Jesus was the mighty god

JESUS WAS THE MIGHTY GOD
EDITED BY GLENN PEASE
Isaiah9:6 6Forto us a child is born, to us a son is
given, and the government will be on his shoulders.
And he will be called WonderfulCounselor, Mighty
God, EverlastingFather, Princeof Peace.
BIBLEHUB RESOURCES
His Name -- the Mighty God
Charles Haddon Spurgeon
Isaiah9:6
For to us a child is born, to us a sonis given: and the government shall be on
his shoulder: and his name shall be calledWonderful…
A Sermon
(No.258)
Deliveredon Sabbath Morning, June 19th, 1859, by the

REV. C.H. SPURGEON
at the Music Hall, RoyalSurrey Gardens.
"The mighty God." -- Isaiah9:6.
OTHER TRANSLATIONS ofthis divine title have been proposed by several
very eminent and able scholars. Notthat they have any of them been prepared
to deny that this translation is after all most accurate;but rather that whilst
there are various words in the original, which we render by the common
appellation of "GOD," it might be possible so to interpret this as to show
more exactly its definite meaning. One writer, for example, thinks the term
might be translate!"The Irradiator," -- he who gives light to men. Some think
it bears the meaning of "The Illustrious," -- the bright and the shining one.
Still there are very few, if any, who are prepared to dispute the factthat our
translation is the most faithful that could possibly be given -- the mighty
God."
The term here used for God, El, is takenfrom a Hebrew or root, which, as I
take it, signifies strength; and perhaps a literal translation even of that title
might be, "The Strong one," the strong God. But there is added to this an
adjective in the Hebrew, expressive ofmightiness, and the two takentogether
express the omnipotence of Christ, his realdeity and his omnipotence, as
standing first and foremostamong the attributes which the prophet beheld.
"The mighty God." I do not propose this morning to enter into any argument
in proof of the divinity of Christ, because my text dues not seemto demand it
of me. It does not say that Christ shall be "the mighty God," -- that is
affirmed in many other places of Sacredwrit; but here it says, "He shall be
calledWonderful," called "Counsellor,"called, "The mighty God;" and I

think that therefore I may be excusedfrom entering into any proof of the fact,
if I am at leastable to establishthe truth of that which is here foretold,
inasmuch as Christ is indeed calledat this day, and shall be calledto the end
of the world, "the mighty God."
First, this morning, I shall speak for a moment on the folly of those who
profess to be his followers, but who do not call him "the mighty God." In the
secondplace I shall try to show how the true believer practically calls Christ
"the mighty God," in many of the acts which concernhis salvation;and then I
shall close by noticing how Jesus Christ has proved himself to be indeed "the
mighty God " to us, and in the experience of his church.
I. First let note point out THE FOLLY OF THOSE WHO PROFESSTO BE
THE DISCIPLES OF CHRIST, YET DO NOT, AND WILL, NOT, CALL
HIM GOD. The question has sometimes beenproposed to me, how it is that
those of us who hold the divinity of Christ manifest what is called
uncharitableness towards those who deny him. We do continually affirm that
an error, with regard to the divinity of Christ, is absolutely fatal, and that a
man cannot be right in his judgment upon any part of the gospelunless he
think rightly of him who is personally the very centerof all the purposes of
heaven, and the foundation of all the hopes of earth. Nor can we admit of any
latitudinarianism here. We extend the right hand of fellowshipto all those
who love the Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity and truth; but we cannotexchange
our Christian greetings with those who deny him to be "very God of very
God." And the reasonis sometimes asked;for sayour opponents, "We are
ready to give the right hand of fellowship to you, why don't you do so to us?"
Our reply shall be given thus briefly: "You have no right to complain of us,
seeing that in this matter we stand on the defensive When you declare
yourselves to believe that Christ is not the Son of God, you may not be
conscious ofit, but you have chargedus with one of the blackestsins in the
entire cataligue of crime. "The Unitarians must, to be existent, charge the
whole of us, who worship Christ, with being idolators. Now idolatry is a sin of

the most heinous character;it is not an offense againstmen it is true, but it is
an intolerable offense againstthe majesty of God. We are ranked by
Unitarians, if they be consistent, with the Hottentots. "No," saythey, "we
believe that you are sincere in your worship." So is the Hottentot; he bows
down before his Fetich, his block of wood or stone, and he is an idolator; and
although you charge us with bowing before a man, yet we do hold that you
have laid at our coola sin insufferably gross, and we are obliged to repel your
accusationwith some severity. You have so insulted us by denying the
Godheadof Christ, you have chargedus with so greata crime, that you
cannot expectus to sit coollydown and blandly smile at the imputation. It
matters not what a Man worships, if it be not God, he is an idolater. There is
no distinction in principle betweenworship to a god of mud and a godof gold,
nay further, there is no distinction betweenthe worship of an onion and the
worship of the sun, moon, and stars. These are alike idolatries. And though
Christ be confessedby the Socinianto be the bestof men, perfection's own
self; yet if he be nothing more, the vast mass of the Christian world is
deliberately assailedwith the impudent accusationofbeing idolators. Yet
those who charge us with idolatry, expectus to receive them with cordial
kindness. It is not in flesh and blood for us to do so, if we take the low ground
of reason;it is not in grace or truth to do so, if we take the high ground of
revelation. As wren, we are willing to shew them respect, we regardthem, we
pray for them, we have no angeror enmity againstthem. But when we come
to the point of theology, we cannot as we profess to be followers of Christ,
tamely see ourselves chargedwith an offense so dreadful and so heinous as
that of idol worship.
I confess I would almost rather be chargedwith a religion that extenuated
murder, than with one that justified idolatry. Murder, greatas the offense is,
is but the slaying of man; but idolatry is in its essencethe killing of God; it is
the attempt to thrust the Eternal Jehovahout of his seat, and to foist into his
place the work of his own hang, or the creature of my own conceit. Shalla
man charge me with being so besottedas to worship a mere many shall he tell
me I am so low and groveling in my intellect, that I should stoopdown to
worship my ownfellow -- creature? and yet does he expectme after that to

receive him as a brother professing the same faith? I cannot understand his
presumption. The charge againstour sanctity of heart is so tremendous, the
accusationis so frightful, that if there have been some severity and bitterness
of temper in the controversy, the sin lies upon our opponent, and not on us.
For he has chargedus with a crime so dreadful, that an upright man must
repel it as an insult. But to go further; if Jesus Christ be not a Divine person --
if I could once imagine that he was no more than a mere man, I should prefer
Mahometto Christ; and if you ask me why, I think I could clearly prove to
demonstration, that Mahomet was a greaterprophet than Christ. If Jesus
Christ be not the Son of God, coequal, co-eternalwith the Father, he so spoke
as to induce that belief in the minds of his own disciples, and of his adversaries
likewise. Mahomet, with regardto the unity of the Godhead, is so clearand so
distinct, that there is no Mahometanto this day, that has ever fallen into
idolatry. You will find that throughout the whole of the Mahometanworld the
cry is still sternly uttered and faithfully believed, "There is but one God, and
Mahometis his prophet." Now, if Christ were but a goodman and a prophet,
why did he not speak more decisively? Why has he not left on record a war
cry for the Christian, which would be as explicit and decisive as that of
Mahomet? If Christ did not mean to teachthat he himself is God, at leasthe
was not very clearand definite in his denial and he has left his disciples
extremely in the dark, the proof whereofis to be found in the fact, that at the
present day, nine hundred and ninety-nine out of every thousand of the whole
of the professedfollowers ofChrist, do receive him, and bow down before
him, as being the very God. And if he it not God, I deny his right to be
esteemedas a prophet. If he is not God, he was an impostor, the grandest, the
greatestofdeceivers that ever existed. This, of course, is no argument to the
man who denies the faith, and does not avow himself to be a followerof
Christ. But to the man that it Christ's follower, I do hold that the argument is
irresistible, that Christ could not have been a goodand great prophet, if he
were not what ho certainly led us to believe himself to be, the Sonof God, who
thought it not robbery to be equal with God, -- he very God, by whom all
things were made, and without whom was not anything made that is made.

I will sayyet another thing, which may startle the believer, but which is
intended rather to reduce the heterodox doctrine of Christ not being God, to
an absurdity, If Christ were not the Son of God, his death, so far from being a
satisfactionforsin, was a death most richly and righteously deserved. The
Sanhedrim before which He was tried was the recognizedand authorised
legislature of the country. He was brought before that Sanhedrim, charged
with blasphemy, and it was upon that charge that they condemned him to die,
because he made himself the Son of God. Now, I do not hesitate honestly to
aver, that if I had been called on to plead in that ease,I should have pleaded
an avowal, and that moreover, I should have stoodup, and said and felt, that I
had a clearcase before me, which nothing but lying and perjury could ever
have put on one side, if Jesus of Nazarethhad been chargedwith having
declaredhimself to be the Son of God. Why, his whole preaching seemedto
derive from thence it's unrivalled authority. There was continually in his
actions and in his words, a claim to be something more than man ever could
lay claim to. And when he was brought before the Sanhedrim, witnesses
enough might have been found, to prove that he had made himself the Son of
God; if he were not so, his condemnationfor blasphemy was the justest
sentence that ever was pronounced, and his crucifixion on Calvary, was
absolutely the most righteous executionthat ever was performed by the hand
of the government. It is his being verily God, that frees him from the charge of
blasphemy, It is the fact that he is God. and that his Godheadis not to be
denied, that makes his death an unrighteous decide at the hand of apostate
man, and renders it, as before God, an acceptable sacrifice forthe sins of all
the people whom he redeemedwith his most precious blood But if he be not
God, I do repeat, that there is no reasonwhatever, Why we should have had a
New Testamentwritten; for there would be then nothing in the sublime
central-factof that New Testamentbut the righteous execution of one, who
certainly deservedto die.
Do you remember, my dear friends, when the apostle Paul was preaching on
the resurrectionof the dead, in his letter to the Corinthians, how he uses an ex
post facto argument, to shoe, the natural consequences, if it were possible to
overturn the truths He says, "If Christ be not risen, then is mar preaching

vain,and your faith is also vain, and ye are yet in your sins." Now, I may fairly
use the apostle's line of argument in reference to the Godheadand Sonship of
Christ, of which his resurrection gave sucha palpable demonstration: "If
Christ be not the Son of God, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also
vain, and ye are yet in your sins all our visions of heavenare blasted and
withered; the brightness of our hope is quenched for ever; that rock on which
our trust is built, turns out to be nothing better than mere sand if the divinity
of Christ be not proved. All the joy and consolationwe ever had in this world,
in our belief that his blood was sufficient to atone for sin, has been but a
dream of fancy and a "figment of idle brains;" all the communion we have
ever had with him has been but an illusion and a trance, and all the hopes we
have of beholding his face in glory, and of being satisfiedwhen we awake in
his likeness,are but the foulest delusions that ever cheatedthe hopes of man.
Oh, my brethren, and can any of you believe that the blood of all the martyrs
has been shed as a witness to a lie? Have all those who have rotted in Roman
dungeons, or have been burned at the stake becausethey witnessedthat
Christ was God, died in vain? Verily, if Christ be not God, we are of all men
the most miserable. To what purpose is the calumny and abuse that we have
had to endure day after day; to what purpose are our repentance, our sighs,
our tears;to what purpose is our faith; to what purpose have our fears and
bodings been supplanted by our hope and confidence;to what purpose our joy
and our rejoicing, if Christ be not the Son of God? Will you put yourselves all
down for fools;can you imagine that God's Word has misguided you; that
prophets and apostles, andmartyrs and saints, have all leaguedtogetherto
lead you into a trap and to delude your souls? Godforbid that we should
think such a thing. There is no folly in the world that has in it so much as a do
it of madness, compared with the folly of denying the divinity of Christ, and
then professing to be his followers. No, beloved:
"Let all the forms that men devise,
Assault our faith with treacherous art;

