| HIGHLIGHTS OF DAWN | December 1990 |
The Son of God
EACH YEAR AS we celebrate the birth of Jesus we like to recall the events surrounding his birth, and their meaning to us. We want to tell the story that never grows old to our children. Although the narrative of Jesus’ birth brings joy to millions throughout the world and is basic to their faith as Christians, yet most miss out on much of the joy of Christmas because they interpret the results of that miraculous birth in a restricted way. The magnitude of God’s grace and love toward mankind is not yet fully understood.
The birth of a child is a wonderful event in the lives of its parents! They are filled with wonder and love as they tenderly gaze upon the new little life they have been entrusted with. However, their love is at first limited because a large measure of love is based upon association and experience. And so, with each passing year, their love and pride in their little child grows, as he grows. One of the most traumatic ordeals which can occur in the life of a parent is the death of a newborn infant. But it is perhaps less traumatic than if the child were a few months or years old, and had been cared for, and had become an integral part of the lives of the family.
To understand the grace and magnitude of the gift which God gave to mankind when he sent his only beloved Son, Jesus, into the world as a tiny babe in Bethlehem, we must be familiar with the lesson of creation. Let your mind go back into the distant past when God, who is from everlasting to everlasting, created the Logos. The Logos was his first and only direct creation—and how beautiful he must have been! The Scriptures speak of the beauty of Lucifer before he fell, and surely the comeliness of the Logos was far surpassing.
No doubt God’s feelings upon creating the Logos would have been much like those of a new earthly father. As they worked together, and fellowshiped one with the other, the bond of love grew stronger and stronger with the passing years—as they drew out into unknown eons of time. After the fall of Lucifer from God’s grace, the Heavenly Father apprised the Logos of his wonderful plan of the ages. It called for a perfect man, born of a woman, to take Adam’s place in death. Since he would be born of a woman he would be a human being, and share the nature of humans—no more and no less. In this way he would be a perfect corresponding price for Adam. It was the most serious step we can imagine for the Logos to agree to undertake. If this plan did not succeed, mankind would know no release from their lost condition.
The Logos did offer to be the one to leave heaven—to go down to earth as a man—to be the willing, corresponding price for Adam. This meant that as the Logos he would go out of existence in order that his life force might be transferred to the womb of a woman, resulting in the miraculous birth of a man-child, a perfect human being. As the time drew near for our Lord to depart from his heavenly home, we can envision the Heavenly Father and the Logos embracing. This was a painful parting, as all partings are. At that moment an angel was visiting Mary, informing her of the opportunity that God offered to her, to be the mother of the Savior of mankind. (Luke 1:26-35,38) As she accepted God’s invitation to be “blessed … among women” (vs. 28), in just a moment, the Logos vanished from heaven and a new life began in Mary’s womb.
Nine months later, Jesus was born in a lowly manger, and the words of the scripture, “Unto us a child is born, unto us a Son is given” (Isa. 9:6), had come to pass. The Logos was God’s Son, his beloved creation, and he was given to mankind in the person of the babe, Jesus. The angels recognized the importance of his birth, and heralded it forth with joy, praising God.—Luke 2:1-14
We find that God protected the little baby from his powerful adversary, Satan, as he grew from infancy to toddler, to young child, to a fine young man twelve years of age, and, indeed, throughout his entire life. With God’s protection he grew to manhood and went about his Father’s business. (Luke 2:40, 49,52; 3:21,22) The love between the Logos and God had grown stronger as they learned more about each other, and in the same way the love between the man Jesus and his Heavenly Father continued to grow. This bond was broken only briefly—during the three-day period Jesus was dead and buried—but was restored forever, never more to be broken, when God raised him to the divine nature at his own right hand—forevermore!
Upon his resurrection, Jesus was given all power in heaven and earth. At that time the prophecy of Isaiah 9:6,7 began its fulfillment. However, its complete accomplishment will begin with the inauguration of the millennial kingdom. We read: “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. Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even forever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.”
Let us examine the titles given to the risen Christ by Isaiah the prophet, and see why they are appropriate:
Wonderful!
