Isaiah’s Prophecies: Cradle, Cross, and Crown
Last week’s blog focused on Elijah and his confrontation with the prophets of Baal and the rulers in the northern kingdom, specifically Ahab and Jezebel. Meanwhile, God also had His prophets doing their work in the southern kingdom of Judah. The divided kingdom, as we learned, occurred after Solomon, when 10 of the tribes broke to form the northern kingdom, and David’s lineage continued in the south.
By the time we get to Isaiah, we have a prophet preaching in the 8th Century BC to the southern kingdom. It’s been said that Isaiah is a miniature replica of the entire Bible. Isaiah has 66 chapters and the Bible has 66 books. Just as there are 39 books in the Old Testament and 27 books in the New, so Isaiah can be divided between chapters 1-39 and 40-66. These latter chapters describe events in the future relative to the 8th Century prophet, causing some debate about whether Isaiah was given prophetic insight into the future, or whether another prophet continued Isaiah’s work later on.
Isaiah is one of the most important books from a New Testament perspective because it sees so much of its prophesies fulfilled in Jesus. “Therefore, the Lord Himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive, have a son, and name him Immanuel”[1] (see Matthew 1:22-23). Consider these verses from Isaiah 9:
For a child will be born for us, a son will be given to us, and the government will be on His shoulders. He will be named Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. The dominion will be vast, and its prosperity will never end. He will reign on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish and sustain it with justice and righteousness from now on and forever. The zeal of the Lord of Hosts will accomplish this.[2]
This must have amazed the people hearing this! A child called “Mighty God”? Or “Eternal Father”? What can this mean? The reference to reigning on David’s throne forever goes back to 2 Samuel 7 where God promises that David’s “throne will be established forever” through his son. Long after Solomon was dead and gone, the Jewish people longed for the Messiah to come, a “son of David.”
At Christmas, we celebrate the birth of the Messiah who fulfills what Isaiah prophesied long ago. Jesus reigns today, although we still await the day when every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord (see Phil. 2:9-11). But Isaiah did not simply prophesy about a cradle and a crown. He also speaks of a suffering servant. What we discover in the New Testament is that the messianic Son of David and the Suffering Servant are one and the same – Jesus, the Messiah.
You see, this child to be born is not only given “to us,” but also “for us.” Isaiah 53 says that:
He was pierced because of our transgressions, crushed because of our iniquities; punishment for our peace was on Him, and we are healed by His wounds.[3]
The Prince of Peace offers his peace to us because “the punishment for our peace was on Him.” We have peace with God because Jesus has put us in right standing with God by taking on our sin and giving us his righteousness (see Romans 5:1 and 2 Cor. 5:21). “We all like sheep have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all” (Isaiah 53:6). Isaiah reminds us that the hope of Christmas involves a cradle, a cross, and a crown. O come let us adore him!