Isaiah 9:1-7

Babies change s families life significantly. A lot of questions are asked about what that child will be like as they grow.

Here in Isaiah, it is clear that this child will change things forever. There is no doubt as to what this child's future holds.

Faith faces the facts

As Isaiah speaks, Israel was in a dark time. The previous chapter describes the devastation that was to come. Isaiah saw this truth and named it. He was never in denial. This is a mark of faith. Faith sees when something is wrong and calls it out.

Faith lives by another perspective

Our world and its future are troubled. There are such confusing times. Those are the facts.

Yet we are called to live with another perspective. Not that we ignore the darkness, but that we see through it with faith to a kingdom where darkness is no more. Faith takes the darkest aspects and interprets it as though God is in control. Faith chooses hope and joy despite the darkness. While darkness is real, it is not the whole truth.

That is how Isaiah can begin this chapter with "Nevertheless". As S Paul says in Romans, there is nothing that can separate us from the love of God. Reality doesn't change when we have faith, just our perspective of it. We come to a new conclusion: The light of God will come. There will be a second advent where the dawn of God will break.

The Promise of the child

In the statements in this chapter, Isaiah specifically prophecies a child that will bring light. That child will be God, and the light He brings will be eternal. God will send a king whose rule will bring the world being brought to right. There will be justice.

The child will be both a child born, and a son given. This means He will be born the same as everyone else, but will be given from the divine to the earth. There is a dual identity - He is human, vulnerable and dependant yet wholly God - His son becoming human. Not God minus deity, but God plus humanity.

This is a surprising choice for God. He is a God of power and authority. But God's preference is one of weakness and vulnerability. That is a mind-blowing truth! God so powerful chose the weakness means to redeem the world.

The character of this child is revealed in a few statements. These statements speak of someone so out of our human comprehension. Our New Testament shows us that Jesus both embodied God's power, authority, and temperament. Yet shows us the temptation, weakness, and mortality of humanity.

Jesus will have a kingdom. A kingdom where good will triumph over evil and the darkness will be cast away.