This transcript has been automatically generated, and therefore may not be 100% accurate.

Unsurprisingly, we're thinking about Christmas this morning. That shouldn't shock you. But we know the Christmas story. I imagine we probably all know the plotline very well. I hope we do.

How Mary became pregnant and Joseph was taken by surprise and they went to Bethlehem and the census and all of these things. You know the plotline of a nativity really well. But I wonder if you have ever wondered, what did Jesus make about all of this? How was he feeling about all that was going on? Especially when you consider that, as Matt has already said, we're not just talking about a baby that did some good things and then became something special.

This. This baby is the God of the universe that was enjoying the love of his Father and the Spirit for eternity past. The riches of the universe were his eternity past. He was enjoying glory. And now he's been sent on this mission.

How does he feel about that? Maybe you've asked that question. Maybe you've never asked that question, never thought about it at all, and you're thinking, well, we can't just make up what he was feeling. We don't need to make it up. Because in our passage today, we have a glimpse into Jesus thoughts, his own thoughts about how he felt about the mission God has sent him on.

As we read our passage today, I want you to follow with me a question, and it's this. Who is speaking? Who is speaking? You may find sometimes in your Bible reading, you get to Isaiah or the other prophets and you find it quite difficult to make head or tail of it occasionally. And sometimes that's because we have to pause and think, who's speaking here?

Who's actually speaking these words.

I would admit there are different opinions sometimes of Bible readers as to who is he. But what I want to show you today is that throughout our chapter, it's actually Messiah who's speaking. It's the Anointed One. So we're hearing him talk throughout this whole chapter. We know for sure.

I can show you this. In verses 1 to 3. We know for sure this is the Messiah because Jesus quotes it in Luke chapter four. He says, this is me. This is my manifesto.

Luke chapter four, he says that we know it's him. And if Jesus is speaking in verses one to three, we should expect him to keep speaking in the other verses unless there's some indication that it's not him speaking. Are you with me? Yes. So he's speaking less.

There's an indication there's a change, and we might get an indication that there's a change. We'll hold that because this is quite important and this matters because when we understand that, as Josiah speaking throughout this chapter, we see that it's Jesus reflecting on his mission ministry. We get to see what Jesus feels about Christmas, about his Christmas mission. Now I needed three titles with alliteration. So who are you going to be?

Enlistment, execution and exhortation. That's the good one. That was the one I wanted to get and then the others just had to fit in. Enlistment, execution and exhortation. In verses 1 to 3 we find the enlistment that is Jesus being enlisted to his task.

Verses 1 to 3, this really is Jesus speaking about how he's spirit empowered in his ministry. Verse 1. The Spirit of the sovereign Lord is on me. Spirit of the sovereign Lord is on me. Jesus mission is a spiritual power mission.

We've talked about this in our series on core convictions. We thought about this text a little bit. You may either remember that or want to brush up on it. You can go on the YouTube channel and find our core conviction sermons. A little link if you want to cheque those out.

So as the spirit and power preacher, Jesus is coming, verse 2 to proclaim the year of the Lord's favour. This is what he's doing. He has been commissioned, enlisted for this task.

And what does that task mean? I want to think about a couple of features of verse three actually. A couple of features of verse three. The first is this beautiful phrase, a crown of beauty instead of ashes in verse three. To the stone of the crown of beauty instead of ashes.

Beauty for ashes. It's a famous phrase. It's a famous phrase and it's important for us to see and it's an amazing thing. And I'll tell you for mine, that crown of beauty is one word in Hebrew, just one Hebrew word. It's a word that's borrowed from, from Egyptian.

It's actually an Egyptian word. It's not a super common word in the Bible. It occurs one other place in Isaiah. Only one other place is now used, that crown of beauty. And that place is in Isaiah chapter three.

Now in Isaiah chapter three, this is a chapter all about how people in Jerusalem were beautifying themselves. They're trying to bring glory to themselves. They're putting on themselves crowns of beauty. Talking about the women of Jerusalem. But of course it's an account of what sin does.

Sin is us trying to self glorify. We're trying to put crown and beauty on ourselves. But that won't work. Self glorification doesn't work.

