Patristic Wisdom for Christmas Day

Drink this first; act swiftly, region of Zebulun, land of Naphtali, and the rest who are on the coast and across the Jordan, Galilee of the nations! People going in darkness, see a great light! Those inhabiting a region, a shadow of death, light will shine on you! The greatest part of the people that you led down in your gladness will also make merry before you, like those gladdened during the harvest and just like those who divide up the spoils, because the yoke laid on them and the rod on their neck has been taken away. For He shattered the rod of those demanding payment as in the day in the time of Midian, because they will return as an exchange every robe and garment collected by trickery, and they will be willing, if they became burnt. Because a child was born to us; a son was given to us whose leadership came upon His shoulder; and His name is called “Messenger of the Great Council,” for I will bring peace upon the rulers and health to Him. His leadership is great, and there is no limit to His peace on the throne of David and His kingdom, to establish and take hold of it by justice and by righteousness, now and forever. The eagerness of the Lord Sabaoth will do these things. (Isaiah 9:2–7 LXX)

This is the third time in the same prophecy where the son is also called child. Indeed the first time: “Look, the virgin shall be with child and bear a son, and you shall name him Emmanuel.” Then he added: “For before the child knows good or bad.” And the second time: “And I went to the prophetess, and she conceived and bore a son.” Then he added: “For before the child knows how to call ‘father’ or ‘mother.’” And the third time is in the text at hand through the word which said: Because a child was born for us. For this very reason the child is this son, who was given as a gift from God to those who have believed in him and who has many more names than those stated above. And he has been named messenger of great counsel. And although this name may seem rather ordinary, it points to something beyond mortal nature, even angelic. For he addressed Him not simply as messenger, but as messenger of great counsel. And what else could the great counsel be except the counsel of the great God concerning the calling and salvation of all nations, which the messenger Himself, our Savior, would minister in the benevolent counsel of the Father? According to the Hebrew Scriptures He has been honored with greater forms of address than messenger, for it is said that He bears the government on His shoulder. For the government of the prophesied child (that is, the glory and the honor and the kingdom) is the government that is on His shoulder and over all (clearly, the government should be understood as the arm of the divinity in Him). He has been called messenger of great counsel because of His divinity, for He alone understands the secret things of the fatherly counsel, and He is the messenger to the worthy. …

After saying this concerning the child who was born, he adds yet also these things concerning him: on the throne of David and his kingdom, to make it prosper. And he accurately preserves how it was said that He would take his seat not just on the throne of David, but more generally on the throne of David and His kingdom, to make it prosper, which we understand to imply that He will come in order to prosper the throne of David and “the booth of David that is fallen.” For after the kingdom of David had been subjected and overthrown from the time of the captivity of the people in Babylon, there were also prophecies foretelling that the throne of David would shine forth in righteousness as the light of the sun throughout all civilization. This same promise has come to be fulfilled in Him who was descended “from David according to the flesh” and who shines over the souls of people and consolidates his kingdom through all the nations of the entire empire. For in this way He restored the throne of David, not in arms and staves but with judgment and with righteousness. And He did so from this time onward and forevermore, on the one hand from now, signifying the time when the rule had been ordained, through to the time of the advent of His sojourn among humanity, and forevermore, indicating His boundless and lasting kingdom.

One should note first that it was foreknown and announced that He “would be born of a virgin,” second that, concerning the question before us, as it were, the Lord introduced how this will happen when he said: “And I went to the prophetess, and she conceived and bore a son,” and third that he does not mention the virgin conception or the manner of the incredible pregnancy according to God. We learned these things concerning this child in advance, and he instructs us in detail in the secrets of His theology, and all these things are said concerning the advent of the little child. I do not know how those of the circumcision who do not wish to receive our Savior would understand these words, for the works testify concerning Him and the accomplishment of the deeds is confirmed. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do these things. What could the zeal be if not the good after which He strove, since it was fitting for Him to save all those who were oppressed by the devil and who had been drawn down into godlessness?

Eusebius of Caesarea, Commentary on Isaiah 9.6–7