A Child Has Been Born to Us, A Son Has Been Given to Us (Isaiah 9:1–7)

 

A Child Has Been Born to Us, A Son Has Been Given to Us (Isaiah 9:1–7)

What is the hope of humanity? It’s to be freed from the iron grip of death. But why are people trapped in the grip of death? It’s because of Adam’s sin. It may sound unfair—after all, we weren’t even born when Adam sinned. But just like no one can exist without parents, if you trace things back, we all come from Adam. Human life is connected as one. The proof? Just as Adam died, every single person dies—no exceptions.

To be set free from death, someone has to pay the price for it, for the wages of sin is death. The problem is, everyone is trapped in sin, so no one can take someone else’s place. That’s why God sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to this world—because Jesus, the Son of God, had no sin. Jesus had absolutely no reason to die, yet He became a sacrificial offering for the sin of the world.

Today’s passage is a prophecy about Him, spoken through the prophet Isaiah about 700 years before Jesus came. It’s amazing to think—how could Isaiah have known something that would happen centuries later? Because the Almighty God, the Alpha and the Omega, revealed it to him.

There Will Be No More Gloom for Those Who Were in Distress

“Nevertheless, there will be no more gloom for those who were in distress.
In the past he humbled the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali,
but in the future he will honor Galilee of the nations,
by the Way of the Sea, beyond the Jordan—
The people walking in darkness have seen a great light;
on those living in the land of deep darkness
a light has dawned.” (Isaiah 9:1–2)

Zebulun and Naphtali were tribes of Israel, and they were given land in the northern part of land. That area was the first to be attacked by foreign nations, especially Aram and Assyria. In 722 BC, it fell to Assyria, and many were taken into captivity. Foreigners moved in, bringing with them their religions. The area became a mix of peoples and faiths. That’s why it came to be called "Galilee of the Gentiles"—it had lost Israel’s purity. Judah looked down on people from Galilee. Spiritually, it symbolized a region cut off from God’s blessing and inheritance—a place in darkness.

Galilee represents the whole world, trapped in darkness. This world does not know God, nor does it obey Him. And those who don’t know or obey God cannot inherit the kingdom of heaven.

But, into this forsaken and barren land spiritually, a great light from heaven shined. It was because of God’s mercy and gracious love. God desires that no one should perish but that all would receive eternal life.

When the morning sun rises, the dark night disappears, and a bright day begins. In the same way, when the great light shines on the land that was in darkness, the darkness must flee. This “great light” refers to the light of God. God is light. In Him there is no darkness at all. And so, anyone who is in God walks in the light—they no longer live in darkness.

“When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said,
‘I am the light of the world.
Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness,
but will have the light of life.’” (John 8:12)

The Lord Has Enlarged the Nation and Increased Their Joy

“You have enlarged the nation
and increased their joy;
they rejoice before you
as people rejoice at the harvest,
as warriors rejoice
when dividing the plunder.
For as in the day of Midian’s defeat,
you have shattered
the yoke that burdens them,
the bar across their shoulders,
the rod of their oppressor.
Every warrior’s boot used in battle
and every garment rolled in blood
will be destined for burning,
will be fuel for the fire.” (Isaiah 9:3–5)

When God’s great light shined on the land, it brought restoration, joy, and celebration. There was no more war—true peace had arrived. With no more fighting, weapons were no longer needed. Today, countries around the world pour astronomical amounts of money into military spending.

What does this mean spiritually? Humans are in a constant inner civil war. Of course, it’s not a war against neighbors, but a spiritual battle with Satan, the evil one. We want to do good, but our flesh is too weak. We don’t want to do evil, but we often end up doing it anyway. That’s the spiritual reality we live in.

God is love. He doesn’t hate the people He created. Instead, He has compassion and pours out grace for a thousand generations. But people like us? We tend to reject or hate those who are different from us. That’s why we live under guilt and discouragement. It’s a sign that we’re in an internal, spiritual war.

But when God’s great light shines on us, that relentless war comes to an end. True joy and peace arrive. God’s light drives out the darkness of guilt and despair. It’s because the precious blood of Jesus Christ washes away sin, making us clean and holy. Jesus bore the sins of the world and paid for them all.

For To Us a Child Is Born, To Us a Son Is Given

"For to us a child is born, to us a son is given,
and the government will be on his shoulders.
And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Of the greatness of his government and peace
there will be no end.
He will reign on David’s throne
and over his kingdom,
establishing and upholding it
with justice and righteousness
from that time on and forever.
The zeal of the Lord Almighty
will accomplish this." (Isaiah 9:6-7)

All the conflicts, battles, and wars came to an end—and peace, joy, and gladness increased—because a child was born to us. That child is Jesus Christ, who was born over two thousand years ago through the virgin Mary. As God had given a sign to King Ahaz, “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel”—which means “God with us.” (Isaiah 7:14)

Jesus was truly born as a baby in a manger in the little town of Bethlehem, between Mary and Joseph. But He wasn’t just a baby—He was the Son of God, carrying the weight of all authority on His shoulders. The Son of God came to this earth, becoming human. Jesus Christ came as the Messiah to save this world from sin—to rescue people from sin and death, and to give them eternal life.

