Advent Meditation #1
2 The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light;
those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shone.
3 You have multiplied the nation; you have increased its joy;
they rejoice before you as with joy at the harvest,
as they are glad when they divide the spoil.
4 For the yoke of his burden, and the staff for his shoulder,
the rod of his oppressor, you have broken as on the day of Midian.
5 For every boot of the tramping warrior in battle tumult
and every garment rolled in blood will be burned as fuel for the fire.
6 For to us a child is born, to us a son is given;
and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
7 Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end,
on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it
with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore.
The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.
(Isaiah 9:2-7)
It was when we, like all other men, "walked in darkness" that God graciously shined his "light" on us in Christ (Is. 9:2). It was God who increased our “joy" (Is. 9:3). It is God who has given us victory over our spiritual enemies by destroying their weaponry (Is. 9:4-5). And how has our God brought us light, joy, and victory? The text tells us that God did this all through "a child”. It only seems reasonable to wonder, how could a human child accomplish such an impossible task? Because that lowly child was also the "Mighty God”—Immanuel. It is through the God-man Jesus Christ alone that we have received the victory over our spiritual foes.
As the prophet Isaiah looked forward to the future coming of Christ he boldly proclaimed, “The zeal of the LORD of hosts will do this!” (Is. 9:7). But now that the Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, and Prince of Peace has come we can confidently declare, the zeal of the LORD of hosts has done it! Our great salvation has come through the work that Christ accomplished in our place.
This Christmas season may we look to the God-man with great joy knowing that "It is finished!” The birth of Christ brought light to a world sitting in darkness (Luke 1:79), joy to a world without a Savior (Luke 2:10-11), and victory over spiritual foes we could not defeat (Luke 1:71). This Christmas, let us praise God for the God-man.