Fruit Cove Baptist Church

“He was in the beginning with God.  All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made.” (John 1:2-3 ESV)

This One called “the Word” was in the “beginning before the beginning” with God.  The Second Person of the Trinity was not an afterthought on the part of the Father.  God exists as a UNITY, and co-exists as TRINITY.  Being expressed as TRINITY does not in any way compromise His UNITY.  God is One.

But deep in the counsel of eternity, the decision was made that this “Word” would be the One Who would enter time and the earth as an infant.  Again, Christmas and the plan of salvation are not reactionary events.  They were intentionally planned.  Carried out personally by “the Logos,” (“the Word”) Who was “creator of all things… without Him was not anything made….”

So, the plan?  The Word was going to become one of the beings (called humans) that He created.  Enter the world through a virgin girl who had never known a man.  Come to the people He created, to perform an operation of rescue that was unheard of prior.  Become them, to save them.  God with us.

What a plan.  What a love.

Hallelujah, what a Savior!

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God and the Word was God…” John 1:1

Biblically we can go back no further than John 1:1 in tracing out the Christmas story.  It begins “in the beginning” with the second person of the Trinity, called “the Word.”  While many in our culture would answer the question, “Where did the Christmas story begin?” by talking about Bethlehem and angels and shepherds and wise men, it actually goes much, much further back.

We don’t know really how to talk about “infinity” and “eternity” in the sense of locating “the beginning” but literally it means “in the beginning of the beginning,” or one translator put it “the beginning before the beginning.”. Literally it says, “in A beginning,” not “THE beginning.”

John did not intend with these introductory words to locate a beginning “point” for the Savior, as though there is linear time in eternity.  It does not.  At least time as we know it, measure it, and understand it.

We can’t.  There was never a “time” when Jesus was not, when God was not, and when the Holy Spirit was not.  There is so much we cannot and will probably never understand about that.  We cannot even conceive of nothingness, because our view of nothing at some point has a backdrop.  For most people, “nothing” is dark, but dark itself means that something is there.

So anyway, we’re out of our depth.  We may as well talk about quarks and quantum physics, but some are smart enough to discuss those.  No one is smart enough to describe eternity.

But Christmas actually begins in infinity, in eternity, not Bethlehem.  This beginning-less One, known in eternity and referred to by the inspired writer of Scripture “the Word,” or “logos,” was not just “with” God in the sense you would sit “with” your friend in a restaurant.  He was “with” God, but He also was God.  There is no separation between the eternal Father God and the Word.

Ok, I’ve given myself a headache trying to think about all this.  It’s far superior to our ability to reason through or make sense of, but we will have all of eternity to try and absorb it.

But where does Christmas begin?

In Heaven.

The world has always been at war.  Man is at war with God… continually.  The Bible tells us that there is “enmity” between us and God.  And the reality is, as long as man’s relationship with God is not at peace, we cannot… indeed will not be at peace with others.

The coming Messiah, according to Isaiah, was going to be known as “The Prince of Peace.”  My, don’t we need a peacemaker in our world?  But that person is not going to be a diplomat, or a king, or ambassador, or the president.  You cannot MAKE peace if you don’t POSSESS peace.

He is the peace BRINGER, but more than that, He’s the peace MAKER.  I shared this recently in a message, but it suits this blog post so I share it again for those who might not have heard the sermon.

A few years ago, our church was involved with a church in Springfield working with the homeless.  On Tuesdays, we would go down and serve lunch to hundreds of homeless folk that would show up.

We also had the assignment of delivering bagged lunches to the residents of a high-rise, government subsidized apartment building across the street.  I usually went over with the kids we were working with from our church, mainly for security.

I was delivering meals on one floor during the Christmas season, and some doors were left partially propped open if the person inside couldn’t get up to answer the knock.  As I knocked, I looked down at the door and on it was a bumper sticker that had a picture of Jesus on it and the phrase “The Prince of Peace.”

But over time, the letter “n” in “prince” had been rubbed away, leaving a dirty streak and the word “pri  ce.” Jesus, the “price” of peace.  Indeed, He is both the “Prince” of peace, the peace maker and peace bringer.

And He is also the price paid that we may have peace with God.  “We now have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.”  The greatest price for peace that will ever be paid has already been paid by the shedding of His blood at Calvary.  If we ever know peace, it will only come as we know Him.

He alone is “The Prince of Peace.”

I write this on the heels of an exhausting conversation. The individual I met with is not a believer but is searching… and angry with her father. Disappointed perhaps. This father failed his children, his family. Sadly, it is the wreckage of that broken relationship that is keeping this individual from true and trusting faith. She is one of many I have spoken with over the years.

But it serves as a real though painful, backdrop of this aspect of the prophecy of Isaiah concerning Christ’s coming. We have already considered that this child born of a virgin was to be “a wonderful counselor,” or king. And that He would be “the mighty God,” or God come in human flesh, both fully God and fully human.

The third element of the prophecy, written some 800 years before Christ was born, was that this coming One would be called “everlasting Father.” There are far too many dimensions of this to explore in this brief devotion. Let’s leave it at this: Jesus would come and fill that void that so many people feel for a father.

It’s interesting how many contemporary movies (since the 1960’s) have at the center of their plot piece a child’s search for reconciliation with their father. The most emotional point of many of those movies is the moment the child and father reconnect, or even connect for the first time.

