JESUS CHRIST CAME, LIVED, DIED AND ROSE AGAIN. IT WAS OUT OF THE FINAL ACT OF RESURRECTION THAT CHRISTIANITY AROSE.
THE MEANING OF CHRISTIANITY WILL BE VAGUE AND UNCLEAR IF YOU DO NOT FIRST GRASP THE MEANING OF CHRIST’S LIFE, DEATH AND LIVING PRESENCE.
IT IS FROM JESUS CHRIST THAT CHRISTIANITY DERIVES ITS NAME, ITS MISSION, ITS IDENTITY, ITS PURPOSE, AND ITS VERY LIFE. THIS IS WHY CHRISTIANITY IS NOT A RELIGION.
CHRISTIANITY IS A RELATIONSHIP! CHRISTIANITY IS A RELATION TO A PERSON. IT IS NOT ESSENTIALLY AN IDEA OR INSTITUTION AS IS BUDDHISM, ISLAM OR ANY OTHER OCCULT.
CHRISTIANITY HAS DEFINED ITSELF BY ITS FAITH IN RELATION TO JESUS CHRIST. HE IS THE ONE TO WHOM FAITH RELATES AND IN WHOM FAITH TRUSTS.
ONE OF THE LARGEST DISTINCTIONS OF CHRISTIANITY IS THAT IT IS NOT A BELIEF IN A MESSAGE, BUT A BELIEF IN A PERSON. THAT "PERSON" IS THE SON OF GOD.
THIS IS WHY WE PROCLAIM THE TRUTH THAT JESUS DID NOT COME TO DELIVER A GOSPEL, BUT TO BE HIMSELF THAT GOSPEL.
THE GOSPEL THAT IS THE GOOD NEWS OF GOD’S OWN COMING IN THE FLESH. A GOSPEL THAT ISN’T AN IDEA BUT AN ACTUAL PERSON TO BE PROCLAIMED.
THAT PERSON IS JESUS CHRIST, WHOSE LIFE ENDED IN SUCH A WAY THAT ALL BEFORE AND AFTER HAS BECOME DECISIVELY ILLUMINED.
ILLUMINED TO THE FACT THAT ALMIGHTY GOD THE FATHER WILLED THE SON’S COMING, AND MADE ALL POSSIBLE FOR THE HOLY SPIRIT TO ENABLE THE CONCEPTION.
THE FATHER PREPARED THE BODY FOR THE SON, THE SON ASSUMED IT, AND THE SPIRIT CONCEIVED AND ENABLED IT. THEN, IN A LOWLY MANGER IN BETHLEHEM HUMAN HANDS DELIVERED IT UNTO THE WORLD IN THE FORM OF A BABY.
WHO IS THIS CHILD? THIS CHILD IS THE ONE ISAIAH REFERRED TO AS WONDERFUL, COUNSELOR, MIGHTY GOD, EVERLASTING FATHER, AND PRINCE OF PEACE.
WONDERFUL! THIS IS A NOUN IN HEBREW THAT SIGNIFIES ANOTHER NAME FOR THE CHRIST CHILD. IT DETAILS HIS PERSONALITY AND CHARACTER IN HIS ETERNAL RELATION TO THE ALMIGHTY FATHER.
JESUS IS SO WONDERFUL IN HIS DEALINGS WITH HIS CHILDREN. THINK OF HIS PATIENCE WITH US, IN HIS REGARD FOR US, IN HIS REVELATION OF HIMSELF TO US, AND HOW FORGIVING HE IS TO ALL OF US WHO ARE BENT TO SIN.
THE WONDERFULNESS OF CHRIST IN HIS LIFE ON EARTH IS SO GREAT THAT AN UNBELIEVER CANNOT HELP BUT ADMIRE HIM. JESUS IS WONDERFUL IN HIS TRIUMPH OVER DEATH AND THE GRAVE.
HE IS WONDERFUL IN HIS ASCENSION INTO HEAVEN; WONDERFUL IN HIS POWER AND MIGHT USED TO SUSTAIN HIS CHURCH. THE EXCEPTIONAL, DISTINGUISHED CHRIST CHILD OF THE MANGER IS, INDEED, WONDERFUL!