We'll call them vanity and lies,
And bind the gospelto our heart!"
We will write this on the forefront of our banner, -- Christ is God; co-equal
and co-eternalwith his Father; very God of very God, who counted it not
robbery to be equal with God."
II. This brings me to the secondpart of the subject: HOW DO WE CALL
CHRIST "THE DIGNITYGOD?" Here there is no dispute whatever;I am
now about to speak of matters of pure fact. Whether Christ be mighty God or
not, it is quite certainthat we are in the constanthabit of calling him so. Not, I
mean, by the mere utterance of the term, but we do so in a strongerway -- n
fact; -- and actions speak louderthan words.
Now, beloved, I will soonprove that you and I are in the habit of calling
Christ God. And I will prove it first, because it is our delight, and our joy and
our privilege to attribute to him the attributes of Deity.
In hours of devout contemplation, how often do we look up to him as being the
Eternal Son. You and I sit down in our chambers, and in our house of prayer,
and as we muse upon the great covenantof grace, we are in the habit of
speaking ofour Lord Jesus Christ's everlasting love to his people. This is one
of the jewels ofour life, one of the ornaments with which we array ourselves
as a bride doth. This is a part of the manna that tasteth like wafers made with
honey upon which our souls are wont to feed. We speak ofGod's eternallove,
of our names having been inscribed in his eternal book, and of Christ's having
borne them from before the foundation of the world upon his breast, as our

greathigh-priest, our remembrancer before the throne of heaven. In so doing,
we have virtually calledhim the mighty God; because none but God could
have been from everlasting to everlasting. As often as we profess the doctrine
of election, we call Christ the mighty God; as often as me talk of the eternal
covenant, ordered in all things and sure, so often do we proclaim him to be
God: because we speak ofhim as an everlasting one, and none could be from
everlasting but one who is self-existent, who is God.
Again: how frequently do we repeatover to ourselves that precious verse,
"Jesus Christthe same yesterday, and to-day, and for ever." We are always in
the habit of ascribing to him immutability. Some of our choicesthymns are
founded on that circumstance, and our richesthopes flow from that attribute.
We know that all things will change. We are convincedthat we ourselves are
mutable as the winds, and as easilymoved as the sand by the waves ofthe sea;
but we know that our Redeemerliveth, and we cannotentertain a suspicionof
any change in his love, his purpose, or his powerHow often do we sing: --
"Immutable his will
Though dark may be my frame,
His loving heart is still Unchangeably the same.
My soulthrough many changes goes:
His love no variation knows!"

Do you not see that you have in fact calledhim God, because none but God is
immutable? The creature changes. This is written on the forefront of creation
-- "Change!" The mighty ocean, that knows no furrows on its brow, changeth
at times, and at times shifteth its level. It moveth hither and thither, and we
know that it is to be lickedup with forkedtongues of flame, and yet we ascribe
to Christ immutability. We do, then, in fact, ascribe to him, divinity; for, none
but the divine canbe immutable.
Is it not also our joy to believe that wherevertwo or three are gathered
togetherin Christ's name, there is he in the midst of them? Do we not repeat it
in all our prayer-meetings? Perhaps some minister in Australia beganthe
solemnities of public worship this day with the reflectionthat Jesus Christwas
with him, according to his promise, and I know that as I came here the same
reflectioncomforted me, "Yea, I am with you always even to the end of the
world," -- That wherevera Christian is found, there God is. And though there
be but two or three met in a barn, or on the greenswardunder the canopy of
God's blue sky, yet there Christ vouchsafes his presence. Now I ask you, have
we not ascribedto Christ, omnipresence;and who can be omnipotent but
God? Have we not thus in feetthen, though not in words, calledChrist
"God?" How is it possible for us to dream of Him as being here, and there,
and everywhere;in the bosomof his Father, with the angels, and in the hearts
of the contrite all at the same time, if he be not God? Grant me that he is
omnipresent, and you have said that he is God, for none but God can be
present everywhere. Again, are we not also wont to ascribe to Christ
omnisience? You believe when your heart is aching that Christ knows your
pains, and that he reckons everygroan; or at leastif you do not believe it, it is
always my satisfactionto know that --
"He feels at his heart,
All my sighs and my groans."

And so he does yours. Wherever you are, you believe that he hears your
prayers that he sees your tears, that he knows your wants, that he is ready to
pardon your sins; that you are better known to him, than you are to yourself.
You believe that he searchesyour hearts, and tries your reins, and that you
never can come to him without finding him full of sympathy, and full of love.
Now do you not see that you have ascribedconscienceto him. and therefore,
though not in words, you have, in accents louder than words, calledhim the
mighty God, for you have assumedthat he is omniscient; and who canbe
omniscient but the very God of very God?
I shall not stopto descantupon the other attributes, but I think we might
prove that we have eachof us ascribedto Christ all the attributes of the
Godheadin our daily life and in our constanttrust and intercession. Iam sure
that it is true of many loving hearts of God's own children here. We have
calledhim the mighty God, and it others have not calledhim so, nevertheless
the text is verified by our faith. "He shall be called wonderful, counsellor, the
mighty God." So he is, and so he shall be, world without end.
And now I have another proof to offer, that Christ is called "the mighty
God." We callhim so in many of his offices. We believe this morning that
Christ is the mediator betweenGod and man If we would understand the
term mediator or daysman, we must interpret it as Jobdid; one "that might
lay his hand upon us both." We are accustomedto say that Jesus Christis the
mediator of the new covenant, and we offer our prayers to God through him,
because we believe that he mediates betweenus and the Father. Let it once be
granted then that Christ is the mediator, and you have assertedhis divinity.
You have virtually calledhim the Son of God; and you have granted his
humanity, for he must put his hand upon both; therefore he must put his hand
upon man in our nature, he must be touched with a feeling of our infirmities,
and be in all points like as we are. But he is not a mediator unless he canput
his hand upon God, unless as fellow of the Eternal One he shall be able

without blasphemy to place his hand upon the divine Being. There is no
mediatorship unless the hand is put on both and who could put his hand on
God but God? Can cherubim or seraphim talk of laying their hands on the
Divine? Shall they touch the Infinite? "Dark with insufferable light his skirts
appear" -- then what is He Himself in the glorious EssenceofDeity? -- an all-
devouring and consuming fire. Only God canput his hand on God, and yet
Christ hath this high prerogative, for mark, there is no mediatorship
established, there cannotbe, unless the two are linked. If you wishedto build a
bridge you might commence on this aide of the river, but if you have not
connectedit with the other aide, you have not built the bridge. There can be
no mediatorship unless the parties are fully linked. The ladder must have its
feet on earth but it must reachto heaven, for if there were a single breach we
should fall from its summit and perish. There must be entire communication
betweenthe two. Do you not see therefore that in calling Christ mediator we
have in feet calledhim the mighty God.
But again, we call Christ our Saviour. Now, have any of you that foolish
credulity which would lead you to trust in a man for the everlasting salvation
of your soul? If you have, I pity you: your proper place is not in a Protestant
assembly, but among the deluded votaries of Rome. If you can commit the
keeping of your soul to one like yourself, I must indeed mourn overyou, and
pray that you may be taught better. But you do trust your salvation to him
whom God hath set forth for a propitiation, do you not, O followerof Jesus?
Can you not say all your hope is fixed on him, for he is all your salvationand
all your desire? Does not your spirit rest on that unbuttressed pillar of his
entire satisfaction, his precious death and burial, his glorious resurrectionand
ascension? Now, observe,you are either resting on man, or else you have
declaredChrist to be "the mighty God." When I say I put my faith in him, I
do most honestly declare that I dare not trust even to him, if I did not believe
him to be God. I could not put my trust in any being that was merely, created.
God forbid that my folly should ever go to such an extent as that. I would
soonertrust myself than trust any other man, and yet I dare not trust myself,
for I should be accursed. "Cursedis he that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh
his arm. "And would the Socinian have me to believe that I am to preach faith

in Christ, and that yet, if my hearers trust Christ, they will be accursed, as
they assuredlymeat be, if he is nothing but man, for againI repeatit, "cursed
is he that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm." You get a blessing by
faith in Jesus, but how? Is it not because -- "Blessedis he that trusteth in the
Lord, and whose hope the lord is? "Christ is very Jehovah, and therefore the
blessing comes to those who trust in him. So, then, as often as ye put your
trust in Jesus, for time and eternity, ye have called hind "the mighty God."
This subject is capable of the greatestexpansion, and I do believe there is
sufficient interest attaching to it to warrant me in keeping you to a late hour
this day, but I shall not do so. There has been enough said, I think, to prove at
least, that we are in the habit continually of calling Christ "the mighty God."
III. My third proposition is to explain to you now CHRIST HAS PROVED
HIMSELF TO US TO BE "THE MIGHTY GOD." And here beloved, without
controversy, greatis the mystery of Godliness, forthe passagefrom which the
text is takensays, "Unto us a child is born." A child! what can that do? A
child it totters in its walk, it trembles in its steps -- and it is a child newly born.
Born! what an infant hanging on its mother's breast, an infant deriving its
nourishment from a woman? That! can that work wonders? Yea, saith the
prophet, "Unto us a child is born." But then it is added, "Unto us a Sonis
given." Christ was not only born, but given. As man he is a child born, as God
he is the Son given. He emotes down from ml high; he is given by God to
become our Redeemer. Buthere behold the wonder! "His name is name," this
child's name, "shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, the mighty God." Is this
child, then, to us the mighty God? If so, brethren, without controversy, great
is the mystery of Godliness indeed! And yet, just let us look, look through the
history of the church, and discoverwhether we have not ample evidence to
substantiate it. This child born, this Son given, came into the world to enter
into the lists againstsin. For thirty years and upwards he had to struggle and
wrestle againsttemptations more numerous and more terrible than man had
ever known before. Adam fell when but a womantempted him; Eve fell when

