"Rejoice for Jesus is King (Isaiah 9: 1-7)", Austin Gooch | 12/22/24
Isaiah 9: 1-7 | 12/22/24 | Austin Gooch
In the year 735 B.C., a King named Ahaz sits upon the throne of Judah the smaller and southern of the now divided Kingdom of Israel. Both kingdoms have enjoyed about half a century of prosperity, because war – then just like now – is an expensive business and the people were enjoying their material prosperity while neglecting the marginalized while their enemy to the North and East, Assyria, was weak. That all changed however, when an evil king named Tigleth-pileser III rose to power and began marching west to Israel and to Judah.
Israel to the North, fearing the threat of Assyria – now the most dominant military power the world has ever seen tries to recruit the smaller southern kingdom to join forces against Assyria. When Judah declines, Israel recruits Syria (not Assyria) and attacks Judah! King Ahaz must make a choice. Will he trust in the LORD, the God of his fathers, the God of the Exodus and the conquest of the land, the God who has promised to sustain the very throne that Ahaz sits upon (the throne of David), or will he place his trust elsewhere.
Against the counsel of the prophet Isaiah recorded in Isaiah 7-8, Ahaz doesn’t trust in God. Despite the sign given to him by the LORD that God dwells with his people – Immanuel – Ahaz turns to the King of Assyria, Tigleth-pileser III. In 721 B.C., the Assyrians obliterate the Northern Kingdom of Israel. In time, Judah – now essentially a serving kingdom to Assyria, mixes the Assyrian religions with faith in the one true God eventually leading to the unthinkable. An even worse nation – Babylon – marches into Judah. They march into Jerusalem. They destroy the temple – the place where the loving God of Israel dwelt with his people. They deport those in Judah away from the land they were promised by God.
The kings of Judah have failed. The kingdom is no more. [FCF] How then can God’s people – then and now - find joy when it seems like all of God’s promises have failed them? [COR] In a time when God’s people have lost their social, cultural, and economic upper hand [not unlike the church in the western world in which fewer and fewer know and follow Jesus], they ache to return to the glorious kingdom of their fathers David and of Solomon. They need a righteous King.
This is the context for our text today, Isaiah 9:1-7. And it is in this text that God shows that we can rejoice because God has provided a glorious King.
I ask you to stand as you are able of respect for the reading of God’s word.
If you don’t have a Bible, we would love to give you a Bible after the service. You may receive it by going through these double doors to my right, your left and stop at the Info Bar on your way out. In the meantime, the Words will be on the screen.
[Read the text] Hear the Word of the LORD:
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9 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.
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.
This is the word of the LORD / Please be seated.
In verses 1-5 of this passage, Isaiah describes to God’s people, number 1,
[Main Point 1] The Glory of the Kingdom (vv. 1-5).
Look with me in verses 1-2 to see how Isaiah describes the glorious kingdom as one full of light instead of darkness [Subpoint 1] Darkness to Light.
“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.
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.”
Isaiah is providing a contrast with the preceding verses. In 8:22 we read 'And they [that is the rebellious ones of the southern kingdom of Judah] will look to the earth, but behold, distress and darkness, the gloom of anguish. And they will be thrust into thick darkness.'
But the tone of the prophet Isaiah immediately flips beginning in verse 1 of chapter 9.
What does Isaiah mean in verse 1 when he says "in the former time he brought into contempt the land of Zebulun and the land of Napthali, but in the latter time he has made glorious the way of the sea, the land beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the nations."
These regions listed (Zebulun, Naphtali, the way of the sea, etc.) all lie within the Northen regions of Israel. Assyria, they great military threat of the 8th century and Babylon the great military threat of the 6th century invaded Israel from the North. These regions were the areas weakest against foreign enemies and the first to be invaded. So how does God make glorious this region? Where is the light in the darkness?
He does this by sending Jesus to this very region to begin his earthly ministry. In Matthew 4 beginning in verse 12 we read:
"Now when he heard that John [i.e., the Baptist] had been arrested, he withdrew into Galilee. And leaving Nazareth he went and lived in Capernaum by the sea, in the territory of Zebulun and Naphtali, so that what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled: 'the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles - the people dwelling in darkness have seen a great light, and for those dwelling in the region and shadow of death, on them a light has dawned.' From that time Jesus began to preach, saying 'Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.'"
It is in the place of Israel's greatest historic vulnerability - the place of invasion and attack - that Jesus comes to call people walking in darkness to turn from their sins and follow him the light of the world – rejoicing - as the world’s true and glorious king.
Returning to Isaiah 9 verse 2 we read:
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.