But it's no accident that when we get here in chapter 61, that same word is used now because the glory that people were trying to take to themselves in sin, Jesus wants for us and he will bring for us in his mission. Does that make sense? The glory we try to bring to ourselves, we try to grasp it for ourselves, but we don't. We don't have it because it's, it's through sin. Jesus is actually going to bring that to us, that same glory he's bringing to us.

I think this is amazing because sometimes we think of God as a bit of a miser. You know, we know that we want to have a lot of fun and a lot of glory. We shouldn't really have it, so we won't. What this shows us is that that very thing we were trying to take to ourselves is Jesus mission to give us. Oh man, what a beautiful thing that is.

God's glory is sure, and he wants it for us as part of Jesus mission. One other feature which we see, the same point again, same verse, actually, verse three, they will be called oaks of righteousness. Oaks of righteousness. What's that about? Why an oak?

And what does that mean? What's that to do with Jesus mission? But again, again, In Isaiah, chapter 1, verse 29, I'll read it to you, talking about people's sin, he says, you will be ashamed because of the sacred oaks in which you have delighted. So one of the things that the people were doing wrong was they were worshipping under oaks. That doesn't really appeal to us.

We don't really worship under oaks. You eat a lot today. Maybe we do.

But in the religion of the day, in the Canaanite religion, big trees were sort of well respected. You worship under a big tree because it's powerful, it's a sign of vitality. So you worship under a big tree, under a bigger. You constantly see this in the prophets, on every high hill and under every green tree, don't they? They loved a good tree.

And not just in the English sense that it builds a great boat. But, you know, they were worshipping under these trees. Well, when we think about that for a second, they are falsely worshipping God underneath a tree. But Jesus mission is not just to give you whatever he wanted from the tree, but you're going to be the oak. You're going to be an oak of righteousness.

So all of those things that were tempting you to go away from God, those great things you wanted from somewhere other than him, he's going to give you and more not just worshipping. Other than that, you're going to be the only righteousness. I think that's really, really cool because in the Christian life we get so much more than we bargained for. Christmas is so good because it's, oh, you wanted that. I'm going to give you a whole lot more than that.

You know, you ask for a small thing, I want to give you a massive thing. All those things you're trying to gain apart from God. Jesus has come to people and more. That's the enlistment of his mission. The second is the execution of his mission.

Verses 4 to 9. So I said at the beginning that we need to follow who's speaking. Jesus has been speaking in verses one to three. So unless there's a good reason to think that Jesus isn't speaking here, then he's continuing to speak. Okay?

And there isn't really any indication that Jesus isn't speaking. It may be in verse eight, you're looking and you think, well, it says, I am Lord, I am Lord. The Lord is speaking here. But that doesn't mean he's not Jesus. Jesus is the Lord.

So either Lord speaking, this is Jesus speaking as the Lord. So the speaker hasn't changed. The speaker hasn't changed. It's still Jesus. And what we find in these verses is Jesus, if I can put it like this, daydreaming about what it's going to be like when he's fulfilled his mission and he's been enlisted for a task.

And he says, I've been empowered by the Spirit to proclaim the year of the Lord's favour. What's that going to be like? In verse 4, Jesus starts to dream about what that's going to be like. Are they rebuild ancient ruins? He says they're going to restore places.

No longer going to say. Jesus thinks about what his mission will achieve. Wonderful things, you know, he's excited about it. You might think of the difference here, like a shopping list and a party. I'll be enlisted by my wife to go out, buy these things on the shopping list and nothing else.

And as I go out on the shopping list, I start to think, oh, when I want all of these things, it's going to be a great party start today, doing. Won't it be wonderful when people are meeting that shot of the so lovingly bought for them, whatever it might be, this is what's happening. Jesus has been enlisted. He's thinking, wow, when I fulfil my mission, it's going to be wonderful. My people are going to become priests of the Lord.

Instead of shame, they're going to receive double. He's excited about all of these things that he will do.

So here. It's really amazing actually, isn't it? A little window into what Jesus is thinking about as he comes into that first Krishnas, wow, what a mission. I'm going to do all of these things he says in verse eight, come to a climax. In my faithfulness I will reward my people.

So by Jesus faithfulness, He will reward his people and make an everlasting covenant with them. This is what Jesus comes to do. He comes to make a covenant. Now what that means is that he's come to be our God and for us to be his people. That's what the covenant is about.

