But his ultimate purpose is to liver and save for himself a people who will come from all the nations of the world. Remember, this is difficult for the Jews. You never had to convince a Jew about the doctrine of election. They said were God's elect people. God called our father Abraham got to that's true, but mainly just in the type and in a figure because you were a picture of the church. But my true elect people will come from all peoples, all tongs and all tribes and all nations yet. Don't forget there still a particular distinct group. Do you understand dear Christian, that Christian salvation is not just the sloppy things cast abroad, it's his specific deep abiding love God has for you personally and the child was given to us out of that love.

If we go back to our chapter here chapter 9. Look at verse one there. Chapter 9 verse one as he alludes to this fact that this election of God extends to all the nations of the earth with airway no more blame for her who was in the anguish in earlier times. He treated the land of Zebulun and the net land of Naphtali with contempt, but later on he shall make it glorious by the way of the sea. On the other side of the Jordan. That's non-Jewish that Gentile side, Galilee of the Gentiles, not the Jews knew this was a greatly ignored it. That God's going to save people for himself from all the nations of the earth.

Remember when the apostle Paul finishes first missionary journey and he begins to preach outside the environs of the of Israel and non-Jews are starting to believe on Christ and it was a great uproar among the converted Jews were why God has his elect children and that's Israel, God has his Messiah the Masonic and for Israel and Paul in Texas timeout. Yes, God has his elect children. Now God has chosen that they will come from all peoples tones tribes and nation's acts 1118 when they heard this, they quiet down and glorify God, saying, well then God has granted to the Gentiles. Also the repentance that leads to life in Revelation chapter 5 verse nine as we see that in times saying of God's angels and the host of heaven glorified goddesses and they sang a new song, saying, worthy are you to take the book in the breakage sales for you were slain, and purchase for God with your blood men from not all men men from every time and trunk tongue and people and nation. What drives us in missions. What compels us to preach the gospel and plant churches to the ends of the art, because God's God is faithful among every people tongue tribe and nation were trying to find a house you find them you preach the gospel and they respond. If you want to go to the man's side of vicinity. Middleman sites along you can think from God sought shame on you. Study your Bible.

The Bible makes you, it forces us to think from God's perspective often, but if you will look for mass perspective it's whosoever will may come if you look from God's perspective it's those that are chosen before the foundation of the world same people so we preach to all everywhere to repent and believe anything anyway all their gods, but for our our purposes and remember this was written to Judah in this context. So let's take it in the context it was written and let's refresh ourselves, or rather realize a fresh the crushing joy and wondrous sweetness. When we consider that Jesus came our text to us.

He came to us he came to a particular group and that group somehow and grace and mercy included me. The Christmas story is not that God came into the world. It's true, but it's much, much, much more than that. The Bible says he came to lasts in the context of me to particular distinct group he came for us. The text does not say here child is born, the text says a child is born, to us it would've been any encouragement to Ahaz and Judah. If the prophet said I great deliverance and salvation is coming for you and your enemies, but to wait a minute, God.

That's what we try to be safe from our you will help them to make no sense. It was for Judah and I think the point for us is that there is a precious note that the deep sweet love in that message that a precious precious baby who they don't understand it but in their minds they must wonder somehow he's going to save us any scum, particularly for us. I don't know how God's wondrous grace to me, he hath made known how that happens. That's what the songwriter said we sing it all the time why did God make us grace known to you and to you and to you and to you to you, he's got a particular people child was born to them. Child was born to us.

Romans three you didn't come in a matter we would expect it in. He came for distinct or particular group, but thirdly he came on the distinct mission in this this comes out in the next phrase that you should just casually reading your essay will not just repeat himself different words. A child is born, to us a son is given no no no no there's more here son is given to us means this child has a distinct mission.

He is the son first. While he's a special son he's a unique and one and only son. If this is referring to Jesus Christ.

Jesus Christ is strikingly unique is distinguished from all the rest of mankind that the Jews were well grounded in the theology of the Messiah.

They knew the Messiah had to be a divine person so they knew what it meant when this child was born in the son was given the divine one is, then again that could only be fulfilled in Jesus Christ. I thought about you know you it's impossible, child support and your family. Grandchild maybe great-grandchild or just your child and you don't know what is going to be your she's going to be homemaker. We need more of those. A preacher on architect a business entrepreneur engineer labor. We just don't know that in this day it was real easy to know because almost without exception, a boy grew up to the trade of his father. If your father was a blacksmith, you became a blacksmith. If your father was a farmer he became a farmer like Jesus. If your father was a carpenter, you became a carpenter, but this son here. He's he's special and he's unique. He's the unique one and only son given to us.

He's a particular son given to a particular people for a particular mission is mission. Are you might even say his vocation is his office of the Christ.

Christ is not his last name. It's the officer.

He feels the office of the anointed one, are the Messiah, depending on which language groups are coming from. That was his mission. That mission included death on the cross and I'm convinced, with many scholars and that's why the phrases written a son is given, he was given over to the cross for us.

Yeah, your Armenian pride, your Armenian pride would lab to rise up and say, but I made this why he said virtuous decision to look to Jesus, God will judge you in detail. You will not boast before God, you're running around terrified like a hands making the wrong decisions trusting the wrong things and in the midst of that context.

