Isa.9:6 – TPT
A child has been born for us;
a son has been given to us.
The responsibility of complete dominion
will rest on his shoulders, and his name will be:
The Wonderful One!
The Extraordinary Strategist!
The Mighty God!
The Father of Eternity!
The Prince of Peace!
Col.2:1-3 – For I want you to know how great a struggle I have in your behalf…..and for all those who have not personally seen my face, that their hearts may be encouraged, having been knit together in love, and that they would attain to all the wealth that comes from the full assurance of understanding, resulting in a true knowledge of God’s mystery, that is, Christ Himself, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.
Isaiah tries to describe indescribable things in his famous prophetic word about the birth of the messiah. He said that He would be wonderful or supernatural. The supernatural nature of God invaded the earth at the birth of Christ. Everything about His birth and His life emit a fragrance or atmosphere of the supernatural. When we embrace Christ; His birth, His life and ministry, His death and resurrection, and His present day heavenly ministry as Mediator, Intercessor, and Baptizer in the Spirit, we too enter that mysterious world of the supernatural. We are stopped in our tracks by His wonder, our lives become permeated with this supernatural nature of the Lord. Here is how Calvin speaks of the wonderful nature of His birth.
“By the first title he arouses the minds of the godly to earnest attention, that they may expect from Christ something more excellent than what we see in the ordinary course of God’s works, as if he had said, that in Christ are hidden the invaluable treasures of wonderful things. (Colossians 2:3.) And, indeed, the redemption which he has brought surpasses even the creation of the world. It amounts to this, that the grace of God, which will be exhibited in Christ, exceeds all miracles.”
The lost may call this mystery something like Christmas spirit but everyone knows that Christmas is different. I know that there are plenty of Grinches out there who say “Don’t you know Jesus wasn’t really born on Christmas Day?” Really? How would you know that? Actually I believe He was born on Christmas Day (does it really matter anyway). They will say something like “shepherds wouldn’t be in Bethlehem this time of year”. Actually they would, temple shepherds had thousands of sacrificial lambs to raise all year round and wouldn’t the angels be likely to visit those particular shepherds?
Regardless, let the mystery of Christmas capture you again this year. Let the miracle nature of His birth center you. Let the wonder of Christ and His magnificent plan of redemption fill your mind with visions of His coming kingdom. Christmas is a world of wonder, let it capture your heart again.
