Advent Mighty God

Isaiah 9:2, 6-7 - Advent III Midweek - December 18, 2013           
His Name Shall Be Called Mighty God

² 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…

…⁶ 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. ⁷ 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.

Christ’s name is Wonderful and Counselor: Wonderful, because of the wonders he has done for us; Counselor, because he comforts and upholds us by his word.  The third name that the prophet Isaiah gives him shows us that this King of ours not only abides with us in our suffering, but has the power to assure a happy outcome.  He is Mighty God.  Or as we confess in the Nicene Creed, he is God of God, Light of Light, very God of very God. 

Of course, this has already been settled – that the Child who was to be born is himself in fact the almighty God.  And it’s important to know.  In chapter 7, Isaiah gave a sign from the Lord to King Ahaz that the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call his name Immanuel, that is, God with us.  The Child who was to be born of Mary is God.  This is an important truth.  If Jesus were not God then his death could not have paid for our sins.  If he were not God then his wonders could have only inspired the imagination, but they could not have benefited mankind in any eternal way.  If Jesus were not God, then his counsel and comfort would have only been temporary.  Like all human counsel, it would have had only enough power to urge us on in our struggles – but not the power to free us from our sin. 

But Jesus is God.  He is of one substance with his eternal Father and equal in glory with the Holy Spirit who proceeds from them both.  There is one God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.  By the commission of the Father and by the power of the Spirit, the Son was conceived in the womb of their own creation.  True God became true man.  And Mary became the mother of God. 

Unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given.  Here in Isaiah 9, we see that the child is not merely born to Mary – to be with her, like children often are born to their mothers.  He is born to us.  Unto us a child is born.  Unto us a Son is given.  This is because through the birth of this baby, God will be among us.  He will be Immanuel.  This is not the birth simply of Mary’s Child.  This is the birth of God.  The prophecy is clear.  God would become man.  The names that we’ve been considering these last couple midweek services (and which we’ll conclude next Tuesday on Christmas Eve) are names that each describe in some way the ministry of Immanuel: Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.  All of these names make sense only if he is true God and true Man. 

So this name that we consider this evening – Mighty God – it might seem to be a little redundant, huh?  But giving him this name is not simply to say that he is true God, although that is included, of course.  And we’ve just gone over how important this is.  But rather, more so, to call him Mighty God is to say that this is where God acts mightily – in this Person, Jesus Christ.  To call him Mighty God is not just to speak of who this Child is, but at the same time to speak of how this Child reveals God’s power to save.  If you want to see God’s might, look here.  You will not find God’s might in nature, or in human strength and wisdom, or in the goodwill of the world at Christmas time.  Such things might look powerful; they might even compel you to change the way you think and behave, but such change won’t save you.  No.  If you want to see the might of God, you look to what this Man Jesus Christ does and says.  As St. Paul says in Romans 1: “I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes.” 

In Christ we see God’s mighty power in two ways.  First, we see God’s might in his works.  Second, we see God’s might in his words. 

We speak of Christ’s work of course in terms of what he has done.  Consider what God did for Israel.  He worked wonders for his people.  He led them out of Egypt through the Red Sea on dry ground.  He defeated enemies with great demonstrations of strength and power.  He miraculously fed them as they wandered in the wilderness.  He behaved as their God.  How else should God have been their God?  ——  But the mighty work that Jesus did was done always as a humble servant.  It didn’t look mighty.  Unto us a Child is born.  He comes as a Child.  This should tell us something about his mission.  He comes as our Savior, meek and mild, assuming not only our flesh and blood, but also our need to learn and grow.  And so he did.  He grew in wisdom and stature, submitting not only to the earthly elements of his own creation but even more importantly to his earthly parents who were sinners themselves.  He lived a life not of showing off what God could do, but in loving his neighbor as himself – in doing what we should do.  He hid his divine strength in order to show us where God’s strength is wielded for our eternal benefit.  He humbled himself in order to accomplish as a mere mortal what we sinners have left undone. 