but a serpentoffered fruit to her, but Christ, the secondAdam, stood
invulnerable againstall the shafts of Satanthough tempted he was in all
points, like as we are. Not one arrow out of the quiver of hell was spared;the
whole were shot againsthim. Every arrow was aimed againsthim with all the
might of Satan's are here, and that is no little! And yet, without sin or taint of
sin, more then conqueror he stood. Footto foot with Satan, in the solitude of
the wilderness hand to hand with him on the top of the pinnacle of the temple;
side by side with him in the midst of a busy crowd -- yet ever more than
conqueror. He gave him battle whereverthe adversarywilled to meet him,
and at last, when Satangatheredup all his might, and seized the Saviour in
the gardenof Gethsemne, and crushed him till he sweatas it were greetdrops
of blood, then when the Saviour said, "Nevertheless, notas I will but as thou
wilt," the tempter was repulsed. "Hence, hence!" Christ seemedto say; and
awaythe tempter fled, nor dare return again. Christ, in all his conquests over
sin, does seemto me to have establishedhis Godhead. I never heard of any
other creature that could endure such temptation as this. Look at the angels in
heaven. How temptation entered there I know not; but this I know, that
Satan, the greatarchangel, sinned, and I know that he became the tempter to
the restof his companions, and drew with him a third part of the stars of
heaven. Angels were but little tempted, some of them not tempted at all, and
yet they fell. And then look at man; slight was his temptation, yet he fell. It is
not in a creature to stand againsttemptation; he will yield, if the temptation
be strong enough. But Christ stood, and it seems to me, that in his standing he
proved Himself to have the omni-radient purity, the immaculate holiness of
Him before whom angels veil their faces, and cry, "Holy, holy, holy, Lord God
of Sabaoth."
But these proofs might appearinsufficient, if he did not accomplishmore than
this. We know also that Christ proved himself to be the "mighty God" from
the feetthat at last all the sins of all his people were gathered upon his
shoulders, and "he bare them in his own body on the tree." The heart of
Christ became like a reservoirin the midst of mountains. All the tributary
streams of iniquity, and every drop of the sins of his people, ran down and
gatheredinto one vast lake, deepas hell, and shorelessas eternity. All these

met, as it were, in Christ's heart, and yet he endured them all. With many a
sign of human weakness,but with convincing signs of divine omnipotence, he
took all our griefs and carried all our sorrows. The divinity within
strengthenedhis manhood, and though wave after wave rolled over his head,
till he sank in deep mire where there was no standing, and all Gods waves and
his billows had gone over him, yet did he lift up his he ad, and snore than a
conqueror, at length, he put the sins of his people to a public execution. They
are dead. They have ceasedto be; and, if they be soughtfor, they shall not be
found any more for ever. Certainly if this be true, he is "the mighty God"
indeed.
But he did more than this, he descendedinto the grave, and there he slept, fast
fettered with the cold chains of death. But the appointed hour arrives -- the
sunlight of the third day gave the warning, and he snapped the bands of death
as if they were but tow, and came forth to life as "the Lord of life and glory."
His flesh did not see corruption, for he was not able to be holden by the bands
of death. And who shall be the death of death, the plague of the grave, the
destroyerof destruction, but God? Who but immortal life, who but the Self-
existent, shall trample out the fires of hell; who, but he whose Being is eternal,
without beginning, and without end, shall burst the shacklesofthe grave? He
proved himself then, when he led captivity captive, and crusheddeath and
ground his iron limbs to powder -- he proved himself then to be the mighty
God.
Oh, my soul, thou canst say, that he has proved himself in thy heart to be a
mighty God. Sins, many hath he forgiven thee and relieved thy conscience of
the keensense ofguilt, griefs innumerable hath he assuaged, temptations
insurmountable hath he overcome;virtues once impossible hath he implanted,
grace in its fullness hath he promised, and in its measure hath he given. My
soul bears record that what has been done for me could never have been done
by a mere man; and you would rise from your seats, I am sure, if it were
needful, and say, "Yes, he that hath loved me, washedme from my sins, and

made me what I am, must be God, none but God could do what he has done,
could bear so patiently, could bless so lavishly, forgive so freely, enrich so
infinitely. He is, he must be, we will crownhim such -- "The mighty God."
And, in conclusion, lestI wearyyou, permit me now to say, I beg and beseech
of you all present, as God the Spirit shall help you, come and put your trust in
Jesus Christ, he is "the mighty God." Oh, Christians, believe him more than
ever, castyour troubles constantly on him; he is "the mighty God;" go to Him
in all your dilemmas, when the enemy cometh in like a flood, this mighty God
shall make a way for your deliverance;take to him your griefs, this mighty
God can alleviate them all; tell him your backslidings and sins, this mighty
God shall blot them out. And, O sinners, ye that feel your need of a Saviour,
come to Christ and trust him for he is "the mighty God." Go to your houses,
and fall on your knees and confess your sins, and then castyour poor, guilty,
helpless, naked, defencelesssouls before his omnipotence, for he is able to save
unto the uttermost them that come unto God by him, because whenhe died he
was not manhood, without divinity, but he was "the mighty God." This, I say,
we will write on our banners, from this day forth and for ever; this shall be
our joy and our song -- the child bow and the songiven is to us "the mighty
God."
His Name -- the Almighty God
Biblical Illustrator
Isaiah9:6-7

Other translations of this Divine title have been proposedby severalvery
eminent and able scholars. Notthat they have any of them been prepared to
deny that this translationis after all most accurate;but rather that whilst
there are various words in the original, which we render by the common
appellation of "God," it might be possible so to interpret this as to show more
exactly its definite meaning. One writer, for example, thinks the term might
be translated "The Irradiator," — He who gives light to men. Some think it
bears the meaning of The Illustrious, — the bright and the shining One. Still
there are very few, if any, who are prepared to dispute the fact that our
translation is the most faithful that could possibly be given. "the mighty
God."
I. THE FOLLY OF THOSE WHO PROFESS TO BE THE DISCIPLES OF
CHRIST, YET DO NOT, AND WILL NOT, CALL HIM GOD. It is His being
verily God, that frees Him from the charge of blasphemy. It is the fact that He
is God, and that His Godheadis not to be denied, that makes His death an
unrighteous decide at the hand of apostate man, and renders it, as before God,
an acceptable sacrificefor the sins of the people.
II. HOW DO WE CALL CHRIST, "THE MIGHTY GOD"? It is Our delight
and our privilege to attribute to Him the attributes of Deity.
1. In hours of devout contemplation how often do we look up to Him as being
the eternalSon. In doing so we have virtually called Him the mighty God;
because none but God could have been from everlasting to everlasting. How
frequently do we repeat over to ourselves that precious verse, "Jesus Christ
the same yesterday, and today, and forever." Do you not see that you have in
fact calledHim God, because none but God is immutable!

3. Is it not also our joy to believe that wherever two or three are gathered
togetherin Christ's name, there is He in the midst of them? Have we not
ascribedto Christ omnipresence, and who canbe omnipresent but God! How
is it possible for us to dream of Him as being "in the bosomof His Father,
with the angels, andin the hearts of the contrite all at the same time, if He be
not God?
4. We call Him "the mighty God" in many of His offices.
(1) Mediator betweenGod and man. There is no mediatorship unless the hand
in put on both, and who could put his hand on God but God!
(2) Saviour. I could not put my trust in any being that was merely created.
III. HOW CHRIST HAS PROVED HIMSELF TO US TO BE "THE
MIGHTY GOD." This Child born, this Songiven, came into the world to
enter the lists againstsin. For thirty years and upwards He had to struggle
againsttemptations more numerous and terrible than man had ever known
before. And yet, without sin or taint of sin, more than conquerorHe stood. We
know also that Christ proved Himself to be "the mighty God" from the fact
that at last all the sins of all His people were gathered upon His shoulders, and
"He bare them in His own body on the tree." But He did more than this —
when He led captivity captive, add crushed death and ground his iron limbs to
powder, He proved Himself then the mighty God. Oh, my soul, thou canstsay
that He has proved Himself in thy heart to be a mighty God. I beg and beseech
of you all, come add put your trust in Jesus Christ; He is the mighty God.
( C. H. Spurgeon.)

Jesus the Mighty God
J. H. Evans, M. A.
Isaiah9:6-7
I. HE OF WHOM THE PROPHET SPEAKS IS THE MIGHTY GOD.
II. IN WHAT SENSE THE CHILD BORN MAY BE CALLED "THE
MIGHTY GOD." Notthat the humanity is deified, or the Deity humanised.
Humanity is still humanity, Deity is still Deity. But so united in one person
that that which is peculiar to one nature is often ascribedto the other (Acts
20:28;John 3:13).
III. THE GREATNESSOF HIS ACTS IN REGARD TO THAT CHURCH
TO WHOM HE IS GIVEN.
1. He bare her sins. And had He not been the mighty God, as well as man, He
never could.
2. Besides this, He wrought out a perfect righteousness forHis Church. He
conquered all her enemies, sin, Satan, and the world, those three strong ones.

3. He converts the hardest heart, working mightily by His own gracious
Almighty Spirit.
4. He supports the feeblestgrace, carries onthe work which He has begun.
What mighty effects He accomplishes by the simplest means! He bears up the
most timid and desponding spirit, binds up with His own hand, by His own
Spirit, with His ownblood.
5. And what shall we say of that mighty God, in all His mighty doings, when
He shall raise the dead, judge the world, destroy sin, and in the new heavens
and the new earth give His saints the eternalpossessionofHimself, and of
God in Himself?
(J. H. Evans, M. A.)
J. Parker, D. D.
Isaiah9:6-7
The surrounding nations, Egypt and Assyria, gave greatnames to their gods.
Look upon the inscriptions on the pillars in the time of Sargon. One Assyrian
king was called"The greatking, the king unrivalled; the protectorof the just;
the noble warrior." If Isaiahwrote in a time of greatnames he, by this

conceptionof an appellation, threw all other cognomens into contempt. "The
mighty God." The word is not Elohim, a word under which a species of
subdivinity could be classified:"SaidI not unto you, Ye are gods?" Thatword
is El, a word which is never applied but to Jehovah, and which is never used
but as connoting the innermost essence ofineffable Deity.
(J. Parker, D. D.)
PRECEPTAUSTIN RESOURCES
MIGHTY GOD
Mighty means having or showing greatstrength, force, or intensity, having
might; being powerful or strong, possessing impressive power. Yes, this little
Infant is Mighty.
And notice that this One born is not just mighty, not just a baby, not just a
Man, but He is God, the God-Man, the mystery of mysteries, God incarnate,
God in the flesh, "God concarne" (with flesh)! And He is Mighty for He is the
One Who made the world and everything belongs to Him. You may be saying
"What's the world coming to?" and the answeris that it is coming to Jesus. It
came from Him, it is for Him and in the final act of the divine play of
redemption, it all comes back to Him (Rev 19:16+).
Adrian Rogers -I was reading that in one, listen, in one drop of water. If you
were to take all of the molecules in one drop of waterand turn eachmolecule
into a grain of sand, you would have enough material to build a bridge ½ mile
wide, two feet thick from New York to SanFrancisco. That's the molecules in
one drop of water. What a mighty God we do serve. Friend, He is the mighty
God. There is wealth in His name Mighty God.