The original hearers of this prophecy from Isaiah would most likely have associated “walking in darkness” with living in a “land” of deep darkness, that is, outside of the promised land under the oppression of foreign leaders. And while there is a near-term fulfillment of this prophecy in that a remnant of the people return to the land after the decree from Cyrus the Great of Persia near the end of the 6th century, this promise of moving from darkness to light reaches its greatest fulfillment in Christ, who delivers ruined sinners from spiritual darkness to spiritual light:
John 12:12, Jesus says, “I am the light of the world, Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”
Colossians 1:13-14, “He [that is God the Father] has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of his beloved Son.”
[Illustration] I was in Boy Scouts as a kid and absolutely loved it. Our Troop scheduled a camping trip of some kind each month. Since February was wet and cold in Tennessee where I grew up, we headed to the caves each year – Cumberland Caverns in Middle Tennessee. My favorite part about Cumberland Caverns was the “Wild Tour” a 3-mile expedition through the caves, which included one VERY tight section 12” high by 33” wide through which you had to crawl before returning to the Main cavern where all the Boy Scout troops visiting Cumberland Caverns would set up camp.
When it was finally time for all the troops to sleep, they shut the lights out. In the cave. In the dark. Now this is no big deal at first, because some folks still have their flashlights on.
But if some poor child like me wakes up terrified in the middle of the night in PITCH BLACK CAVE DARKNESS at the SOUNDING ROAR of hundreds of overweight snoring dads in 2004 when NO ONE USES A CPAP MACHINE – I was ready to get OUT OF THE DARKNESS! I would have REJOICED if SOMEONE had TURNED the LIGHTS ON.
[Bond back] Of course, I was in no real danger. But there is real danger in spiritual darkness.
[Application] [HHNC] Do you know the light of Christ this morning? Have you responded to the call that Jesus made in Matthew 4, “repent and believe in the good news”? That is, turn from sin; follow Christ.
“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” – 1 John 1:9. Jesus saves.
[SHC] Perhaps you do know Jesus, but darkness seems to be overpowering the light right now. Take heart from the Apostle Paul’s words to the church in Corinth:
“For God, who said ‘let light shine out of darkness,’ has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. But we have this treasure in jars of clay [that is, in our person], to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us.”
Brothers and Sisters of West Hills, if you are in Christ, the very light that has overcome the darkness of the world dwells within you. Let us rejoice. Speaking of rejoicing,
[Subpoint 2] The second way that Isaiah describes the Glorious Kingdom is one where sorrow is turned into joy, look with me in verse 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.”
[H1] The ancient Israelites did see an increase in the nation when they returned to the promised land after 70 years in exile. The language of “multiplying the nation” echoes the promise to Abraham in Genesis 12:1-3, where God promised to Abraham a nation so that through his offspring, all the nations will be blessed. [H2] And it is through the seed of Abraham that Christ is born and the gentiles are added to the people of God, as Paul says in Romans 3:29, “Is God the God of Jews only? Is he not the God of Gentiles also? Yes, of Gentiles also.” This promise of multiplying the nations come to a greater fulfillment in the New Testament, but we – like the original audience – [H3] look forward to an even greater inclusion of the nations as John shows us in Revelation 7 beginning in verse 9,
“9 After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, 10 and crying out with a loud voice, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!”
The LORD’s expansion of the people of God is cause for rejoicing. Notice how the people’s rejoicing is described: “as with joy at the harvest, as they are glad when they divide the spoil.”
[Transition] Any farmers or military conquerors who pillage their vanquished enemies in this room and know what this experience is like firsthand?
[Explanation] Dane Ortlund in his commentary on Isaiah helpfully illustrates:
“Their joy is not meager. Isaiah compares it with the joy of workers at the harvest, a huge bonus on payday, and the gladness of soldiers dividing the spoil, like the locker room of the Super Bowl champions right after the game. The triumph of God’s grace over our depressing failures is joy unspeakable and full of glory forever.”
[Illustration] On Christmas morning, our two toddlers, Miriam and John Mark, will have their joy multiplied when they come downstairs and open the gifts their loving parents have given them. Their ages are 3 and 1. They did not contribute in any way to the process of shopping, ordering, wrapping, and placing the gift under the tree. In fact, John Mark at 22 months old contributed negatively to the whole situation by repeatedly removing ornaments from the tree and tossing them all over the house. They receive their gifts freely from their parents who love them.
[Bond back FCF/COR] The situation here is hardly different. God’s people have not done anything to deserve a payday, a harvest, a gift. They haven’t done anything to conquer their enemies. The blessing to his people is a free.
