The Greatest Gift Ever Given
Can you remember knowing about a particular gift long before you received it? Perhaps you accidentally stumbled on it, or maybe you were a rascal like me and went looking to discover your hidden unwrapped gifts? Sometimes, knowing a gift is coming helps to build anticipation for the day that you receive it.
I believe God wanted us to know exactly what we were receiving in the gift of Jesus. About 700 years before Jesus’ miraculous birth, the prophet Isaiah described in incredible detail what mankind was going to receive through Jesus. Isaiah described the gift of the Messiah in a very meaningful way.
Notice his precise words: “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 ESV)
There is so much to unpack in this wonderful verse that I am going to take some time in these weekly emails over the next month to study a bit more carefully how each of the attributes that Isaiah listed would be understood in the person of Jesus Christ.
Jesus is described here as our:
Wonderful Counselor
Mighty God
Everlasting Father
Prince of Peace
In this special Advent season, we are expectantly reflecting on the coming of Christ. I think that it is helpful for us to consider specifically what each of these attributes can mean for our day-to-day lives. Jesus is our conquering king and our loving father who protects us against the schemes of evil. He is not just a source of hope, he is our only source of hope. He is our only source of true peace in our crazy, messed-up world.
I believe that by understanding these attributes of the One who was “given” to us, we can more clearly understand how He is exactly what we need. Understanding these attributes in their glory will inspire us to entrust ourselves more and more to His wonderful care. I also think that this Christmas season can help us to remember that not all of our neighbors know Jesus yet, and we can play a part in helping them discover the true “Prince of Peace” that we sing about this time of year.
Expectantly,
Shawn
