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The King of Christmas

by Skip Heitzig |
For years, Santa Claus has been regarded as the undisputed king of Christmas. Well, we as believers know he is not. He may be the king of shoppers and commercialism, but Jesus Christ is the real King of Christmas.

In chapter 9 of his book, Isaiah brings us back six hundred years before the nativity of Christ and gives us a description of this King: "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. 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" (vv. 6-7).

I want to take a look at three things these verses present to us: the King, the kingship, and the kingdom. First is the King, Jesus Christ--starting with His birth: "For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given" (v. 6). This highlights Jesus' dual nature: He was born the Son of Man--He entered the world like any other human being--but He is also deity, the Son of God given to us by God.

Not only that, but He's the sovereign King: "The government will be upon His shoulder" (v. 6). Here, Isaiah was looking forward all the way to the kingdom age, when Jesus, the God-man who created the world, who came into the world and was rejected by the world, will one day rule over the world for a thousand years.

That brings us to the second section: Jesus' kingship--namely, the royal names of His kingship: "Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace" (v. 6). These aren't His literal names but rather some of His kingly titles.

First on the list is Wonderful Counselor, two names that I've combined. Jesus can be called Wonderful Counselor because He knows everything about us, including the full depth of our need, and He always provides exactly the right answer. He's also called Mighty God, which is what makes His wonderful counsel so wonderful: He has the power to provide the change and transformation you need.

Next, Jesus is called Everlasting Father. This doesn't mean the Son is the Father; rather, Isaiah was referring to Jesus as the originator of eternity, the source of the everlasting (see John 1:3). He's also the Prince of Peace--both the one who gives God's peace to those who receive Him, and the one who will ultimately bring peace by setting up an everlasting kingdom of peace.

And that's what verse 7 speaks of--an everlasting kingdom: "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." Isaiah was once again looking forward to the kingdom age. This kingdom will be continual, historical--based on God's promise to King David that his throne would continue--and equitable.

Imagine a world ruled by one perfect person with one perfect mind and one perfect will. Imagine a world where everything is fair and right, where there is no war, and where all politicians in charge are saints. Hard to imagine, huh? But that's what's coming. This Child, who is also the Son given, who is also the King coming, is also the mighty God who will have an everlasting rule--Jesus our Messiah.

As we approach Christmas, I encourage you to think on this: the shoulders of this King are big enough for the governments of the world to rest upon, no problem. This means His shoulders are also big enough for you to rest your life on; He can handle it all. Are you resting in Him today?

Merry Christmas, from my family to yours!

In His strong love,

Skip Heitzig

The Daily God Book: Through the Bible in 365 Days

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