The words roll off the tongue and, for those familiar with the stirring melodies and harmonies of Handel’s Messiah, immediately bring a smile to our faces. I can’t think of verse 6 of this chapter without hope breaking into bright dawn in my mind. If there are problems I’m brooding on, they seem to matter much less than before. “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder; and his name shall be called, Wonderful, Counselor, The Mighty God, The Everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.”
In
Handel’s music, there are extended pauses before each of the climactic bursts
of “Wonderful!” “Counselor!” and “The Mighty God! The Everlasting Father.” This
chorus repeats and builds upon itself in joyous, delicious harmony and musical
counterpoint. The through-and-through beauty of it is the only thing that
prevents me from utterly losing my patience at how hard it is to get the timing
and note clusters right when I sing it over Christmas with my local church
choir. Perhaps the most effective part of the whole thing is that the final
name Isaiah uses for the Savior is reserved for the very end of the number.
Only then, as the music begins to fade and the choir seems as though it has
almost given out, do the singers half-whisper—in hushed and reverent tones—“the Prince of Peace.” Ironically, it is
by getting quieter rather than louder that our attention is more fully drawn to
this line.
Handel’s
use of a single verse in Isaiah 9 for an entire movement of his sacred oratorio
demonstrates just how powerful the prophet’s poetry is. It is even more
compelling when we consider the context. Isaiah is speaking in a place and time
where distinguishing between past, present, and future is much less important
than communicating things are they truly are. He has several
audiences—initially the people of Judah, but eventually it will encompass all
of the gathered people of Israel and the billions of Gentiles who embrace the
message of Jesus Christ.
Isaiah
starts the chapter by referring to the destruction of the northern kingdom of
Israel by Assyria. Zebulun and Naphtali are tribes of Israel located in the
north, and they are overrun by the Assyrians’ seemingly unstoppable earthly
power. For the southern kingdom of Judah, it is a reminder that their brother
Israelites—who split from their kingdom a few hundred years earlier—have been
lost. But rather than dwelling on this trauma and any sense of guilt or
sadness, Isaiah turns the attention of his audience to a “great light” that
will multiply the nation and increase their joy.
It
may seem hard to visualize for this weary, besieged people who live in constant
fear of surrounding enemies, but Isaiah insistently presses his case. The yoke
of their burden will be broken, along with the rod of the oppressor (verse 5).
It
is no wonder that Matthew looked to this prophecy when writing his gospel (good
news) that Jesus is Messiah. After all, Jesus’ base of operations for most of
his ministry was Capernaum, which Matthew describes as being in the borders of
Zebulun and Naphtali (Matthew 4:15-16). So for Matthew, it was natural to
declare that Jesus was the great light, the one who would take away our pain
and burdens.
Let’s
focus on two of the names Isaiah gives the Messiah: the Everlasting Father and
the Prince of Peace. Jesus is the Everlasting Father because the Father trusts
Jesus completely to represent Him and carry out His plan. That plan, of course,
is the idea that those who look to salvation through Christ’s atoning sacrifice
for their sins will surely find it.
As
we ponder the meaning of that in our own lives, in the very recesses of our
souls, think about the power of verse 10:
“The
bricks are fallen down, but we will build with hewn stones; the sycamores are
cut down, but we will change them into cedars.”
Jesus
isn’t just going to reestablish a glorious nation, though that will happen as
well. He is going to rebuild Israel one person at a time. Those who follow Him
will not worry about losing their old self if they see that the new person
Jesus promises to help them build (as a very close partner) is going to be much
stronger and happier.
What
about the Prince of Peace? This is probably one of the more misunderstood
concepts in scripture. As we know, the events of Jesus’ mortal life were very
far from what we would call peaceful. He was definitely a disrupter of the
status quo. He overturned the moneychangers’ tables in the temple courtyard. He
infuriated local leaders and even the great Sanhedrin (religious council) in
Jerusalem to the point that they sought his life, and the Romans were willing
to oblige in order to rid themselves of the nuisance.
So
what does the word “peace” mean here? There may not be a perfect answer, but
the one I believe is that peace is much more about your internal state than
your external one. If you can find assurance in understanding where God’s plan
will lead you, it becomes much easier to face hardship with a courageous and even
cheerful and grateful outlook. And of course Jesus exemplified this more than
anyone else. What does it say about the clarity of His conscience and purity of
His intent when even in the throes of torturous execution he gives loving
counsel to the two criminals crucified next to him, makes sure that his mother
is taken care of, and pleads with the Father to forgive the very people
responsible for his pain when it is at its most acute?
And
once peace is within you, you can use it to radiate love and hope around you.
This is the victory Christ won—a promise to everyone that if they look to Him,
they can share in eternal joy. Words aren’t adequate to describe what that is,
but it’s something that allows us to not only feel goodness, but take part in
creating it. The natural consequence of Christ’s Atonement is that the promise
it represents will fill the world as humble seekers tap into its power and
share the message to others via the Holy Ghost. And, ultimately, the Second
Coming will feature Jesus Himself reigning over a fully changed society. When
that happens, He will indeed literally be the Prince of Peace.
But
Isaiah shows us that the way to that more sanctified world will be filled with
darkness and challenges (verses 14-21). Peace is hard-earned by learning to
choose love over fear, generosity over selfishness, hope over despair. The
Father’s plan says that we’ll have sadness and pain to deal with, and we’ll
also find deception and treachery among some of our neighbors. Those who choose
pride over humility will feel “wickedness burning as the fire,” which actually
presents an opportunity for them to repent of their ways. When the time comes
for the Second Coming of Jesus, the earth will be only for those who are
accepting of Him in their thoughts, words, deeds, and characters, and the Lord
will intercede to protect the righteous.
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