The LORD is the hero of this entire text. Our joy may increase because God’s free grace towards underserving – punishable sinful people like you and me.
[Application] Are you walking in the free grace of Jesus this morning? Perhaps you’re like me and you can articulate 6 ways to Sunday how we are justified – declared righteous – before a holy God by Grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone according to Scripture alone to the Glory of God alone. Like me, you believe that. But perhaps, also, like me you don’t always act like it. Perhaps, also, like me you try to sweeten the deal with God ever so slightly. You see it’s easy for me to understand the imputation of God’s righteousness based upon the finished work of Jesus, but it’s not always so easy – deep down – to accept that God loves me. And that he loves me freely. And that there’s nothing I can do to change that. Let’s walk in grace.
[Subpoint 3] We see even more of his grace on display in the 3rd way Isaiah describes the Glorious Kingdom as one where oppression turns to justice. See in verses 4-5:
“ 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.”
For every boot of the tramping warrior in battle tumult
and every garment rolled in blood
will be burned as fuel for the fire.”
I don’t know about you, but I frequently describe something awesome as “on the day of Midian.”
Lunch at Chick-fil-A? On the day of Midian.
Any fruit other than raspberries? On the day of Midian.
Stopping at Buc-ees on a road trip and eating a brisket sandwich at 10 o’clock in the morning??? Definitely on the day of Midian!
What in the world is Isaiah talking about? He’s referring back to the story of Gideon fighting the Midianites in Judges 7-8. Do you remember this story? It’s wild:
[Explanation / Illustration] The Midianites – the bad guys – are in war with the Israelites – the good guys. Gideon has 20,000 soldiers. Pretty good number. God says it’s too many. He’s going to show the Israelites that salvation belongs to the Lord. God and Gideon go back and forth until Gideon ends up with a meager 300 soldiers with which to attack Midian. They approach the camp. They ready themselves for conflict, but instead of using swords and spears and bows and arrows, what do they do?
They blew trumpets and banged pots and pans. . . Like those folks who won’t stop calling to sell you an extended warranty for your car, perhaps they thought they would just bother the Midianites to death.
But what actually happened? God turned the Midianites against one another. And they slaughtered themselves. Why? Because salvation belongs to the LORD.
[Bond back FCF/COR] This is how Isaiah sees justice being brought to the oppressor. He accomplishes the work. His people receive the benefit.
[Apologetic] Seeing those in power only as oppressors and the people subject to their power only as the oppressed in need of liberation is a common viewpoint in our time. [Garden Lens] And to be sure, exploitation is not the way things are supposed to be. God made humankind in the Garden to live peaceably with one another. But may I suggest that what is required for ultimate justice is NOT an even greater oppressor. An even bigger bully. Neither CEOs or politicians [or corrupt pastors] who exploit their people NOR mob rule are good options.
We need a perfectly powerful and perfectly just judge to end the wickedness of the oppressor. When Christ returns, 1 Corinthians 15:24-25:
“Then comes the end, when he delivers the kingdom to God the Father after destroying every rule and every authority and power. For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet.”
[Application] Should we seek justice and fairness now? Absolutely. Israel and Judah got themselves in this very mess by exploiting the marginalized and NOT by loving those in need within their midst.
As the LORD spoke to them through the prophet Hosea 6:6 “For I desire steadfast love and not sacrifice, the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.”
[SHC/HHC] So how can we, West Hills, as a church in our little sphere of influence seek justice and fairness now? I’m glad you asked, here are two upcoming ways:
The entire month of January, we will have a collection drive for refugees alongside our ministry partner Oasis International. You should be receiving more information about this on your way out. We will have a PODS container set up on the SW corner of the parking lot for drop-off.
Next is Compassion Sunday on February 23, where we – as a church – will have the opportunity to support children living in poverty.
I do not want to stand before God one day and be told like Israel and Judah, “I desired steadfast love and not sacrifice. I desired that you help and love those I brought into your midst, I did not only want your songs and services on Sunday mornings.”
Church, because God has freed us from the oppression of sin through an even greater liberator than Gideon, let us joyfully respond by seeking justice and fairness where injustice has reigned while we await the consummation [the final installment] of God’s Glorious Kingdom: one where there is no darkness, no sorrow, and no oppression.
[Transition] But a kingdom is incomplete without its King. In verses 6-7, Isaiah describes
[Main Point 2] the Glory of the King.
Look with me beginning in verse 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.
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.
[Explanation]
The failure of Judah’s leaders – trusting in the military might of Assyria; the failure of the people – mixing idolatry with faith in the one true God caused the unimaginable: exile from the land; separation from the temple.
