Ashe Alliance Church
Sunday Service 12.8.24
      • Bible Trivia
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  • Come Thou Long Expected Jesus (Hyfrydol)
  • Glory In The Highest
  • Emmanuel (Hallowed Manger Ground)
  • O Come All Ye Faithful (Adeste Fideles)

  • Main Idea

    The Messiah would be a God-man.
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    The dual nature of light is one of the most fascinating discoveries in science. Light behaves as both a wave and a particle, depending on how it is observed, which should be impossible. As a wave, light travels in oscillating patterns, much like ripples on a pond. This wave-like behavior explains how light bends around objects or passes through a prism to create a rainbow. It spreads out, interacts with other waves, and carries energy in a continuous flow.
    At the same time, light acts like a stream of tiny particles called photons. These particles are discrete packets of energy, which explains how light can knock electrons out of a metal surface in what’s called the photoelectric effect (the phenomenon in which light shining on a metal surface causes the emission of electrons from that surface). This particle-like nature shows that light has substance and can interact with matter on a tiny scale. Though light seems contradictory in being both wave and particle, it is fully and simultaneously both. This duality mirrors a truth treasured in the New Covenant Church but also hinted at in Isaiah’s day.
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    Passage

    Isaiah 9:1–7 ESV
    But there will be no gloom for her who was in anguish. In the former time he brought into contempt the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the latter time he has made glorious the way of the sea, the land beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the nations. 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. 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. 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. For every boot of the tramping warrior in battle tumult and every garment rolled in blood will be burned as fuel for the fire. 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. 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.
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    I - Recap Framework

    Child born - the same child of Isaiah 7:14 who is supernaturally born of a virgin named Immanuel.
    Son given - The child would be male and treated as God’s son. It’s not likely they would have seen this son as God, but messianic psalms, like Psalm 2, describe him as God’s Son:
    Psalm 2:7–9 CSB
    I will declare the Lord’s decree. He said to me, “You are my Son; today I have become your Father. Ask of me, and I will make the nations your inheritance and the ends of the earth your possession. You will break them with an iron scepter; you will shatter them like pottery.”
    From a New Testament perspective, we know Him as Jesus, the Son of God, who loved the world so much that He gave His one and only Son as the atoning sacrifice that removes sin and extends eternal life.
    Eternal Ruler - He will conquer Israel’s oppressors and establish an everlasting kingdom on David’s throne.
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    II - Divine Name

    The Messiah indeed has the title of Mighty God in the sense that it is one of four given titles that detail His characteristics, but it is more than that. The title of Mighty God is also a divine name. Names in ancient times were highly significant and were not assigned flippantly. The name of a person gave a clue to their nature. A person’s name often embodies their characteristics or even an element of their future.
    For example:
    Abraham - means “Father of many.” For decades, this didn’t seem to be true, but God promised it would be… and eventually, He was.
    Jacob - means “He grasps the heel.” This happened physically at his birth, but it also illustrates how he ‘overtook’ his brother’s inheritance (the Hebrew word also carries the connotation of a supplanter (to supersede and replace)).
    Naomi - called herself Mara after the death of her husband and sons, which means “bitter.”
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    The same is true of God. He is known by relational names such as Father or Abba. He is known by descriptive names like our Fortress or Rock. He has functional titles, such as Creator and Redeemer. And, He also has proper names that reveal a characteristic of His nature, many of which begin with the Hebrew word, El, such as:
    El-Shaddai: “The Almighty God.” God is the omnipotent and omniscient sovereign king over all things. God used this name of Himself when making His covenant with Abraham (Gen. 17:1–2).
    El-Roi: “God who sees me.” Hagar used this term after being mistreated by Sarah in Gen. 16:13. She fled to the wilderness, where she met the angel of the Lord, who heard her cry of distress.
    El Gibbor: “The Mighty God” who destroys the oppressor and establishes His dominion (Isaiah 9:6). God is a mighty warrior.
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    III - El

    El is written over 200 times in the Old Testament and is a word used for ‘God.’
    It is often used to describe an exercise or attribute of His power and complete separation from His creation.
    El is also used as Eloah when stating that God is the only true God (Isa. 44:8) or the more popular plural form of Elohim, which is often used in Genesis as God exercises His power while creating the world and cosmos.
    It is also used with other words to declare that something is of God. For instance, Israel means “preserved of God,” in the case of His people or “One who struggles with God” when Jacob was renamed Israel. Bethel means “house of God.”
    In every instance, no matter the form, it refers to the only true God who created all things.
    You’ll understand why I’m driving this home in just a minute.
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    IV - Mighty

