Celebrating 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

In a recent survey of 1,000 Americans, 54% responded that Christmas was “overrated,” and a further 20% viewed it with “dread.” Do you agree? I wonder if a survey of our congregation would yield similar results, especially if we’re talking about a worldly Christmas. But what if we’re not talking about commercialism but the incarnation? Would 54% of us think the incarnation was overrated? No, when the decorations are down, we’re still rejoicing.

And we’re not the only ones! Consider the responses to the incarnation in the New Testament. The angels spoke of “good tidings of great joy,” the Magi travelled hundreds of miles and fell down in worship, the shepherds returned glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, and Simeon, having seen the infant Messiah, concluded that he could now resign to death.

Why is the incarnation so momentous? Why such profound responses? The birth announcement of Isaiah 9 – interestingly made 700 years before the actual birth – tells us. This child will rule! He will have a government and a kingdom (v. 6-7). And what will His reign be like? He will turn gloom into glory and joy (v. 1, 3), turn darkness into light (v. 2), and set the oppressed free (v. 4-5). His four names give us a further insight into who He is and what His reign will be like.

Wonderful Counselor. Sometimes we want to counsel God. We want to question His will. “God, why do You allow this to happen?” But our Lord Jesus is a Wonderful Counselor. In other words, He reigns with infinite wisdom. Parents, you seek to be wise counselors to your children. You counsel them to live obedient lives to the glory of God. You say, “My son, this is the way you should go,” so that they may be healthy and profitable. Jesus is our Wonderful Counselor. He says, “I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my eye upon you” (Psalm 32:8). And, of course, He does. He explains to us – He shows us – how to live obedient lives that honor God, believing truth and having a right perspective, living lives of purpose, blessing, service, and honor. And not only that, He also gives us the power and grace to heed His counsel.

Mighty God. Jesus is God (John 1, 14). “He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of His nature” (Heb. 1:3). “For in Him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily” (Col. 2:9). And as God, of course, Jesus is gibbor (mighty, valiant, heroic). In verse 4, Isaiah alludes to Judges 7, when Gideon’s army was whittled down from 32,000 to 300 men, who then defeated the Midian army with trumpets and jars. Who did it? Who was the valiant conqueror? God (Judges 8:3). And this Messiah child born in Bethlehem, is the same gibbor God come to defeat His enemies, just as He did the Midian army in Judges 7. He’s come to crush the serpent’s head and subdue the nations, setting a multitude free from the kingdom of darkness.

Everlasting Father. Jesus is eternal. Arius of yesteryear and Jehovah’s Witnesses today claim Jesus is a non-eternal created being. No,  Jesus is everlasting. Just ask Santa (Nicholas of Myra) who, at Nicaea, wasn’t laughing with a shaking belly like a bowl full of jelly! On the line of history, Jesus is not on the line. He made the line, He upholds the line, He directs the line, and at Christmas He even visited the line, but He’s not subject to the line. He precedes and transcends the line. Before the world began, Jesus was already there. Note Jesus is described as our “Father.” Why? The Father is our father and Jesus is our brother – why is He described as Everlasting Father? Because His sacrifice will produce an offspring (Isa. 53:10). When Jesus died for sinners, He produced a family. His death and resurrection make us the offspring of God. Hence Jesus becomes a kind of father to us (John 14:18), and His reign is fatherly in nature.      

Prince of Peace. John Lennon claimed war was over in 1971. It wasn’t then, and it isn’t now. Only false teachers say, “‘Peace, peace,’ when there is no peace” (Jer. 6:14). Look at the world! Despite the pathetic efforts of the UN, EU, and NATO, the world is riddled with war, terrorism, violence, political chasms, toxic discourse, and racism. In the world there is no peace with each other, and neither is there peace with God. But this child, Jesus, brings shalom with God. “He was pierced for our transgression; He was crushed for our iniquities; upon Him was the chastisement that brought us peace” (Isa. 53:5). “Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ” (Rom. 5:1). And as we are reconciled to God, we are reconciled and have peace with one other (Eph. 2:14-19).

What a Government! What a ruler!  Wonderful Counselor (Jesus rules in wisdom), Mighty God (Jesus rules in victory), Everlasting Father (Jesus’ kingdom is eternal and paternal), Prince of Peace (Jesus rules in peace, ushering in peace with God and each other). I trust you will join me this Christmas in saying, “To me a child is born, to me a Son is given, and the government of me shall be upon His shoulders, and He will be called my Wonderful Counselor, my Mighty God, my Everlasting Father, my Prince of Peace.”

Rev. Rob Dykes, Pastor of Preaching & Congregational Care