Big Things, Little Package

Isaiah 9:6 For to us a child is born,        to us a son is given,        and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called        Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,        Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. CONSIDER THIS There’s a story attributed to author and poet Robert Louis Stevenson, who was traveling once on a ship that found itself in a severe storm and in imminent danger of sinking. According to Stevenson, many of the passengers began to whisper to one another, “Are we going down? Are we safe?” After a few moments of conversation among the passengers, one brave soul volunteered to travel up to the pilot house and see the captain. Bold move. As the passenger made his way through the rain and wind and stepped in to see the captain, it’s said that the water-soaked passenger saw the pilot standing calmly with his hands firmly on the wheel. The passenger, filled with fear, witnessed the captain slowly turn and make eye contact with him and, without saying a word, simply smiled. That was it. No words. Just a smile. Apparently, that was all that the passenger needed to see. As he traveled back down to the main cabin, the once-fearful passenger exclaimed, “We’re going to be all right. I’ve seen the face of the captain and, good news: he smiled at me.” I think of that story often. Truth be told, it’s easy to run into turbulence in our world today. You don’t have to look very far to see the news stories of conflict, heartache, or tragedy that seem to make their way into our daily headlines. Yet here’s a good question of wonder for us today: Where are we looking to find our hope and assurance amidst the uncertainties and storms we see raging in the world? Let’s go back to Isaiah 9. Remember, to a people in captivity, Isaiah reminded the Israelites of light that was on the horizon; the time of deep darkness was coming to an end, and with it, another promise: “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Almighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace” (v. 6). When Mary and Joseph looked down upon their sleeping baby in the straw-filled manger on that first Christmas night, did these words from Isaiah come to mind? How could all of these really big titles fit into such a small, tiny, and infant package? Yet Jesus fulfilled every single one of them. Jesus is our Wonderful Counselor. He’s literally the wonder of God found in human form. Isaiah added that, “The Spirit of the Lord will rest on him—the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of the knowledge and fear of the Lord—” (11:2). Good news: he doesn’t hold office hours. His counsel is available to all who ask, and the wood of that nativity would eventually be exchanged for the wood of the cross, and, on it, he paid the price for us all. He is our Wonderful Counselor. Jesus is Almighty God. He’s not just the wonder of God found in human form; he is literally Almighty. The same God who breathed the stars into existence and breathed into Adam’s nostrils is the same Jesus who calmed the wind and waves, told the demons where to go, and healed the broken and afflicted. Jesus declared: “I am the Alpha and the Omega who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty” (Rev. 1:8). You may not have it all together, my friend. Good news: he is not just all together; he is also All Mighty. Jesus is our Everlasting Father. In Luke 15, Jesus told a parable about a young man who does the unthinkable: he asks his father for his inheritance, which is the same thing as saying, “Hey Dad, can we just fast-forward to that part where you die and give me the money now?” It’s a shocking and unthinkable thing to do, yet even more shocking is the fact that the father relents and gives his son the inheritance. Time passes and the son squanders it away, realizes the mistake he had made, and repents. It is a long walk home to face the music, but wait for it . . . what does the father do? He runs to meet his son and welcome him back home. That’s the picture of our Everlasting Father. It’s not a temporary love. It’s not a contractual love. It’s an everlasting love that the Father has for you. No matter how far you wander from the Father, he will always be there to welcome you back home. Jesus is our Prince of Peace. Just as a prince works to bring peace and unity to his kingdom, Jesus brings peace into the hearts of believers. To his disciples, he said, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid” (John 14:27). That is a peace that passes all understanding (Phil 4:7), and it is a gift ready to be unwrapped and claimed this very moment. Perhaps you have a storm raging in your life. Take a moment and catch the eye of the one whose hands are firmly at the wheel, and then remind yourself of the following: “I’m going to be all right. I’ve seen the face of the captain and, good news: he smiled at me.” THE PRAYER  God of wonder, we thank you that, in Jesus, we have a Wonderful Counselor, the Almighty God, Everlasting Father, and Prince of Peace. Today may we rest in the knowledge that you hold everything perfectly in your hands. Amen. THE QUESTIONS Can you name a storm in your life where you’ve found comfort in knowing who was guiding the ship? On a piece of paper, write down these four attributes of Jesus—Wonderful Counselor, Almighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace—at the top. From there, write down what each means to you and where you need Jesus to meet you within those names.