by Daniel Burton

“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” (Isaiah 9:6, NIV) 

With the current popularity of superhero movies and stories, now is one of the best times gain a grasp on the principle of our God being a Mighty God.  Our God is a wonderful counselor, that much is certain.  However, the Prophet Isaiah also describes the coming Messiah as being a mighty God.  Throughout the stories are men and women stumbling into god-like abilities and attempting to live with their newfound skills.  They wrestle with their own desires and flaws while simultaneously experiencing power all while attempting to grasp the concept of being mighty and being gods.  This, however, is not something that God wrestles with.  The incarnation was not an act of weakness to become man, but instead is an act of strength and might.

He Will Be Called Mighty God

Strength and might are not something to be scoffed at.  Nor at they things that need to be displayed in a braggadocios manner.  True strength does not need to prove itself and nothing is truly beneath it.  Strength is not “too good” for a certain place or activity but neither does it feel the need to reassure its presence through multiple and numerous loud assertions.  For Jesus Christ and His coming, Jesus displayed His might.  While being fully God, He lowered himself and became man, a concept many other religious scoff at.  Yet the reason for this is clear.  He was coming to save His people and declaring war against the forces of darkness and evil.

Fighting For His People

As the prophet Isaiah is describing the coming Messiah as “mighty,” Isaiah does so understanding the full weight of His words.  This might is not might in the abstract or as a construct.  Instead, the might of God is displayed by His ability to fight for His people.  The word that Isaiah uses describes the Might of a Warrior, not simply just a man of strong internal fortitude.  We can easily glaze over this quality in our understanding of Jesus Christ being born as an infant and get the understanding that the babe Jesus was helpless.  Nothing could be further from the truth.  Jesus had come to fight.  Yet, he was not fighting people or governments, but spiritual forces of darkness that had continually oppressed the people of God.

The Mighty God that Isaiah talked about so long ago had invaded well behind enemy lines.  The objective, and the core of the Gospel, is simple; save humanity from their sins.  Make a way for sinners to be freed from their sins and defeat the forces of darkness, Satan, and evil.  In the immediate sense, Mary gave birth to a baby Jesus in the confines of a manger.  Yet, even though this scene is tender, is the birth of a warrior.  Jesus came to fight for the people of God and to win the battle that mankind could not.  This is the scene of the birth of Jesus Christ.  God had become man and sought the friendship of mankind.

A Divine Friend

God desires our friendship.  Yet, this must always be understood in the context of the full person of God.  The idea of the “buddy Jesus” misses the point of God.  It leans heavily into the understanding that God calls us His friends but elevates us to the point of equality with Him and reduces God to the level of drinking buddy.  The relationship is merely two pals hanging out.  While not inherently wrong, the divinity of God suffers at this point.  We are friends of God, but our God is the Highest ruler and supreme King.  For however close we may get to God, we cannot forget the person we are standing before.  God is seated in the throne room of heaven and is bidding us to come be in relationship with Him.

The God who is seated in heaven is the same God who fights vigorously for His people and welcomes them into relationship with Him.  We bow before Him, worshipping Him in adoration.  In our worship, God welcomes us as His friend.  It is the love of a Savior that desires to be in relationship with those He rules.  This is the heart of Christ’s coming.  Punishing mankind would have been a part of Jesus’ Divine right.  Yet, rather than allow the people to perish, Jesus became God incarnate in flesh to bridge the gap that mankind had made.  Through the coming of Jesus, God began approachable for those who sought Him, not by their own works, but by the Mighty God who accomplishes all things and fights for His people.

This is His Advent.  He is our Mighty God.

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