God said to you what I'm going to I'm going let you know how deep and sweet my love is for you in your condition, I'm going to send the child born to you, even a son given for you church that all encourage not only invigorates you that ought to strengthen your resolve to live for God and to serve God faithfully will that was his mission to come in to save us and to save us. The sun had to be given to be the sacrifice again as a child is born he brings hope he brings joy and promise. And when the prophet wrote a child is born there saying hey that does the notice sweet sweet love and and I hope the promise for the future. And then he said the son is is is given for us this means he's going to procure he's going to be effectually established workout salvation.

We all must have and we all need you put those two together child is born again. The Texas to us a son is given to us and is this not the foundational doctrine of our faith that our God and father cast his eyes of grace and compassion on us from eternity past Jeremiah 1 verse five God told the prophet before I formed you in the womb I knew you what will not.

I know you and the one before you had a physical substance. I knew you, and for his children.

Jeremiah 31 three says I've loved you with an everlasting love for you became a one celled human being in the womb of your mom. I cast a deep sweet love on you and by the way the boxes God changes not. I'm with you. I guess the point would be Judah. If you grasp any of this.

How can you doubt he's not going to take care of you. How can you doubt that he's not going safe. You and be with you and he cast all this love toward us in what we call unmerited favor God and look down the history and singable that right there special born that she was born I she's really something in this Colbert manual makes such good grades in school. I think I'll choose the left noted it. He looked down and said everything about them. Every molecule of their existence is offensive to me and violates my holy standards, but I choose to cast the sweet love on them for my own glory and for their own good. Don't tell me that God looked down he was pretty impressed with us.

We sent Jesus to die.

Jesus didn't have to die for pretty impressive people in the eyes of God, Jesus, to die for riches.

Jesus tested for lawbreakers and rebels and vile corrupt ones silicon there is sin. Sin entered the world, so he is justly reconciled us through being given for us and that was his mission.

That's what he was about, so we marvel afresh in the glorious truth that all that Christmas morning.

God didn't just come into the world, but more much more a child was born to us in the son was being given to us.

Thus, he is our own. Please don't just hear those words.

He's our own.

Did you get that like he's our family. He's one of us.

John Calvin, in his commentary on this text writes it would have been of little avail to us that Christ was born.

If he had not likewise be in our own you're holding that newborn baby that your wife is just delivered in the sweet deep preciousness is that she is our own is one of us is a deep, deep sweetness, and that the child was born to us son was given to us in this child in this son is the Emmanuelle he is God with us. Thus our salvation is a God salvation. Did you hear that God's message of the gospel. This is not that I have got a new focus on God. Now do this part and you gotta do that part and will get together just make a deal call gloss rubbish on biblical that's not God's message.

That's not the gospel. The gospel is that God came to us and God saved us. Ours is a God salvation. While Paul would ride in Colossians 294 in him all the fullness of deity dwells in bodily form.

Paul is saying, why would you turn back to the law. Why would you turn back to church rituals and rites and priest craft and going through the motions when it is God who became man who came to save us. Ours is a God, salvation in Romans 831 if God is for us it was against us, the poorness, if God came down to save you that he could possibly stop that. If God came and saved you for that matter who's against it. The go to file, so God is with us. He will keep us he will save us, meditating on all these things to do with babies about about adoption. Latino adoption is one of the most wonderful things in the whole world and the deep sweet love of an adopted baby is perhaps the greatest miracle of the natural realm to take a baby into your arms and experience that deep sweet love that only babies give but for this baby that was not originally a view, but now it is a view, but through adoption they become, as if they always were yours perhaps in a special way the adopted child is the object of the deeper sweeter love because you marvel at the miracle that God put them out of their natural place and gave them to you.

You took them to your home.

You gave them your name, you put them in your family. You took them in your arms, and most importantly, they were put in your heart. Quickly their blossoms with this one. That is not natural yours. But now it really is a deep sweet love.

In Ephesians 1 check verse five the apostle wrote that he predestined us God's word past tense to be adopted as sons as we were naturally the enemies of God. We were naturally of our father the devil, but God has chosen in love to adopt this as his own and marvel of marvels. He loves us as if we were always his own and miracle of miracles.

He loves us of the father loves his own son with a deep, deep, sweet love any cash this love toward us when we were yet sinners and offensive to him in every conceivable way. I saw John would ride in first John 410. Not that we love God but that he loved us and sent his son to be the propitiation varsity dancers why you didn't take off with this deep love for God and then God said all okay I'll die for you and I'll save you know know you are headlong in your own world and your own life to your own thing with hardly a thought of God and God while you're in that context and condition came after you deep sweet unquenchable love the Savior. The miracle of all miracles.

God has adopted us as if we were always his teeth. He plucked us out of our natural place. He took us into his place.

He gave us his name. He put us in his kingdom. He's put us in his family. He takes us in his arms, and most importantly he puts a love for him and our hearts, a deep sweet love for him.

The Christmas child be a manual child lavishly exudes the deep sweet love of God love for us and we as we learn more and more of his love. We learn that until from our hearts. We return a deep sweet love back to him. Has he won your heart's have you lost your first love. That's what got us as one of the chief commandment is to love the Lord your God with all your heart on your soul. Your mind know your strength if you're like your pastor you would say this morning all. Christ, I love you. Oh Christ, I love you. Oh Christ, help me love you more past the Christmas message