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The Wonder of Wonders
by Paul Etterling and His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Isaiah 9:6b, NKJV Christmas is the most wonderful time of the year is often the sentiment that is expressed in relation to the season beginning at Thanksgiving and continuing through Christmas Day. What is it that makes this the most wonderful time of the year? Is it the shopping experience, the snowfall, the lights, the parties, the concerts, or the gifts? There are a variety of answers to that question. When I consider the answer to this question I am reminded that Isaiah prophesied of the coming of a child and a son whose name would be called Wonderful. If something is wonderful, it is extraordinary. As a matter of fact, it is something that is a hard thing to understand. Jesus fits that definition. He is God in the flesh (John 1:1-14). He was willing to pour himself out of the glory of Heaven and to confine himself to a fleshly body in an earthly life. In doing so, He was still God. Yet, He was man. The Apostle Paul explained this when he wrote, Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. (Philippians 2:5-7, NKJV) What was His motivation? It was His love for us. He was not willing that any would perish but that all (you and I who are born in sin and separated from God) would come to eternal life. He did not come to condemn us in our sin. He came to bring salvation (John 3:16-17). The wonder of God in the flesh is that He is the Counselor. Because He is God, He provides direction and purpose for our lives. In a world that is often filled with hopelessness, He is the one who brings us hope. He is our hope! The wonder of God in the flesh is that He is the Mighty God. This promised child would not prove that He is the Mighty God by being born in the manger. He would not even prove that He is the Mighty God by dying on the cross. The power of the manger is found in the presence of the cross. The power of the cross is found in the presence of the resurrection! It is at the moment of the resurrection that we see that He is truly the Mighty God. Satan, sin, hell, all the demons of hell, and the grave were defeated when He arose victoriously from the grave (1 Corinthians 15). The wonder of God in the flesh is that He is the Everlasting Father. He is eternally self-existent and self-sufficient. It is through His life, that we have been adopted into the family of God. It is through His life that we now have a relationship with God. It is through His life that we now can approach God through prayer and commune with Him as a father to a child. The wonder of God in the flesh is that He is the Prince of Peace. He is the chief tranquility and contentment of our souls. In Him we place our faith. We trust Him to take us through every situation of life. The Apostle Paul had been beaten, shipwrecked, and imprisoned for the cause of Christ. Yet, through it all, Paul was able to proclaim, I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, [therewith] to be content. (Philippians 4:11, NKJV) Christmas is the most wonderful time of the year because it is focused on the Wonder of all wonders, Jesus the Christ. This Christmas, may you and I take time to celebrate Jesus as Wonderful, Counselor, Almighty God, Everlasting Father, and the Prince of Peace in our lives! Paul Etterling is the assistant pastor of the Westerville FWB Church in Westerville, Ohio. Copyright 2007 by Paul Etterling. Permission is granted for reprint. If article is used please notify Paul with publication name and date via the website www.pauletterling.com Article Source: http://www.faithwriters.com |