The Christmas Names of Jesus - Part 2

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. (Isaiah 9:6-7 ESV). Next Isaiah declares Jesus is the Mighty God. There is something very interesting in the contrast that God provides in the birth of Jesus. The people both at the time of Isaiah and when Jesus was born were looking for a Savior. It was always a part of their belief that God would send a redeemer to liberate them from their enemies. However, they were looking for a superhero not a baby born in a stable! They wanted someone who could return them to physical power, financial power, and political power like they had experienced under King David. Jesus’ power would not be found in his “super powers.” Jesus would show us his power in love, righteousness, justice, mercy, and forgiveness. It’s no wonder people were shocked by what He claimed. They knew who Jesus was. He had grown up in their neighborhood. He may have even played with their children. He had flesh and blood just like them. How could He say He was God? But it wasn’t just His words that surprised people. Jesus not only claimed the amazing, but He did the amazing. At His command, violent seas went still, the sick were healed, and the dead came to life. While many denied His claims, no one could deny His power over nature, sickness, death, and the supernatural. If we look into the Gospel of John we discover that Jesus had the power over all creation. Jesus was the one who created our world! He is the Creator and the Sustainer of all creation. He doesn’t just have authority over the earth. He has authority also over the heavenly realm. He has ALL authority. Any authority on this earth is “derived” authority. When you put all these claims together you must come to a clear conclusion. Jesus claimed and His disciples declared that Jesus was God. The authority and power of Christ was unique. Throughout the Gospels Jesus claims god-like authority for His words, claimed that He had the authority to forgive sin, and declared that He was God. Any view of Christ that makes Him merely a good man, misses the true declaration of the Bible. The promises of Jesus are wonderful and they provide us hope. But those promises often seem distant. They seem sometimes unrelated to what we are going through in the present. The fact that Jesus is the Mighty God also means that He is able to help us where we need that help right now. He will draw close to the person who is filled with loneliness. He will give strength to the one who is engulfed with fear. He will provide comfort to the one whose heart is broken. He will give direction for the one who doesn’t know which way to turn. He will give new courage to the one who is discouraged. He will protect and defend the one who feels their life has come crashing down around them. He is the Mighty God!