The Gift we Need Most This Christmas
By Ryan Dawson
Last night we sat in a living room with our friends from our Impact Community and we marvelled at the wonder of God’s Word. The prophet Isaiah, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, pens these incredible words 800 years before Christ would be born…
Isaiah 9:2-7 (NLT) The people who walk in darkness will see a great light. For those who live in a land of deep darkness, a light will shine. 3You will enlarge the nation of Israel, and its people will rejoice. They will rejoice before you as people rejoice at the harvest and like warriors dividing the plunder. 4For you will break the yoke of their slavery and lift the heavy burden from their shoulders. You will break the oppressor’s rod, just as you did when you destroyed the army of Midian. 5The boots of the warrior and the uniforms bloodstained by war will all be burned. They will be fuel for the fire. 6 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. 7His government and its peace will never end. He will rule with fairness and justice from the throne of his ancestor David for all eternity. The passionate commitment of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies will make this happen!
God promises to send a Light into the darkness in the form of a child. The Messiah, which means Christ in the Greek, would come into the world in the form of human, but not just as a human. This child would be “Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, and Prince of Peace.” These are all titles reserved for God Himself, and Jesus perfectly fulfills them.
Jesus is our Wonderful Counsellor. He guides us and leads us into all Truth by His Word, and He sends the Holy Spirit as our Counsellor to reside in us and help us follow in the Way of Jesus. Because Jesus is our Counsellor, we can look to Him for wisdom as we make decisions and seek direction in life.
Jesus is our Mighty God, who raises the dead, gives sight to the blind, and feeds the masses. Nothing is too hard for Christ, and He proves this by rising from the dead. Because Jesus is our Mighty God, we can trust Him with everything, and ask Him for the impossible because He is mighty to save.
Jesus is our Everlasting Father. The unconditional love and acceptance we all long for is found in a relationship with God, through Christ. God extends grace and mercy to us through Christ. Jesus loves us and protects us like a good father should by establishing good boundaries for us so we can flourish, and He also disciplines us when we step outside these parameters. Because Jesus is our Everlasting Father, we can trust Him and submit to His loving leadership.
Jesus is the Prince of Peace. He is the King of Shalom, bringing peace with His very presence. When Jesus is present in our lives He brings peace, which is a sense of wellness in every sense of the word. Shalom peace is where nothing is missing and nothing is broken, because King Jesus is on the throne, and He sets everything right. We know that one day Christ is returning to set everything right and establish His Kingdom in its fullness. Because Jesus is our Prince of Peace, we can experience a peace today in the midst of our most challenging circumstances. The peace that Jesus brings is not like the world offers, for it surpasses understanding, it guards our hearts and minds, as we rest in very the presence of Christ.
As we embrace the Christmas season, embrace the truth of The Promised Light – our Saviour Jesus Christ. He is your Wonderful Counsellor, your Mighty God, your Everlasting Father, and your Prince of Peace. Rest in this truth today and look to Christ as the gift you need today and everyday!
Merry Christmas, Ryan
Last night we sat in a living room with our friends from our Impact Community and we marvelled at the wonder of God’s Word. The prophet Isaiah, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, pens these incredible words 800 years before Christ would be born…
Isaiah 9:2-7 (NLT) The people who walk in darkness will see a great light. For those who live in a land of deep darkness, a light will shine. 3You will enlarge the nation of Israel, and its people will rejoice. They will rejoice before you as people rejoice at the harvest and like warriors dividing the plunder. 4For you will break the yoke of their slavery and lift the heavy burden from their shoulders. You will break the oppressor’s rod, just as you did when you destroyed the army of Midian. 5The boots of the warrior and the uniforms bloodstained by war will all be burned. They will be fuel for the fire. 6 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. 7His government and its peace will never end. He will rule with fairness and justice from the throne of his ancestor David for all eternity. The passionate commitment of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies will make this happen!
God promises to send a Light into the darkness in the form of a child. The Messiah, which means Christ in the Greek, would come into the world in the form of human, but not just as a human. This child would be “Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, and Prince of Peace.” These are all titles reserved for God Himself, and Jesus perfectly fulfills them.
Jesus is our Wonderful Counsellor. He guides us and leads us into all Truth by His Word, and He sends the Holy Spirit as our Counsellor to reside in us and help us follow in the Way of Jesus. Because Jesus is our Counsellor, we can look to Him for wisdom as we make decisions and seek direction in life.
Jesus is our Mighty God, who raises the dead, gives sight to the blind, and feeds the masses. Nothing is too hard for Christ, and He proves this by rising from the dead. Because Jesus is our Mighty God, we can trust Him with everything, and ask Him for the impossible because He is mighty to save.
Jesus is our Everlasting Father. The unconditional love and acceptance we all long for is found in a relationship with God, through Christ. God extends grace and mercy to us through Christ. Jesus loves us and protects us like a good father should by establishing good boundaries for us so we can flourish, and He also disciplines us when we step outside these parameters. Because Jesus is our Everlasting Father, we can trust Him and submit to His loving leadership.
Jesus is the Prince of Peace. He is the King of Shalom, bringing peace with His very presence. When Jesus is present in our lives He brings peace, which is a sense of wellness in every sense of the word. Shalom peace is where nothing is missing and nothing is broken, because King Jesus is on the throne, and He sets everything right. We know that one day Christ is returning to set everything right and establish His Kingdom in its fullness. Because Jesus is our Prince of Peace, we can experience a peace today in the midst of our most challenging circumstances. The peace that Jesus brings is not like the world offers, for it surpasses understanding, it guards our hearts and minds, as we rest in very the presence of Christ.
As we embrace the Christmas season, embrace the truth of The Promised Light – our Saviour Jesus Christ. He is your Wonderful Counsellor, your Mighty God, your Everlasting Father, and your Prince of Peace. Rest in this truth today and look to Christ as the gift you need today and everyday!
Merry Christmas, Ryan