Let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus. the founder and perfecter of our faith. December marks the season when we commemorate the birth of Jesus so long ago. The tiny infant who lay in the manger will one day return to Earth as King of Kings. His first coming was prophesied in great detail and took place exactly as foretold.
Knowing these prophecies helps us better expect His Second Coming. From the Moody Church in Chicago, this is Running to Win with Dr. Erwin Lutzer, whose clear teaching helps us make it across the finish line. Pastor Lutzer, today you begin a Christmas series called A King is Born. Your topic will be the King's Credentials.
Why does a king need credentials?
Well, Dave, the reason a king needs credentials is because the word king by itself means nothing. Anyone can declare himself to be a king. What you have to ask is this. Does he have sovereignty? And does he have the ability to follow through with his promises?
Well, all that and more. Of course, resides in Jesus Christ. In fact, the Bible describes him as the king of kings. and the Lord of Lords. That's why we can rejoice at this season that the King has indeed come.
You know, throughout the years people have frequently asked whether or not I would write a devotional so that they could begin each day with God.
Well That has now taken place. I've written a 365-day devotional entitled Running to Win, and it's authored by Dwight L. Moody and myself. What you will discover is, each day you'll be given a verse of Scripture, you'll be able to read DL Moody in his own words, and then I come along and add to what he has said.
Now for a gift of any amount, we're making it available and I want to emphasize that this is the last day you can order it. and still have it for Christmas. What a wonderful Christmas gift it would make to someone who you would like to encourage on their spiritual journey. For a gift of any amount, it can be yours. Go to rtwoffer.com.
Or call us at 1-888-218-9337.
Now, if you missed that contact info, I'm going to be giving it again at the end of this message. Let us now go to the pulpit of the Moody Church.
Okay. Uh So let me begin with a question today. How is your inner world doing? Are you able to cope with all of the stresses, the guilt, the alienation? Perhaps you're going through a difficult relationship issue.
Are you finding the resources within to deal with the pressure without? Or would you say honestly that you're walking in a great deal of darkness? There were two tribes of Israel that experienced that gloom and darkness: Zebulun and Noptale. And they were tribes that were close to the Sea of Galilee. If you have a map in your mind of Israel, you'll know where that is.
They experienced devastation when the Assyrians came in about 722 BC and conquered them.
So here you have people who are in slavery, in effect. Their land has been plundered and they live in gloom and discouragement. And it's in the middle of that situation that Isaiah the prophet has a word of hope. Things are going to change. And today, maybe you come from a family where there is a great deal of pain and you've inherited a lot of problems, perhaps not your fault.
but the fault of others. And you are looking for some light and some hope. And some encouragement.
Well, Isaiah the prophet has it. for you today. Would you take your Bibles, please, and turn, if you would, to the book of Isaiah, chapter 9. Isaiah chapter 9. And Isaiah is speaking.
Five or six hundred years before the coming of Jesus in Bethlehem, but he's predicting it. and what a prediction it is, and what a message of hope and encouragement. Isaiah gives us. You'll notice that the person responsible for this reversal of fortune, if you will. It says in chapter 9, verse 1, there will be no gloom for her who was in anguish.
And then it says in verse 2: The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light. Those who dwell in a land of deep darkness, on them the light has shined. You've multiplied the nation, you've increased the joy. That's what we want to do today. We want to increase our joy.
and walk in light. Who is responsible for this great change? That is going to be the experience of these people.
Well, Isaiah gives it, and it begins there in verse 6. And what I'd like to do today is to talk to you about the coming Messiah. And to help all of us realize that Jesus is absolutely necessary if you believe in a loving God. By that I mean this way. Look at all of the natural disasters that are taking place.
Whether it's the huge winds in California, whether it's floods, whether it is human tragedy, it is around us. How can we look around and believe that God loves the world? What we need to do is to look at Christ and to look at His rescue mission, and our hearts are greatly encouraged.
So, in order for us to look at this passage and to be transformed by it, First of all, I want you to notice that the person who is born has the characteristic of a very special origin. Let's read the text. It says there, for to us a child is born, to us a son is given. Isn't it interesting that the Bible inspired by God is so accurate? because you'll notice that the child is born, that's Bethlehem.
And of course, he became one of us so that he could redeem us. That's what we celebrate when we talk about Christmas is the child that is born in Bethlehem. But you'll notice that it says, unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given. The son isn't born in that sense. Because you see his sonship has to do with his divinity.
To put it very clearly, Jesus Christ's humanity began two thousand years ago. But his divinity was there from the beginning of eternity. And that's why theologians talk about the eternal begetting of the Son. You say, well, when Jesus was born there in Bethlehem, was he worthy of worship? Was he really both God and man?
And the answer is yes, because he was born with a divine nature. He was born a child, but he was also born the Son of God with power and authority. The Magi got it right when they worshipped him. When Simeon held that baby in his arms, he was holding God, if you please.
Now, of course, God is spirit and permeates the universe.