Mighty God - (El Gibbor) - This could be rendered "Godis a Warrior" or
"Godis mighty." Ultimately this name speaks ofGod's military might for no
enemy will be able to prevail againstHim. He has the power to deliver which
is exactly what He will do to fulfill Isaiah's prophecy in Isaiah 9:4 (where
"You" in context is a reference to Messiah, the "WarriorGod" Who
supernaturally breaks the yoke and the staffand the rod from Israel.)
See RelatedResource:Christ Mighty God - El Gibbor
In using this name, Isaiah is clearlyteaching that the child/son that was to be
born was God an interpretation that is supported by the use of the same
phrase in the next chapter…
A remnant will return, the remnant of Jacob, to the mighty (gibbor) God. (Is
10:21).
Clendenen has an interesting comment related to this verse: By itself, this
name does not automaticallymean that this son is a divine person, because
many names include the name of God in them. But the later use of this same
name to describe Godhimself in 10:21 demands that this sonbe identified
with God in a very close manner. No other person ever has God’s name and
God is never called Moses, Abram, David, or Jeremiah, so there must be
something very specialabout this son that causes him to have God’s name.
(New American Commentary: Isaiah 1-39)
El means God and is the last syllable of Immanuel, testifying to the deity of
Christ. El or God is contrastedwith men (Dt 10:17, Hos 11:9).
Jeremiahdepicts God as a greatwarrior…
Ah Lord GOD!Behold, Thou hast made the heavens and the earth by Thy
greatpower and by Thine outstretchedarm! Nothing is too difficult for Thee,
Who showestlovingkindness to thousands, but repayestthe iniquity of fathers
into the bosom of their children after them, O greatand mighty God. The
LORD of hosts is His name (Jer 32:16, 17)
Adrian Rogers onMighty God - This little baby that was upon the straw is the
Mighty God of Genesis 1. This little baby who held Mary’s hand as a toddler

and learned to walk is the One from whose fingertips suns sprang and oceans
dripped. He is the Mighty God. This little boy playing with the shavings in
Joseph’s carpentershop is the One who made every tree, and every hill, and
every mountain. He is the Mighty God. We have some people today who’d like
to take the deity from the Lord Jesus. Iwonder what they’re going to do with
Isaiah9:6, where He is called“The mighty God.” (Isaiah9:6) (The Christmas
Story According to Isaiah)
Mighty (01368)(gibborcp relatedverb gabar = be strong, accomplish, excel,
prevail) is from a root which is commonly associatedwith warfare and has to
do with the strength and vitality of the successfulwarrior. And thus this
adjective means powerful, strong, brave, mighty. Warrior. Hero. Mighty man
(cp "mighty [gibbor] men of David" - 2Sa 23:8).
See discussionofthis word group from TWOT - Gibbor Word Group
Jehovahis "the God of gods and Lord of lords, the great, the mighty and the
awesome God" (Dt10:17), the "King of glory, Jehovahstrong and mighty,
Jehovahmighty in battle" (Ps 24:8), "a victorious warrior (gibbor)" (Zeph
3:17), the "Mighty One (gibbor - in context a prophecy of the Messiah)" (Ps
45:3)
Vine writes that…
In the context of battle, the word is better understood to refer to the category
of warriors. The gibbor is the proven warrior (eg "valiant warriors [gibbor]"
Josh1:14)… The Septuagintgives the following translations: dunatos
(“powerful; strong; mighty; able ruler”) and ischuros (see studies of related
words - ischus and ischuo)(“strong; mighty; powerful”).
Gibbor - 150vin NAS = champion(2), great(1), helpers(1), heroes(3), men(3),
men of outstanding(1), Mighty(1), mighty(27), mighty man(15), mighty
men(57), Mighty One(1), mighty one(2), mighty ones(3), mighty warrior(1),
mighty warriors(2), strong(1), strong man(1), valiant warriors(1), valiant*(1),
warrior(14), warrior has over another(1), warrior's(1), warriors(17), who is
mighty(1).

Ge 6:4; 10:8f; Dt 10:17;Josh1:14; 6:2; 8:3; 10:2, 7; Jdg 5:13, 23; 6:12; 11:1;
Ruth 2:1; 1 Sam 2:4; 9:1; 14:52; 16:18;17:51; 2 Sam 1:19, 21f, 25, 27;10:7;
16:6; 17:8, 10;20:7; 23:8f, 16f, 22; 1Kgs 1:8, 10; 11:28;2Kgs 5:1; 15:20; 24:14,
16; 1Chr 1:10; 5:24; 7:2, 5, 7, 9, 11, 40; 8:40; 9:13; 11:10ff, 19, 24, 26; 12:1, 4,
8, 21, 25, 28, 30;19:8; 26:6, 31; 27:6; 28:1; 29:24;2Chr 13:3; 14:8; 17:13f, 16f;
25:6; 26:12; 28:7; 32:3, 21; Ezra 7:28; Neh 3:16; 9:32; 11:14; Job16:14; Ps
19:5; 24:8; 33:16; 45:3; 52:1; 78:65;89:19; 103:20;112:2;120:4; 127:4;Pr
16:32;21:22; 30:30;Eccl9:11; Song 3:7; 4:4; Isa 3:2; 5:22; 9:6; 10:21; 13:3;
21:17;42:13; 49:24f; Jer5:16; 9:23; 14:9; 20:11;26:21;32:18; 46:5f, 9, 12;
48:14, 41;49:22; 50:9, 36;51:30, 56f; Ezek 32:12, 21, 27;39:18, 20; Dan 11:3;
Hos 10:13;Joel2:7; 3:9ff; Amos 2:14, 16; Obad 1:9; Nah 2:3; Zeph 1:14;
3:17; Zech 9:13; 10:5, 7.
Herbert Lockyer- The Mighty God
This remarkable feature of this third name is that the word Isaiahuses for
God was not "Elohim," which is used not only of God Himself, but of human
agents whom He uses. "The Lord said unto Moses, See, I have made thee a
god (elohim) to Pharaoh" (Exod. 7:1), but El, which was never used by any
Old Testamentwriter in any lowersense than that of Absolute Deity. It is the
term applied directly to Jehovah, "The mighty God" (Isa. 10:21, etc.). He is
the Mightiestamong the mighty.
Forecast:
"A greatGod, a mighty" (Deut. 10:17; Neh. 9:32).
"His name shall be called... The mighty God" (Isa. 9:6).
"Greatin counsel, and mighty in work" (Jer. 32:19).
"Thy name is greatin might" (Jer. 10:6).
Fulfillment:
"He that comethafter me is mightier than I" (Matt. 3:11).
"His mighty works were done" (Matt. 11:20;Luke 19:37).

"All poweris given unto me" (Matt. 28:18).
"He that is mighty" (Luke 1:49).
"In him should all fulness dwell;"... "The fulness of the Godheadbodily"
(Col. 1:19; 2:9).
The natural meaning of this third name is Mighty God, and nothing less is the
Lord who came mighty with the might of God. His was an uncreated might.
Immanuel, the name already considered, is the very same name in compound
with with us. The Promised, PredictedOne, then, was nothing less than God.
All the apostles gave witness to Christ that He was "very God of very God."
Thomas echoedtheir faith when he exclaimed, "My Lord and my God." Peter
spoke of Him as "Our God and Saviour, Jesus Christ," while Jude added,
"Our only Lord God, even our Lord Jesus Christ." Did Jesus Himself not
claim "I and My Father are one"—one in the manifestationof the might of
deity? We cannot accountfor His peerless life, His matchless teaching, His
efficacious deathand Resurrection, His abiding influence on nations and men
apart from the fact that He was the mighty God manifest in flesh. If He was
only a man, why were there not more men like Him? He was, as John Milton
puts it, "The Son of God, with Godlike force endured." (All the Messianic
Prophecies ofthe Bible)
GOD IS THE MIGHTY GOD
“What a mighty God we serve!/ Angels bow before him / Heavenand earth
adore him.” So goes a portion of the lyrics from a song that has had a long run
of popularity. Perhaps its hand-clapping rhythm is what has made it popular,
but the truth of its words is what is most important. We have already looked
at two titles that come from this text—Counselorand Everlasting Father. We
will look at two others before this book is ended—Prince of Peaceand
Wonderful. For now, we focus on him as Mighty God. Isaiah wrote to a
suffering people whose life had been one of gloomand despair. They needed a
word of hope. Yet Isaiahpromised that hope was on the way. He saw the
dawn of a new light for the people walking in darkness, those who had dwelt

in the shadow of death (verse 2). Hope would come through the birth of a
child, whose greatnessis such that one name will not suffice. The title “Mighty
God” speaks ofhis sovereignmight and heroic nature. Like the Israelites of
old, we should take comfort in knowing that we serve a God whose poweris
unlimited. There is nothing you will face today that moves beyond the power
of Mighty God. Do you remember the song of praise that Mary sang to God
when she visited Elizabeth after learning of the babe in her womb? “Surely,
from now on all generations willcall me blessed, becausethe Mighty One has
done greatthings for me” (Luke 1:48–49). She recognizedthat the miracle in
her womb was only possible through the action of sovereign, almighty God.
What do you need to surrender to Mighty God? What keeps you from doing
so? Is it your lack of conviction that God has all might? Remember Daniel's
conclusion:“The people who know their God will be strong and take action”
(Daniel 11:32). Those of us who know him by faith can trust in his powerand
victory. (Kenneth Hemphill - God Is)
JosephStowell's devotionalHolding Out for a Hero - Isaiah9:6
THE MIGHTY GOD
The prospectof the coming of the greatlight is a cause ofjoy, as is the
promise of the child who will be born to the virgin. Already it has been
declaredthat His name will be Immanuel, and now it is announced that He
will be Wonderful, Counsellorand the Mighty God. As ‘Wonderful’ He is
beyond human understanding, as ‘Counsellor’ He has all knowledge, andas
‘The Mighty God’ He has all power. His enemies will fall before Him and
none will be able to rise againstHim. It is He who will enter Jerusalemin
triumph as the cry goes out, ‘Who is this King of glory?’, Ps. 24:8, with the
glorious response from a remnant Israel filling the air, ‘The Lord strong and
mighty’. Before Him the gates willlift up their heads! Those who trust Him
can reston the fact that He will prevail over all His foes. Under His wings they
can restsecure!But will His might be such that all compassionwill be gone?
Powercanrob the heart of concernfor others. However, when Mosesspeaks

