## Christmas Prophecies

## Isaiah 7:14 & 9:6

The Christmas story begins much earlier than many folks realize. Several hundreds of years earlier. The prophets of the Old Testament tell us of the promised Savior who would redeem the people of God. Read text. "...and shall call His name Immanuel." That name is the key to the heart of the Christmas message. Immanuel = God with us. The child that was to be born would literally be God dwelling with us in human form! Tonight we want to consider these Christmas prophecies.

I. The Promise of a King. cf Is. 9:6

A. He will be the Son of Man.

1. "For unto us a child is born..."

2. Here is a statement about His humanity.

3. We know from the New Testament that throughout His life Christ experienced every temptation common to humanity.

4. As a man He felt everything we feel, hurt like we hurt, and wept like we weep.

5. Ultimately He would die as all men die, yet not for any sin of His own but bearing all humanity's sin and guilt.

B. He will be the Son of God.

1. "...Unto us a son is given:"

2. Not born, but given...this speaks of the pre-existence of the Son of God.

3. He already existed as the Son of God, the second person of the Trinity.

4. He was given to us to be our Savior.

C. He will be the King of Kings.

1. "...The government shall be upon His shoulder:"

2. This aspect of Isaiah's prophecy has not been fulfilled yet.

3. One day the government of the whole world will rest upon His shoulders, and He will reign as sovereign over a worldwide kingdom of righteousness and peace.

4. John describes Him when He returns in Revelation 19:16 saying that He had a name written: "King of Kings, and Lord of Lords".

II. The Promise of a Kingdom.

A. No Confusion: He is a Wonderful Counselor.

1. Jesus Christ's kingdom is the answer to the world's confusion.

2. He is the source of all truth!

3. To make sense of life's confusion we must turn to Him!

4. Unfortunately, most people turn everywhere else for counsel.

5. People go to psychologists, psychia- trists, analysts, philosophers, religious quacks, astrologers, and human advisors.

6. That whole crowd will be unemployed in the Millennial kingdom!

B. No Chaos: He is the Mighty God.

1. He is the powerful One who brought order out of chaos.

2. He will do it again! Paul wrote that, "For God is not the author of con- fusion, but of peace..." cf 1 Co. 14:33

3. His kingdom will be a peaceful and orderly kingdom.

4. He is the Mighty God who can forgive sin, defeat the enemy, set free the captives, restore broken lives, and bring order out of the chaos caused by sinful man.

C. No Complexity: He is the everlasting Father.

1. When we think of government we picture a complex mass of red tape and bureaucracy.

2. However, the Messiah's kingdom requires no support staff, He shoulders His government by Himself.

3. He is the Creator of heaven and earth and nothing is too difficult for the Sustainer of everything.

4. The Messiah's government will be simple and uncomplicated because He knows the beginning from the end.

D. No Conflicts: He Is the Prince of Peace.

1. He offers peace from God. cf Ro. 1:7

2. He offers peace with God. cf Ro. 5:1

3. He brings the peace of God. cf Ph. 4:7

4. There really has never been peace on earth, in the sense that we think of it.

5. When the angels announced to the shepherds "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men." they were announcing the arrival of One who ultimately will bring a lasting peace on earth.

Conclusion: The prophetic message of Christmas gives us the good news of God's answer to all the confusion, chaos, complexities, and conflicts of life. It is the gift of One who is a Wonderful Counselor, the Mighty God, the everlasting Father, and the Prince of Peace. Do you know Him tonight? He is the reason that we celebrate Christmas. He is the reason that we can have joy and peace in our hearts. He is the Savior of the world if we will believe in Him.