If you remember from yesterday, we were surprised by the unexpected light that God brought into the darkness of the war torn regions of Galilee. It was into that very place, Nazareth of Galilee, that Jesus would shine the light of his glory. Such an unexpected response to all the destruction. But he doesn’t end there. 

Isaiah goes beyond just bringing light into darkness. Another unexpected response God brings in the midst of this Advent season is the promise of abundance in a time of great scarcity. Isaiah 9 tells the flip side of the devastation of the northern territories. They were blasted by war and enemy invasions, yet Isaiah says they will see by a new light. Then he goes on to say to this broken people you have multiplied the nation, you have increased its joy. 

Could you imagine? Multiplied a nation that lost in battle? Increased joy to a people held captive by an oppressive government? This is the scenario into which Isaiah is writing. God will bring abundance of people and joy to our lives…no matter how bleak things seem in the moment. 

God’s math doesn’t always work the way we want it to. Things like the whole trinity where God is three yet one and one yet three. Or communion where we have bread and wine but at the same time body and blood. God’s math is unexpected. When we come to him with nothing, he can provide us everything. That’s the story of Christmas. 

God knew we couldn’t save ourselves. We are bent toward our own destruction. We’re like cars out of alignment that just continuously turn into oncoming traffic. It was into this empty and destructive world that God sent His Son. An unexpected response to a devastated world. 

Peace. Joy. Increase. When we have nothing but Jesus, we have everything we need.