Wonderful indeed Is Jesus Christ our Lord since his resurrection! When we consider the work he had already accomplished on our behalf—not only our redemption, but his sublime example that we might walk in his footsteps—and the marvelous works which are yet to come, we can reality that the title, Wonderful, is inadequate to express how magnificent he is!
Wonderful love was demonstrated when he suffered and died for us. “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his brethren.” (John 15:13) Surely the nation of Israel, as well as the whole world—every individual—will hail him as Wonderful when he whom they pierced returns to judge the world in righteousness. He will display his great love for them in his forgiveness and mercy which will, and has always been, constantly extended to them despite their rejection of him.—Isa. 53:3,4
“Surely he hath born our grief’s, and carried our sorrows; yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. … Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand.”—vss. 4-6,10
Counselor!
The resurrected Jesus will be the counselor of the world during his kingdom, as he is our counselor now. As the psalmist declares, “He shall judge the world in righteousness, and the people with his truth.” (Ps. 9:8) As the king of earth he will not only bring the dead back to life, but will also bring them back into harmony with God. Certainly there is now evident a profound void in the area of good, perfect, kind, and loving and loving counseling, which our Lord will fill by providing the proper advice and assistance necessary to guide men slowly, steadily, kindly, firmly, back to perfection.
The Mighty God!
This is a title which could at first be confusing to us, for it may sound as if the words are speaking of Almighty Jehovah. But closer examination reveals that the word here translated by the phrase ‘mighty God’ is from the Hebrew word el which means ‘the mighty one’, or ‘the powerful one’. El signifies a strong or powerful being, and consequently can be applicable to anyone who possesses those qualities. We know that Jesus will indeed be a mighty god in the Millennial Age; in fact he will have complete control of the earth at that time, and all will learn to worship and obey him.
The Everlasting Father!
Here is another bewildering title, since again, it may sound as if it is referring to the Heavenly Father. But if we search deeper into the matter we will find that the Scriptures clearly indicate that Jesus will be father to the world by providing them with everlasting life. “As in Adam all die, so in Christ shall all be made alive” (I Cor. 15:22), explains the Apostle Paul succinctly. Jesus said, “The Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.” (Luke 19:10) The principal possession that was lost in Eden was perfect human life. This is what Jesus will give back to mankind—perfect, everlasting, human life—and in doing so, he will be called the Everlasting Father.
We note that this in no way takes away the honor due to God. He is our great, eternal, Heavenly Father. Jesus repeatedly called attention to his Father’s preeminence. He said, “When you pray, say, Our Father which art in heaven,” etc. (Matt. 6:9), and again, “I ascend to my Father and to your Father, to my God, and to your God.”—John 20:17
The last title is in many ways the most beautiful:
The Prince of Peace!
Today the world yearns for peace. The cries which would go forth at this end of the age, as foretold in prophecy many centuries ago: “Peace, peace; when there is no peace” (Jer. 6:14; 8:11), are indeed an accurate description of our day. All around us, in every country of the world, there is a great longing and recognition of the need for world peace. And yet the terrible threat of imminent war hangs over earth like a deadly pall. A recent article in a newspaper portrayed the Middle East as a “war waiting to happen.”
But in his kingdom, Jesus will indeed bring peace to the troubled world of mankind, just as easily as he calmed the stormy Sea of Galilee. Although he will rule the nations with a “rod of iron” (Rev. 2:27), and will “bind” the kings of earth (Ps. 149:8), yet he will also shepherd them, and tenderly care for his flock. (Isa. 40:10,11) How fitting that shepherds and kings paid tribute to Jesus at his birth—how fitting that he should be of the house of David, the shepherd-king—for he himself would be a shepherd and a king!
Regarding Christ’s universal kingdom, we read: “Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even forever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.”—Isa. 9:7
Another description of the glorious kingdom to come was spoken of earlier in this chapter, where we read: “The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined.” (vs. 2) This prophecy shows the great need in the kingdom for the Sun of righteousness to shine. The Prophet Malachi said, “The Sun of righteousness shall arise, with healing in his wings.” (Mal. 4:2) The rising of the glorious sun of righteousness shall dispel all the noxious vapors of sin and ignorance.
