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 Christmas is just around the corner, and it’s typical to read one of the accounts of the birth of Christ from the gospels during this time, but there are also prophecies from the Old Testament that speak of His birth.  This morning and on Christmas Eve, I wanted to share out of one of those passages from the book of Isaiah.  Isaiah was a prophet who spoke for God centuries before Christ, during the time when Israel was about to be taken into exile.  He wrote this about the Israelites in 8:21-9:7:

Isaiah 8:21 - 9:7 - Distressed and hungry, they will roam through the land; when they are famished, they will become enraged and, looking upward, will curse their king and their God.  ²² Then they will look toward the earth and see only distress and darkness and fearful gloom, and they will be thrust into utter darkness.
^NIV Isaiah 9:1 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 Gentiles, by the way of the sea, along the Jordan--  ² The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned.  ³ You have enlarged the nation and increased their joy; they rejoice before you as people rejoice at the harvest, as men rejoice when dividing the plunder.  ⁴ 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.  ⁵ Every warrior's boot used in battle and every garment rolled in blood will be destined for burning, will be fuel for the fire.  ⁶ 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.  ⁷ Of the increase 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 speaks in this passage of a world-changing event will happen – a child will be born, a son will be given, who will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.  And this child will reign forever and ever.  Isaiah’s original audience could not have known who this was referring to, but with the benefit of hindsight we know that this is Jesus, the God-man, whose life and death and resurrection are the pivotal moments in human history.  This passage is filled with before and after pictures of what the birth of this child will do for the world, and I want to focus on three of them this morning and ask, What do we learn from this passage this morning about the effect that Christmas has on us?