1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:16,080 We continue with our third sermon in this series, the music of Christmas. 2 00:00:16,080 --> 00:00:32,840 Archbishop Desmond Tutu said that hope is being able to see that there is light, no matter how dark it is. 3 00:00:32,840 --> 00:00:46,000 And I believe that that is what we experience when we read these words in Isaiah 9 and 6. 4 00:00:46,000 --> 00:00:58,760 This verse is really a coronation psalm. A coronation psalm was sung in the ancient world 5 00:00:58,760 --> 00:01:09,040 whenever a new king would come to power. A coronation psalm would sing in anticipation, 6 00:01:09,040 --> 00:01:21,320 in expectation of the attributes and abilities of a coming king. Before the king would come to power, 7 00:01:21,320 --> 00:01:31,560 they would sing with expectancy that this king would do a great work. It is very dark when 8 00:01:31,560 --> 00:01:40,080 Isaiah gives this prophetic witness because the people were in the midst of oppression. 9 00:01:40,080 --> 00:01:48,600 There were two superior armies that were threatening to annihilate the people of Judah. 10 00:01:48,600 --> 00:01:55,920 And the people were overwhelmed with anxiety about what the future would hold. 11 00:01:55,920 --> 00:02:06,320 And Isaiah breaks in with this word of hope and affirmation and encouragement to share with them 12 00:02:06,320 --> 00:02:14,000 that the best is yet to come. Isaiah starts singing this coronation psalm. 13 00:02:14,000 --> 00:02:25,920 For unto us a child will be born. Unto us a son will be given and the government will rest upon 14 00:02:25,920 --> 00:02:35,960 his shoulder and his name shall be called wonderful. Counselor, mighty God, everlasting 15 00:02:35,960 --> 00:02:45,240 father and prince of peace. Our pastor has masterfully shared with us the first two titles in this 16 00:02:45,240 --> 00:02:54,320 series when he says to them that his name shall be called wonderful counselor. That literally 17 00:02:54,320 --> 00:03:04,840 suggests that his name will speak of his ability to predict the future. His name will speak to the 18 00:03:04,840 --> 00:03:14,720 fact that this child that is born, this son that is given will be able to predict perfect outcomes. 19 00:03:14,720 --> 00:03:24,760 It's really a forecasting of his omniscience. That is this son that is given and this child 20 00:03:24,760 --> 00:03:36,040 that is born will have perfect wisdom. He will know everything about everything. And all wisdom 21 00:03:36,040 --> 00:03:44,960 and depth of knowledge will simply be a derivative of who he is because he will be a wonderful 22 00:03:44,960 --> 00:03:54,720 counselor. Not only that, he says he will also be a mighty God. That idea of him being a mighty 23 00:03:54,720 --> 00:04:04,360 God is a forecasting of his omnipotence. That is not only will he be able to predict perfect outcomes, 24 00:04:04,360 --> 00:04:14,160 but he will have the power to bring it to pass. He is the omnipotent one. That is he's got all 25 00:04:14,160 --> 00:04:25,320 power, all strength, all might, and all ability. There is nothing he won't be able to do. No 26 00:04:25,320 --> 00:04:34,920 enemy he will not be able to defeat because he is the mighty God. One of the overlooked derivatives 27 00:04:34,920 --> 00:04:45,680 of this idea of divine omnipotence is the fact that omnipotence also means potential. So when we 28 00:04:45,680 --> 00:04:53,360 say the Lord is omnipotent, we're not just claiming that he's got all power. We're also claiming 29 00:04:53,360 --> 00:05:00,880 that he's got all potential. That is if you think he's done great things before, you ain't 30 00:05:00,880 --> 00:05:10,000 seen nothing yet. Eyes have not seen, ears have not heard. Neither has it entered into the hearts 31 00:05:10,000 --> 00:05:16,720 of men the good things that the Lord has in store for you. Can I tell you this morning that God 32 00:05:16,720 --> 00:05:25,000 can blow your mind? He can do what you never imagined. He can do what you never expected 33 00:05:25,000 --> 00:05:36,400 because he is a mighty God. Isaiah starts to sing this coronation song, the church. He sings this 34 00:05:36,400 --> 00:05:44,640 coronation to people who needed hope so desperately that they missed what he was saying because those 35 00:05:44,640 --> 00:05:53,640 in Isaiah's day thought that he was singing about the birth of the son of Ahaz. They thought he was 36 00:05:53,640 --> 00:06:01,600 talking about the birth of King