God's Word for Me Today
Thursday, December 27, 2001
Unwrapping a Christ-Centered Christmas!
A note about online study
Introduction to God's Word for Me Today
My Prayer Today
Heavenly Father, thank You for being a God who tells His people in advance what He is going to do. I thank You for the prophet Isaiah, who was willing to stand up for You regardless of the cost to him. Fill me with Your Holy Spirit and release His power in me that I, too, may be faithful regardless of the consequence. I pray that I may live with joy and enthusiasm, because of who You are and all You do in my life. May this be a day in which You are glorified and honored by all my words and actions. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.
God's Word for Me Today: Isaiah 9:6-7
6 For a child is born to us, a son is given to us. And the government will rest on his shoulders. These will be his royal titles: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. 7 His ever expanding, peaceful government will never end. He will rule forever with fairness and justice from the throne of his ancestor David. The passionate commitment of the LORD Almighty will guarantee this!
Questions for Reflection
What is the most important title you hold? What advantages do you gain by having it?
Of all the world leaders who have led nations during your life time, which would you like to have leading the United States right now? Why?
Questions for Exploration
In what sense did Jesus fulfill the prophecy in today’s Scripture? (9:6-7)
What aspects of today’s prophecy are yet to be fulfilled?(9:6-7)
What will be different about Jesus’ eternal rule than the rule of typical governments and their leaders? (9:7)
Questions for Understanding
Why do you think that Isaiah listed so many titles of for Jesus in this Scripture reading?
What will have to change for the ultimate fulfillment of this prophecy to take place?
Questions for Application
Look at each of the titles for Jesus listed in verse six (They are highlighted.) Which of these title most closely addresses the needs of your life that Jesus must address? Pray for Jesus to meet those needs today.
Pray for God to bring about the just rule of Jesus in our daily lives, by transforming us into truly righteous people!
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace!
The titles Isaiah listed for the coming messiah—God’s deliverer—are at once comforting and awe-inspiring! Jesus fulfills those roles, both in His first coming and will do so more fully when He returns to reign over His followers forever . Let’s look at each of the titles and see how Jesus, God’s greatest gift to us, fulfills them and will fulfill them.
Wonderful Counselor. This title describes Jesus’ wisdom and ability to offer wise advice for meeting our daily needs, and well as the needs of the world. Jesus fulfilled this role during His earthly ministry, as He taught His disciples the ways of the Kingdom of God, as He met with folks one-to-one and as He taught the crowds of God’s great plan for their salvation. When Jesus returns, His wisdom will be evident in leading His vast army to ultimate victory over Satan.
Mighty God. During Jesus’ time on earth, He demonstrated that He was, indeed, mighty God, by calming storms, by healing the sick, casting out demons and raising the dead. Folks were constantly amazed by Jesus’ mighty signs and wonders. When He returns to the earth, these will be multiplied as He demonstrates to all people everywhere that He is, indeed, the one, true God.
Everlasting Father. This title refers to Jesus’ eternal nature. Of course as a man, Jesus died on the cross of Calvary. Had that been the end of the matter, had Jesus stayed dead in Joseph’s tomb, the title could not be applied to Him. But Jesus didn’t stay dead. In fact, Jesus conquered death—once for all, as the Apostle Paul put it. Jesus’ death destroyed death not only for himself, but for all who turn to Him for salvation. Jesus is already living eternally in heaven with God the Father and the Holy Spirit—one God in three persons. Next Jesus will return to claim His own and then it will be obvious to all that God IS in charge, and that Jesus IS one in glory, eternity and power with the Father. As Jesus put it while here on earth, “The Father and I are one.”
Prince of Peace. In Jesus’ day as in ours, this is the one title that many, many folks want Jesus to fulfill. He is already the Prince of Peace in that He alone can bring peace to our lives by the power and presence of the Holy Spirit. He has not brought political peace to the world in His day or today, because in God’s great plan of salvation and redemption, the time for that is “not yet.” But each of us may awaken daily with peace, with the overwhelming assurance that Jesus will never leave us nor forsake us, and that greater is He (Jesus) who is in us than he (Satan) who is in the world. In that great day when Jesus returns to establish His eternal king we will experience the ultimate fulfillment of all four of these prophecies. For now, we wait and rejoice for the gift we have already received through Him!
To view the studies for other days, visit the God's Word for Me Today calendar.