And what power and authority does Jesus have to do this? It’s all revealed in His names:
He is Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, and Prince of Peace.

Jesus Christ is the Creator God, who made the heavens and the earth with His Word. He is the Alpha and the Omega—He knows everything and is the source of all wisdom. As the apostle Paul says in Romans:

"For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse." (Romans 1:20)

Human knowledge and wisdom are limited. Even with all our advancements in science and technology, and all we've uncovered about the universe and the human body, there’s still far more we don’t know than what we do. We've made strides in treating many diseases, but there are still so many we can’t cure. We’ve made progress in addressing mental health, but many conditions remain a mystery.

Despite the UN’s formation for global peace and the efforts of governments, scholars, and investors—racial conflicts, income inequality, systemic injustice, ideological and political clashes, East-West tensions, domestic abuse, sexual violence, workplace strife, and debates around gender and identity persist. No matter how much we boast of AI or other achievements, the world is still full of deep, unresolved issues—past and present, East and West alike.

And beyond all this, there’s a spiritual realm we cannot see. What happens after death? In that moment, humans are helpless—we can only cry out to the unseen God. Remember the story of Jonah? When the ship he was on was caught in a violent storm, every sailor prayed desperately to their own god. That’s exactly how powerless we are in life’s greatest crisis.

"Just as people are destined to die once, and after that to face judgment..." (Hebrews 9:27)

No one can avoid it.

But this child—Jesus Christ—who was born for us, carries all authority on His shoulders. He is all-knowing and all-powerful. Also, He is the Everlasting Father and the Prince of Peace. A father takes responsibility, protects and provides for his family. Earthly fathers can do that only to a point—after death, they cannot protect their children. But God, as our Everlasting Father, watches over His children for eternity.

And Jesus, the child born to us, is also the Prince of Peace. Why is peace so important to us? Who takes our peace away? On the surface, it might seem like our circumstances or surroundings do—but the deeper truth is, real peace only comes when we are at peace with God.

Think about the movie Ben-Hur. The main character, Judah, becomes enemies with his childhood friend, Messala. After escaping from slavery, Judah gets his revenge through a dramatic chariot race. But even then, he has no peace inside. It’s only when he meets the risen Christ—crucified and resurrected—that Judah finally finds peace and rest in his heart.

Sin is rebellion against God. Every person has fallen into sin and become an enemy of God. By nature, we are under God’s wrath. Without reconciliation with Him, there can be no peace or rest—only distress and trouble.

To have peace with God, our sins must be atoned for. But here’s the problem—we can’t free ourselves from sin. No position, heritage, success, or wealth can save us. That’s why God sent Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace, as a child, to redeem us from our sins.

Peace Child by Don Richardson tells of his mission to the Sawi tribe in Papua, who honored betrayal as a virtue and saw Judas as the hero of the gospel. Struggling to share the Christian message, Richardson discovered their custom of exchanging a “peace child” to make peace between enemies. He used this as a bridge to explain Jesus as God’s peace child, which helped the Sawi understand and embrace the gospel.

Anyone who believes in Jesus Christ will be saved. God sees the blood of His Son and cleanses the sins of those who believe in Him—He gives them the gift of eternal life.

Of the greatness of His government and peace, there will be no end. He will sit on David’s throne and rule His kingdom with justice and righteousness forever. God is eternal. His kingdom is full of fairness, justice, and righteousness. No kingdom on earth is like that. That’s why the kingdom of God is our true hope. How can we be sure of this? The zeal of God will accomplish this!

Today is Easter Sunday. We celebrate the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Before Jesus was crucified, He shared the Last Supper with His disciples. At that meal, He gave them bread and said, “Take and eat; this is my body.” Then He took the cup and said, “Drink from it. This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.”

"While they were eating, Jesus took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to his disciples, saying, 'Take and eat; this is my body.'
Then he took a cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, saying, 'Drink from it, all of you. This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.'" (Matthew 26:26–28)

What does this mean? Eating His body and drinking His blood is a reminder that Christ forgave our sins. It’s believing that He has forgiven all our sins—past, present, and future. Because of that, we now have peace with God. The power of death no longer rules over us.

And here’s the spiritual meaning: since God has forgiven us and made peace with us—His former enemies—we can now love and forgive others the same way. Amen!

We cannot truly love one another by our own strength. It is only possible through God’s grace and the love poured out after the redemption through the blood of Christ and the coming of the Holy Spirit. Jesus set the perfect example by loving us so that we, in turn, might love one another. In Christ, our old self has died, and we have been made new. The old self could not obey God—but the new self can.

April 20, 2025
Buffalo Livingstone Church ©2025, David Lee Ministries ©2025 – All Rights Reserved.
Scripture quotes are from the NIV.