Making This Christmas Count
part 4
Realize
Whose Birthday We're Celebrating
by
Greg Hanson
Sunrise Wesleyan Church
December 21, 2008
Main Verse: Isaiah 9:6 (NLT)
For
a child is born to us, a son is given to us. The government will rest
on his shoulders. And he will be called: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty
God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Not too long ago,
I told you about when Nathaniel was born we already had a name picked
out for him. We named him Nathaniel which means gift of God, which we
really believe he is. Plus, there’s a Nathanael in the Bible that Jesus
described as a man of complete integrity. And I would love for that to
be the description for our Nathaniel, too. So we had that name all
picked out and ready for him when he was born.
But not everyone
does it that way. Some parents today like to wait until after their
child is born before they consider names, because they want to meet
their child and get to know them a bit before they decide on a name.
Shera
and I had friends who had a baby and waited a couple weeks before
deciding on a name. Paul was telling me recently about people he knows
who waited months before settling on a name.
Sometimes people
try to get cute with names. Shera and I are fans of the Amazing Race,
and they just recently finished off another season. And this year, the
winning team was a brother-sister team, and the sister’s name is Starr
Spangler. And believe it or not, she grew up to be a Dallas Cowboys
Cheerleader, and now she’s dating a guy named Dallas.
Here are a few other unusual names…
[Show images of strange names found in phonebooks]
Of
course, some people aren’t even known by their real names. Instead,
they have nicknames. In football, you had Refrigerator Perry and “Mean”
Joe Green. In Basketball you had Wilt “The Stilt” Chamberlain, Magic
Johnson and Dr. J. In Baseball, there’s Mr. October, Charlie Hustle,
and The Yankee Clipper. Of course, I’m more of a hockey guy, so I’m
more familiar with Dave “The Hammer” Schultz, Boom Boom Geoffrion, and
The Great One. Oh, yeah, there’s also Rocket Richard, the Pocket Rocket
and the Russian Rocket.
Nicknames are meant to be descriptive,
and they’ve been around for a long time. Going back through history
you’ll find nicknames like The Great Emancipator, Ivan the Terrible,
and Gregory the Great.
Even Jesus had nicknames… terms that were
used to describe Him. Some of them were even being used hundreds of
years before Jesus was born. You’ve got to be pretty special to have
nicknames centuries before your birth.
Well, we’re going to look
at four of these nicknames this morning. Four descriptive terms that
the prophet Isaiah used to refer to Jesus.
During this Advent
season, we’ve been talking about how we can make this Christmas count.
So far we’ve talked about giving the right kinds of gifts, learning to
control the pace of our lives during this hectic season of the year,
and last week we talked about investing in relationships, being
generous toward those in need, and freely sharing the message of Jesus.
Today
we’re talking about Making This Christmas Count by realizing whose
birthday we’re celebrating and why He came. And to do that, we’re going
to look at some nicknames used for Jesus 800 years before He was even
born.
Because it was about that time, Isaiah made a
prophecy about the coming of the long-awaited Messiah. Isaiah said,
“The Messiah is coming and will be born, and his name shall be...” And
the minute he said, “...and his name shall be,” everything and everyone
got quiet because in that era names were a big deal. Much more so than
today, names meant something. Names were often used to define a person.
In fact, sometimes a person’s name would change when they got older if
the original name didn’t quite “fit”. So when Isaiah said “…and His
name shall be…”, everyone realized that the next words that came out of
his mouth would perhaps reveal the character or the mission or the true
identity of the coming Messiah.
So Isaiah proceeded to give them
four names. Now, these were not the names that Jesus’ family and
friends would call him. They were nicknames that would never actually
be used, but would reveal His mission and identity. And I’ll give you a
hint. Isaiah said, “His first name will be W. C. He shall be called...”
What is it? “Wonderful Counselor.”
Four
“Names” of Jesus:
1.
Wonderful Counsellor
Isaiah 9:6 (NLT)
And he will be called: Wonderful Counselor…
We
just recently had an election here in Canada, and almost had another
one shortly afterward. We’re still in a minority government situation,
so even with the possibility of a coalition government I wouldn’t be
surprised if we did have another election within the next few months.