of He who is ‘a greatGod, a mighty’, Deut. 10:17, he adds that ‘He doth
execute the judgment of the fatherless and widow, and loveth the stranger’, v.
18. Jeremiahspeaks ofHim as ‘the Great, the Mighty God’, Jer. 32:18, who
not only executes righteous judgement but ‘shewestlovingkindness unto
thousands’. Yes, He who is mighty is also caring and compassionate.His
powerwill never be abused and His compassionwill never be exhausted. He,
before whom winds and waves were hushed to peace and silence;He, who
spoke and demons hasted to obey; He, who could command legions of angels;
He it was who stoodstill at the call of a blind man, stretchedout His hand to
touch a leper and lookedwith compassionona multitude that were as sheep
without a shepherd. As we face the anxieties of life let us never forgetthat our
God is mighty. As Jeremiahthinks of this Mighty God he declares that ‘there
us nothing too hard for Thee’, Jer. 32:17. No enemy too clever, no mountain
too high and no barrier too strong. This is our God! We have trusted Him in
the day of His rejection; we will enjoy the fullness of His day of triumph.
(John Bennett - Day by Day - Divine Titles)
Christ the Mighty God
T. Boston.
Isaiah9:6-7
I. CHRIST IS THE TRUE GOD.
1. The Scripture expresslycalls Him so (John 1:1; Acts 20:28; Romans 9:5; 1
John 5:20).

2. The attributes of God, distinguishing Him from all createdbeings, are
ascribedto Him.
3. The works peculiar to God alone are done by Him and ascribedto Him.
4. Divine worship, which must be given to God alone, is due to Him.
5. He is equal with the Father.
II. THE MAN CHRIST IS THE MIGHTY ONE.
1. He does and has done works that no other could do.
2. He has all at His command in heaven and earth, whether createdpersons or
things.
3. Being God as wall as man His poweris infinite.
III. APPLICATION.
1. This serves to refute the heresy of those who impugn the supreme Godhead
of our Lord Jesus Christ.

2. It speaks terrorto all the enemies of Christ.
3. It speaks comfortto the Church and every believer in their low estate.
4. It serves to exhort all to take Him for their Prince.
(T. Boston.)
J. H. Evans, M. A.
Isaiah9:6-7
I. HE OF WHOM THE PROPHET SPEAKS IS THE MIGHTY GOD.
II. IN WHAT SENSE THE CHILD BORN MAY BE CALLED "THE
MIGHTY GOD." Notthat the humanity is deified, or the Deity humanised.
Humanity is still humanity, Deity is still Deity. But so united in one person
that that which is peculiar to one nature is often ascribedto the other (Acts
20:28;John 3:13).
III. THE GREATNESSOF HIS ACTS IN REGARD TO THAT CHURCH
TO WHOM HE IS GIVEN.

1. He bare her sins. And had He not been the mighty God, as well as man, He
never could.
2. Besides this, He wrought out a perfect righteousness forHis Church. He
conquered all her enemies, sin, Satan, and the world, those three strong ones.
3. He converts the hardest heart, working mightily by His own gracious
Almighty Spirit.
4. He supports the feeblestgrace, carries onthe work which He has begun.
What mighty effects He accomplishes by the simplest means! He bears up the
most timid and desponding spirit, binds up with His own hand, by His own
Spirit, with His ownblood.
5. And what shall we say of that mighty God, in all His mighty doings, when
He shall raise the dead, judge the world, destroy sin, and in the new heavens
and the new earth give His saints the eternalpossessionofHimself, and of
God in Himself?
(J. H. Evans, M. A.)
J. Parker, D. D.
Isaiah9:6-7

The surrounding nations, Egypt and Assyria, gave greatnames to their gods.
Look upon the inscriptions on the pillars in the time of Sargon. One Assyrian
king was called"The greatking, the king unrivalled; the protectorof the just;
the noble warrior." If Isaiahwrote in a time of greatnames he, by this
conceptionof an appellation, threw all other cognomens into contempt. "The
mighty God." The word is not Elohim, a word under which a species of
subdivinity could be classified:"SaidI not unto you, Ye are gods?" Thatword
is El, a word which is never applied but to Jehovah, and which is never used
but as connoting the innermost essence ofineffable Deity.
(J. Parker, D. D.)
"Mighty God"
Isaiah9:6
SERIES:What Do You Call the Baby? Advent 2001
©December9, 2001 by Rev. Bruce Goettsche
During the Advent seasonwe are looking at the names of Jesus givenby God
through Isaiahthe prophet. We are taking this one verse and trying to turn it
like one would turn a diamond to see it’s reflected beauty. The names of Jesus
help us to see the Saviorwith new appreciation.

It may seemrather strange to spend our Advent on one verse in Isaiah. After
all, shouldn’t we be talking about the Shepherds, the Wise Men, Mary and
Joseph? Shouldn’t we recount the story of the angels, the brilliant star and
the picture of a child born in a barn and laid in a manger?
Yes, I think we should be stunned by the magnificent story of Christmas. But
I think we may have to take a non-traditional approachto the story for that to
happen. Mostof us are quite familiar with the story of Christmas. Maybe we
are too familiar with the story. The re-telling of the Christmas story often is
comforting, but not astounding. It is like the reading of “The Night Before
Christmas” or the story of “Rudolph the Red-NosedReindeer”. We love
hearing the story because it anchors us to history and tradition.
But I’m looking for more this Christmas. It’s my hope that by working slowly
and deliberately we may regain some of the wonderof Christmas. In fact, it’s
not the wonder of Christmas that we seek . . . it is the wonder of Christ. In the
midst of the traditions of the seasonwe wantto deepenour appreciationfor
our Saviorand what He did for us, and what He means to us.
Last week we consideredthe first of four names that described the character
of Jesus. He was calledthe “Wonderful Counselor” the one who would show
us the Fatherand lead us to the truth about ourselves and about life. This
week we look at the title, “Mighty God”. The Hebrew for God in this title is
the simple word “el”. It denotes a mighty power that can be found only in
deity. When we understand that the word for God means “Mighty Power”
then we can see that this title really means the “Mighty Mighty Deity”. In
other words, Jesus is setapart from all other powers, deities and spirit beings.
His poweris seenas far superior to anyone else.
THE NATURE OF HIS POWER

It is easyto say that Jesus was the powerful Savior. But that phrase loses
some of its potency because we use the terms “mighty” or “powerful” in many
different ways,
· We might callsomeone a powerful leader
· We might saya nation has a mighty army
· We might callan athlete a power hitter or a power forward
· We might saythat someone delivereda powerful speech
· We might proclaim that our vehicle has a powerful engine
You can probably think of other illustrations. The point is that our use of
these words in so many and varied ways lessens the impact of this title in
Isaiah. So, let’s look more specificallyat some of the descriptions of Jesus’
powerand might.
In John 1:3 we read, “Throughhim all things were made; without him
nothing was made that has been made.” A similar claim is made in Colossians
1:16,17
For by him all things were created:things in heaven and on earth, visible and
invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were
createdby him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold
together.
These verses tellus that Jesus had the powerover all creation. Jesus wasthe
one who createdour world! He is the Creatorand the Sustainerof all
creation.

In 1 Peter3:22 we read that Jesus, “has gone into heaven and is at God’s right
hand—with angels, authorities and powers in submission to him.” Jesus has
poweror authority over the angels and spirit beings. He doesn’t just have
authority over the earth . . . He has authority also overthe heavenly realm.
In Matthew 28:18 Jesus declares, “ThenJesus came to them and said, “All
authority in heavenand on earth has been given to me.” In other words, He
has supreme authority. He has ALL authority. Any authority on this earth is
“derived” authority.
If you put all these claims togetheryou must come to two conclusions.
Jesus claimedand His disciples declaredthat Jesus was God. The authority
and powerof Christ was unique. In Hebrews 1:3 we are told, “The Son is the
radiance of God’s glory and the exactrepresentationof his being, sustaining
all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he
satdown at the right hand of the Majestyin heaven.” Throughout the Gospels
Jesus claims god-like authority for His words, claimed that He had the
authority to forgive sin, and declaredthat He was God. Any view of Christ
that makes Him merely a goodman, misses the true declarationof the Bible.
To reject Christ is to rejectGod. Those who tell us that faith in Christ is not
necessaryfor salvationare saying that the claims of Christ are not true. In
essencethey accuse us of idolatry. And this is why Muslims and true
Christians realize that the two religions are incompatible. Islam says Jesus is
one of many prophets with the supreme prophet being Mohammed. They
would be quite up front about saying that Christians are worshipping a false
God in Jesus. Mormons and Jehovah’s witnesseswoulddiminish Christ by
calling him A god. Mormons believe that all of us are in the process of
becoming Gods. These religions are not Christian.

Jesus drew a clearline. His declarationwas firm and direct. We bow before
Him or we don’t. And that fact will determine whether or not we will spend
eternity in Heaven.
THE EVIDENCE OF HIS POWER
Let’s face it, anyone can make greatclaims about themselves. A coachis often
told by a player, “I’ll be the best player you ever had.” But the proof will
come on the field. Someone may saythey are an excellentsoloistor musician,
but the proof will be how they perform. It’s easyto make claims, it is much
more difficult to back them up.
What evidence is there that Jesus is the Mighty God? First, there is the
evidence of his teaching. We are told that the crowds that heard Jesus teach
were attentive because, “he taught as one who had authority, and not as their
teachers ofthe law. [Matthew 7:29]. The people had never heard anyone like
Jesus before. He seemedto know their hearts. He spoke as if He had a direct
pipeline from God.
You’ve seensome religious teachers. Oftenwhen you are listening to those
people there is a ring of phoniness about them. It seems like a sham. That
wasn’t the case with Jesus. There was no production. He didn’t manipulate
the emotions. When Jesus spoke, people listenedand they felt God’s Spirit
burn within them.
The miracles of Jesus testify to His powerand His authority. They testify that
He was God. Blind men receivedtheir sight, crippled people walked, dead
people came back to life, demon possessedpeople were setfree, diseased

people were made well. Jesus was unique in His power. No other religious
leaderexercisedthis kind of dramatic power.
In Matthew 8: 26,27 We readabout Jesus calming a fierce storm. “ “You of
little faith, why are you so afraid?” Then he gotup and rebuked the winds
and the waves, and it was completely calm. The men were amazed and asked,
“What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the waves obey him!”
Time and againthe miracles of Jesus testifiedto his uniqueness. At one point
John the Baptistwas thrown in prison. While he was there he beganto
wonder if Jesus was reallythe Messiah, the one who would save people from
their sins. So he sent messengersto Jesus and asked, “Are you the one who
was to come, or should we expect someone else?”
4 Jesus replied, “Go back and report to John what you hear and see:5 The
blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy b are cured, the
deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the goodnews is preached to the
poor. 6 Blessedis the man who does not fall awayon accountof me.”
[Matthew 11:2-6]
The miracles of Jesus validate His claims and reveal His power.
Jesus revealedhis might and powerby the way he endured temptation.
Hebrews tells us that he was tempted in every way like we were, but DID NOT
sin. His strength was much greaterthan ours. Where we give in, He remained
strong. Where we crumble He stood firm.

