The sermon discusses the concept of hope and deliverance through the lens of Isaiah 9, explaining that while humans often seek deliverance through self-reliant means, true deliverance comes through Jesus Christ. The message emphasizes that God's path to deliverance is different from our expectations - it primarily delivers us from sin rather than just circumstances, comes through the unexpected means of a child (Jesus), and is accomplished by a unique Deliverer who offers eternal salvation rather than just temporary relief.

This sermon reveals that the profound longing of "O Come, O Come, Emmanuel" is a gospel cry for God's presence to ransom us from our spiritual exile, redeem us from our enslavement to sin, and restore our emaciated souls. By embracing the truth that Emmanuel—God with us—has come in the person of Jesus Christ, we are freed from spiritual gloom and are given a key to the eternal life where we will forever behold His majesty.

This sermon reveals that humanity's attempts to overcome its deep spiritual darkness have utterly failed, but the gospel offers the ultimate solution in the person of Jesus Christ. As our Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, and Prince of Peace, Jesus alone is the external light who came to redeem and rule us, offering a peace that transcends all of our brokenness.

Christ’s unexpected arrival, foretold in Isaiah, brings a gospel-forward hope to a world in darkness. He is our Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, and Prince of Peace, who alone can bring light and lasting peace.

This sermon uses Isaiah's vision of God's holiness to illustrate that true awareness of our own sinfulness comes from a vertical look at God's perfection. It then pivots to the good news that God's holiness is not just a source of our disintegration but also our development, as the sacrifice of Jesus atones for our sin and imputes His own holiness to us, making us new.