Our Emmanuel – Part 2

Welcome back to part 2 of ‘Our Emmanuel’. Yesterday I finished off by saying that until the birth of Christ, many could only understand in part the extent of God’s plan and how it would unfold.

I also mentioned yesterday that there have been numerous prophesies announcing the birth of our Lord and Saviour. However, when we say Jesus is our Lord and Saviour, what do we mean?

One of the prophesies I mentioned yesterday, Isaiah 9: 6-7, I believe is a very powerful prophetic word that encapsulates exactly what we mean. This prophesy unveils Him completely.

Isaiah 9:6- 7 (NIV)

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, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. ⁷  He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this.

Let me break this scripture down for us, statement by statement to get a clearer picture of who Jesus is to us.

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given. The first thing we note here is, that the people living around the time of Jesus’ birth were expecting a King to arrive in grandeur, with trumpets blowing. They had heard the prophesies, however they were looking in the wrong places. Those who truly sought God and His Word, knew they would be looking for a child and they were filled with expectation. The second thing this statement alone tells us is, that He was willing to come into this world as a child to truly know what it was like to be with us in our daily walk. He wanted to experience and understand us in our humanity – in every facet of life. Our joy, our sadness, our pain and our disappointment. This is how much God loves us and desires to be with us. Our Emmanuel.

And the government will be on His shoulders. We have an assurity that Jesus is on the throne of authority. He carries the weight of this authority on His shoulders and He is directing the bigger plan for this world, our lives and eternity. This part of the prophetic word confirms to us that God is still in control. We can be assured of His power and authority to rule and reign, and to conquer all things by the authority he carries. 

And He will be called  Wonderful, Counselor,  Mighty God, Everlasting Father,  Prince of Peace. This is who He is. This is who our Emmanuel is. Look at each and every word spoken here.

• Wonderful. He is altogether wonderful – Everything about Him is wonderful. His love for us is wonderful. His care for us is wonderful. His devotion to us is wonderful. His sacrifice for us is wonderful. His joy in us is wonderful. His passion for us to succeed is wonderful. His motivation for us to grow is wonderful. His power working in us is wonderful. Jesus is altogether wonderful.
• Counsellor. He is our attentive Counsellor – Whispering to us wisdom, direction, encouragement and correction. He cheers us on and builds us up. Forever speaking into our hearts. Always listening to us. He is our trustworthy confidant.
• Mighty God. Everything about Him is Mighty – What more do I need to say. The word mighty means strength, power, hero, warrior. He is a strong, powerful, hero, warrior God. This is who walks with us. We do not walk alone. We walk with ‘Mighty God.’
• Everlasting Father. He is not temporary dad – What assurance this give us. He is not just our Father for this lifetime, but forever. For eternity. He will not leave us or forsake us. He is not a man that He should lie to us, He speaks truth to us. He keeps His promise to us. He says to us, I will be your father God always. He is Emmanuel, God with us, always.
• Prince of Peace. He is the holder of peace – We look for peace in so many places. Nothing can satisfy. The true source of our peace can only come from the Prince of Peace. This peace is always available to us. Always on hand to draw from. He is our River of Peace. Our Prince of Peace, Our Emmanuel of Peace.

V7 – He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice andrighteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this. What He set out to do, He will accomplish and it will be secure for all time. No matter what is happening around us, God is assuring us, He is still making all things work together for good and for eternity and for us. He is sticking to His plan and He is sticking to you and I.

A powerful prophesy, don’t you agree? However, it is one thing to know this prophesy, but it is another to apply it your own life. 

Maybe you have not unpacked this prophesy before, but let’s take this a step further. Let’s make this personal. In fact, let me prophetically claim this over you as you read it.

He is the Son of God who came as a baby and grew up to experience what you experience. When He tells you, He is your Emmanuel, He keeps His promise to walk with you as one who understands you.

The Government on His shoulders – If He can carry the Government and all the authority that has been laid on His shoulders, He is more than able to can carry your burdens.

He is wonderful – Let that pour over your soul. His love, His devotion, His joy, His encouragement – everything wonderful that He is, He wants to pour out on you.

He is counsellor – Any situation that you need a solution for, He has the answer for you. Stay listening to His whisper.

He is mighty God – Our warrior hero walks besides you. You do not have to fear.

Everlasting Father – Whether you had a great earthly father or not, our everlasting Father will not abandon you. 

Prince of Peace – Go straight to the source. His peace is like no other. 

All the prophetic voices that have spoken throughout history, come back to you and I personally. God had you and I in mind in His great plan and He walks it out with us. He voiced His plan right through the ages via the prophets. His plan and His love for you has never changed. If you feel a little far from Him right now, don’t think He is angry with you. He is longing for you to draw close. It is easy to do this when you understand who He is in His fulness.

God bless you.

Deb