Saturday, December 26, 2015
Isaiah 9:6 For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given...And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God...
WITH GOD, ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE
True to His name, God cannot be killed. So Jesus had to be a man so that He could suffer and die on the cross. But an ordinary man could not have paid for sin. Therefore it is Jesus, true Man AND true God, who offered up sacrifice for sin, once for all people, when He offered up Himself (Hebrews 7:27). Jesus Christ is that "Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world" (John 1:29).
In order for this sacrifice to be accepted, the sacrifice had to be perfect. Jesus and His sacrifice had to be without sin. His sacrifice was proven to be perfect when, on the third day after His death, Jesus rose from the dead, as it is written, "He was delivered up because of our offenses and He was raised again because of our justification." A sinner is under the power of death. Only the Mighty God Himself has the power to raise anyone to life. But Jesus conquered death, so that not only was He raised from the dead by the power of the Spirit, as Scripture says, but it is also true that He Himself rose from the dead by His own power. As He says, "I lay down My life that I may take it again. No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again" (John 10:17-18).
What's in a name? When Jesus is named the Mighty God, His name declares that He can accomplish all things. With Him nothing is impossible. It was not possible that man could save himself from sin and punishment. It was impossible that God should become Man, be born a little baby, and still remain true God, but He was born of a virgin in a stable in Bethlehem, true God and true Man. It was impossible that this Child should grow up without sin, and for that matter it was impossible that God could grow up and learn, yet Scripture says that as He grew He "increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men" (Luke 2:52). It was impossible that this Man's death should pay mankind's entire debt for sin; Impossible that having died, He should rise from the dead. But He did. He accomplished our salvation, paid for our sins, rose from the dead, and will come again and raise us from the dead as well and take us to heaven.
With men, all of this is impossible. But with Jesus Christ, the Mighty God "all things are possible."
