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 ...and the government shall be upon His shoulders. And His Name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. And of the increase of His Kingdom and peace there shall be no end...the zeal of the Lord of Hosts will perform this." Isaiah 9:6-7
Most of us wouldn't trust the government to a child. Most of us wouldn't turn to a child for counseling, and most folks wouldn't even believe you if you said a child would bring peace! So what was so different about this Child of Whom the prophet was speaking?
Only this: this Child was God in the form of a shivering, squalling, wet, little baby. The eyes of this Child looking up at his mother in the dim light of a stable were the eyes that had viewed the formation of the stars. The cries of a tiny baby came from the mouth that had said, "Let there be light," and the little hands that now clung so tightly to the edge of momma's garment were the Hands that had scooped up clay and breathed life into the human race. That beautiful, special Child grew to a young man. His hands became roughened by the hard labor of a carpenter, yet they were not too tough to reach out in healing compassion to everyone who sought their touch. His hands were not so rough that little children didn't want to hold them, and His eyes were not those which looked away from the hurts of His fellow man. The precious Word of God lived and walked among suffering, being tempted in every way as we are, and yet never succombing to sin. This sinless, selfless Man humbled Himself to obey the will of His Father. Rather than take the easy way out that His earthly flesh desired, He submitted even to a horrendous death in order to become the ultimate payment for the wrongs that you and I commit in the sight of God. It was His death and resurrection that conquered sin, spiritual death, and separation from God for eternity, for all of us. The Child once crying in the still night air in a stable became the Man crying out in the agony of death, "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they are doing." That sentence applies to each of us, and the acceptance of it vindicates us from our own, well-deserved sentence of eternity without God. It is my prayer that as we celebrate the awesome fact of the birth of God incarnate, you and yours would all be blessed with knowing this special Child. If you would like to know more about what God has done for us through Jesus and what it can mean to you, please go to Knowing God. God bless you with His peace and love in this, the season of the birth of His unique and only Child.
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