Good morning my “Walking with Jesus” friends,
This is Christmas week and we’re now only a few days away. Do you feel a growing anxiety or excitement? Why? What is it about “Christmas” that awakens such emotions in all of us? What words best describe what you are feeling these days? Hope, Happiness, Anticipation, Joy? Sadly, for some people the words which describe their feelings these days are Regret, Loneliness, Bitterness, or maybe Loss.
I’m hoping our 30-day journey to Christmas is helping you gain a fresh perspective of this wonderful reality: God was planning Christmas from the days of Adam and Eve in the Garden! Over and over, in every generation, God did things, or spoke through people or events in an effort to point the human race forward to Christmas, yet even that Christmas night, most people missed it! And today the vast majority of the world’s population distort God’s intention for Christmas with parties, presents, profits, good food, intoxicating beverages, entertainment, music and so much activity. Maybe that’s one reason Jesus was born in a quiet stable and laid in a manger, rather than being born in the busy, bustling, overcrowded Bethlehem Inn. When the shepherds came to visit, they entered a quiet, natural, peaceful setting…far from the noise of census busy Bethlehem. How about you my friends, are you missing God’s voice, God’s message this Christmas because of too much activity and noise?Would you return today with me to Isaiah 9:6,7 written nearly 700 years before that first Christmas… “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on His shoulders. He will be called ‘Wonderful Counselor’, ‘Mighty God’, ‘Everlasting Father’, ‘Prince of Peace’. Of the greatness of His government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the LORD Almighty will accomplish this.” This is our third day together looking into these profound, powerful words which were simply breathtaking for those who heard Isaiah speak them or read these words even many centuries later. Today let’s focus on the timelessness of these words.
Do you see the name “Everlasting Father” in the four titles Isaiah prophesied would be used in describing Messiah when He came? In our day, sadly, the word “Father” is a painful word for millions of people who experienced the abandonment of their Dad as he left them for another woman, or far away employment, or perhaps he never abandoned his family physically but he left emotionally choosing instead the local bar or casino, or he built a ‘man cave’ in the basement and overdosed on sports or pornography.
I thank God for my human father who while not perfect was faithful to his family, faithful to God and faithful in calling our family to God frequently. How about you and your father? For Mr. Isaiah, he mentions his father in the first verse of his 66 chapters, but all we know about him is his name “Amoz.” Family heritage was important in Bible times. Especially to the people of Israel. But regardless of how revered a father was, still all dads die! And that’s why when Isaiah used the title “EVERLASTING Father” it stirred something deeply in the minds and hearts of his listeners. What would it be like to have a good, good father who never died!? When Gabriel appeared to Mary with the news of her miraculous conception, he said “You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call Him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High God….His kingdom will never end.“ (Luke 1:31-33) Do you hear the everlasting timelessness in these words, and also that Jesus would be able to call GOD His Father? Never before had any prophet or priest or even ordinary person ever used the words “my Father” when speaking of God, but Jesus did it all the time and whenever He did people took notice! It forced them to make a decision about Jesus. Either Jesus was a lunatic, insane and should be isolated from society as dangerous OR Jesus was simply an outright, boldface, God mocking liar! No one can or ever should call Almighty God “my Father”, should they?
You see, there is one other possibility of course… Jesus was right! He was telling the truth whenever He said “My Father” as referring to Almighty, Holy, Creator God! That is why when Mary Magdalene met the resurrected Jesus in the garden, she was shocked when Jesus said these words to her: “Do not hold on to Me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father. Go to My brothers and tell them, ‘I am ascending to My Father and your Father, My God and your God.“ (John 20:17) Do you see it my friends? Jesus said Almighty God was His Father and God could also be our heavenly Father, and because God is eternal, He could be our “Everlasting Father”! How? If we trust fully in Jesus Christ to be our Savior and God then erases our sin, drawing us close to Himself and adopting us into His family as His children!! (John 1:12)
Did you also notice Isaiah said “Of the greatness of His government and peace there will be no end…” Do you once again see the ‘timelessness’ of this statement? What Almighty God, the “Everlasting Father” does is intended to be timeless! God created you and me with a soul and a spirit which are immortal, intended to live forever with God in His Presence! God created heaven and angels to be immortal, everlasting. While Satan intervened and brought death, destruction, decay and evil into our world, Christmas and Easter join together and Jesus provides a way for God’s original design to be restored! Do you see that my friends?
At Christmas time do you rejoice in the everlasting nature of God and the timeless HOPE Christmas offers all humanity? The reign of Jesus over all as King of kings and Lord of lords is everlasting! (Revelation 19:16) And one day Satan, death, and evil will be bound and cast into a lake of fire, hell, for all time future… everlasting with no evil! (Revelation 20:14)And did you notice one final phrase in Isaiah’s great prophecy: “The zeal of the LORD Almighty will accomplish this.” This answers the question which was front and center in everyone’s mind in Isaiah’s day, but has also arisen with every person who has ever heard or read Isaiah’s prophecy… HOW? How could all this possibly occur? How could there ever be such a wonderful person who fits all these criteria? How could there be a government of justice and righteousness which would prevail over all opponents and last forever? How could there ever be someone who could make it possible Almighty God could be our “Everlasting Father”? The answer is simple yet profound. God Himself is the only One capable, powerful enough to accomplish all of this!
And that’s why from the moment of Gabriel’s first appearance to Zechariah in the temple, to the angels in the night sky over the shepherd fields, to the conclusion of the Magi scholars… Christmas is all about the power of God, supreme over all things, bringing into our world His Son to be our Savior for the purpose of accomplishing God’s everlasting purposes and deep desire: that every human being would have the opportunity to be delivered from their inescapable sin bondage and enter into an everlasting relationship with Almighty, Holy God as their heavenly Father! It’s only possible with Christmas and the advent of Jesus Christ into our world as our Savior! Oh, my friends let’s praise Him with this glorious worship song. . .
Today’s Scripture is Isaiah 9:6, 7
Choose below to read or listen.
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Bible images provided with attribution to www.LumoProject.com.
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Pastor Doug Anderson 262.441.8785
“Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, with our eyes fixed on Jesus…” (Heb. 12:1,2)
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