Well,
whatever Prime Minister we have, hopefully they will surround
themselves with people who can give them good counsel. Same thing in
the States. Barack Obama will soon be in office there, and hopefully he
will surround himself with people who can give him wise counsel.
World
leaders need people who can give good counsel. But you know, everybody
in this chaotic, uncertain world would do well to have a wonderful
counselor at his or her side—someone who knows more than you know about
a whole range of subject matters. Someone who cares for you enough to
come alongside and impart that wisdom and knowledge to you lovingly.
Someone who can give you guidance and direction. Someone whose counsel
can keep you from making unwise choices and blowing up your
life.
Someone whose perspective is higher than yours, whose wisdom is
deeper, and whose commitment to you knows no bounds. What a gift a
wonderful counselor would be to each of us. Isaiah, 800 years before
Christ, says, “The Messiah is coming, and his name shall be called
Wonderful Counselor.”
And sure enough, when Jesus was
born all those centuries later, and then he started growing up, the
Bible says that he matured in every field of knowledge. And when he
began his teaching ministry, his crowds doubled and tripled and
quadrupled.
He offered more insightful, trustworthy,
penetrating wisdom and counsel than the world had ever heard before.
And often, when he would end his discourses, people would just stand
there spellbound. And they would say, “Who is this man? Where did he
learn this stuff? No one has ever been this wise.”
And ever since, those who have studied the teachings of Jesus have
agreed that He’s in a class all his own.
And
still today, even around our church and throughout our city, people sit
around in small groups, and they discuss and compare notes with each
other, and they shake their heads in wonderment at how Jesus has been a
wonderful counselor for our lives… how he has guided us and prompted
us, how he has led us… how He has counseled us.
I became a
Christ-follower when I was seven years old. So I’ve been following Him
for over 30 years now. And I can tell you with complete sincerity that
I have absolutely no regrets for the times I have followed His counsel,
even when I didn’t understand it.
In fact, the biggest regrets I
have in my life are when this Wonderful Counselor gave me counsel and
wisdom, and I didn’t follow it. Those are the times I regret. But
whenever I followed his wonderful counsel—his promptings, his guidance
for my life—it has taken me down a straight road that went to a good
place.
Well, Isaiah goes on to say, “Not only is this coming Messiah going to
be a wonderful counselor, he is also M. G.” Who’s that?
2.
Mighty God
Isaiah 9:6 (NLT)
And he will be called… Mighty God…
This
is an interesting little twist of terms, because Isaiah said, “Oh, it’s
a wonderful thing to have a loving counselor, but don’t forget, he’s
more than that. He’s the sovereign, mighty, all-powerful God. He’s the
Alpha and Omega, the Creator, the Sustainer of the universe.”
And
sure enough, when Jesus was born and he grew up and he started his
ministry, He began to demonstrate this mighty power. You know about
some of the displays of power. You know that he calmed a raging storm.
You know that He healed the sick and opened the eyes of the blind. You
know how He helped the lame to walk. You know that He restored life to
some recently-deceased people. You know how He fed a multitude with
very little food.
Last week, Shera and I were at a wedding in
Halifax. And at the reception, there were a bunch of ladies from the
church there, including a caterer, who organized the food. And they did
a great job… except for one thing. They let teenagers go at the front
of the line. So they went and loaded up their plates, so by the time
old folks like me got to the table, there wasn’t much food left. (I
made a stop at McDonald’s on the way home.)
I’m sure those
ladies who were in charge of the food would have loved it if Jesus had
shown up and exercised His power to multiply the food to feed the
multitude that day.
But there are lots of examples throughout
the New Testament of Jesus displaying His power as the Mighty God. No
one had ever seen this kind of power before, culminating with him
managing to walk out of his own stone-cold tomb after three days of
very limited activity in that tomb.
He proved his identity. He proved his divinity. He was the Mighty God.