We know from experience that you don’t know what a personis made of until
you see them handle a crisis. The weak fall apart but the strong rise to the top
in difficult times. In times of war or disastersome people show themselves to
be extraordinary individuals. And in times of temptation you see how strong a
person really is. The weak persongives in to temptation almostimmediately.
The strongerthe person is, the longer they resist. Jesus resisteduntil the end.
We see His powerin the events of His death. Perhaps you have watcheda
family member endure a terrible disease and remarked, “I didn’t realize how
strong they were.” Look at what Jesus endured. He endured the ridicule, the
excruciating pain, the betrayal of friends. And even more staggering, He
endured the penalty for our sin. In some sense He endured the wrath of the
Father. Look at the events associatedwith his death: an earthquake, darkness
in the middle of the day, the fact that Jesus decidedthe moment at which he
would die (John 19:30, Jesus said“It is finished” and then bowed his head and
died.), and the tearing of the temple curtain. The might and power of that
event are seenfrom many different angles.
We see His powerand authority in His resurrection. Paul was right when he
basedthe truthfulness of Christianity on the resurrection of Jesus. If Jesus
didn’t rise from the dead then we have all been duped and are fools. But if he
did rise from the dead, then Christ alone is worthy of the position as Savior.
He has proved that he was who He said he was. Of all the religions of the
world, only one boasts a RisenSavior. Only one has a Saviorwho continues to
lead. All the others are merely dead men and womenwho made greatclaims.
Jesus alone backedup His claims.
I have examined the evidence for the resurrection(and I encourage you to do
so as well) and it is obvious to me that Jesus really did rise from the grave.
Every time I begin to wonder if the whole Christianity thing is real I
remember the evidence for the resurrection and know that it is true.

THE BENEFITSOF HIS POWER
Having said all of this we can now getto the question that most of us are
asking, “So What?” There are at leasttwo reasons why this title of Jesus
should bring joy and worship to our heart. There are two reasons why these
words deepen and enrich our Christmas celebration.
First, it means He is Able to do what he promised. The most important thing
he promised is eternal life. Jesus promises that not only can He give us
eternal life . . . once He has given it to us no one can take it awayfrom us.
[John 10:28-30]I give them eternallife, and they shall never perish; no one
can snatchthem out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is
greaterthan all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand. I and the
Father are one.”
In Hebrews 7:25 we are told,
Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him,
because he always lives to intercede for them.
We desperatelyneed for this promise to be true. When you read the Bible and
see the standard of holiness is required, and then you look in a mirror, you
realize that you are helpless to save yourself. All the goodintentions and
“gooddeeds” we have done or try to do cannot make up for the rebellion, sin,
rationalization, and failures of our life. If the standards for holiness are true,
then you and I are in trouble. . . . BIG trouble.

The promise of Jesus is that in spite of our sin we can be made new because of
Christ. In spite of the stupid, rebellious, and even wickedthings we have done
in our past . . . if we will place our faith in Christ, His death will coverour sin.
His death and resurrectionopen the door to a new beginning and to
everlasting life. BecauseHe is the Mighty God He can save even those who,
· Who have abusedothers through their words or actions
· Who gave up their sexual purity well before their marriage
· Who have lied, cheated, manipulated their way through life
· Who have abusedtheir body through drugs
· Who have ignored Godor railed againstGod for decades
· Who have spent most of their life devoted to false religions
· Who have committed criminal acts
· Who have stolenfrom others
· Who have abandoned family members
· Who have had abortions
· Who have been unfaithful in their marriages
It doesn’t matter where you have been. The promise of the gospelis that the
sacrifice ofJesus is powerful enough to pay for your sin. The Mighty God who
came to earth as a baby can be your Savior. He is the one who cangive you a
new beginning and an assuranceofHeaven.
What He asks from you is that you trust Him. He asks you to put your
confidence in Him and to trust His power. As we approachanother
Christmas, I have to ask:“Have you done this?” Have you placed your
confidence in His work rather than your own. Have you bowedbefore the
manger and receivedthe salvation that comes from the hands of Jesus? Ifnot,

I pray you will do so today. I pray that you would wait no longerand would
receive His new life right now. In the quiet of this place say, “Yes”, to God.
The promise of salvationis the greatestpromise He gives but there are other
things that Jesus has promised us and canbring to pass because ofwho He is.
· That He would give us his Spirit who would guide us into truth (John
16:13)
· That He would supply our needs (Matthew 6:25-33)
· That He would bring us to His heavenly home when we die (John 14:3)
· That He would be with us always (Matthew 28:20)
· That He would give us the words to say when we come againstopponents
of the faith (Matthew 10:19)
· That He would comfort us in times of sadness and loss (2 Corinthians
1:3-7)
We know from personalexperience that people make promises all the time
that they can’t keep. But the promises of Jesus are sure. They are sure
because He is the Mighty God.
Second, it means that He is Able to Help Where We NeedIt. The promises of
Jesus are wonderful and they provide us hope. But those promises often seem
distant. They seemsometimes unrelated to what we are going through in the
present. The fact that Jesus is the Mighty Godalso means that He is able to
help us where we need that help right now. If you don’t know where to turn .
. . turn to Him. He can. . . and He will, help.
· He will draw close to the personwho is filled with loneliness

· He will give strength to the one who is engulfed with fear
· He will provide comfort to the one who’s heart is broken
· He will give direction for the one who doesn’t know which way to turn
· He will provide for the one who is jobless
· He will give new courage to the one who is discouraged
· He will protectand defend the one who feels their life has come crashing
down around them
· He will bring justice to the evil doers
In other words, whateveryour need, God is able to meet that need. There are
times in life when we feelvery helpless. As we watchedthe World Trade
Center towers crumble before our eyes, we felt helpless. When we watcha
loved one dying of cancer, we feel helpless. When we watch fire destroy a
home, we feel helpless. When we are told that our business is closing and we
will be out of a job, we feelhelpless. Some people face emotional problems
and feelabsolutely helpless to do anything about them. But the messageof
these two words “Mighty God” is simple. We may feelhelpless but our Lord is
able to help. The one who healedthe lepers and raisedthe dead is the Lord
who has offeredyou salvation. The Lord who createdand sustains all there is,
is the same Lord who calls you His child.
CONCLUSIONS
It is my hope that you realize that the helpless little baby in the manger was
really the Mighty God. Those tiny hands were the same hands that put the
stars in place. The JewishCarpenterwho made tables and doorframes while
he was growing up was the same one who fashionedthe world and made
human beings. The Holy God of justice who must punish sin, was the very one
who allowedHimself to be nailed to a cross so that He might satisfy those very
demands of justice.

The Christmas story is not just a greatstory about a baby born in
extraordinary circumstances.The Christmas story is about God . . . the
Mighty God, taking the form of man so that He might tell us that He loves us
and also point us the wayto go home.
What separates Christians from Non-Christians is this very realization. The
non-believer sees Jesus as a revolutionary. They believe he was a great man, a
representative of God, a man who sought to save our lives. But they do not
believe he was the mighty God. Deepdown, they believe that under different
circumstances we couldhave done the same thing that Jesus did. And they
are wrong.
Recognizing Jesus as the Mighty God is essentialto true faith. But it is also
essentialto understand the true wonder of Christmas. So who is this Jesus to
You? I know you know the “right answer” but what is the honestanswerin
terms of your life?
· If you believe He is God, why not serve Him? And if he is not God, why
follow Him at all?
· If He is Almighty, then why not rest in His strong hands? If He is not
the Mighty God then how do you really think He will help You?
· If He is the Mighty God let us worship and serve Him, if He is not the
Mighty God, then let’s stop pretending and geton with something else.
· If He is the Mighty God, let us make time to adore Him and honor Him
this Christmas. If He is not, then let us use our time for more productive
activities.
These are not idle questions. They are basic and foundational questions. This
is the core issue:Who is Jesus? How you answerthat question is the

difference betweena celebrationof Christ’s birth and merely another excuse
for a party.
©December9, 2001 by Rev. Bruce Goettsche, LaHarpe, IL. 61450
www.unionchurch.com
BRUCE HURT
MIGHTY GOD
Mighty means having or showing greatstrength, force, or intensity, having
might; being powerful or strong, possessing impressive power. Yes, this little
Infant is Mighty.
And notice that this One born is not just mighty, not just a baby, not just a
Man, but He is God, the God-Man, the mystery of mysteries, God incarnate,
God in the flesh, "God concarne" (with flesh)! And He is Mighty for He is the
One Who made the world and everything belongs to Him. You may be saying
"What's the world coming to?" and the answeris that it is coming to Jesus. It
came from Him, it is for Him and in the final act of the divine play of
redemption, it all comes back to Him (Rev 19:16+).
Adrian Rogers -I was reading that in one, listen, in one drop of water. If you
were to take all of the molecules in one drop of waterand turn eachmolecule
into a grain of sand, you would have enough material to build a bridge ½ mile
wide, two feet thick from New York to SanFrancisco. That's the molecules in
one drop of water. What a mighty God we do serve. Friend, He is the mighty
God. There is wealth in His name Mighty God.
Mighty God - (El Gibbor) - This could be rendered "Godis a Warrior" or
"Godis mighty." Ultimately this name speaks ofGod's military might for no
enemy will be able to prevail againstHim. He has the power to deliver which
is exactly what He will do to fulfill Isaiah's prophecy in Isaiah 9:4 (where