And even when Jesus revealed his power in miracles and wonders, he did it in order to draw attention to a might within himself much more impressive — a spiritual power.  The ability and the willingness to do what God requires of us.  To say that what Jesus did is mighty is no overstatement.  He did what we could not, what we in our twisted corruption would not do.  He obeyed his Father — of course he did! He is his eternal Son — yes, but he obeyed the Father not simply as his eternal Son, but as the Son of Man.  Unto us a Son is given.  This means that he came to be obedient in our stead, as our Substitute.  His life is ours. 

Only when we see how lacking our own lives are do we see how powerful this is.  Only when God’s demands on your life have persuaded you of how far you have fallen, how weak and unwilling your flesh is – only then do you see the might of God in the lowly life of Christ who became flesh for you.  What duties have your left undone?  Have you spoken kindly to your spouse?  Have you helped her with what she needs from you?  Have you done it willingly, or that she might be indebted to you?  Have you shown respect to your husband?  Do you children listen to your parents?  Have you fathers taught your children God’s word?  Do you imagine that it’s too late since they are grown?  Or is the word of God no longer useful for rebuking and admonishing those who call themselves Christians? 

What have you left undone?  What do you still not know how to do?  What have you not the courage to do?  Look to what Christ has done.  See what the law requires – permit it to be blunt to you.  Own your failures.  Admit your sin.  And so see in what the law demands exactly what Christ has done for you.  He fulfills the law. 

When we speak of Christ’s work, we also speak in terms of what has been done to him – what he has suffered.  And here the guilty conscience afraid of God’s righteousness is especially comforted. The young man who has succumbed to the thoughts and imaginations of his heart sees in the death of Jesus his own flesh rebuked.  He sees the punishment lifted off of him and placed on another.  The old woman who struggles with a grudge she holds and bitterness and who refuses to forgive because of how others have treated her sees the silence of Jesus as he suffers unjustly at the hands of evil men.  And in his suffering she sees what God suffers for her.  She sees her sin borne without bitterness.  She sees how powerful God’s love is. 

And this is why he is called Mighty God.  Of course he is God.  He is Christ.  But just as important as who he is is what he has done.  And he does it for you.  He takes the government upon his shoulders.  He who possesses all the power of God, because he is God, takes upon himself all the accusations and condemnations, all the threats and chastisements.  He whop fulfilled the law suffers under it.  For us.  And so we find God’s might where he takes our sin away. 

He takes our sin away with words.  Typically, words are cheap.  They float in space and delight the heart for a time.  But they also disappoint.  They deceive.  They are only as powerful as the one speaking them.  And as we know, all flesh is grass.  All things beautiful fade.  All promises that give hope, and all potential in life.  In the grand scheme of things, we don’t last much longer than the words we speak.  It all fades.  But the eternal Word who became flesh, he does not fade.  The breath of the Lord, the word of God endures forever.  What Jesus says does not pass away.  And so that is where we find God’s might.  As I quoted earlier, “I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ – the words he speaks – his promise of forgiveness – for though it looks weak, and sounds like any other words, because they give what Jesus gives – I am not ashamed of his gospel – for it is the power of God unto salvation.” 

To call Jesus Mighty God is to name him as the God who speaks a mighty word.  It is the word we just sang from Isaiah chapter 40 – “Comfort, comfort my people,” says your God.”  Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and cry to her that her warfare is ended, that her iniquity is pardoned, that she has received from the Lord’s hand double for all her sins.” 

What does the herald of good news say? 

“Get you up to a high mountain, O Zion, herald of good news; lift up your voice with strength, O Jerusalem, herald of good news; lift it up, fear not; say to the cities of Judah, “Behold your God!” Behold, the Lord God comes with might, and his arm rules for him; behold, his reward is with him, and his recompense before him. He will tend his flock like a shepherd; he will gather the lambs in his arms; he will carry them in his bosom, and gently lead those that are with young.”

On Jordan's bank the Baptist's cry
Announces that the Lord is nigh;
Come, then, and hearken, for he brings
Glad tidings from the King of kings.

Malachi 4:4 – He who has healing in his wings is the King of Kings.  The mighty God whose government is everlasting precisely because he takes the government upon his shoulders.  The King of Kings is the one who serves. 

He is kind and good because he comes as the King of kings.