WDJP2D (What did Jesus Promise to do?)
His list of roles
Isaiah 9:2,6-7

† Jesus, Son and Saviour †

May the grace, mercy and peace of God our Father, which you were meant to receive—united to Jesus, be evident in your life!

To Us….

Close your eyes for a moment, and picture one of the Christmas Trees of your childhood. You see the packages there, all wrapped up nicely, the name tags properly hanging off of them.

Your eyes spot that one package, prior inspections tell you that this one is yours, and for some reason you know this is “the present”.It doesn’t include the socks or underwear or flannel pajamas (he we all didn’t grow up in California!).

It was that present. You knew it.. and you wanted to rip it open first!

Do you remember what that present was?

Now move your vision to the stable, and the manger, and realize that the present there was done with more thought, with more care….hear the prophet Isaiah’s words about this present…

For a child is born TO US… a Son is given TO US.

TO US.

It is as if, on the manger, there is a tag on the manger.

From: God

To; The child I love.

….TO YOU!

So let’s look at this intimate, influential, immanent gift from which we are inseparable!

For the prophet teaches us a lot about our incarnate Lord Jesus!

• Wonderful Counselor–Intimate

The first words to describe Jesus is that He would be a Wonderful Counselor. The comforter whom you can tell anything too, knowing that they will support you through the crisis, through the time of reconciliation, through the time of healing.

There is nothing you can say that would shock Him, for as God He knows your deepest and darkest secrets… and loves you still. This is the most intimate of relationships, one that goes beyond all defenses, for God knows you better than you know yourself

• Almighty God—Influential

The second phrase of the description is that Jesus, this child born TO US, this Son given TO US is that He is Almighty God. That power is wielded on our behalf, both to defeat our enemies of Satan and death, but also to change us, to transform us, giving us new hearts and minds that are Christ’s.

This powerful influence of God is beyond anything that can be described, as He uses all He is to transform and protect His people.

This is why Paul prays that “you will understand the incredible greatness of God’s power for us who believe him. This is the same mighty power ²⁰  that raised Christ from the dead and seated him in the place of honor at God’s right hand in the heavenly realms. Ephesians 1:19-20 (NLT2)

This is the Almighty God—who has come – and uses that might to influence everything for us us

• Everlasting Father—immanent

The next thing this child born to us, the Son given to us is takes a while to wrap our heads around. He is our Eternal Father.

From the Creation of the World to the recreation of the heavens and earth at the Judgement Day, Jesus, who is one with the Father, reveals the Father to us.

He is always our Father, always therefore us, because He has loved us and will love us. We call Jesus Immanuel as

The Lord of all, is our Father, and welcomes us to pray to Him, to ask for help, to let Him be our dad, for that is part of the revelation of the child being born to us

• Prince of Peace—Inseparable

The last description of Jesus, the last title in this list, the result of His being sent to us, given to us is that He is the Prince of Peace.

And as He comes to u-bringing that peace into our darkness, into our times of doubt, into our times where peace just doesn’t seem possible. Where it is beyond our imagination, but that is exactly what God’s peace is, – beyond all understanding.

I can tell you that, I’ve had too many experiences where peace should not be known. Times of doubt, times of anxiety, times of fear. And yet, in the midst of trauma, there is Jesus, the one born and laid in a manger,

the one who is Immanuel –  the Eternal Father whose  is always there,

The one who is Almighty, and uses His power to influence every aspect of our lives,

All because who is the Wonderful Counselor who intimately knows us.

This is the birth of our God, who dwells with us.