God’s solution to the monumental problems his people are facing: the darkness of exile; the sorrow of those killed at the hands of their enemies; the oppression and violence of tyrants like Tigleth-Pileser III and later Nebuchadnezzar – God’s solution is not a worse tyrant. God’s solution is a child: THIS is the MEANING of Christmas.
The angel said to the shepherds that night Jesus was born, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.” (Lk. 2:10-11).
Ray Ortlund comments,
“The power of God is so far superior to the Assyrias and all the big shots of this world that he can defeat them by coming as a mere child. His answer to the bullies swaggering through history is not to become an even bigger bully. His answer is Jesus.”
[Apologetic Moment] Some will argue that this son to be born is in reference to Judah’s later king Hezekiah, who confronts another Assyrian king in Isaiah 36-39. The issue with that reading is that same title is used again to refer to God alone in Isaiah 10:21 the very next chapter. John Oswalt comments,
“Medieval Jewish commentators, combatting the prevailing messianic claims of Christians, argued that all this was simply in recognition of the crown prince, Hezekiah, and was only a simple royal birth hymn. However, this view flies in the face of chronology of Hezekiah’s birth, and even more seriously, it is evident from the language that no merely human king is being spoken of. This is clearly an eschatological figure, the Messiah.”
And how does Isaiah describe the Messiah Jesus? For most of us, the names are familiar:
[Subpoint 1] Wonderful Counselor
[Cultural Grammar] When we hear the word “counselor” we understandably may think of a human counselor or therapist. But the two words here, פֶּלֶא יוֹעֵץ is being used more like “an ideal ruler”. See the Davidic King was intended to be an ideal ruler of Israel, who was subject to God’s law. Therefore, the Davidic King was to be an ideal human. For God’s glorious kingdom to be perfectly ruled, it requires a perfect ruler. Herman Ridderboss helpfully explains:
“He has within Himself the wise counsel necessary to the exercise of his royal office and indispensable for the salvation of His people.”
That is, if he is all powerful, he must also be all good.
[Transition] For our good, he has provided counsel.
[Application] And It is good and wise to submit to Christ’s rule and to learn, as we recite during our benediction each week, “all that Christ has commanded us.” Please be praying for West Hills Youth in 2025, who will be studying the Sermon on the Mount – Jesus’s stump speech [HIS wonderful counsel] regarding Christian living.
[Subpoint 2] Furthermore, Messiah Jesus, our Glorious King is Mighty God. I’ll rely again on Ridderboss here:
“Mighty. . . together with counsel constitutes the two cardinal qualities of the King. Power uninformed by wise counsel,. and counsel powerless to act, are both unfruitful.”
It might surprise you to hear that there are only eight explicit references to Jesus as God in the New Testament. After complicating matters with the particulars of Greek grammar and textual criticism, which I will spare you this morning – Merry Christmas – there are arguably only six references: 3 in John’s writings and one each in Titus, Hebrews, and 2 Peter.
So why did the first followers of Jesus, who were Jewish, strict monotheists as they were and as we still are come to believe that Jesus is God?
When we several of us studied Christopher Wright’s book Knowing Jesus through the Old Testament in Sunday Classes last winter, he identified the roles unique to the LORD God of Israel that Jesus exercised in his earthly ministry: Jesus shows power over Creation, as a Ruler, as a Judge, and as a Savior – all powers and roles reserved exclusively for the LORD God of Israel.
We see Jesus as Mighty God when he shows his power to calm a storm in Luke 8:
“And he [Jesus] awoke and rebuked the wind and the raging waves, and they ceased and there was a calm. He said to them ‘Where is your faith?’ And they were afraid, and they marveled, saying to one another, ‘Who then is this, that he commands even winds and water, and they obey him?’” (Luke 8:24b-25).
The disciples were afraid AFTER Jesus calmed the storm. WHY? Because he displayed mighty power that only the God of Israel had. Praise God that He is not just all-powerful, like Allah is understood to be in Islam, He is also Good.
And his Goodness is further described as:
[Subpoint 3] Everlasting Father.
[CG] To our Trinitarian ears that may sound like God the Father – the first person of the Trinity. But Isaiah is not describing the Godhead in a systematic theology textbook. Instead, he is describing the disposition of the heart of the coming messianic King. He loves us like a perfect father – not like me as a father – but as a perfect father loves and delights in his children.
Although describing God as Father is much more prevalent in the New Testament, it is not unique to the New Testament:
In Psalm 103:13 demonstrates His fatherly care: “As a father shows compassion to his children, so the Lord shows compassion to those who fear him.”
