Christ Exalted Among the Nations

Isaiah 9:2, 3, 6, 7; Luke 1:26-33

GOLDEN TEXT: “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder; and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty God; The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.”—Isaiah 9:6

MANY of the prophecies concerning the birth of Jesus portray the ultimate great objective of his coming into the world, emphasizing the glory of his coming kingdom more than his humiliation and death as man’s Redeemer. Isaiah wrote of a time when those who sit in darkness will see a great light. Jesus was indeed born to be the light of the world, yet few thus far have seen that light in the true and full sense of the word. The time will come, however, when Jesus, the light of life, will lighten every man who cometh into the world. Truly the people will then see a “great light.”

The “government,” the divine kingdom, will be upon the “shoulder” of him who was born in Bethlehem nineteen centuries ago. He did not assume the responsibility of the kingdom at that time. The Heavenly Father had said to him in prophecy, “Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen [nations] for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession,” but Jesus did not make this request at the time of his first advent because he knew that it was not yet the Father’s due time for him to do so.—Psa. 2:8

It is at his second advent that Jesus will shoulder the responsibility of a world government, by means of which the divine will and law shall be re-established in the earth. No humanly conceived organization or government will be used, nor will the success of Christ’s government depend upon the feeble efforts of man. “The government shall be upon his shoulder.” In this blessed assurance our hope may rest.

“His name shall be called Wonderful.” The “wonderful” ones among men are usually so appraised because of their military prowess, or political genius, or other supposedly glorious achievements. But Jesus is yet to be recognized as “Wonderful” because of his love for the people, and his willingness to die for them. In him the world will have a King who first died for his subjects; one who loved his enemies and has provided for them an opportunity to gain everlasting life. Surely he IS “Wonderful”!

And Jesus is also a “Counselor.” The world needs counsel along all lines, and will receive it through kingdom agencies. The people will be taught the Lord’s ways, the prophet tells us. (Micah 4:1-4) While this is true, the special thought conveyed by the title, “Counselor,” is that of one who pleads the cause of another, an attorney, or “counselor at law.” This office is described in the New Testament by the term “mediator.” Jesus will be a just and loving “mediator between God and men.”

Jesus will also be recognized as “The mighty God” of the people—but not, of course, the “Almighty One.” It will be in keeping with the Creator’s expressed will that the people of the next age—even as the church of this age-honor the Son even as they honor the Father. It will be of him that they will say, “Lo, this is our God, we have waited for him, and he will save us: … we will be glad and rejoice in his salvation.”—Isa. 25:9

The term “father” means “life-giver.” Jesus will give everlasting life to the people, hence he will be the “everlasting Father.” This is to be one of the important features of his thousand-year reign which will cause the people to ascribe to him the title “Wonderful.” It is a wonderful ruler indeed who can give everlasting life to his subjects, and this is exactly what Jesus will do.

At the Christmas season of the year we are accustomed to think of Jesus as “The Prince of Peace,” although his kingdom of peace is not yet established. But when Jesus was on earth at his first advent he said he had not come to bring peace, but a sword. This does not mean that Jesus has been a promoter of strife. What he meant was that the light of his teachings would be opposed by the darkness of the world, so that his followers would be hated and persecuted by those whose minds are still blinded by the darkness of error and superstition.

But it will be different when Christ’s kingdom is fully established. Then he will be the foretold “Shiloh,” or “peacemaker,” unto whom the “gathering of the people” shall be. (Gen. 49:10) All nations will then call him blessed; and by obedience to the righteous laws of his kingdom they will have peace. There will be peace among the nations, and peace within every nation. All the obedient of mankind will have peace in their hearts, and above all, they will be at peace with God—no longer estranged from him.

How highly honored was Mary to be the mother of Jesus. It is not essential for us to understand how the life-principle of the Logos was transferred to the womb of Mary, and later born as a babe. We do not understand natural begettal and birth, but we know that it occurs. So it should not be difficult to believe that the Creator, who designed the so-called laws of nature concerning procreation, was able to vary those laws slightly in order that the Logos might be “made flesh” “for the suffering of death.”—John 1:14; Heb. 2:9

QUESTIONS:

Has the world yet recognized Jesus as the true “light”?

Do the various titles ascribed to Jesus in Isaiah 9:6 apply to his work of this age or of the Millennial age?

What did Jesus mean when he said (Matt. 10:34), “Think not that I am come to send peace on earth … but a sword”?

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