Here’s the Advent reading you’ve been waiting for. If you love Handel’s Messiah as I do, then some of these words immediately transform into a melody in your head. You can sing along with the song, For Unto Us A Child Is Born, here, just follow the notes for your part!
The opening line has quite a message, too. “The people who walk in darkness will see a great light.” Who is Isaiah talking about? Plenty of people walk in darkness every day. Some things never change. Since Jesus is the light of the world, this simple sentence packs a lot of hope. We can only pray that those lost in darkness will not only see the light, but that the light will expose and cleanse their hearts.
Isaiah seems to be addressing someone in this prophecy, someone who will do mighty things. Who has the strength to break the bondage of slavery and take away our heavy burdens? Who will take down our oppressors? The Lord, strong and mighty, our King Jesus. Psalm 24:8 says, “Who is the King of glory? The LORD, strong and mighty; the LORD, invincible in battle.”
Isaiah exalts our King Jesus when he says, “He will rule with fairness and justice from the throne of his ancestor David for all eternity.” The words that jump off the page for me are “fairness” and “justice.” Those are words we hear a lot today from our culture. Everyone is looking out for themselves, crying out for justice. I believe the fairness and justice Jesus brings look different from what most people want or even expect.
When we spend time in the Word, we can uncover the truth of how Jesus handles situations. Jesus forgives sins, and because of his great love for people, he tells them to sin no more. In that way, Jesus is a “Wonderful Counselor,” guiding his people in the way they should go. We can also know Jesus in each of these roles: “Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”
It is because of the “passionate commitment of the LORD” that all these things will come to pass. How “passionate”? John 3:16 says, “For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.” What a commitment!
How is your heart responding to King Jesus in this moment? Are you overflowing with joy at his love, his majesty, or perhaps his passionate promise to love and redeem your lost soul? Take time to imagine Jesus’ return as the days are inching closer to celebrate his birth again this year. How do you respond to this holy child being born?
Let’s pray. Lord, I am humbled at the commitment you made to become my living hope, my salvation, my Prince of Peace. You came as a child to experience the world from a human perspective. Shine your light into my life so that I can shine in return and encourage others to seek and find you. Thank you for coming as a humble child, destined to rule for eternity. It is an honor to worship and adore you. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
