For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this. (Isaiah 9:6-7, ESV)
For those given to skepticism, this second name, Mighty God, given by Isaiah to the child not yet born for another seven hundred years, will most likely rattle them. If someone doesn’t believe in supernatural, prophetic utterances made hundreds of years in advance of an actual event, it’ll make no difference. For them, this story is nothing more than a fanciful one, a myth, perhaps.
It’s one thing for Isaiah to tell us that this child will be called Wonderful Counselor, but for some, calling him “Mighty God” goes beyond the pale. In this mindset, it is incredulous that someone could believe that God became a baby. Well, of course, millions and millions of people through the ages have not only believed this reality but died defending it. Scientists, philosophers, theologians, artists, and regular-Joes have all trusted this story with the deepest of convictions that Jesus was God become man, the God-man.
To the skeptic, this idea just seems impossible. In their view, we live in a world informed by science, not a spiritual or superstitious one. In a world exclusively governed by nature’s laws, babies are not born to virgins. In this interpretation of the world, men do not rise from the dead in immortal bodies. Ironically, many fail to recognize that this view is the minority report, recently coming to prominence since the so-called Enlightenment.
For those of us who believe the Christmas story, we have also come to know that the incarnation is a part of a much larger story. Everyone lives with a mental picture of the world, a larger narrative of what constitutes reality. For those who doubt the reality of miracles, it is usually because they presuppose philosophical naturalism. Philosophical Naturalism argues that the world is only “matter in motion.” For them, there is no other dimension of invisible realities.
Well, of course, millions and millions of people through the ages have not only believed this reality but died defending it. Scientists, philosophers, theologians, artists, and regular-Joes have all trusted this story with the deepest of convictions that Jesus was God become man, the God-man.In this view, there is no place for God, angels, and demons. For them, the world is one-dimensional. Therefore, in this interpretation of human existence, there are no such things as miracles.
Over against this worldview, however, is the Christian view of the world. This larger story has four big plot moves:
First, God is eternally self-existent. He has no beginning and no end. This God created the world from nothing. He created all visible and invisible realities.
Second, sadly, mankind rebelled against this benevolent Creator and, consequently, were judged. The verdict was guilty. The punishment for transgressions was death.
Third, this God is not merely a just God, punishing those who violate his commands, but He is also merciful and loving too. This benevolent Father sent the Son of God (Jesus) to redeem wayward man by dying in their place. Gloriously, three days later, the Father raised Jesus from the dead.
Fourth, this Jesus is coming again to judge the living and the dead. He is returning at the end of history to take those who have believed in him to a new heavens and new earth where there will never be any more sin, sickness, pain, or death
It is here, in this larger picture of reality, that the incarnation finds its meaning and significance. Once we have come to know this larger story—that God existed eternally as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, that he created the world for his own purposes, that his highest creatures revolted against him, that God in grace sent his beloved Son to die in the creatures’ place and rose again into immortality, and that he offers forgiveness and this immortality to the one who will honor him by believing his word—we will no longer balk at the incarnation. This child was, indeed, Mighty God.
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Dennis Darville
December 22, 2021
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