When actor Ethan Hawke started out in Hollywood, one of his contemporaries was River Phoenix. The young actor looked up to him, but tragically, River Phoenix died of a drug overdose.
Hawke later said in an interview, “Drugs and alcohol and depression are formidable opponents all over the world. People think getting what you want will make you happy, but a sense of self, purpose and love don’t come from the outside. You can’t get distracted by this culture that celebrates things that sometimes aren’t what they seem.”
Justin Bieber, who has had more than his share of fame and adulation, once posted on Instagram, “Hey world that glamorous lifestyle you see portrayed by famous people on Instagram don’t be fooled thinking their life is better than yours. I can promise you it’s not!”
If you look to this culture or the world to find answers or fulfillment, you will come up empty. There is nothing this world offers that will satisfy us, because we were created to know God.
In the Old Testament book of Isaiah, we find this verse that sums up what Christmas is all about and why Jesus came to Earth: “For a child is born to us, a son is given to us. The government will rest on his shoulders. And he will be called: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace” (9:6 NLT).
“He will be called … Wonderful.” The word “wonder” means that he is amazing, astonishing, bewildering and beyond our human comprehension. Today we use “wonderful” to describe a lot of things, but it’s a word that really is reserved for God alone.
And when we have a relationship with God, it adds meaning and purpose to our lives. Medical science seeks to add years to our lives, but only Jesus Christ can add life to our years.
“He will be called … Counselor.” God Almighty has a specific plan for your life. The psalmist Asaph wrote, “You guide me with your counsel, leading me to a glorious destiny” (Psalm 73:24 NLT).
People go to the local bar and pour out their troubles to the bartender or anyone who will listen. Others, in desperation, spend thousands of dollars on therapy, go to a psychic, or turn to a search engine to try to find the answers to life. Yet God is a counselor, and he wants to bring specific counsel to you and me.
The Bible says, “If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking” (James 1:5 NLT). You can have an appointment with Jesus Christ whenever you want it. He always has time for you and is vitally interested in whatever you’re facing.
“He will be called … Mighty God.” Jesus was fully God and fully man. He was not merely a good man; he was the God-man. He was not a man who became God. Rather, he was God who came to us as a man. Jesus became human without ceasing to be God. It’s difficult to wrap our minds around the idea that the baby born in a stable in Bethlehem was God Almighty.
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Yet he is Mighty God, which means that he has all the power we need to face the hardships and challenges of life. And if you have put your faith in Jesus Christ, the almighty, powerful God has taken residence in your heart.
“He will be called … Everlasting Father.” This brings hope and encouragement to those who may have grown up without a father or had a father who never had time for them or was harsh and abusive. We have a Father in Heaven who loves us.
Because of Jesus dying on the cross and rising from the dead, we can now call God Everlasting Father. The word “everlasting” reminds us that this relationship is eternal. For those of us who have put our faith in Christ, he not only will be our Father on Earth, but he also will receive us into Heaven one day.
“He will be called … Prince of Peace.” In the storms of life, we long for peace within. In our crazy culture with so many uncertainties in the air, it’s great to know that Jesus can be our Prince of Peace.
When the angels appeared to the shepherds who were watching their flocks on the night of Christ’s birth, the message was, “Glory to God in highest heaven, and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased” (Luke 2:14 NLT). The way we have peace is by having a relationship with God. And when our lives are pleasing to God, we can experience personal peace.
From our perspective, unto us a Child was born. But from God’s perspective, a Son was given. For us it was an arrival. For God it was a departure.
The birth of Jesus was not his beginning. Jesus is part of the godhead: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. But Jesus walked among us as a man. He breathed our air, walked in our shoes, lived our lives and ultimately died our death.
We don’t like to think about the fact that he came to die on a cross. We like to think about the beautiful baby in the manger, bathed in light. But that little baby came with a purpose, a mission to die for the sins of the world. And he is sufficient to meet whatever needs we have in our lives.
Christmas is not about presents under a tree; it’s about his presence in our lives. That is the message of Christmas.
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