"You" in context is a reference to Messiah, the "WarriorGod" Who
supernaturally breaks the yoke and the staffand the rod from Israel.)
See RelatedResource:Christ Mighty God - El Gibbor
In using this name, Isaiah is clearlyteaching that the child/son that was to be
born was God an interpretation that is supported by the use of the same
phrase in the next chapter…
A remnant will return, the remnant of Jacob, to the mighty (gibbor) God. (Is
10:21).
Clendenen has an interesting comment related to this verse: By itself, this
name does not automaticallymean that this son is a divine person, because
many names include the name of God in them. But the later use of this same
name to describe Godhimself in 10:21 demands that this sonbe identified
with God in a very close manner. No other person ever has God’s name and
God is never called Moses, Abram, David, or Jeremiah, so there must be
something very specialabout this son that causes him to have God’s name.
(New American Commentary: Isaiah 1-39)
El means God and is the last syllable of Immanuel, testifying to the deity of
Christ. El or God is contrastedwith men (Dt 10:17, Hos 11:9).
Jeremiahdepicts God as a greatwarrior…
Ah Lord GOD!Behold, Thou hast made the heavens and the earth by Thy
greatpower and by Thine outstretchedarm! Nothing is too difficult for Thee,
Who showestlovingkindness to thousands, but repayestthe iniquity of fathers
into the bosom of their children after them, O greatand mighty God. The
LORD of hosts is His name (Jer 32:16, 17)
Adrian Rogers onMighty God - This little baby that was upon the straw is the
Mighty God of Genesis 1. This little baby who held Mary’s hand as a toddler
and learned to walk is the One from whose fingertips suns sprang and oceans
dripped. He is the Mighty God. This little boy playing with the shavings in
Joseph’s carpentershop is the One who made every tree, and every hill, and
every mountain. He is the Mighty God. We have some people today who’d like

to take the deity from the Lord Jesus. Iwonder what they’re going to do with
Isaiah9:6, where He is called“The mighty God.” (Isaiah9:6) (The Christmas
Story According to Isaiah)
Mighty (01368)(gibborcp relatedverb gabar = be strong, accomplish, excel,
prevail) is from a root which is commonly associatedwith warfare and has to
do with the strength and vitality of the successfulwarrior. And thus this
adjective means powerful, strong, brave, mighty. Warrior. Hero. Mighty man
(cp "mighty [gibbor] men of David" - 2Sa 23:8).
See discussionofthis word group from TWOT - Gibbor Word Group
Jehovahis "the God of gods and Lord of lords, the great, the mighty and the
awesome God" (Dt10:17), the "King of glory, Jehovahstrong and mighty,
Jehovahmighty in battle" (Ps 24:8), "a victorious warrior (gibbor)" (Zeph
3:17), the "Mighty One (gibbor - in context a prophecy of the Messiah)" (Ps
45:3)
Vine writes that…
In the context of battle, the word is better understood to refer to the category
of warriors. The gibbor is the proven warrior (eg "valiant warriors [gibbor]"
Josh1:14)… The Septuagintgives the following translations: dunatos
(“powerful; strong; mighty; able ruler”) and ischuros (see studies of related
words - ischus and ischuo)(“strong; mighty; powerful”).
Gibbor - 150vin NAS = champion(2), great(1), helpers(1), heroes(3), men(3),
men of outstanding(1), Mighty(1), mighty(27), mighty man(15), mighty
men(57), Mighty One(1), mighty one(2), mighty ones(3), mighty warrior(1),
mighty warriors(2), strong(1), strong man(1), valiant warriors(1), valiant*(1),
warrior(14), warrior has over another(1), warrior's(1), warriors(17), who is
mighty(1).
Ge 6:4; 10:8f; Dt 10:17;Josh1:14; 6:2; 8:3; 10:2, 7; Jdg 5:13, 23; 6:12; 11:1;
Ruth 2:1; 1 Sam 2:4; 9:1; 14:52; 16:18;17:51; 2 Sam 1:19, 21f, 25, 27;10:7;
16:6; 17:8, 10;20:7; 23:8f, 16f, 22; 1Kgs 1:8, 10; 11:28;2Kgs 5:1; 15:20; 24:14,
16; 1Chr 1:10; 5:24; 7:2, 5, 7, 9, 11, 40; 8:40; 9:13; 11:10ff, 19, 24, 26; 12:1, 4,
8, 21, 25, 28, 30;19:8; 26:6, 31; 27:6; 28:1; 29:24;2Chr 13:3; 14:8; 17:13f, 16f;

25:6; 26:12; 28:7; 32:3, 21; Ezra 7:28; Neh 3:16; 9:32; 11:14; Job16:14; Ps
19:5; 24:8; 33:16; 45:3; 52:1; 78:65;89:19; 103:20;112:2;120:4; 127:4;Pr
16:32;21:22; 30:30;Eccl9:11; Song 3:7; 4:4; Isa 3:2; 5:22; 9:6; 10:21; 13:3;
21:17;42:13; 49:24f; Jer5:16; 9:23; 14:9; 20:11;26:21;32:18; 46:5f, 9, 12;
48:14, 41;49:22; 50:9, 36;51:30, 56f; Ezek 32:12, 21, 27;39:18, 20; Dan 11:3;
Hos 10:13;Joel2:7; 3:9ff; Amos 2:14, 16; Obad 1:9; Nah 2:3; Zeph 1:14;
3:17; Zech 9:13; 10:5, 7.
Herbert Lockyer- The Mighty God
This remarkable feature of this third name is that the word Isaiahuses for
God was not "Elohim," which is used not only of God Himself, but of human
agents whom He uses. "The Lord said unto Moses, See, I have made thee a
god (elohim) to Pharaoh" (Exod. 7:1), but El, which was never used by any
Old Testamentwriter in any lowersense than that of Absolute Deity. It is the
term applied directly to Jehovah, "The mighty God" (Isa. 10:21, etc.). He is
the Mightiestamong the mighty.
Forecast:
"A greatGod, a mighty" (Deut. 10:17; Neh. 9:32).
"His name shall be called... The mighty God" (Isa. 9:6).
"Greatin counsel, and mighty in work" (Jer. 32:19).
"Thy name is greatin might" (Jer. 10:6).
Fulfillment:
"He that comethafter me is mightier than I" (Matt. 3:11).
"His mighty works were done" (Matt. 11:20;Luke 19:37).
"All poweris given unto me" (Matt. 28:18).
"He that is mighty" (Luke 1:49).

"In him should all fulness dwell;"... "The fulness of the Godheadbodily"
(Col. 1:19; 2:9).
The natural meaning of this third name is Mighty God, and nothing less is the
Lord who came mighty with the might of God. His was an uncreated might.
Immanuel, the name already considered, is the very same name in compound
with with us. The Promised, PredictedOne, then, was nothing less than God.
All the apostles gave witness to Christ that He was "very God of very God."
Thomas echoedtheir faith when he exclaimed, "My Lord and my God." Peter
spoke of Him as "Our God and Saviour, Jesus Christ," while Jude added,
"Our only Lord God, even our Lord Jesus Christ." Did Jesus Himself not
claim "I and My Father are one"—one in the manifestationof the might of
deity? We cannot accountfor His peerless life, His matchless teaching, His
efficacious deathand Resurrection, His abiding influence on nations and men
apart from the fact that He was the mighty God manifest in flesh. If He was
only a man, why were there not more men like Him? He was, as John Milton
puts it, "The Son of God, with Godlike force endured." (All the Messianic
Prophecies ofthe Bible)
GOD IS THE MIGHTY GOD
“What a mighty God we serve!/ Angels bow before him / Heavenand earth
adore him.” So goes a portion of the lyrics from a song that has had a long run
of popularity. Perhaps its hand-clapping rhythm is what has made it popular,
but the truth of its words is what is most important. We have already looked
at two titles that come from this text—Counselorand Everlasting Father. We
will look at two others before this book is ended—Prince of Peaceand
Wonderful. For now, we focus on him as Mighty God. Isaiah wrote to a
suffering people whose life had been one of gloomand despair. They needed a
word of hope. Yet Isaiahpromised that hope was on the way. He saw the
dawn of a new light for the people walking in darkness, those who had dwelt
in the shadow of death (verse 2). Hope would come through the birth of a
child, whose greatnessis such that one name will not suffice. The title “Mighty
God” speaks ofhis sovereignmight and heroic nature. Like the Israelites of

old, we should take comfort in knowing that we serve a God whose poweris
unlimited. There is nothing you will face today that moves beyond the power
of Mighty God. Do you remember the song of praise that Mary sang to God
when she visited Elizabeth after learning of the babe in her womb? “Surely,
from now on all generations willcall me blessed, becausethe Mighty One has
done greatthings for me” (Luke 1:48–49). She recognizedthat the miracle in
her womb was only possible through the action of sovereign, almighty God.
What do you need to surrender to Mighty God? What keeps you from doing
so? Is it your lack of conviction that God has all might? Remember Daniel's
conclusion:“The people who know their God will be strong and take action”
(Daniel 11:32). Those of us who know him by faith can trust in his powerand
victory. (Kenneth Hemphill - God Is)
JosephStowell's devotionalHolding Out for a Hero - Isaiah9:6
THE MIGHTY GOD
The prospectof the coming of the greatlight is a cause ofjoy, as is the
promise of the child who will be born to the virgin. Already it has been
declaredthat His name will be Immanuel, and now it is announced that He
will be Wonderful, Counsellorand the Mighty God. As ‘Wonderful’ He is
beyond human understanding, as ‘Counsellor’ He has all knowledge, andas
‘The Mighty God’ He has all power. His enemies will fall before Him and
none will be able to rise againstHim. It is He who will enter Jerusalemin
triumph as the cry goes out, ‘Who is this King of glory?’, Ps. 24:8, with the
glorious response from a remnant Israel filling the air, ‘The Lord strong and
mighty’. Before Him the gates willlift up their heads! Those who trust Him
can reston the fact that He will prevail over all His foes. Under His wings they
can restsecure!But will His might be such that all compassionwill be gone?
Powercanrob the heart of concernfor others. However, when Mosesspeaks
of He who is ‘a greatGod, a mighty’, Deut. 10:17, he adds that ‘He doth
execute the judgment of the fatherless and widow, and loveth the stranger’, v.
18. Jeremiahspeaks ofHim as ‘the Great, the Mighty God’, Jer. 32:18, who

not only executes righteous judgement but ‘shewestlovingkindness unto
thousands’. Yes, He who is mighty is also caring and compassionate.His
powerwill never be abused and His compassionwill never be exhausted. He,
before whom winds and waves were hushed to peace and silence;He, who
spoke and demons hasted to obey; He, who could command legions of angels;
He it was who stoodstill at the call of a blind man, stretchedout His hand to
touch a leper and lookedwith compassionona multitude that were as sheep
without a shepherd. As we face the anxieties of life let us never forgetthat our
God is mighty. As Jeremiahthinks of this Mighty God he declares that ‘there
us nothing too hard for Thee’, Jer. 32:17. No enemy too clever, no mountain
too high and no barrier too strong. This is our God! We have trusted Him in
the day of His rejection; we will enjoy the fullness of His day of triumph.
(John Bennett - Day by Day - Divine Titles)
S. LEWIS JOHNSON
[Message]Wellour subject for tonight as we continue our study of the
messianic passagesofthe Old Testamentis the “The Messianic King: The
Mighty God.” And as you know, those of you who’ve been here week after
week we have been studying in the prophecy of Isaiah and laying stress on the
Messianic passagesthat are found within it and tonight we are againlooking
at one of the more familiar ones, Isaiahchapter 9 verse 1 through verse 7. So
would you turn in your Bibles to Isaiah chapter9 verse 1 through verse 7, and
would you listen as I read these verses? In the Hebrew text, verse 1 is really
part of chapter 8. In other words, in the Hebrew text, there are twenty-three
verses in chapter 8 and verse 1 belongs to chapter8.
In the version that we are reading, most of us are reading chapter 9 begins
with chapter chapter 8 verse 23. The reasonfor this is that actually this text is
something of a transitional verse and some of the editors put it with the
preceding and some of the editors put is with the following chapter.
Remember, chapter divisions are not inspired, and were added after the time
of the prophets in order to give readers suchas you and I are an opportunity