So it's not as if there was no one in charge when Jesus was a baby. But what it means is that the human nature, the divine nature, were brought together in the life and the experience of our wonderful Savior.
So He had a special origin. And then he has a special name. I want to say names, but you'll notice that I noticed this yesterday for the first time, the middle of verse 6, and his name shall be called.
Now he has a long name, so we're going to break it up into four names, and those names are in couplets, as we shall see. You'll notice that when God names the Son, there is no designation that is given to Jesus that he is unworthy of. He is worthy of all the names that are blessed that we could possibly ascribe to him. But let's look at his special name, and we'll call them names for our benefit. First of all, you'll notice that he's a wonderful counselor, a wonderful counselor.
Now, let me ask you a question. Where do you go when life gets difficult? Where do you go when you need counsel? Where do you go when the pain is so deep that you can scarcely bear it? Do you go to a bar?
Do you use drugs to somehow deaden the pain? Do you go to a friend who has the same predicament as you do? It might be helpful to talk, but what you need is some counselor who can really intervene. And Jesus is the wonderful counselor. That word wonderful really means supernatural, He's the supernatural counselor.
counselor. Have you gone to him for counsel? You know that compare for just a moment a human counselor and Jesus. And there's nothing wrong with going to a human counselor if that counselor has the wisdom actually to point us to Jesus. Because Jesus is able to get to the deeper issues as a counselor.
He doesn't deal simply with symptoms. Think of it this way. An earthly counselor has partial knowledge. When you're in therapy, you have to explain everything, and he tries to get some kind of wisdom and context. With Jesus, you can tell him everything, but it'll be for your benefit, not for his.
He knows exactly what happened to you when you were two years old. He is able to connect dots that no human counselor can ever connect. Because his knowledge is exhaustive and complete.
So you come to somebody who already knows all about you. You come also to somebody who has infinite power. Human counselors can do certain things, but who is able to really get to the depths? of your spirit. and deal with the issues deep inside that have to do with regret and anger and resentment, who's able to get to that except Jesus.
who is the doctor of the human heart and understands us so well. And a human counselor may be trustworthy, perhaps not trustworthy. Many years ago, Rebecca and I were counseling a young woman, and she said, You know what I like about talking with Jesus? And we said, What? And she said, when you tell Jesus something, he doesn't tell anybody about it.
You can trust him with your secrets, which he, by the way, already knows all about.
So you never shock Jesus. Jesus never sits there. and says, you know I thought I had heard it all, but now that you've come. I guess I haven't. He knows all about you when you come.
To the church in Laeticea. Jesus as a counselor, he says, I counsel you to buy gold. I counsel you to open your eyes that you might see. They thought they had one set of problems. Jesus, as the counselor, showed them another.
You say, Well, Pastor Lutzer, how do I have Jesus as my counselor?
Well, a good beginning point would be to read what he has to say about your predicament. Were you fired this past week because of your integrity? Were you downgraded? Blessed are you when men say all manner of evil against you falsely for my sake, for so persecuted they the prophets that were before you. Jesus speaks blessing in the midst of injustice.
Is it that the strain of life is beginning to get to you? Jesus, the wise counselor, says, Let not your heart be troubled. You believe in God, you believe also in me. Are you overburdened with the cares of life? Jesus said, Look at the lilies of the field, they grow.
And they flower. The birds of the air get fed, therefore, your heavenly Father is not going to forget about you. You go to Jesus, the wonderful counselor. But we must hurry on. You'll notice it says the mighty God.
I love that. You know, there are people who say, nowhere in the Bible is Jesus expressly called God. Oh, yes, right here. He's spoken of as the mighty God in Hebrews 1.8. It says, to the Son he saith, Thy throne, O God, is forever and ever.
There you have another reference. When those folks come to your door in twos and they knock and they want to instruct you, here are some verses you can remember. And remember the other question that I mentioned a few weeks ago. You must always answer: Do you worship Jesus? Absolutely critical.
Because if they say yes, they are worshiping someone less than God because they don't believe in the divinity of Jesus. If they say no, they go against the book of Revelation where it says they worshiped the Lamb. We worship Jesus because He is the mighty God. He is the mighty God.
Now, you know, the reason we need a mighty God to rescue us is our need is so great. If you're drowning, And you're flailing away in the water, perhaps a lifeguard is able to rescue you. But if you're dead, if you are absolutely dead. And you're to come to life. Lifeguard won't help you there, my friend.
You need God. Isn't it somewhat interesting? That the depth of our need, my dear friend, is indicated by who it is that came to rescue us. God says, this project of humanity. Is in such deep trouble because of their sin that only I am able to come and rescue them, and there's nobody else out there who's able to do it.
Jesus is the mighty God. And then we continue to hurry on here. You notice the everlasting Father. The Everlasting Father.
Now, that should throw you just for a moment. Because we believe in the Trinity. We believe that the Father is different from the Son.
Now, to explain, God is one in essence. There's only one spirit that pervades the whole universe. There's not three spirits. In essence, God is one. But there's no doubt that there are