In Proverbs 3:12 he shows His fatherly discipline: “for the LORD reproves him whom he loves, as a father the son in whom he delight.”
One of my favorite books is the very readable Delighting in the Trinity by Michael Reeves. When describing this loving disposition of Jesus, Reeves comments:
“As the Father is the lover and the head of the Son, so the Son goes out to be the lover and the head of the church. ‘As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you,’ the Son says (John 15:9). And therein lies the very goodness of the gospel: as the Father is the lover and the Son the beloved, so Christ becomes the lover and the church the beloved. That means that Christ loves the church first and foremost: his love is not a response, given only when the church loves him; his love comes first. and we only love him because he first loved us (1 John 4:19).”
Furthermore,
[Subpoint 4] He is the Prince of Peace.
[Garden Lens] Isn’t it tragic that we often study history based upon the wars and violence at the time period? The wars current Wars in Europe, the Middle East and Africa; past wars in Iraq and Afghanistan; Desert Storm; Vietnam; Korea; World War II; World War 1; Israel and Assyria?
We are so accustomed to wars filling the annals of history that we can hardly imagine humanity without them. But war and violence are not a design feature of God’s creation. They are horrible, tragic defects. [Vine] And the prince of peace, King Jesus, is so opposed to them that he has taken it upon himself to rid his creation of them.
He has taken it upon himself to defeat sin and death and with them all war and all violence. God displayed his victorious power to defeat death when he raised Jesus from the grave. Let us, the church, rejoice for God gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
How does Isaiah describe this peaceful government?
Unending – “though the nations rage, kingdoms rise and fall, there is still one king reigning overall.”
Upon the throne of David – God made a covenant / or a promise with King David back in 2 Samuel 7 in which he furthered his promise to Abraham and later to Israel to be a blessing to the nations. In Psalm 132:12 we see a Davidic king who will sit upon the throne of David forever. This clearly cannot be David himself, as the man is dead in the ground as Peter declares in his sermon at Pentecost:
“Brothers, I may say to you with confidence about the patriarch David that he both died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. Being therefore a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him that he would set one of his descendants on his throne, he foresaw and spoke about the resurrection of the Christ, that he was not abandoned to Hades, nor did his flesh see corruption. This Jesus God raised up, and of that we all are witnesses. Being therefore exalted at the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured out this that you yourselves are seeing and hearing. For David did not ascend into the heavens, but he himself says, “ ‘The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool.” ’ Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified.”
We may rejoice, for God has kept his promises to David, by providing Great David’s even Greater Son who exercises true justice and true righteousness from this time forth and forevermore.
Finally, we come to the weightiest line in the entire passage at the end of verse 7:
[Subpoint 4] Zealous Lord
“the zeal of the LORD of hosts will do this.”
Brown-Driver-Briggs is the gold standard Hebrew and English Lexicon / or dictionary. This word for zeal, קִנְאָה, can also be translated:
Ardor.
Jealousy.
Jealousy from color produced in the face by deep emotion. It is used elsewhere in the Old Testament to refer to the jealous love of a husband for his wife.
It is used here for God’s jealousy for his people.
His treasured possession.
His bride.
[Illustration] I was reminded while studying this word in this verse of the 2016 Rio Olympics when we all watched the zeal on Michael Phelps’ face [advance to Phelps slide] pre-race against South Africa’s Le Clos in the 200m butterfly semifinals.
Do you remember watching this and the tension we felt – rooting for his victory? Here is one of the greatest athletes the world has ever seen. Many of us had watched him compete since his Olympic debut in Sydney in 2000. We knew the zeal Phelps brought to racing. We shouted and rejoiced when he was victorious time after time.
[Bond back] Friends, Jesus’s victory is so much greater. [advance to Main Point 2 slide] The zeal that Michael Phelps displayed for winning races is but an infinitesimal glimpse into the kind of zeal that the LORD of Hosts has displayed when he rescued his bride – the church - from the darkness of sin and death. You and I contribute NOTHING to the work of our salvation. He is the one who has rescued us by sending king Jesus that first Christmas.
He has shown his zeal when he humbled himself to be born in a food trough, to grow and walk among us surrounded by the misery of sin.
He has shown his zeal when ministered to tax collectors and prostitutes.
He has shown his zeal when he faithfully obeyed God the Father in all things.
He has shown his zeal when died on a Roman cross for my sin and for your sin.
We will see his zeal when he comes again.
Let us rejoice, church, for Jesus is King.
Let’s pray.