to read with more understanding since the thought sections wouldbe made
plainer to us. Of course just like anything, the editors disagree among
themselves over the thought at certain points, and that accounts for the
difference. But we’ll read verse 1 through verse 7 of our English translation.
“Neverthelessthe dimness shall not be such as was in her vexation, when at
the first he lightly afflicted the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, and
afterward did more grievously afflict her by the way of the sea, beyond
Jordan, in Galilee of the nations. (Now there are some differences of
translation of that text, and I’m not sure that I think in some of my notes I
had a notation of the wayin which the New American Standard Bible for
example renders that opening verse but I may have forgotten to bring it or
something like that, so some of you who notice as you’re looking at your text a
slight difference from that which I’ve read, that accounts for it. The second
verse begins,) the people that walkedin darkness have seena greatlight: they
that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined.
Thou hast multiplied the nation, and increasedthe joy: (Now let me for some
of you, who have the Authorized Version, you’ll notice a negative before
increasedand I have omitted that and the reasonI’ve omitted it is lodgedin
some technicalthings which you may not understand, but let me simply
explain it because there may be some in the audience who would understand.
In the Hebrew text of the Old Testament, there were variant readings just as
there are in any ancientwriting. And scribes had a tendency to make mistakes
just as anybody does who copies a document in nineteen hundred and eighty-
four. You don’t have to copy many documents to know that it’s very difficult
to copy one perfectly and when the same words appear in the same general
context it’s easyfor the eye to leave the page of the document and then as
you’re writing and then as you look back to pick up the copy and to pick up
another occurrence ofthe same word that you just read and go on from there,
and either copy something twice, or omit a section. And then of course, errors
of the earwere made. The sound of certainthings was identical and so the
tendency is to read and to read with the sound in your mind, and when things
sound exactly the same to write down a different word. For example, I grade
papers quite frequently and people will sometimes spell there the adverb T-H-
E-R-E as if it were a pronoun, T-H-E-I-R and vice versa. Well it so happens in

Hebrew, the little word preposition which means to or for him, is the same
sound and the Hebrew negative, lo. And so the scribes differ at this point, the
text reads Lo, that is what was written, but what was pronounced when the
Hebrews themselves read it was Lo, to him or for him, in this case the nation.
So that accounts for the fact that we read this) Thou has multiplied the nation
and increasedjoy. They joy before thee according to the joy in harvest, and as
men rejoice when they divide the spoil. For thou hast broken the yoke of his
burden, and the staff of his shoulder, the rod of his oppressor, as in the days of
Midian. For every battle of the warrior is with confused noise, and garments
rolled in blood; but this shall be with burning and fuel of fire. 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.(and again, in my version,
there is a comma after the world wonderful, the commentators taking these to
be two different names where as probably exegetically, they should be treated
as one and we should have wonderful as an adjective in the translation and
translated Wonderful Counselor, The Mighty God, The Everlasting Father,
The Prince of Peace, in other words, four names instead of five. And finally,
verse 7,)of the increase ofhis 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 for ever. (And the
important lastsentence of that verse,)The zealof the LORD of hosts will
perform it.”
One of the most famous statements that Shakespeare has written appearedin
Romeo and Juliet, and it goes something like this, “What’s in a name? That
which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet.”It’s true; there
is often not much in a name. One only has to think of the names of the
products that we buy when we go into the super store to realize that the names
do not really mean anything. I don’t know what kind of cleansers theyhave in
the stores atthe presentmoment, they constantly change, but at one point,
there was Cheerand then Joy. So far as I know, I never saw any house wife
become cheerful from using Cheer or Joy from using Joy. And then Cold
Power, GreaseRelief, Miracle White, White Magic and such names only
convince us that there really isn’t much in a name.

Well, in the Bible, names are very significant and they are significant in other
cultures as well. Many years ago, I went to Mexico for some meetings under
the auspices ofthe Mexican Indian Mission. And John Dale, who was the head
of the mission, was with me, he was an old friend, a very well educatedman
who gave his life for the ministry of the word of God among the Mexican
Indians. He was a graduate of Princeton TheologicalSeminaryhad excellent
training, but nevertheless, he, like his father, gave his life for that ministry.
We were talking about the MexicanIndians, and somehow oranother
something of their culture came up, and I remember him telling him that face
was very important to an Indian, just as it is in the Orient, we know of course
that face is very important. In other words, a personis really humiliated if he
has to lose face. And so face is important among them. And Dr. Dale went on
to say that a child is regardedas being born with no face, and what he does is
build up his face through the years as his characterdevelops and as his
experiences unfold, one gains an idea of what his face really is. I askedhim at
that point, “Wellface sounds very much like the biblical term name.” And he
said, “Yes, to my mind, they are almost identical, so that a name is the
revelation of a person’s character.
That I think is why so often in the Bible, the names that individuals had were
reflective of their character. And as you know, take a name like Isaiah you
can recognize by the end of his name the word yah in it. And so his name
which is relatedto the term for salvation, Yashahin Hebrew means to save, so
Isaiah’s name is a name that expresses the salvation of God and it’s in his
prophecy that we find probably the finest and fullest revelationof the
salvationof God in the Old Testament. And the name then represents the
character. Now we often speak ofname ourselves, and in our hymns you will
often find that expressed, forexample, “my gracious masterand my God
assistme to proclaim to spread through all the earth abroad the honors of
Thy name.” That’s from “O for a ThousandTongues.” So the term in the
Bible is reflective of the characterof an individual and interesting things are
said about name. For example, a name may come and go in this very
prophecy, in Isaiah chapter 30 and verse 27, the prophet says, “Beholdthe
name of the Lord cometh from afar burning with his anger and the burden

thereof is heavy. His lips are full of indignation and his tongue as a devouring
fire.” So the term name is synonymous with the presence ofGod.
Well, I know you’re interested in what my name means, Lewis is of course
very revealing of me because it means “mighty warrior” so I’m told. Well I
know that’s probably convincedyou that there’s nothing in a name and it
would convince me too. Fortunately in our societyour names do not mean too
much. Well in this section, you can see from the passagethat we read in verse
6 and verse 7 we have a magnificent messianic prophecy. And we have more
names of our Lord Jesus is one brief sectionthen we have probably in any
other passageofthe Bible. And togetherthey tell us a tremendous amount
concerning the person of our Lord and SaviorJesus Christ. Listen to them,
his name is “Wonderful Counselor, The Mighty God, The Everlasting Father,
The Prince of Peace.”
Now remember the context that we’ve been looking at. In chapter 7 we have
the prophecy of the virgin birth of the Messiahand there he is given a very
significant name, Emmanuel, or as we say, Emmanuel which means, “God
with us.” Remember that Judah was in a very serious situation, King Ahaz
had some problems, in the north the Syrians were very anxious to attack
Judah and so they made a little confederacywith the Northern Kingdom of
Israel, and Pekahand Rezin determined that they were going to attack Judah.
And so Ahaz, instead of leaning on the arm of the Lord, feels that it is best for
Judah to make a covenantwith Assyria, and of course by so doing, that led
ultimately not only to the overthrow of the Northern Kingdom, but ultimately
to the overthrow of the Southern Kingdom as well. Well Isaiahwas given a
commission, commissionedby the Lord to go and warn Ahaz of the problem
of what he was doing. And he went out according to the 7th chapter and he
found Ahaz out near the end of the conduit of the upper pool in the Highway
of the fullers field, he was checking on the watersupply because, youmust
remember that Israel didn’t really have much water. And Jerusalemof all
places, the capitalof the kingdom did not have much watereither, it was just
a small hill and it was cut by about three valleys and in factthere was only one
spring and that was related to the Waters of Shiloh. And on the other hand,
think of Assyria, why Assyria was known as the country of the two rivers, the
Tigris and the Euphrates, and Syria had the Abana and the Pharpar rivers,

but all that Israelhad were a few springs, a few springs and the Jordan River.
Their water situation was always desperate andif there is going to be war,
there is going to be difficulty and so Isaiah is told, go out and give my message
to Ahaz. So he went out, and he said unto him,
“Take heedand be quiet, fear not, neither be faint heartedfor the two tails of
these smoking fire brands for the fierce angerof Rezin with Syria and of the
son of Remaliahbecause (Isaiahcontinues) Syria, Ephraim and the son of
Remaliahhave taken evil council againstthee saying, let us go up against
Judah and vex it and let us make a breechthereon for us and set a king in the
midst of it even the son of Tabeal, Thus saith the Lord GOD, It shall not
stand, neither shall it come to pass. Forthe head of Syria is Damascus andthe
head of Damascus is Rezin; and within threescore andfive years shall
Ephraim be broken, that it be not a people. And the head of Ephraim is
Samaria, and the head of Samaria is Remaliah’s son. (And then Isaiahis given
the climactic statementwhich he was not to forget)If ye will not believe,
surely you shall not be established.”
We commented upon the fact that that is written in the Hebrew text with a lot
of play on the Hebrew words, Im lo tha amen nu, kiy lo thay amen nu. The
word amen is the word from which we get the English word amen really, it’s
come over into the English language through the Greek and Hebrew. And it is
a word that means to believe but it has the idea of steadfastnessand trust and
so he is told “If you will not believe surely you shall not be established.” It’s
hard to translate that play on words. And then when it became evident that
Ahaz was not going to respond, the Lord Said, “Ahaz, since you will not ask
for a sign, I’m going to give you a sign,” and so he gave him the sign of the
virgin born Messiahwho would come. But it becomes evident as you read the
rest of chapter 7 that judgment must come because of the unbelief of the king,
and the generally poor spiritual condition of Judah and Israelat this time.
Now chapter 8 follows and in chapter8 the prophet continues his ministry to
the nation saying to them in effect, since you are not responding to the
messageofthe Lord God, departing from him, not returning to him it is
necessarythat judgment come. And I think that there are some very
interesting things that are said. For example in verse 6 of chapter8 he says,

Jesus was the mighty god

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