COUNSELOR! THIS TELLS US OF THE CHRIST CHILD’S EDUCATION. HE KNOWS ALL THINGS AND IS THEREFORE THE SUPREME COUNSELOR OF ALL THINGS. HE IS OUR SOUL’S CONSCIENCE AND THE NATURAL REASONING OF OUR HEART.
THIS CHILD-SON’S EVERLASTING WISDOM PROVIDES US WITH THE ABILITY TO FIND STRENGTH AMIDST WEAKNESS, VICTORY BY SURRENDER, AND LIFE DESPITE PHYSICAL DEATH.
CHRIST, THE COUNSELOR OF TRUE WISDOM, WILL SHARE IT WITH US. JAMES 1:5, "IF YOU NEED WISDOM - IF YOU WANT TO KNOW WHAT GOD WANTS YOU TO DO - ASK HIM, AND HE WILL GLADLY TELL YOU. HE WILL NOT RESENT YOUR ASKING."
MIGHTY GOD! THIS SPEAKS OF THE CHRIST CHILD’S NATIONALITY. JESUS IS THE ONE AND ONLY SON OF THE LIVING GOD. JESUS WILL BE GOD’S STRONG HERO!
THROUGH HIS MIGHTY POWER HE WILL REDEEM HUMANITY, CONQUER DEATH AND SIN, TRIUMPH OVER SATAN AND BECOME THE MERITORIOUS SACRIFICE FOR ALL.
THE CHRIST CHILD WILL HAVE GOD’S TRUE MIGHT ABOUT HIM, POWER SO GREAT THAT IT CAN ABSORB ALL THE EVIL WHICH CAN BE HURLED AT HIM UNTIL NO EVIL IS LEFT TO BE HURLED. JESUS IS OUR GREAT HERO AND A MIGHTY GOD!
EVERLASTING FATHER! THIS SPEAKS OF THE CHRIST CHILD’S RELATION TO THE TRINITY. BUT, WAIT! HOW CAN THE SON BE REFERRED TO AS THE FATHER?
THE MESSIAH HAS ALWAYS BEEN REFERRED TO AS THE SECOND PERSON OF THE TRINITY. BECAUSE OF THIS RELATIONSHIP HE IS, IN ESSENCE, GOD. BECAUSE JESUS IS GOD HE HAS THE ATTRIBUTES OF GOD WHICH INCLUDES ETERNITY.
THE REASON JESUS IS REFERRED TO HERE AS THE EVERLASTING FATHER IS TO HELP US UNDERSTAND HIS RELATIONSHIP TO US AS OUR EVER-PRESENT PROTECTOR.
WE ARE ASSURED THROUGH THE CHRIST CHILD, WHO IS THE ALPHA AND OMEGA, THE BEGINNING AND THE END, WOULD NEVER CEASE TO BE OUR PROTECTOR.
CHRIST, THE EVERLASTING FATHER, ASSURES US THAT WE WILL NEVER BE DESERTED OR FORSAKEN. PROMISED THAT HE WOULD NEVER BECOME SILENT, BUT WILL ALWAYS MAKE INTERCESSION ON OUR BEHALF WITH THE FATHER.
PRINCE OF PEACE! THIS SPEAKS OF THE CHRIST CHILD’S SPECIAL TALENT. JESUS CHRIST’S SPECIAL TALENT IS HIS ABILITY TO RECONCILE HUMANITY BACK TO ITS PROPER RELATIONSHIP WITH ALMIGHTY GOD.
JESUS NOT ONLY CAME TO RESTORE OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD BUT TO DESTROY THE EVIL THAT HAS SEPARATED US FROM ONE ANOTHER. BECAUSE OF THE PRINCE OF PEACE WE CAN BE RECONCILED WITH OUR BROTHERS AND SISTERS.
IT IS NO SURPRISE THAT THIS ATTRIBUTE OF "PRINCE OF PEACE" WOULD BE MENTIONED LAST. THERE IS NO BETTER WAY TO BRING TO A CLIMAX THE POWER OF GOD THAN TO TELL OF WHY JESUS CHRIST CAME ON OUR BEHALF.
