“The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; Those who dwelt in the land of the shadow of death, upon them a light has shined. You have multiplied the nation and increased its joy…for You have broken the yoke of his burden and the staff of his shoulder, the rod of his oppressor…
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. Of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end, upon the throne of David and over His kingdom, to order it and establish it with judgment and justice from that time forward, even forever.
The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.” Isaiah 9:2-7
More than seven hundred years before Jesus was born in Bethlehem, God spoke this prophecy through Isaiah—a promise of the Savior. For centuries, the world waited in the darkness. And then, at the exact moment God ordained, when “the fullness of the time had come,” God sent forth His Son (Galatians 4:4).
Our Savior, the Greatest Gift of God, entered the timeline of broken, suffering humanity.
Every gift we celebrate flows from this one Gift: the Savior Himself. But Isaiah doesn’t just tell us that the Savior would come; we are given an understanding of Who He is. Every description in Isaiah adds a different dimension to Jesus as the most special gift to the born again believer. We are walking in a world filled with darkness; but we have the greatest Light. Let’s meditate on the gift of our Savior.
Jesus is:
WONDERFUL: “Wonderful” in Hebrew carries the idea of something surpassing human ability—a supernatural glory that cannot be explained, only worshiped. Our Messiah is the wonder of all the ages. His birth, His life, His miracles, and His redeeming grace allow us to experience divine wonder. We are given the opportunity to live in constant amazement of Christ and all He does. He works in ways beyond our understanding. Because He is Wonderful, we need not fear what lies ahead—for in Him our weakness becomes strength.
COUNSELOR: Jesus does not just give counsel—He is the divine wisdom of God made flesh. When we surrender to Him-—both for salvation and for life—we have access to His divine wisdom. Christ is the perfect Counselor because He possesses flawless wisdom. He is always the perfect balance of truth in love. He always has the time for our questions and the patience and grace to meet us when we question His ways. When Jesus is our center we have His light to guide every step of our path.
MIGHTY GOD: Jesus is not merely strong; He is the Almighty Himself, able to break the chains of sin and defeat every foe. He does not draw His strength from any other source. Amazing!!! Yet, He humbled Himself and became like us to purchase our salvation. His love is perhaps the most phenomenal dimension of His omnipotence. Jesus is our Warrior. Because He is Mighty God, we can trust that no enemy, circumstance, or evil spiritual force is greater. When we are on His side, we are on the winning team.
EVERLASTING FATHER: Christ rules His people with fatherly care—He loves, protects, corrects, and preserves us with eternal tenderness. He will never leave us or forsake us. He is the Progenitor of our eternal life. His love does not change.
PRINCE OF PEACE: Christ reconciles us to the Father. No one else could purchase this ultimate peace for us—not even ourselves. Our ultimate spiritual anxiety is relieved by His gift of salvation. He reconciles what sin destroyed. And after we are born again, every area of our life that we allow Christ to govern, causes His peace to flourish. When He is rejected, turmoil reigns. Because He is the Prince of Peace, our hearts can rest even in turmoil—His peace guards our hearts and minds in a world that knows only darkness and fear.
Isaiah’s prophecy is not just a song we sing at Christmas. It’s a portrait of Jesus—the Gift we need most. Because He lives, we will never die spiritually. If we are born again, our soul and spirit will live on with Him throughout eternity. Even physical death cannot take His peace from us!
Jesus is God’s greatest gift of Christmas. The greatest gift we can give Him is to love Him with all our mind and heart.
Prayer
Lord Jesus, thank You for being the greatest gift the world has ever received. Thank You for humbling Yourself to die for me. Help me to humble myself to live for You. You are my Wonderful Savior, my Counselor, my Mighty God, my Everlasting Father, and my Prince of Peace. Help me walk in Your power. Lead me through this troubled world, and fill me with Your presence. May Your strength, hope, love, and wisdom shine through me and draw all who know me to You. Let my life reflect Your glory, for it is the greatest gift I can ever give You. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