    Gibbor- A Hero, a strong Warrior with exemplary bravery and strength in battle.
    This term is used 158 times and refers to both men and God. For instance, the men who were products of the ‘sons of God’ and had children with human women in Genesis 6 were said to have been mighty men of renown. David was mighty in battle and had exemplary warriors, called David’s Mighty Men, who fought alongside him.
    It’s possible that many in Isaiah’s day or even Mary and Joseph’s day would have considered the Messiah an earthy hero empowered by God’s Spirit… a man mighty of God. The Messiah could have been gifted with the Holy Spirit's power, much like David or Samson were. After all, when Jesus claimed to be God, the Pharisees wanted to stone him for blasphemy.
    Even if that were the case, a verse in the very next chapter, Isaiah 10, makes that impossible:
    Isaiah 10:20–21 CSB
    On that day the remnant of Israel and the survivors of the house of Jacob will no longer depend on the one who struck them, but they will faithfully depend on the Lord, the Holy One of Israel. The remnant will return, the remnant of Jacob, to the Mighty God.
    … and the only other time this name is used is in Jer. 32:18:
    Jeremiah 32:18 CSB
    You show faithful love to thousands but lay the fathers’ iniquity on their sons’ laps after them, great and mighty God whose name is the Lord of Armies,
    As the coming Messiah, he would be mighty in battle and in His ability to implement His wonderful counsel. In the context of Isaiah’s prophecy, the Mighty God is the Lord (Yahweh), the Holy One of Israel whom the remnant will return to… not a mere human ruler. Jeremiah links El Gibbor to the Lord of Hosts (Yahweh).
    This also fits with the allusion to the ‘days of Midian’ from verse 4. This is a reference to the battle Gideon led against the Midianites (Judges 6-8). In that battle:
    The Spirit of the Lord enveloped Gideon (6:34).
    God reduced the size of Gideon’s army to just a remnant of what it was initially - from 32,000 to 300 so they couldn’t claim victory by their own power (7:2-8).
    Handed the Midianite army to them (7:9,14).
    Israel wanted Gideon to rule over them, but he said that the Lord would rule over them (8:22-23).
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    Similarly, this future Messiah will be a human, and the Spirit of the Lord will be on Him (Isaiah 11). He will be mighty in battle and overthrow the enemy, yet it will be God who does this and who will rule over His people. The term ‘mighty’ may allow this ruler to be a human (and so it must also be since this is a child who is born), but when paired with the term ‘El,’ it must be God (which is why the child is named ‘God with us’).
    Therefore, this title is for the God-Man.
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    V - God and Man