This pressing human need is evident in many ways today, and certainly their stories flood many counseling offices. We need a father.  A father who loves us, and who is proud we are his child. When we don’t know these things, our lives set off on many destructive tangents.

God was coming in Jesus Christ to take His rightful seat not only as King, not only as God with us, but as the Father so many of us need. He is the Father Who loves us unconditionally, Who is proud of us just because He created us, and Who will never leave us nor forsake us. (see Hebrews 13:5-6)

The everlasting Father… the Father Who never fails. The Father Who never forsakes. The Father Who always loves, no matter our failures and faults.

And if you don’t have a father, you can have one today: Just trust Jesus. He is ready to receive you, and never let you go.

He is the Father this world needs, and cries for every day.

One of the more controversial dimensions of Christian thought is captured in the question: “Is Jesus Christ God?”  Many people who might otherwise embrace parts of the Christian faith and worldview take pause here.

If Jesus is “the mighty God” as Isaiah 9:6-7 affirms, that changes things drastically.

1. It means there is no way a casual observance or acceptance of Jesus is possible
2. It means there is now demanded an absolute obedience to the words of Jesus, and not just an “appreciation” for them or admiration of them
3. It means there is no way to follow Jesus without absolute surrender to His control.

In other words, saying we believe this is one thing.  BELIEVING it to be true is altogether something else.

When G.F. Handel premiered his oratorio, “The Messiah” in public, many of the singers and choristers and musicians were not necessarily sold-out Christian people.  They were just good at their art.

And when they sang the chorus from Isaiah 9:6-7 “And His name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace,” they did not necessarily believe the words being sung.  They were, too many of them, just the right words for the song they were being asked to sing.

Some people are just like those choir members and musicians.  They mouth the words but know little of the devotion required by them.  If Jesus is truly all of the things the Prophet Isaiah claimed He was, then there is no proper response but absolute and unrestricted surrender of every part of life to Him.  He is, after all, God.

And when you think about that babe in a manger this Christmas season, pause and consider:  This is your God in that manger.  Deity in the body of a baby.  The Creator lying helpless and vulnerable in a manger because He chooses this way to come to us.

And never forget:

He didn’t have to come.

“He shall be called wonderful counselor, might God, everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” Isaiah 9:6

Jesus was born a King.  His first title, according to the Isaiah passage, was “wonderful counselor.”  On its face, this seems to assert that Jesus was going to be a wise and compassionate listener, advice giver, or life coach.  And indeed, He was those things.  But that is not what the prophecy is pointing toward.

Jesus was born to be a king; the continuity and fulfillment of the family line of David. In fact, the genealogy provided in Matthew 1:1-17, introduces Jesus as a member of the royal family line of David.  Through that genealogy Matthew’s gospel indicates that Jesus was legally entitled to receive the throne.  He was the fulfillment of the house, the lineage, and the promises made concerning David’s family.

It was for that reason that Mary and Joseph returned to their hometown of Bethlehem, the birthplace of King David himself.  What more appropriate place for the final Davidic king to be born?

Jesus was born to be a king.  The King of Kings, and Lord of Lords, the Book of Revelation tells us.  In the Old Testament, a king was referred to as a “counselor;” ideally one who gives wise direction and leadership.  A king should be, as Solomon certainly showed, a wise person.  A wise leader.

Jesus was born to be a king.  “And the government shall be upon His shoulders….” He is a “wonderful” king.  An awesome king.  An astonishing king.  An eternal king.

Jesus was born to be king.  One day Jesus will sit upon the throne of this world.  Until then, we await the king’s arrival.

Jesus was born to be king.  And at Christmas, we bow before this great king over all of creation.  He is worthy of our adoration and worship and devotion.

He is, after all, a king.

“Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.”
Isaiah 7:14 ESV

Jesus was never “called” Immanuel, in the sense that we would use that as a common name.  His name, at the command of God, was Jesus.  So, is there a conflict in Scripture regarding this?

While it seems to be the case, the way the Hebrew language used “name” was different than the way we use them.  We use names to identify us and to stand us apart from others.  Some parents seem determined to name their child in such a way that there is no chance they will be confused with another.

When I was in grade school I remember going to class and, in a room of thirty or more students, would quickly learn I was not the only “Timmy” in the room.  Therefore, I would be set apart by my last name.  I was “Timmy M.”  There were other “Timmys” in the room with me, and each of them would also be set apart by the first letter of their last names.

It was a momentary panic when I learned in a class that some girls were named “Timi,” which while spelled differently sounded much too close to my name!  I certainly did not want to be confused with a girl!  So somewhere in that time, I dropped the ending on my too-familiar name, and told a teacher my name was just “Tim.”

The name “Immanuel” was not for identification purposes, however.  It was to describe what this virgin born child would do.  He would be the reminder of God’s presence among His people!

The name “Jesus” was not uncommon.  It was a Greek pronunciation of the Hebrew name “Joshua,” which meant “Yahweh saves.”  Many Israelite children were named that.  Joshua was a legendary warrior hero.  It was a reminder of God’s saving action as the people of Israel entered the promised land.

Over the next days, we will look deeply into the descriptive terms that distinguish Immanuel and how the name applies to Jesus.  Jesus came to bring the presence of God to earth.  No longer was God just for us.  Now…

…God is with us!