Jesus the Christ

The Lord has arranged it so that our study in the Apostle’s Creed lines up perfectly with the Christmas season. In our study, we have considered the major attributes and works of God the Father, and now, as we move towards Christmas, the Creed also moves to speak of God the Son. So, let’s begin today by confessing our faith by reciting this creed.

As we build up to Christmas, there are four attributes of God the Son that speak to this season: The Christ, The Only Son, Our Lord, and Conceived of the Spirit and Born of the Virgin Mary. Today, we consider the first attribute of God the Son, the fact that he is “The Christ”. It is common to think of the title “Christ” as though it were the last name of Jesus. But, Jesus’ last name would not have been Christ (it might have been “of Nazareth”, or “Ben Joseph”/”Son of Joseph”). Rather, Christ is a title of who he was. Christ comes from the Greek word, “Christos”, which means “anointed”. The title is a reference to Jesus’s position as the promised Messiah. As the Gospel of Matthew begins, “the book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham”. Matthew roots the whole story of Jesus in his lineage, specifically his lineage from David and Abraham. He mentioned Abraham to anchor Jesus solidly within the promised line of Abraham, through whom all the world would be blessed. And, he anchors him in the lineage of David because of a promise to David in 2 Sam. 7. There God promised David that there would always be an heir to his throne, and that one of those heirs would rule the whole world.

This promised son of David was the great king that all of Israel hoped for, one anointed by God to fulfill the promise of Abraham by bringing all nations to God. There were many prophecies of who this Messiah would be. In Genesis 3:15, he is the seed of the Woman who would crush the head of the serpent. In Genesis 49:10, he is the descendent of Judah who would rule forever. In Deut. 18:15, he is the prophet who will come to lead his people into all truth. In Isaiah, he is the servant of God who will save his people. In Daniel, he is the Son of Man coming on the clouds. The Jews believed that this Messiah would fulfill all three of the leadership roles that God had established. He would be the prophet who would speak the truth of God. He would be the priest who would mediate between God and man. And, he would be the king who would rule faithfully over his people. There is one prophecy that I’d like us to consider so that we might understand the hope of the Messiah and his reality in Jesus Christ. Let’s read Isaiah 9:6-7 together. From this passage, let’s consider two points: the royal son and the royal standards.

First, consider the royal son. This prophecy begins with the promise of a son that will be given to the nation. There are four characteristics of this royal son’s rule that I want you to notice. First, this royal son will be the rightful descendent and heir of David. Verse 7 tells us that he will sit on the throne of David. In Matthew 1:20, when the angel comes to announce Mary’s pregnancy to Joseph, he greets him as “Joseph, son of David.” In Matt. 2, we read of the visit of the Wise Men, who recognized from signs in the heavens and ancient prophecies that a new king had been born in Israel. Jesus is the rightful son of David, and therefore, the anointed one of God.

Second, this royal son will establish his reign in justice and righteousness. If you have read through the OT, and especially 1 and 2 Kings, you know, there was never a king over Israel or Judah who ruled in perfect justice and righteousness. David, the man after God’s own heart, had a man murdered so that he might cover up his affair with Bathsheba. Solomon, the wisest man to ever live, married pagan women and built idols to their gods. Josiah restored the law of God but failed to tear down all of those idols. Hezekiah led the people well, but he did not fully trust in God to defend his people. Yet, Jesus, the descendent of David, never sinned. He did whatever his Heavenly Father commanded him to do. And, he taught what true justice looked like. He rebuked the Pharisees for their hypocritical charity, pointing out that they only made a show of caring for the poor while neglecting love for neighbor. Jesus has established a kingdom of justice and righteousness through his life and through his church.

Third, Isaiah says that this Messiah’s rule will be “from this time forth and forevermore.” This royal son’s rule will be an everlasting rule. Jesus proved to be the Messiah in this way through his resurrection and ascension. As we confess in the creed, Jesus was crucified, dead, buried, but he didn’t stay there – “on the third day he rose again from the dead.” He now lives for all of eternity as the king of kings.

Fourth, Isaiah promises that all of this will come to pass because of the Lord’s zeal. In other words, these things will not be accomplished through human will or cunning. The Messiah won’t be a smooth politician or a media darling. This royal son will be given by God’s work alone. Certainly we see that in the birth of Christ. Jesus was conceived by a peasant girl in the backwoods of Palestine. His father was a tradesman. At his birth, there was no room for him in Bethlehem (the royal city of David), so he was born in a stable and laid in a feeding trough. Instead of being received by the nobility of Judea, king Herod sought to kill him, even to the point of killing every male child in Bethlehem in a frenzied attempt to snuff him out. Yet, in spite of his lowliness and the distain of men, Jesus accomplished exactly what he was sent to do, strictly because of the zeal of the Lord.

So now, consider my second point: the royal standards. At the end of verse 6, Isaiah gives us four names that this royal son will be called, and they point towards these three offices of Prophet, Priest, and King. First, this royal son shall be called “Wonderful Counselor.” Here we find the Messianic office of Prophet. This son will miraculously reveal the will of God to his people. In Luke 2 we read that, when Jesus was twelve, his parents lost him in the temple, only to find the great teachers of Israel marveling at his knowledge of Scripture at such an early age. When he preached, the people were amazed by his power. Jesus could do this because he is the very Word of God. As John 1:14 says, Jesus is the Word made flesh.

Second, Isaiah says that this royal son will be called “Mighty God, Everlasting Father.” Isaiah promises that this Messiah will be more than just a son of David – he will be the Son of God. In John 14:9, Jesus tells his disciples, “Whoever has seen me has seen the Father… I am in the Father and the Father is in me.” Jesus is the priest who perfectly intercedes between God and man because he is both fully God and fully man. He can forgive sins because he has the right, as the son of God, to do so. He can bring us to God through his sacrifice because he is the perfect lamb of God.

Finally, Isaiah promises that this royal son will be called “Prince of Peace”. Jesus has come to bring the rule of peace to this world. Where Jesus reigns in the hearts of men, there is peace. For one, we have peace with God. As Romans 5:1 says, “Therefore, having been justified by faith we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” We have peace with our brothers and sisters in Christ through the unity of the Spirit. And, through the work of God’s people in this world, we bring peace to this world as well.

Friend, Jesus is the Messiah, the anointed one of God who is ushering in his rule over all things. Jesus brings peace with God. He brings reconciliation through his sacrifice on the cross. He brings the truth of God through his Word. Won’t you follow him today?

Brother and sisters, Jesus is our king. He is not just a friend or a wise teacher or a positive influence. Jesus is the one we serve with our lives. May we leave this place and live for the rule of Jesus the Christ.