Thoughts from The Bible

“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 9:7,
ESV).by Sarah Wootten Corinth Baptist Church
Christmas is finally
here. Families are gathered.
Feasts are being
prepared. And most importantly,
hearts are rejoicing
because God sent
His Son to be the Savior
King of the world. As
we walk into this week,
Isaiah 9:6 contains two
more titles that describe
the character and rule
of Jesus as the eternal
King.
First, Isaiah calls the
coming child the “Everlasting
Father.” Isaiah
isn’t confusing the first
and second persons of
the Trinity; instead, he
is describing the fatherly
rule that Jesus will
have toward the citizens
of His kingdom. Many
kings treat their subjects
as pawns to meet their
selfish ends and give
no thought towards the
people’s distress. This
isn’t how King Jesus will
be towards those who
live in His kingdom.
No, His treatment of His
people can be described
as that of an excellent
father.
Just like a good father
welcomes his heartbroken
children into his
arms, Jesus carries the
burdens of believers and
gives them abundant
rest (Matthew 11:28-
30). And this isn’t a burden
to Him; rather, it
is His delight to be that
refuge and safety for
us. He desires to be our
provision in all that we
need – spiritually, emotionally,
and physically.
(Philippians 4:19). And
just like any good father
who disciplines His
children to help them
grow and mature, Jesus
invites us to learn from
Him, to be His disciples,
and learn the ways of
God. Our King, the Everlasting
Father, will
reign over us with a love
that cannot be broken
(Romans 8:35-39).
Second, Isaiah calls
Jesus the “Prince of
Peace.” Peace is something
that is so rare. The
media throws unpeaceful
news reports at us
everyday: from wars to
lawsuits, murders and
riots. Then we look in
our own families and see
grudges from ill-spoken
words or selfish actions
of the past. Even in our
own hearts, our restlessness
shows that we are
anything but peaceful.
However, there is good
news. Jesus’ kingdom
will be marked by an everlasting
peace (Isaiah
9:7). The deep desire of
our longing hearts for
peace will be fully realized.
Th
e path to peace,
however, is anything but
peaceful. Because of sin,
we are enemies of God,
and we don’t have peace
with Him (Romans
5:10). Without peace
with God, we will enter
into eternal torment, a
place void of any peace.
But God sent His Son,
born as a baby, to pay
the penalty that we owe
so that we might have
peace with God (Romans
5:1). Through the
death of Jesus Christ,
our sin is defeated, the
penalty we deserve is
paid for, and all who
trust in Him are reconciled
to God. We don’t
have to wait for Jesus’
second coming to experience
perfect peace –
we have it now through
Christ Jesus.
In closing, it would
be wonderful if we were
all entering into this
week full of happiness.
But, I know that’s not
the case. Holidays tend
to be sharp reminders
for some individuals of
the pains that we experience
– loss of friends
and family, deep regrets,
and the constant reminder
that things aren’t
as they should be. But
even though our hearts
may be full of pain, hope
can still be found in the
person of Christ. Isaiah
promised a coming
King whose rule would
be marked by unending
peace and fatherly
care for His citizens. As
Christians, we wait expectantly
knowing that
all He has promised
will come to pass. Jesus’
kingdom will be one of
unending peace and joy
as we experience the
wonders of His grace
and love forever. Jesus
is now and He will forever
be our Wonderful
Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, and
Prince of Peace.
Merry Christmas to
all! May you find joy
and hope this Christmas
season in the person and
work of the Lord Jesus
Christ.