“For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, the everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.” Isaiah 9:6.
The name of Jesus is sweet to our ears – to those who know Him.
We read and hear about so many world-known personalities. We seek the works of so many personalities in national and local settings. In our home towns and cities, the newspaper carries headlines and articles about people and their actions. People are in the news.
Countries honor their rulers. No matter what form of government there is, the heads of state are continually in the foreground. On world issues, these men and women come together to discuss and try to solve problems that plague them all.
Power is invested in their hands. They make the decisions that seem to control our everyday living, our very being. You notice I said, “Seem to control.” For you and I know who really controls everything – God. The Trinity is at work and holds supreme power. The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit act as One. That part of the Trinity which took on Human flesh was Jesus. His name is “Wonderful, Counsellor, The Mighty God, The Everlasting Father, and The Prince of Peace.” The Christian world at this season bows in homage to the Greatest of Personalities – Jesus.
Isaiah, one of the great Hebrew prophets, looked down the centuries and saw the coming Messiah. Many of the prophetical sayings related to future events, extending into the Messianic era. He is often referred to as the “Messianic Prophet” and his prophecies have been called the “bridge between the Old and New Covenants.” It is in the division of his prophecies of future events that this particular scripture has its setting. In his Portrayal of Christ, he has given us the most perfect picture of the history, mission, titles, and characteristics of Christ, to name a few: Illuminator, Judge, Liberator, and Intercessor.
Let us remember as we prepare for the approaching yuletide season, our hearts are filled with joy as we anticipate the good times to be had with family and friends. Many of us will be preoccupied with travel arrangements, lists of the many gifts that are expected, toys, fancy lights, ornaments, trees and other decorations, as well as all the bills to be paid. But is this really what Christmas is all about.
How many of us really would like to use this time to grow and come to understand the true meaning of the greatest “gift” in our lives?The gift brought us some two thousand years ago, the gift of the Messiah. For those of us who truly want to help others know that Christmas is about Christ and that He is the reason for the season.
For this season and always, let us make every effort to conform as God would have us: by renewing our minds, by studying his word, and obeying His authority as we lead in celebrating the coming of the Messiah with an emphasis on salvation, not just conforming to the worldly emphasis on commercial spending and waste.
May you find love and joy in family and friends as God’s fulfilling promises abide in your daily life. This reminds me of what Pastor Johnny Butts preached the last two Sundays: Isaiah 9:6, “God with Us” and Luke 1:33, “Joy to the World.”
