Introducing Isaiah 9:6

On Sunday 24th November, 2019 Luke was born and Charlotte and I announced the birth of our son. It was a low key birth announcement - we sent a WhatsApp message to family and friends. On Thursday 26th November, 2020 Arlo was born and Kurt and Martha announced the birth of their son. A few days later - on Tuesday 1st December - Jack was born and Andy and Gemma announced the birth of their son. It was another low key birth announcement - I received a WhatsApp message from Andy. There was a picture of the baby and the message simply said: Introducing Jack Edwin Ian Roddy.

When Luke was born, when Arlo was born, when Jack was born, when any baby is born, there’s usually some sort of birth announcement. And in Isaiah 9:6 there’s another birth announcement. Isaiah chapter 9 verse 6 says: For to us a child is born, to us a son is given… This is a birth announcement. Isaiah is saying, 'It’s a boy!'

But this isn’t a regular birth announcement. This is a royal birth announcement. This baby boy will be a future King. Isaiah says: …the government will be on his shoulders. And in the next verse he says: He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom…

This is a royal birth announcement, announcing the birth of a future King. But there’s something strange here. Most birth announcements come after the baby is born (you don’t send that WhatsApp message until the baby’s been safely delivered). But this birth announcement comes before the baby is born.

Writing 700 years or so later, Matthew - one of the New Testament authors - refers back to Isaiah. And he says - when Jesus Christ was born - Isaiah 9 was fulfilled. This royal birth announcement in Isaiah 9:6 is announcing the birth of Jesus Christ, 700 years or so before he was safely delivered!

This is an unusual birth announcement, but that’s because the baby to be born will be unique. On the one hand he’ll be like us. He’ll be like any other baby boy - like Luke, like Arlo, like Jack. But on the other hand he’ll be unlike us. Yes, he’ll be truly human, but he’ll also be truly divine. And there’s a hint of that in Isaiah 9:6. He’ll be human: …to us a child is born… But he’ll also be divine: …to us a son is given…

The most famous verse in the Bible is probably John chapter 3 verse 16. John 3:16 says: …God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son… Isaiah 9:6 says: …to us a son is given. 700 years or so before Jesus Christ was safely delivered, Isaiah says, God will give the world his one and only Son.

This baby boy will be unique. Not only will he be a King, but he’ll reign on David’s throne - verse 7 - for ever. That’s pretty unique! Queen Elizabeth II has been on her throne for nearly 70 years, but Isaiah says, Jesus Christ will be on his throne for ever. Isaiah’s saying: 'There hasn’t been and there won’t be a monarch in the history of humanity whose reign will last like that of Jesus Christ.' That’s pretty unbelievable!

When Charlotte and I announced Luke’s birth we announced his names - Luke Zachary Herring. Kurt and Martha did the same - Arlo William Stewart Bell. Andy and Gemma did the same - Jack Edwin Ian Roddy. And Isaiah does the same. Isaiah announces that this baby boy will have four names: And he will be called Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6). And this Christmas at the Village Church - especially at our Sunday morning services - we’ll be reflecting on what these names mean.

Why I Love My Local Church

I've recently recommended a book called Love Your Church by Tony Merida (available from The Good Book Company). On that same sort of theme Wendy has written a really encouraging post for us to read and reflect on. Enjoy!

I should say right off the bat that I have struggled with being part of a local church for most of my adult life. A few things seemed to make it trickier: my husband is not a Christian, I homeschooled my children, I don’t watch universally popular programs or sports and the people I loved deeply seemed to up and leave to serve God on the other side of the planet. Mostly though I struggled with church because I was inward looking. I do not have a heart like Jesus, and it did not even occur to me that I should want one. That is going to be a long work in progress and the fact is I still struggle. Gathering on Zoom weekly has felt exposing, ‘booking tickets’ for church is weird, my home family don’t fit the church family model, I watch even less TV and sports than I did previously and, yup, people still up and leave to serve God on the other side of the planet. And yet every day I am filled with a deep unexplainable gratitude and love for my local church, Village Church, Emersons Green. Here are a few of the reasons why:

1. Every week I am reminded that Jesus is my Saviour. I stand alongside a myriad of people and with all our differences I see this one common unifier, ‘in Christ’ and in their faces I am reminded of my salvation too.

2. Similarly, I am reminded of where my home is – that my citizenship is in heaven. Before lockdown, Jonny referred to our little church making known ‘the manifold wisdom of God to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms.’ That really struck me. I cannot find the sermon to reference it properly but simply put our tiny band of people make a statement in the heavens – I love being a part of that.

3. The Church reminds me of what is important and what really matters, each time I get frustrated or upset in some little way about something at church Jesus uses that to remind me of where my heart is (usually not a good place) and what is of true value. In that recognition He also gives me the Holy Spirit to help me make steps to change.

4. I know my church family love me and intercede on my behalf, this is especially evident when they stop in their tracks to pray for me about something immediately. I love that level of care and concern.

5. The Church and especially my homegroup is a body of people with whom we can genuinely share each other’s sorrows and double joys.

6. I love being taught by my leaders, I know it must take them an absolute age to work through and prepare a talk or study for us each week and I really value their insight. I love it when they make a comment on a book to read or a reason they’ve stopped watching a certain program or made a life change and I want to copy it. I love the gentle challenge of things I would not have thought myself and I love listening to them, like trying to pick up good food to take home with me.

7. Similarly, I love learning how to pray from my brothers and sisters. Recently one of my homegroup has been praying using the same refrain at the end of her prayers ‘we love you; we trust you; we worship you’. This has been a prayer game changer for me, as I ask myself these questions mid-prayer, both my own and other peoples – Do I love you Jesus? Do I trust you? Can I worship you in this situation? Will I worship you in this situation?

8. Under a banner of restrictions, I love noticing others bursting at the seams wanting to sing praise to God. (and yes I am particularly referring to Sarah).

9. I like the joy of being obedient. An odd thing I didn’t discover until recently, but I do think there is an obedience linked to being part of a local church and attending regularly and within that obedience comes a peace and a joy.

10. Finally, being at church is like light and life to me and in a world like ours that is a rare and a beautiful gift to be immersed in once, twice, or more a week.

A prayer for our daughters

I've been reading a book called Lover of God, an introduction to the 18th Century theologian Jonathan Edwards. Apparently, at the age of twenty-three, Jonathan Edwards fell in love with a woman called Sarah Pierpont. Lover of God records one of his romantic reflections on Sarah and I used it to pray for my daughters and for the daughters of members at the Village Church. This is my prayer:

Father, I pray that our daughters would know that they are loved by you, the One who made and rules the world; I pray that there would be special seasons in their lives where you come to them and fill their minds with delight, and that they would hardly care for anything except to meditate on you; I pray that they would know that you will raise them up out of the world and into heaven, where they will dwell with you and be loved by you forever; I pray that in light of your love for them they would disregard and care not for all the world with the richest of its treasures, and that they would be unmindful of any pain or affliction; I pray that our daughters would be conscientious in all their actions, that they wouldn't be persuaded to do anything wrong or sinful, that they would be sweet, calm and kind; I pray that wherever they go they would sing and be full of joy; I pray that they would love to be alone, to walk and to wander, conversing with you, the Almighty, Amen