Hezekiah. Oh, but you and I have the benefit of being able to look 37 00:06:01,600 --> 00:06:10,120 back at what they were looking forward to. And this morning we know who he was talking about. He 38 00:06:10,120 --> 00:06:19,080 was not talking about King Hezekiah because King Hezekiah was a mere mortal king. But the king 39 00:06:19,080 --> 00:06:27,440 that we're talking about this morning is not a mere mortal king. He is the eternal king. The king 40 00:06:27,440 --> 00:06:36,600 that we're talking about this morning is the king of kings and the Lord of lords. No, you can't lay 41 00:06:36,600 --> 00:06:48,120 these titles to some human king because no human king has perfect wisdom. No human king has omnipotent 42 00:06:48,120 --> 00:07:00,120 power. No human king is everlasting, but the Lord Jesus Christ is in a class all by himself. There 43 00:07:00,120 --> 00:07:08,160 is none like him. If you give me about 15 minutes of your time, I want to unravel for you this 44 00:07:08,160 --> 00:07:18,520 morning the idea of him, our Lord, our savior, our master, our redeemer, our hope, our go-al, our 45 00:07:18,520 --> 00:07:25,440 go-between. I want to talk to you this morning about the fact that he is the everlasting father. 46 00:07:25,440 --> 00:07:37,040 Now the distinction of him as everlasting father is this, is that his rule will never end. When 47 00:07:37,040 --> 00:07:46,360 Isaiah says he is the everlasting father, Isaiah is not claiming that the Lord Jesus is father in 48 00:07:46,360 --> 00:07:57,480 the same sense that the Lord God Jehovah is the father of the triune Godhead. Now Jesus is the son 49 00:07:57,480 --> 00:08:06,480 of the triune Godhead and Jehovah God is the father of the triune Godhead. But what Isaiah 50 00:08:06,480 --> 00:08:16,520 is claiming about Jesus is that Jesus is in a seat of authority that will last forever because in 51 00:08:16,520 --> 00:08:25,720 the ancient world the king was known as the federal head of the kingdom and they would refer to the 52 00:08:25,720 --> 00:08:34,320 king who was the head over the kingdom as the father of the kingdom. They would call him the father 53 00:08:34,320 --> 00:08:46,960 king or daddy king or Abba king. They would look to the king as the overseer of the entire kingdom 54 00:08:46,960 --> 00:08:56,480 and they would honor him as their father of the kingdom. Not in a literal sense father, not in a 55 00:08:56,480 --> 00:09:06,280 biological sense father, but as it related to his seat of authority. But the distinction of this 56 00:09:06,280 --> 00:09:18,120 king that Isaiah is describing is that this king will never cease to rule. He is the everlasting 57 00:09:18,120 --> 00:09:28,720 father and he will reign forever and forever. As a matter of fact he is going to reign forever 58 00:09:28,720 --> 00:09:42,440 because his character says so. He is known as the eternal immutable one. That simply means church 59 00:09:42,440 --> 00:09:54,200 that he is going to be who he's always been forever and ever because he cannot change. He will not 60 00:09:54,200 --> 00:10:01,760 change because he cannot change and he cannot change because he promised they would not change. 61 00:10:01,760 --> 00:10:17,520 He is the eternal immutable lord because he has linked his promise to be with who he is and if he 62 00:10:17,520 --> 00:10:26,360 would ever cease to be who he is then that would mean he would not be lord ever again. But because 63 00:10:26,360 --> 00:10:37,480 he is who he was and he was who he is and he will be who he will be forever and ever you can trust 64 00:10:37,480 --> 00:10:45,280 that he will keep his word. Is there anybody here who know what I'm talking about that you can trust 65 00:10:45,280 --> 00:10:53,920 him based on who he is because he's not a man that he should lie. Neither is he the son of man 66 00:10:53,920 --> 00:11:01,080 that he's got to repent. If he said he's going to be lord then you can go on to sleep tonight and 67 00:11:01,080 --> 00:11:09,160 turn your pillow to the cold side of the pillow and go to sleep because he says that he's the same 68 00:11:09,160 --> 00:11:21,160 yesterday today and forevermore and the reason I worship him and honor him and adore him is because 69 00:11:21,160 --> 00:11:29,880 he is the everlasting father. He's my everlasting portion. He's my everlasting strength. He's my 70 00:11:29,880 --> 00:11:38,480 everlasting guide. It is in him that we live. It's in him that we move. It is in him that we have our 71 00:11:38,480 --> 00:11:46,600 very being. Sun trust in the horses. Sun trust in chariots. But I hope it's in the name of the 72 00:11:46,600 --> 00:11:54,960 Lord and the name of the Lord is a strong tower and the righteous run into him and they are safe. 73 00:11:54,960 --> 00:12:12,760 And because of who he is, he is for us an everlasting father. You ought to sing to yourself 74 00:12:12,760 --> 00:12:22,760 sometimes about the attributes of the Lord. You ought to sing to yourself sometimes that the Lord 75 00:12:22,760 --> 00:12:33,840 Jesus Christ is on the throne in charge and in control and the reason I worship him beloved is 76 00:12:33,840 --> 00:12:47,840 because he is never up for reelection. He is Lord. Forevermore. I trust him because of his 77 00:12:47,840 --> 00:12:58,560 character. But not only that, I trust him because of his capacity. The reason church he is Lord forever 78 00:12:58,560 --> 00:13:14,200 is because he's made of the right stuff. When you see Jesus, you see the human God man. The man who 79 00:13:14,200 --> 00:13:26,160 is God and the God who is man and because he's made of the right stuff, you can trust him forever. 80 00:13:26,160 --> 00:13:37,440 If Jesus was just a man, we would have no hope. If Jesus was just a man, there would be no need 81 00:13:37,440 --> 00:13:46,320 for us to keep coming to church every Sunday morning. But Jesus is not just a man. No, 82 00:13:46,320 --> 00:14:01,600 he is God and very God. He is God enough to step outside of himself and get into our existence 83 00:14:01,600 --> 00:14:14,640 so that he could be like us for us. Because in order for there to be eternal redemption, 84 00:14:14,640 --> 00:14:28,160 God had to become the thing that he was to redeem. And so the eternal Son of God became the 85 00:14:28,160 --> 00:14:42,720 sinless Son of man so that sinful sons of men might become beloved sons of God. Oh church, 86 00:14:42,720 --> 00:14:50,800 can I tell you the reason I worship the Lord Jesus Christ is because the Lord Jesus Christ 87 00:14:50,800 --> 00:15:03,200 did for us what we could not do for ourselves. In Matthew 1, 21, the angel Gabriel goes to Joseph 88 00:15:03,200 --> 00:15:12,080 and says to him that that which is conceived in Mary is of the Holy Ghost. And she's going to bring 89 00:15:12,080 --> 00:15:24,160 forth a son and you shall call his name Jesus because he will save his people from their sins. 90 00:15:25,200 --> 00:15:38,960 The name Jesus church literally means Jehovah is salvation. Jehovah is our salvation. That word 91 00:15:38,960 --> 00:15:49,920 Jehovah is our salvation is not merely a title or a tag or a theological term. But that name Jehovah 92 00:15:49,920 --> 00:16:00,880 is our salvation is really a testimony. And here's the testimony church. God was in Christ Jesus 93 00:16:00,880 --> 00:16:12,640 was reconciling the world that unto himself simply church. God had to offer up himself 94 00:16:13,760 --> 00:16:23,680 unto himself so that you and I could be recipients of a grace wherein we bestowed no labor. No one 95 00:16:23,680 --> 00:16:33,760 that Jonah says that salvation is of the Lord. All it means church is God had the capacity to take 96 00:16:33,760 --> 00:16:44,800 your place because you couldn't do it yourself. He was wounded for our transgression. He was bruised 97 00:16:44,800 --> 00:16:54,320 for our iniquity and the chastisement of our peace was laid upon him and by his stripes we are healed. 98 00:16:55,360 --> 00:17:03,440 Here is why he had to do it for us church because nobody else could do it. No one else could go our 99 00:17:03,440 --> 00:17:11,520 bond. No one else could be our goel. No one else could be our redeemer. Abraham couldn't do it. 100 00:17:11,520 --> 00:17:20,000 Isaac couldn't do it. Jacob couldn't do it. Ezziel couldn't do it. Daniel couldn't do it. 101 00:17:20,000 --> 00:17:27,040 Hosea could't do it. Jonah couldn't do it. Micah couldn't do it. Nah fon couldn't do 102 00:17:27,040 --> 00:17:32,400 it. Habeta could not do it. Hagroy could not do it. Zechariah 103 00:17:32,400 --> 00:17:37,200 couldn't not do it. Zechariah couldn't not do it. John the Baptist 104 00:17:37,200 --> 00:17:44,800 could not do it. Peter could not do it. Matthew could not do it. Mark could not do it. Luke 105 00:17:44,800 --> 00:17:52,400 could not do it. John could not do it. Paul could not do it. So God had to do it himself. 