And
Jesus is still that very same Mighty God, and He still makes that power
available to us today. How many times have we witnessed His power move
in response to our prayers? How many times have people been healed of
diseases, how many times have the unemployed found work, how many times
have incredible obstacles been overcome because of prayer?
James 4:2 (NLT)
Yet you don’t have what you want because you don’t ask God for it.
Now,
to be clear, the Bible also teaches that there are times you do ask in
faith for something, and the answer is “No.” And it’s in those times
that you need to understand that God is wiser than us, He sees the big
picture, and He knows what’s best even when we don’t. And there are
times that the answer is “Wait.” The timing’s not right right now, so
keep on praying, don’t give up, and the answer will come.
And
that can be really hard. Because for some of us, after we pray for a
while, we run out of steam. We run out of faith. We run out of the
belief that there really is a mighty God who has unlimited power at his
disposal, who can actually help us out.
Luke 18:1 (NLT)
One day Jesus told his disciples a story to show that they should
always pray and never give up.
Some
of us are one prayer away from God doing something supernatural. I just
wonder how many of you need to ask God for something today? Some of you
may be looking for a new job. Have you asked God, “God, open a door of
employment, please, by your supernatural hand.” Some of you need
direction for your future. Some of you need to be set free from a fear
that cripples you or from tons of shame or guilt. Have you asked God to
set you free by His power? Some of you need the power of God to move in
your homes, in your families, in your finances, in your business
relationships, in your physical health.
Can you muster the faith
to say, “Yes, I’m glad the Christmas child was a Wonderful Counselor,
but he’s also Mighty God, and I need Him to demonstrate that power in
my life.” Pray a bold prayer.
You know, the coming of Jesus
that first Christmas was a Christmas miracle. And another miracle might
just happen in your life today, if you invite Him to come and display
His power at the Mighty God in your situation.
Now, the next name is an interesting name. The initials are E. F.
3.
Everlasting Father
Isaiah 9:6 (NLT)
And he will be called… Everlasting Father…
Isaiah
said He would be the Everlasting Father. Now that’s an interesting
name, isn’t it? I mean, this baby is a Father? I mean, even when He
grew up, Jesus was never a father, was He? In fact, don’t we call Him
the Son, not the Father?
Well, a couple things: First of all,
remember that although we often call Jesus the Son of God, He is a full
member of the Trinity. He is God Himself. And He welcomes each one of
us to place of hope and faith in Him and become a child of God. So in a
very real sense we can call Him Father.
Colossians 2:9 (NLT)
For in Christ lives all the fullness of God in a human body.
1 John 5:1 (NLT)
Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has become a child of
God.
And
second, remember that Jesus did not come into existence that first
Christmas. He may have been born that day, but He did not begin that
day. Jesus was God in the flesh. Always had been God, always will be
God.
Hebrews 13:8 (NLT)
Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.
And Jesus Himself says in Revelation 22…
Revelation 22:13 (NLT)
“I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning
and the End.”
Those
are both ways to say that Jesus is God. Always has been, always will
be. He had no beginning and He’ll have no ending. He’s everlasting.
He’s the Everlasting God.
But He’s more than that; He’s the Everlasting Father.
Now,
my Dad is still alive. In fact, he’s in his mid-70s and still driving a
truck. His typical route takes him from Fredericton down to New York
then up through Detroit and Ontario and then back to the Maritimes. And
he usually drops in over here two or three times a month. So he’ll call
and we’ll go pick him up and we’ll go out for dinner. (Always to Maid
Marion’s—that’s the only place in town he wants to eat.)
And you
know what? I have grown to really appreciate those times. I was telling
my mother recently that I know I won’t always have that opportunity.
Someday he may actually retire, and at that time I won’t see him as
often. And there will come a time when I get that phone call to tell me
that he’s gone. And I won’t see him again during this lifetime. I’m not
looking forward to that call about either of my parents, but I know
that’s inevitable.
Now, I realize that some of you may not be
able to relate to this, because perhaps your fathers were never
involved in your life, or perhaps they simply weren’t the best of
fathers. But I’ve been blessed with a good father. And I remember what
it was like as a little kid, looking forward to my father being home.