THE SOLE PURPOSE OF CHRIST’S INCARNATION WAS FOR OUR REDEMPTION FROM THE GATES OF HELL THAT BIDS OUR ENTRANCE. AUGUSTINE PUT IT THIS WAY, "THAT MEN MIGHT BE BORN OF GOD, GOD WAS FIRST BORN OF THEM." JESUS CHRIST IS OUR PRINCE OF PEACE.
WONDERFUL, COUNSELOR, MIGHTY GOD, EVERLASTING FATHER, PRINCE OF PEACE; THE NAMES THAT BEGIN IN THE PAST, ADVANCE INTO THE PRESENT AND END IN THE FUTURE.
THE HOLIEST OF NAMES THAT FIRST SPEAKS OF OUR REVERENCE AND AWE FOR THE GOD WE WORSHIP.
SECONDLY, THE NAMES CALL FOR OUR TRUST THAT WE BELIEVE THAT JESUS CHRIST IS, TO US, ALL WISE AND ALMIGHTY.
THIRDLY, THE NAMES END BY CALLING FOR OUR LOVE TOWARDS HIM AS A PROTECTING "FATHER" WHO WILL, AS PROMISED, BRING US INTO AN EVERLASTING PEACE WITH HIM IN HIS KINGDOM.
FROM THE VERY DAWN OF HUMAN HISTORY THIS WICKED WORLD HAS DESPERATELY SOUGHT TO EMPLOY THE SERVICES OF SOMEONE OR SOME "THING" WHO COULD HEAL THE HURT OF THE HUMAN SOUL AND USHER IN THE LONG DREAM OF UNIVERSAL RIGHTEOUSNESS.
MANY PEOPLE THROUGHOUT OUR HISTORY HAVE APPLIED FOR THE JOB THINKING THEY COULD DO IT. NUMEROUS METHODS HAVE BEEN TRIED TO ACCOMPLISH IT. THE ONLY THING THAT HAS HAPPENED IS THAT ALL THE PEOPLE WHO TRIED AND ALL THE METHODS IMPLEMENTED HAVE COME CRASHING DOWN IN BITTER DISAPPOINTMENT.
WITH ALL THESE FAILED ATTEMPTS ONE LAST CANDIDATE CAME TO APPLY FOR THE JOB. ISAIAH 11:1-2, "AND THERE SHALL COME FORTH A ROD OUT OF THE STEM OF JESSE, AND A BRANCH SHALL GROW OUT OF HIS ROOTS; AND THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD SHALL REST UPON HIM, THE SPIRIT OF WISDOM AND UNDERSTANDING, THE SPIRIT OF COUNSEL AND MIGHT, THE SPIRIT OF KNOWLEDGE AND OF THE FEAR OF THE LORD."
THAT CANDIDATE WAS NO CANDIDATE, BUT A SAVIOR WHO IS JESUS CHRIST THE LORD. DELIVERED TO US IN SWADDLING CLOTHES HIS WHOLE MISSION WAS TO SAVE HUMANITY.
1 JOHN 4:14, "THE FATHER HAS SENT HIS SON TO BE THE SAVIOR OF THE WORLD." GALATIANS 4:4,6, "WHEN THE TIME HAD COME, GOD SENT HIS SON" TO "REDEEM THOSE UNDER THE LAW." THIS ONLY SON OF THE HEAVENLY FATHER BECAME FLESH, ENTERED HISTORY, AND SHARED OUR HUMANITY.
THE WHOLE LONG HISTORY OF GOD’S RELATIONSHIP WITH US HUMAN BEINGS IS A HISTORY OF EVER-DEEPENING INTIMATE COMMUNION.
IT IS NOT SIMPLY A HISTORY OF UNITIES, SEPARATIONS, AND RESTORED UNITIES, BUT A HISTORY IN WHICH GOD SEARCHES FOR EVER-NEW WAYS TO COMMUNE INTIMATELY WITH THOSE CREATED IN GOD’S OWN IMAGE.
FROM ADAM AND EVE TO ABRAHAM AND SARAH, FROM DAVID TO BATHSHEBA TO JESUS AND EVER SINCE, GOD HAS BEEN CRYING OUT TO BE RECEIVED BY HIS OWN.
AS MARY AND JOSEPH RECEIVED THE BABY JESUS INTO THEIR LIVES THAT FIRST CHRISTMAS DAY, WILL YOU RECEIVE THIS CHILD INTO YOURS TODAY?