106 00:17:53,840 --> 00:18:01,120 He got on the nine month training of nature, leaped into the womb of the Virgin Mary, 107 00:18:01,120 --> 00:18:12,720 came out doing good, healing the sick, raising the dead, giving sight to the blind. One dark Friday, 108 00:18:12,720 --> 00:18:21,280 he went out to Calvary. They hung him high, they stretched him wide, and he bowed his head, and he 109 00:18:21,280 --> 00:18:32,160 died. Oh, but church, can I tell you, he didn't stay there. Early Sunday morning, God raised him up 110 00:18:32,160 --> 00:18:41,200 from the dead. And right now church, he's still alive. He's been exalted to the place of highest 111 00:18:41,200 --> 00:18:49,600 honor. And right now he's seated at the right hand of the majesty on high. And can I give you his job 112 00:18:49,600 --> 00:18:57,680 description? If you don't mind, he ever lived to make intercession for you and I. Oh, you don't know 113 00:18:57,680 --> 00:19:03,920 when to shop church. You don't know when to celebrate church because there are some people who don't 114 00:19:03,920 --> 00:19:09,760 even think you're worthy to be in church this morning. There are some people who don't think 115 00:19:09,760 --> 00:19:18,000 that you even qualify for them to call your name to the father. But right now, every morning, every 116 00:19:18,000 --> 00:19:25,920 noon, every night, season, the Lord Jesus Christ is saying, Father, give him a little more grace. 117 00:19:26,800 --> 00:19:33,360 Father, give him a little more strength. Father, give him a little more power. Father, give him a 118 00:19:33,360 --> 00:19:44,080 little more wisdom. He's made of the right stuff. And he ever lives to make intercession for us. 119 00:19:44,080 --> 00:19:57,280 Yes. The other day, the other day, my daughter, Mackenzie, got herself into trouble. She did 120 00:19:57,280 --> 00:20:04,400 something that her mama disapproved of. And so her mama sent her up to her room. 121 00:20:05,760 --> 00:20:12,720 And I think it hurt my feelings more than it bothered her because she just went on up 122 00:20:12,720 --> 00:20:21,200 to her room and asked her father. I knew that her punishment was right and just. 123 00:20:23,520 --> 00:20:33,360 And so as her father, I could not overrule her mother's judgment. I couldn't get my baby 124 00:20:34,560 --> 00:20:38,000 out of the trouble she had gotten herself into. 125 00:20:38,000 --> 00:20:53,680 But as her daddy, though I couldn't get her out of her punishment, I did go into the room with her 126 00:20:55,120 --> 00:21:06,240 to share in her punishment because my love for her went beyond her infraction. Come see 127 00:21:06,240 --> 00:21:15,760 child of God. We have somebody. We have a high priest who can be touched by the feeling of our 128 00:21:15,760 --> 00:21:25,360 infamilies. And we have a savior who didn't just come into our trouble with us, but he took it on for us. 129 00:21:28,640 --> 00:21:34,080 I'm done church. May the Lord bless you real good, but he's the everlasting father 130 00:21:34,080 --> 00:21:42,560 because of his character, because of his capacity. And then finally there ought to be a celebration 131 00:21:43,680 --> 00:21:51,360 because these these coronation lyrics were sung in a coronation processional. 132 00:21:52,160 --> 00:21:58,320 The people would line the streets of Judea and they would get palm branches and they would sing 133 00:21:58,320 --> 00:22:08,560 about the attributes and abilities of their king that would come. He had not become king yet, 134 00:22:09,360 --> 00:22:20,160 but they were in the streets dancing and singing and shouting in anticipation. He had not even been 135 00:22:20,160 --> 00:22:27,040 born yet, but they were already lining the streets with palm branches singing, 136 00:22:27,040 --> 00:22:38,640 shouting. Shouting unto us a child is born unto us a son is given and the government will 137 00:22:38,640 --> 00:22:49,840 rest upon his shoulder and his name shall be called wonderful. Counselor, mighty God, everlasting 138 00:22:49,840 --> 00:22:58,240 father. Now church, they were singing and nothing happened yet. And we got to come to church on 139 00:22:58,240 --> 00:23:06,880 Sunday morning and pump you up and prime you and tell you you got to shake somebody's hand and 140 00:23:06,880 --> 00:23:13,600 turn around and touch somebody. And we've got to tell you it's time to praise the Lord when you have 141 00:23:13,600 --> 00:23:24,960 reasonable evidence to shout right now because of who's already come because of what he's already done. 142 00:23:25,840 --> 00:23:35,200 And that's what that is for the