(Unless, of course I had been warned earlier in the day, “you just wait
until your father gets home.”)
I remember him telling me bedtime
stories. I remember going on trips with him. I remember thinking he was
so strong and could do anything. If we were driving through a snowstorm
and he was at the wheel, I didn’t worry because I knew we’d make it
through. If something was broken, he could fix it. And my dad really
could beat up your dad. At least, that’s that way I saw him.
I
was a gift for me to have a father like my dad. But the reality is,
there will come a time when he’s not there anymore. And when that time
comes, I know I will experience a sense of loss like you can only
experience when you lose a parent.
And that’s why it’s so
significant what Isaiah announces to his listeners: “There is coming
the Messiah, and when you come into a relationship with him, he’ll be a
Wonderful Counselor. He’ll be a Mighty God. But more than that… when
you come into a relationship with Him as a child with a Father—He will
be an Everlasting Father. You will never get that phone call saying
He’s gone. He will always be there for you.
And so this morning,
if Jesus is your Everlasting Father, let me remind you that with him at
the wheel you can make it through any storm. If your life is broken, He
can fix it. There’s nothing that’s beyond His ability. He really can do
anything.
When you have an Everlasting Father, you don’t have to
worry. You don’t have to live in fear. I think that’s something each
one of us deep down longs to know. And when that relationship with the
Everlasting Father is not in place, then there is all kinds of fear and
insecurity. We need that fundamental relationship with our Everlasting
Father.
If you’re here and you don’t have that relationship, why
not begin it this morning. Why not decide right now that from this
moment on you will be a follower of Jesus? He invites you to be part of
His family; why not take Him up on that and become a child of God?
You
can do that right now. There’s no magical incantation; just in the
quietness of your heart make the decision, let Jesus know you’re done
with living life on your own, and commit to following Him from here on
out.
If you’ve done that, then you can be assured that you are
now a child of God. And He is your Everlasting Father who will never
fail you, will never disappoint you, and will never leave you. That’s
the good news of great joy available to all people.
Well, there one more name. Perhaps appropriate after what we just
talked about, the initials are P.O.P. What is it?
4.
Prince of Peace
Isaiah 9:6 (NLT)
And he will be called… Prince of Peace.
Now,
you and I both know that one thing that’s really lacking in our world
is peace. There are wars being fought all over this planet. There are
political conflicts and military conflicts, there’s abuse happening in
homes, there’s bigotry and racism, there and gender divides and
economic divides. Human beings seem to be able to fight over just about
anything.
Listen, peace treaties and court orders may have their
place, but they don’t bring a genuine peace. Real peace can only be
accomplished by the radical work of God in the human heart.
So
let me ask you: Is there any other power on planet Earth that can
establish a peace so deep and real and pure in the hearts of
individuals that it would inspire them to extend that peace across
racial divides, ethnic divides, gender divides, socioeconomic divides?
When
your own life—your own inner world—is filled with chaos, divisiveness,
animosity—when you have a troubled heart, do you reach out easily to
people who are different from you? When you have hostility in your
heart, is it easy for you to reach out to someone who has a different
skin color or ethnicity? When your heart is troubled and filled with
chaos, do you give a rip about people around the world who are living
in poverty and dying of starvation, disease and war?
Jesus told His followers…
John 14:27 (NLT)
“I
am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I
give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid.”
What
was He talking about? He was talking about a radical, inner peace. He’s
talking about a peace within yourself that takes root so deeply in your
life that when it all gets settled and quiet and centered in your inner
world, you’re able to look at someone who’s different from you, and you
immediately reach the hand across whatever divide it is—a racial
divide, ethnic divide, gender divide, socioeconomic divide.
When
God’s peace takes root in your life, you just want that to spread all
over the world from inside out. This is why when Jesus was born the
angel said to the shepherds…
Luke 2:14 (NLT)
“Glory to God in highest heaven, and peace on earth to those with whom
God is pleased.”
This is what our world needs more than anything else. Peace with God,
peace with others, and peace within ourselves.
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