    This title can only apply to one person in history: Jesus of Nazareth. No other human ruler has (or will) fit the bill. This title and passage also lay the groundwork for two amazing doctrines we enjoy today. Would they have known them in the B.C. era? It's highly doubtful, but I want us to see it as New Covenant Christians with the luxury of hindsight.
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    Hypostatic Union
    In Isaiah, we have all the necessary ingredients for the New Testament doctrine of the Hypostatic Union or the doctrine that Jesus is both fully God and fully man. This doctrine is a profound, beautiful truth that lies at the heart of the Christian faith, and though they didn’t use this terminology, it was also at the heart of the Jewish faith! This doctrine is a cornerstone of Christian theology that has captivated believers for centuries. It's a truth that stretches our understanding, yet it's crucial to our faith.
    In essence, it teaches us that Jesus Christ is both fully God and fully man, united in one person. This means that when we look at Jesus, we see someone who is 100% divine - possessing all the attributes and nature of God - while simultaneously being 100% human, with all the experiences, emotions, and limitations that come with our humanity. He didn't cease to be God when He became man, nor was His humanity any less real than ours, except being sinless. Instead, in a miraculous union, He perfectly joined two natures - divine and human - in one person. This means that Jesus could feel hunger and thirst, experience joy and sorrow, and even die on the cross, all while remaining the all-powerful, all-knowing God who holds the universe together by His vast power. Like the light example, it seems impossible for two different things to co-exist, yet the evidence says they do (scientific data shows light is a wave and a particle, and scripture reveals Jesus is God and man).
    The beauty of the Hypostatic Union is that it allows Jesus to be our perfect mediator between God and man. As God, He has the power to save us and to be a perfect sacrifice; as man, He can represent us as the sacrifice for humankind. This doctrine isn't just theological, heady jargon - it's why we can have a personal relationship with God. It means that when we pray to Jesus, we speak to someone who understands our human struggles intimately yet has the divine power to help us overcome them and represent us as the perfect High Priest. The Hypostatic Union is a testament to God's incredible love, showing the lengths He went to so He could reconcile us to Himself.
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    The Trinity
    This title and surrounding verses also provide foundational evidence for the New Testament doctrine of the Trinity. The Trinity was a concealed mystery in the Old Testament but a revealed reality in the New.
    From Isaiah chapters 7-11, we have learned that the Messiah will be a human child and a Son given by Yahweh/Elohim (The Father). The zeal of the Father (or Lord of Hosts) will accomplish this. His Son will be miraculously born. His Son will be accompanied by the power from the Spirit of the Lord, who is on Him. They are all distinct persons, and yet, they are all God. The Lord of Hosts gave His Son and poured His Spirit upon Him. And it is all right in the first handful of chapters of a book written 700 years before the child was born!
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    Jesus’ Claims
    We know this is true from the testimony of scriptures like these and Jesus’ words, who claimed to be God.
    John 8:58 CSB
    Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, before Abraham was, I am.”
    “I AM” - The name of God that He gave Moses in the burning bush.
    John 10:25–30 CSB
    “I did tell you and you don’t believe,” Jesus answered them. “The works that I do in my Father’s name testify about me. But you don’t believe because you are not of my sheep. My sheep hear my voice, I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all. No one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. I and the Father are one.”
    John 17:5 CSB
    Now, Father, glorify me in your presence with that glory I had with you before the world existed.
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    VI - God Reigns

    When this Messiah steps on the scene and takes up the ruling scepter, it will also be a restoration of God’s original design for His people. In the final days of the Judges, during the lifetime of the Prophet Samuel, Israel sinned by asking for a human king because they wanted to be like the nations around them. In doing so, they rejected God as their king. God granted their request but warned them that it would only bring them trouble and heartache. And as we’ve seen, the kingdom split into two after the reign of King Solomon, and there were strings of terrible kings in both kingdoms.
    However, there would come a time when this Messiah would sit on David's throne and rule as Immanuel and the Mighty God. During His perpetual reign, Israel’s cry for a human king would be reversed, and God would once again rule over them directly. God is once again their reigning king.
    Just as Gideon said.
    Just as Messiah will do.
    Just as Jesus proclaimed.
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    Takeaways

    Hopefully, you can see and savor Jesus as the Mighty God and marvel at God’s wisdom in weaving His divine, trinitarian nature into scripture hundreds of years before the Son was born into human history in the incarnation. But today, I want to end by explaining why this matters to you and why it mattered to Anna and Simeon. When you put yourself in their shoes, what are you thinking about when you gaze upon the face of the Mighty God?
    God fights for you.
    God keeps His promises to you.
    God is with you.
    God will save you.
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    Questions to Consider

    How would Isaiah’s audience have understood the title “Mighty God” (El Gibbor) in the context of their knowledge of God and their anticipation of the Messiah?
    How is “Mighty God” unique compared to the other titles in Isaiah 9:6 (Wonderful Counselor, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace)?
    How can understanding that 'God fights for you' change your perspective on current challenges?
    "Mighty" (Gibbor) is often associated with warriors and battles. How does this connect to Jesus’ mission to defeat spiritual enemies and establish His eternal reign?
    Why is it essential for the Messiah to possess divine power, as indicated by the title “Mighty God”? What implications does this have for His role in bringing salvation?

      • Isaiah 9:1–7CSB

      • Psalm 2:7–9CSB

      • Isaiah 10:20–21CSB

      • Jeremiah 32:18CSB

      • John 8:58CSB

      • John 10:25–30CSB

      • John 17:5CSB

  • My Jesus I Love Thee
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Ashe Alliance Church
nroten@ashealliance.org
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http://www.ashealliance.org
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