Isaiah 9:2-7
“The people who walked in darkness
have seen a great light.
For those who lived in a land of deep shadows—
light! sunbursts of light!
You repopulated the nation,
you expanded its joy.
Oh, they’re so glad in your presence!
Festival joy!
The joy of a great celebration,
sharing rich gifts and warm greetings.
The abuse of oppressors and cruelty of tyrants—
all their whips and clubs and curses—
Is gone, done away with, a deliverance
as surprising and sudden as Gideon’s old victory over Midian.
The boots of all those invading troops,
along with their shirts soaked with innocent blood,
Will be piled in a heap and burned,
a fire that will burn for days!
For a child has been born—for us!
the gift of a son—for us!
He’ll take over
the running of the world.
His names will be: Amazing Counselor,
Strong God,
Eternal Father,
Prince of Wholeness.
His ruling authority will grow,
and there’ll be no limits to the wholeness he brings.
He’ll rule from the historic David throne
over that promised kingdom.
He’ll put that kingdom on a firm footing
and keep it going
With fair dealing and right living,
beginning now and lasting always.
The zeal of God-of-the-Angel-Armies
will do all this.”
Isaiah was an Old Testament prophet in the 8th century BC. Father Frederick Moriarty (Society of Jesuits) reminds us that Isaiah proclaimed the word of the Lord to the people of Judah at a time of external and internal threat. The northern kingdom of Israel had already fallen to the Assyrian Empire. The nation of Judah now lay in the shadow of this external Assyrian threat. Internally, Judah was in a serious spiritual crisis. Greed, hypocrisy and injustice had become a way of life. Judah’s kings were the descendants of David, whose line was promised to last a very long time, perhaps forever. David’s line was now threatened. Yahweh’s promise to David was in doubt. Things were not looking good for the nation of Judah.
It was during this time of external and internal threat to Judah that Isaiah prophesied about an ideal king who would come in the future. Father Moriarty notes that Isaiah shifts lanes here. Isaiah’s message shifts from a vision of ruin to a promise of restoration. Scholars call this language tense the “prophetic perfect” which is used to express the certainty of a future event. The Davidic covenant would indeed be honored, but not by a historical king like Ahaz or Hezekiah. This future ideal king would usher in THE era of peace and justice. Our Jesuit friend, Dr. Moriarty, underlines this prophetic utterance as one of the most important Messianic passages in the OT.
From the earliest days of Christianity our faith tradition has tied this utterance of Isaiah to Jesus Christ the Lord. This passage is included in the Revised Common Lectionary and is often read at Christmas Eve services around the world. You may have attended such a worship gathering and heard Isaiah’s words proclaimed.
The king described in the Isaiah passage is worthy of worship. This ideal king is an amazing Counselor, Mighty as God, Everlasting, Fountainhead of Peace. This ideal king is powerful without measure. But, consider the birth of Jesus Christ the Lord. Consider his life. Consider his death--Humble, humble, humble. Can this Jesus be the ideal king spoken of by Isaiah? Our faith tradition has said “yes” in answer to this question for nearly 2,000 years. In just a few days on Christmas Eve, millions of Christians will once again see Jesus in these words of Isaiah.
My favorite prayer is, “Thank you for the gift of life and new life in Jesus Christ.” For me, the Kingdom of God is within me. But one day it will be cosmic, global, visible for all to see and experience.
Consider this possibility: Can the humble Christ child also be the king of my life?