Advent: Mighty God

"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..."

Isaiah 9:6

 

Mighty God. The term used for God here is el. El is a general term for God and is derived from a root that means "strength." The second name in Isaiah 9:6 then is one of power--the mighty strong one, the strong God. Mighty can also refer to a warrior. The son born will be a warrior, God in strength and power. The context of Isaiah 9 reveals the reason for this warrior, that he will "break the yoke of their burden and the staff on their shoulders, the rod of their oppressor" (Isaiah 9:4). This reminds me of when Jesus read from the scroll of Isaiah, proclaiming of himself, "The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor" (Luke 4:18-19).

This miraculous child, the one sent to guide us, is also our warrior and our God. He has come to remove our burdens and defeat the rod of our oppressor. There is already a fulfillment in Isaiah in that God planned to rescue Israel physically, but Jesus himself proclaimed Isaiah fulfilled in some way during his first time on earth. Jesus declared he had been sent to set the oppressed free. What did he free us from when he first came? He did battle with sin and won: "So I find this law at work: When I want to do good, evil is right there with me. For in my inner being I delight in God's law; but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members. What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God--through Jesus Christ our Lord!" (Romans 7:21-25).

 

At this time of year, let us remember that this son born for us came not only to guide us, but to break the slavery of sin in our lives. He is a warrior, come to do battle for his bride and claim her as his own. He has broken the rod of our oppressor and we are free. Such a profound truth, a humble babe in a manger born our warrior, God coming in might, the only one who could defeat the darkness of sin entangling our lives. Praise be to our Mighty God!