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. Isaiah 9:6
Our culture has a tendency to focus on baby Jesus laying in a manger, Santa, and gift-giving. We decorate our homes and send cards with various sentiments about peace and joy to the world! Then when Christmas passes, people don’t want to talk about Jesus anymore! However, Christmas is just the beginning of God’s redemptive love story. For unto us a child was born, but that child became an adult with the purpose of saving the world! The baby Jesus came to unfold God’s plan of salvation for humanity and to bring God’s kingdom and the joy and peace we so readily talk about.
Prior to the coming of Christ, His birth was prophesied hundreds of years earlier by various prophets. While many kingdoms and empires rose and toppled down, God had a different answer for government and human needs. The above scripture tells us about the attributes that the Messiah was going to have that were going to be answers for people’s yearnings. Let’s remind ourselves of these attributes that made Jesus our Lord and Savior!
Government will be upon His shoulder
God placed every form government upon Jesus’ shoulder. Jesus is the foundation of every good government. The basis of God’s truth and righteousness creates a stable and strong foundation for self-government, family government, church government, and civil government.Jesus showed the highest form of government with His unwavering leadership, His reverence for God, His sinless life, His truthful and compassionate ministry, and His sacrificial death! If we all look to Jesus as our example of governance, our homes and our society will change dramatically. Where do you seek answers for good government? Are you self-governing? Do you govern your thoughts, emotions, words, and actions?
Wonderful
Jesus is Wonderful, and He is marvelous! He continued to do signs and wonders that made people hungry and thirsty for more of God and His kingdom. He also astonished the religious people with His answers. His compassion for people was deep and His passion for God was unshakable and unwavering. Are you at awe of your God? Have His wonders touched your life?
Counselor
Jesus is our Counselor. He is the one who gives us wisdom for every situation and dilemma. King Solomon was known for his wisdom because God had blessed him with great measure of wisdom. We cannot solve our problems without the wisdom of God. The further away people are from God, the more they look to human reasoning and half-baked ideas to solve humanity’s issues. The solutions may temporarily work but ultimately they have major consequences. Jesus is the best counselor who gives us insight, comfort, conviction, and instruction for every situation in life. God is in the business of helping His children, and He does not leave them as orphans in this world. Is He your counselor? Who do you go to first, when you are in need of counsel?
I will continue with this subject in the next devotional.