He will be our God and we will be his people. This is what Jesus is excited about. He's coming at Christmas because he's setting a people for himself and he knows that's his mission. He knows it's going to be wonderful. He's going to put crowns of beauty on heads.

He's going to make it in the oaks of righteousness and he's excited about it. I'm going to make a covenant with them. They're going to be my people.

He's excited about it. So what do we take from this? I hope so far we can take that as Jesus came down at Christmas, he's looking forward to fulfilling his mission. Not in some vague abstract sense, but in saving a people for himself. That means that as he came down at Christmas, you were on his heart.

He was excited to get into that manger out of glory, into the manger because of you by name, because he's thinking of people for himself, his people. So that's the execution of the mission. Finally we get to exhortation and it can get even more exciting than there's been already holding hands in the earth. This is unbelievable. So Jesus has been talking.

So far we've seen how he's been enlisted for his mission. He daydreamed about executing the mission and now he bursts out in praise because he gets to save. He gets to save again. Jesus has been speaking all along. So again we expect him to continue speaking just as we did before, unless there's a sign to the contrary.

Some people do think there's a change of speaker here and would say, actually this is is the church speaking back to God. And whilst that does make sense, there's no reason for us to think that other than it might make sense since Jesus has been speaking all along. It makes a lot more sense to understand that he continues speaking. We may say, okay, but in verse 10 he says, I delight greatly in the Lord. Whereas in verse 8 he said, I am Lord and the one speaking.

But this is no problem, really, because this wouldn't be the only place in Scripture that the Lord speaks to the Lord. Because Jesus is the Lord and he can speak to his Father, the Lord. Because God is one body of three persons, isn't he? And so really, that's no objection. We've still got Jesus speaking here.

And what does he say?

You've given me a mission. I get to fulfil it. Hallelujah. I mean, that's pretty cool, isn't it? Jesus is rejoicing.

You mean I get to go down and save? Yes. Amazing, isn't it? That's how our God feels about coming out of glory down to us to save you. Yes.

I get to have Matt as my person. I'm so excited about that. Amazing, Amazing. But it gets better because we think, as we read in verse 10, we think, why he's rejoicing. I delight reigning in the world.

My soul rejoices in my God. Okay, now we're going to get the reason why. For he has clothed me with garments of salvation and arraigned me in a robe of his righteousness. Okay, think of a second. Jesus is speaking here.

He's talking about his work of salvation. What is the garment of salvation?

He's talking about his death. He's talking about his death on the cross, his suffering for his people, which is unbelievable almost, isn't it, that Jesus can flee by. So I'm so excited to say a reading for myself. I will rejoice even through suffering and grace. I get to put on regardless of salvation.

I get to die for you.

He's reflecting on his mission. He knows what will come. But he says, as a bridegroom, don'ts his head like a priest. As that crown of thorns comes to my head, says Jesus, I rejoice in the Lord, because that makes you mine. That makes you mine.

How Jesus heart for you. You know how much he loves you. That he can put on the crown as long as you consider it a wedding garment.

It's a wedding garment because this is more language, that covenant, how the Bible pictures his people becoming his wife. So on the cross, Jesus puts on that suffering. He wears that robe, doesn't he? He's mocked and despised, and he rejoices because this is the way. This is the way to make that covenant with you.

These are my wedding bags for you on the cross. Suffering on the cross is me giving myself to you and you. And I rejoice in the Lord, says Jesus.

So in this chapter we have an unbelievable picture, an unbelievable insight into Jesus heart for you at Christmas. How's he feeling at Christmas time? Exciting. As Hebrews 12:2 puts it.

Because of the joy that was set before him, he enjoyed the cross, despising the shame because of the joy that was set before him, because of the joy of knowing that he will make you his.

Because of that joy, he endured the cross, despising the shame. How does Jesus feel about his mission to Christmas? He delights. He delights greatly in the Lord. He rejoices in God.

I find this passage so exciting and I hope that you can just take this as your encouragement this Christmas. How does Jesus feel about leaving him for you? He's loving it. He's excited. He's excited because it means despite suffering the cross, that's where he lives his vows to you.

Let's pray.

Lord God, we thank you so much. Not only did Jesus put up in saving us, but he rejoices to save us. Thank him for covenants with us this Christmas that He makes us his own. Pray that we would know that we are his and he is ours. Amen.