Merry Christmas!
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.
Isaiah 9:6
Today is the day! Today our anticipation culminates in joy and celebration. We’ve been waiting and longing all month, eagerly looking forward to celebrating today. Similarly, Israel waited; they waited for generations, hundreds of years for the words of Isaiah to be fulfilled. When will Immanuel come? When will we see this Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, and Prince of Peace?
The names of the Messiah (prophesied about 700 years before Jesus’ birth) give us a glimpse into what kind of Messiah (King) God will send. These names reveal not necessarily what the Messiah will do, but who he will be as he shoulders the government of his kingdom!
Wonderful Counselor: He will be wonderful in his wisdom, able to give the best counsel through his Spirit because he knows our condition, and exactly what we need in every moment.
Mighty God: He will be God, himself. “Mighty God” is a title God gives himself elsewhere in Isaiah, as well as in Deuteronomy, Nehemiah, and Jeremiah. The Messiah will be mighty because he is divine, possessing all the attributes of God himself!
Everlasting Father: He will be a father to those orphaned by sin, in the same way a king is a “father” to those in his kingdom. He will be loving and benevolent, as he protects and provides for the deepest spiritual needs of those in his care.
Prince of Peace: He will be just and good; his reign will bring peace to the whole world as he deals righteously with sin and its effects. He’ll be infinitely better than any king God’s people ever had.
This is the Messiah we celebrate today: our counselor, God, father, king, savior, Messiah. This Jesus is the true meaning of Christmas. He has come. Here is peace. Here is joy. Merry Christmas!
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Catch up Days 1-13 of our Christmas Devotional here.