Before world peace can be achieved, there must be peace among families, among neighbors, among villages and cities, among states, and then finally there will be peace among countries. But first and foremost, there must be peace between God and man, bringing peace in men’s hearts, before there can be any other peace in the world. And only the Prince of Peace has the wisdom and the power to accomplish this.
This was the purpose for which the babe was born in Bethlehem, whose birthday we celebrate at this time of the year. Jesus himself drew this to our attention (Luke 4:16-20) when he stood up in the synagogue and read, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he bath anointed me to preach the Gospel to the poor; he bath sent me to heal the broken-hearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, to preach the acceptable year of the Lord.” (Isa. 61:1,2) Later he told his disciples that this promised kingdom would not come immediately, but that “this Gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.”—Matt. 24:14
Many thoughts go through our minds at this season of the year. When we think of the grace of God, and of the love of Jesus, our hearts cry out, ‘What great things he hath done for us!’ And our thoughts continue to reach out, asking, ‘What am I, as a follower of Christ, doing here? As a Christian, what is my purpose for being?’ The answer comes from the Prophet Isaiah, (paraphrasing): “He has anointed me to preach the Gospel, for the Gospel of the kingdom must be preached in all the world, to all nations!” This is each Christian’s commission.
In the writings of the Apostle Paul he outlined the manner in which we were called by God, chosen or selected by God through his grace and mercy for the accomplishment of his purpose. Yes, stupendous thought!—we were chosen and called by God to share in the restoration of all which was lost—life, perfection, friendship with God, health, joy, security, peace, and much, much more—and all these promises and hopes were instilled by the birth of Jesus and guaranteed by his death and resurrection!
Paul continued to explain that the nation of Israel had the first opportunity to be chosen of God for the great privilege of the high calling. (Romans, chapter 11) However, they did not acknowledge or follow the words of the prophets who had been sent to them throughout the centuries. Nor did they recognize God’s own Son as the promised Messiah when he was sent to them. And so the opportunity went, instead, to the Gentiles. The apostle used the simile of the grafting procedure to depict the way the Gospel went to the Gentiles. They were pictured as ‘wild branches’ grafted onto the original root—the Abrahamic Covenant—contrary to nature. (vs. 23) It is contrary to nature because the actual process of grafting takes place in the opposite manner—the hybrid branches are grafted onto wild roots.
Paul became so exuberant in the consideration of the wonders of God’s great mercy and kindness, that he sang out praise to his Heavenly Father: “Oh the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out! For who bath known the mind of the Lord, or who bath been his counselor? Or who bath first given to him, and it shall be recompensed unto him again? For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory forever. Amen!”—vss. 33-36
Concluding this chapter on a note of high and glorious praise, he began the 12th chapter by saying, “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.” (vs. 1) In I Corinthians 1:26, lest we feel unworthy of a call to such a high position, Paul said: “Ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called: but God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God bath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; and base things of the world, and things which are despised, bath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to naught things that are; that no flesh should glory in his presence. … That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.”—vss. 26-31; Jer. 9:23,24
“Preach the Word! Be instant in season and out of season.” (II Tim. 4:2) Preach the birth of Christ. Preach the good tidings of great joy which shall be to all people. Preach that whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved, for there is still a harvest work to be done. But, “How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach, except they be sent? As it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the Gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!”—Rom. 10:13-15; Isa. 52:7
The spirit of Christmas is the spirit of giving—a spirit which stems directly from God, evidenced by the gift to us of his only begotten Son! What is a reasonable gift for us to return to God? The only reasonable gift is the gift of ourselves—our time, talent, our love. As the Apostle James wrote: “What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he bath faith, and have not works? Can faith save him? If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food, and one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit? Even so faith, if it hath not works [works of love], is dead, being alone.”—James 2:14-17
Let us praise God for his unspeakable gift! Blessed be the, name of the Lord!
Tell me the old, old story of unseen things above,
Of Jesus and his glory, of Jesus and his love.
Tell me the story simply, as to a little child,
For I am weak and weary, and helpless and defiled.
Tell me the old, old story, tell me the old, old story,
Tell me the old, old story, of Jesus and his love.