Mensa Otabil - God Gave His Son
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We’re looking at another prophecy of the birth of Jesus Christ in the prophecy of Isaiah, chapter 9, verse 6: For unto us a child is born, unto us a Son is given, and the government will be upon his shoulder, and his name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Christmas is a time of giving, and many times friends and families share gifts with one another.
The reason is that Christmas was the time when God gave to us: unto us a child is born, unto us a Son is given. God gave his Son to us. The arrival of Jesus Christ was a departure; he moved from one place to another. For God to give us his Son, he also lost something. God gave something that was precious to him to us; he gave us his Son. Every time there is a giving, there must be a receiving.
If you consider the life of Jesus Christ, he left his glory, he left his abode in heaven, and was born in a humble manger. From the grandeur of heaven to the manger in Bethlehem, he went from the presence of angels to the stable of animals. One moment there are billions and billions of angels at your service, and the next moment, you are a baby in a manger. He went from the creator of the universe to become a part of a tiny village, a small village. In the life of Jesus Christ, we see what he left behind and what we received from him. Every receiving in life is based on giving. God gives us something, and we must be receivers. When God gives us his Son, we must receive his son. We can’t just say God has given us a Son and that that’s fine; it doesn’t complete the transaction until we receive the Son.
When we receive the Son, we receive a few things, and the passage tells us a few things that we receive when we receive Jesus Christ. The first is that he’s a Wonderful Counselor. So when we receive Christ, we are receiving God’s Wonderful Counselor; he’s the source of all wisdom. He’s the perfect advisor. If you need wisdom for any part of your life — your marriage, your business, or how to conduct your whole life-you have a Wonderful Counselor, and his name is Jesus.
So don’t just limit him to a baby in a manger, lights on a tree, presents under a tree, or family parties, but remember God has given us something, and we must receive it. We receive the Wonderful Counselor, and may the Lord give you counsel and wisdom for every area of your life, for every decision that you’re making. May the presence of Christ make a difference for you. But he is not only a Wonderful Counselor; the passage also calls him the Mighty God. He is mighty; he’s awesome in power. In his resurrection, Jesus Christ showed the might of his power that overcomes death.
There is nothing in your life that he cannot overcome. He is the Mighty One, and he can pick you out of a valley and bring you to the mountaintop. He can rearrange the circumstances of your life; he has the power to do those things. God has given us a Son; he’s a Wonderful Counselor, he’s the Mighty God. Receive him as the Mighty God. Then the passage says he’s the Prince of Peace. He calmed the boisterous storm; when the storm was wild, he said, «Peace, be still!» For a lunatic who was raving mad because of demonic activity in his life, Jesus cast out those demons, and he had the right mind.
This Jesus, who is the Prince of Peace, can still the storms of your life, and he can also give you peace of mind. He is the Prince of Peace. That is the gift that God is giving to us this Christmas. He’s not giving you cake and biscuits and some such meals; he’s giving you counsel; he’s giving you his might and his power, and he’s giving you his peace. Receive what he has given to you this Christmas, and you will have fullness of life.
Let us pray. Say with me: Heavenly Father, I thank you for giving me your Son. I receive him in all his wisdom and power. In Jesus' name, Amen and Amen.