The book of Isaiah holds the two most quoted Old Testament statements about the promise of Jesus. In Isaiah 7 we hear of the promise of a virgin giving birth to a son. Isaiah 7:14 Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. In Isaiah 9 we are told that this promise is greater than anyone might expect. Isaiah 9:6-7 For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will do this. In Isaiah 11 we are even told the ancestral line from which to expect this mighty child. Isaiah 11:1-2 There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit. And the Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the LORD.
These verses are not only quoted in the New Testament and fulfilled in Jesus, but they also exist in the context of the book of Isaiah. It is so easy for us to have a sentimental view of Scriptures that we love so dearly. We sing them in carols, and we use them in children’s stories. We love to remind ourselves that these are prophecies that are fulfilled 700 years after they are written and tell ourselves that the bible is true. Of course, it is. The bible is true, and we should dearly cherish these precious statements about our Savior.
It is also true that the New Testament authors have shown us how to truly see these verses in all their fulfillment glory. They quote them to show that God inspired the words of Isaiah in the progressive revelation of his redeeming grace. Even so, when we understand the themes and context of the book of Isaiah, we also realize that the New Testament authors do not quote these verses as a proof text but in context.
Isaiah is constantly warning the kings and people of Judah not to put their trust in the gods and nations around them. Particularly in the first half of Isaiah, there is a repetitive behavior in Judah. They are threatened by a nation, they fear, and then the look to other nations (and even gods) to come to their rescue. They are constantly being told that God is greater than the nations. They have the only one true God and yet they are trusting in powers that are either non-existent or in comparison to God, impotent. It is God who judges and God who saves.
From chapter 40 in Isaiah we find Isaiah writing to a people who have suffered the consequences of not trusting in God. When Judah comes under the domineering power of Babylon, they are captives looking for a Savior. A repetitive message in the second half of Isaiah is that Judah will not be saved by the might of nations. The Savior will not come by military conquest but ultimately will bring them redemption through a suffering Servant. This Servant will be “pierced for our transgressions and crushed for our iniquities” (Isaiah 53:5). Because of this selfless act of substitution, this same Servant is the one in Isaiah 63 who comes in the victorious red robes stained by the blood of his enemies.
When we understand the big picture of Isaiah, we must consider the quotes used in the New Testament as they relate to the big context of the Old Testament book. The New Testament authors are not merely saying that the baby in a manger is a fulfillment of prophecy. They are saying that the baby in a manger is the God of the universe. He is bigger than the nations. He is the Savior of his people and he will come in conquering victory. They are giving us the same basic message that Isaiah was giving to Judah. Do not trust in the poor pitiable nations, kings and false gods. Behold your God who is bigger than your greatest enemies.
Our greatest enemy is sin and death, but we have a Savior. Isaiah’s Savior is our Savior. He is Christ the Lord and he might have come as a little baby, but he is a BIG God.