church. That is for the church. You and I singing and shouting 143 00:23:35,200 --> 00:23:43,600 in anticipation of what he's going to do next because of what he's already done. 144 00:23:45,040 --> 00:23:51,360 Can I ask you a question this morning? Have you ever tried him? Has he ever come through for you? 145 00:23:52,160 --> 00:23:59,120 Has he ever made a way for you? Has he ever been your strength in weakness? Has he ever been your 146 00:23:59,120 --> 00:24:06,240 joy and sorrow? Has he ever been your hope for tomorrow? Well if he's been good to you, you 147 00:24:06,240 --> 00:24:13,600 will not need anybody to pump you up. You will not need anybody to choreograph your worship. 148 00:24:13,600 --> 00:24:19,280 You will not need anybody to tell you to get on your feet and clap your hands when I think about 149 00:24:19,280 --> 00:24:32,480 the goodness of Jesus and all he's done for me. My soul cries out. Hallelujah. Thank God 150 00:24:34,320 --> 00:24:44,400 for saving me. I'm done for real this time. But can I tell you I love the Christmas season. 151 00:24:44,400 --> 00:24:54,880 I love Christmas because Christmas is essential to our Christian hope. 152 00:24:56,320 --> 00:25:04,080 For if there would be no Christmas, there could be no Palm Sunday. If there were no Christmas, 153 00:25:04,880 --> 00:25:13,200 there could be no Good Friday. If there were no Christmas, there could be no Easter Sunday 154 00:25:13,200 --> 00:25:21,680 Resurrection Day. And if there were no Easter Sunday Resurrection Day, there would be no hope. 155 00:25:22,800 --> 00:25:30,640 So without Christmas, Thanksgiving would not be so thankful. New Year's Eve would not be so festive. 156 00:25:31,360 --> 00:25:39,280 If there were no Christmas, then no other Holy Day would even make sense. Also this morning I've 157 00:25:39,280 --> 00:25:45,920 come to sing the sweet music of Christmas. Are y'all going to help me sing just a little bit? 158 00:25:46,800 --> 00:25:57,200 Just sing the sweet music of Christmas. Come on, help me go. Tell it on the mountain. Over the hills 159 00:25:57,200 --> 00:26:12,000 and everywhere. Go. Tell it on the mountain that Jesus Christ is born. Are y'all going to help me 160 00:26:12,000 --> 00:26:29,600 sing the sweet music of Christmas? Oh come, let us adore him. Oh come, let us adore him Christ the Lord. 161 00:26:30,160 --> 00:26:38,960 But can I tell you this morning we're not just singing because of the baby that was born in 162 00:26:38,960 --> 00:26:50,160 Bethlehem. We're singing this morning because the baby became a man. And the man took my sins 163 00:26:50,960 --> 00:27:06,080 and carried them to a hill called Calvary. He died as a man. He was buried as a man. But early 164 00:27:06,080 --> 00:27:20,160 Sunday morning the man got up with all power in his hands. And is there anybody here who loves his 165 00:27:20,160 --> 00:27:34,000 name? His name sues my doubts. His name calms my fears. Is there anybody here who loves his name? 166 00:27:34,000 --> 00:27:48,240 His name is above every name. And at the name of Jesus every knee shall bow. Every tongue 167 00:27:49,440 --> 00:28:00,400 has to confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. You can have Buddha but he ain't the Lord. 168 00:28:00,400 --> 00:28:09,600 You can have Mohammed but he ain't the Lord. You can have Zoroastrian but he ain't the Lord. 169 00:28:10,400 --> 00:28:20,720 You can have Charles Taze Russell but he ain't the Lord. Can I tell you who the Lord is? His name 170 00:28:20,720 --> 00:28:34,400 is a rock in a weary land. His name is Shelton in the time of a storm. Can't nobody do me like Jesus. 171 00:28:35,120 --> 00:28:46,800 Can't nobody do me like the Lord. Time can't measure him. Water can't drown him. Fire can't burn him. 172 00:28:46,800 --> 00:28:55,600 Death could not destroy him. The Pharisees couldn't confuse him. New age can't replace him. 173 00:28:55,600 --> 00:29:09,840 Jesus Jesus Jesus Christ is Lord. Are y'all going to help me call his name before I sit down? 174 00:29:09,840 --> 00:29:26,400 For unto us a child is born. Unto us a son is given. And the government shall rest upon his 175 00:29:26,400 --> 00:29:39,920 shoulders and his name shall be called wonderful, counselor, mighty God, everlasting father, 176 00:29:40,640 --> 00:29:50,560 prince of peace. Do you know him? Have you tried him? Ain't he alright? If you know he's alright, 177 00:29:50,560 --> 00:30:06,480 then say yes. Say yes. Say yes. That's not a friend.