Please begin with prayer for an open heart, before you read the passages below. Isaiah 9:6 – For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Colossians 1:15-20 – 15 The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. 16 For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. 17 He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. 18 And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. 19 For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, 20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.
Well, is the Christmas season upon you?? It seemingly starts earlier and earlier each year, but is typically inaugurated when someone is trampled at Wal-Mart trying to get a sweet deal on a flat screen. The American church seems to have gotten away from the various seasons the early church had. Each season has meaning behind it and the season we would be in now in the church calendar is Advent. It means ‘arrival’ and gives us hope and anticipation as we await the birth of the Christ child. Christmas Eve worship is filled with great hymns, family, and a sweet, seemingly helpless baby pictured in the manger. Maybe we are missing the full picture of the Christ child though.
Isaiah gives four names for this Christ child in chapter 9 above and one of these is Mighty God. When was the last time you saw a newborn and thought…that’s one mighty child!! My guess is never. Cute, sweet, gentle, peaceful, sleeping, etc. etc. are words you use to describe a newborn and these are probably how we see Jesus at Christmas. One attribute of God that Isaiah begs us to balance is His might. We have images from Sunday school of Jesus stroking a lamb or laughing while holding a child, but we cannot miss His might.
Paul in Colossians brings us to see this---‘image of the invisible God’, ‘in Him all things were created’, all things have been created through Him and for Him’, ‘He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together’, head of the body, the church’, He is the beginning and the firstborn among the dead’, ‘supremacy’, ‘making peace through His blood, shed on the cross.’ WOW!!
Maybe if we step back and take that to heart, we will have a different perspective of Christmas and a different attitude and posture towards Jesus. We typically want to dictate how this God treats us and what’s fair and unfair and are consumed by an attitude of entitlement. Instead, we bow, as the wise men did and assume a humble posture before our Mighty God. We have no right to attempt to dictate how this Mighty God should act if He truly created everything and holds everything together. Yet, this Mighty God, was humble enough to leave His place in Heaven and give His life for me…for you! Wow!! There is nothing we can do but fall on our knees and worship Him with our mind, emotions, and will!
So instead of a Black Friday god, where we are the center and He serves us, we worship an Isaiah 9:6, mighty God that has authority over everything! So as you see the peaceful manger scene this Christmas, try your hardest to be consumed by the humble baby's might!
What’s your image of Jesus? Does it change during Christmas time? Does your life reflect the fact that He is a Mighty God or a Black Friday god? I would love to hear your journey and how this passage impacted you.
mike