Mount Isa Baptist Church

Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”

Isaiah writes Isaiah 9: 6: “For unto us a child is born, to us a Son is given, and the government will be upon his shoulders. And He will be called Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”

I’d like to highlight three points from that verse.

The first one is that God gave Jesus as a gift to us.

It's to you, it's to me, it's to everyone, collectively, that Jesus has been given. Paul in 2 Corinthians 9:15, where he puts it this way: He says, “Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift.” His indescribable gift, Paul is talking about Jesus as being indescribable. Paul can't put into words how amazing, how incredible the gift of Jesus is. John 3:16 is again speaking about this gift that God has given us. “For God so loved the world,” and that world includes you, that world includes me, that world includes every single person alive on planet earth today. “For God so loved the world that he gave.” This is what Christmas is all about. Celebrating a gift God gave. And what did he give? “He gave his one and only son, Jesus.” This is God's gift to us. “That whosoever believes in Jesus should not perish but have everlasting life.” So, I encourage you as you receive many gifts and maybe give many gifts away this Christmas, let's remember that above all, Jesus is God's indescribable gift to you.

The second observation is that Jesus came to lift our burdens.

Jesus came to lift our burdens, and the government, Isaiah writes, will be upon His shoulders. Isaiah is talking about the fact that Jesus is a universal, all-powerful Eternal King. A King who is still on the throne of history. Yes, there are other kings, but he is the King of the kings. There are other lords, but he is the Lord of the lords.

Philippians tells us that: “Every knee should bow in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” There is coming a day when every man, every woman, every boy, every girl that has ever lived or who will ever live will bow at the feet of Jesus and acknowledge that He is the King of kings and He will reign for all of eternity over all things. Isaiah 9:4 we read again prophetic words speaking of Jesus, “For you will break the yoke of their slavery and lift the heavy burdens from their shoulders.” You see, Jesus is the kind of King who doesn't lay burdens on people. No, He's the kind of King that lifts burdens from people. Remember His words in Matthew 11: 28 He says, “Come to me all you who are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” What a beautiful promise for all those who are burdened and heavy laden. Come to Jesus, and He will give you rest for your soul.

The third observation -- Jesus came to meet our deepest need

You see, God knew exactly what we needed. God knew that we needed A Savior, A Redeemer, A Deliverer, who could deliver us from sin because we could never, we would never have been able to deliver ourselves. In fact, the very mission, the very purpose of Jesus, is wrapped up in his name. Jesus, or in the Hebrew Yeshua, literally means to rescue, to deliver, and to save. In Matthew chapter 1, this is what the Angel Gabriel said to Joseph: “And she, speaking of Mary, will give birth to a son, and you are to give Him the name Yeshua, the name Jesus.” Why? Because He will save his people from their sins. The very purpose, the very mission of Jesus is wrapped up in his name, and as we call on the mighty name of Yeshua, as we call in the mighty name of Jesus, that we are rescued, we are saved, and delivered from the power and the penalty of sin.

As I look to wrap it up today, let me finish with this: for anyone to benefit from a gift, the gift needs to be received. That's a key word; the gift needs to be received.

You can look at the gift, you can admire the gift, you can study the gift, you can sing about the gift,t but the gift only becomes beneficial to you when you receive the gift, and you appropriate the gift to your life. God offers us this Christmas an indescribable gift. A gift more wonderful, more valuable, more powerful than any other gift we could ever possibly receive, the gift of His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. I encourage you this Christmas to receive the gift, treasure the gift, celebrate the gift, worship the gift, and appropriate the gift of Jesus to every single area of your life.