What do you do when God brings you to an unexpected road?
I watched a clip from a segment in the show of Jimmy Kimmel about kids who received unexpected gifts from their parents. Reactions were varied. Some were humored by it. Others threw tantrums.
Here’s the clip.
“You broke my heart.”
This was the statement the last child said after he didn’t get what he had expected for Christmas.
The Israelites were hoping for a Messiah to come that was like David – a king and a military leader who will deliver them from Roman rulership. They were looking forward to one who will rescue them from their woes. But the One that came didn’t look like a king, neither did He look like a valiant military man. Born in a manger and coming from a humble family, Jesus wasn’t who they expected.
Isaiah prophesied several hundred of years prior that a child was going to be born and the government shall be upon his shoulder. And his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. (Isaiah 9:6-7)
WONDERFUL COUNSELOR
Because this King (Jesus) is our wonderful counselor, we can rely on His infinite wisdom.
Reason? The Bible says that He is wonderful in counsel and magnificent in wisdom. (Is. 28:29)
God’s wisdom means that God always chooses the best goals and the best means to those goals. (Wayne Grudem)
We are told that if we lack wisdom, we can ask God who gives generously without finding fault. (James 1:5)
MIGHTY GOD
The word mighty in its original is the word used for “hero”. A hero is someone who does great things and mighty acts for someone who can’t do it for themselves.
Jesus is the Mighty God who is able to do what we would be unable to do for ourselves.
You and I can trust His power for He is able to do immeasurably more than we can ask or imagine according to the power that works in us. (Eph. 3:20)
EVERLASTING FATHER
This doesn’t mean that Jesus is the Father Himself. The Triune God is one God in three distinct persons. But what this tell us is that Jesus has the attributes of the Everlasting Father. He is one who gives security through His love. God is love (1 John 4:16). And His love secures us.
You can trust that He will never leave you nor forsake you.
PRINCE OF PEACE
The Apostle Paul says that God is not a God of confusion but of peace. (1 Cor. 14:33)
God’s peace means that in God’s being and in His actions, He is separate from all confusion and disorder, yet He is continually active in innumerable fully controlled, simultaneous actions. (Wayne Grudem)
King Jesus, who is the Prince of Peace, is in full control and is able to deliver what He said He would. Out of the 7.2 billion people in the world, He is able to orchestrate all the events in our lives in perfect order to bring about what is best for us and ultimately for His glory.
May you remember this week as we celebrate Christmas, that King Jesus is He who brings wisdom, has power, gives security and orchestrates our lives in perfect order so that ultimately He gets all glory and honor.
The world didn’t expect a Messiah in the person of Jesus.
In the beginning, we thought what we got was what we didn’t need. We ended up getting what we didn’t think we want but really, it was the very thing we actually needed.
Merry Christmas!
