Christmas Hope Isaiah 9:6-7 and John 3:16-17

Isaiah 9:6-7a:

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, Counsellor,

The mighty God,

The everlasting Father,

The Prince of Peace.

Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end,

This was a verse that I had to memorize as a small child growing up on the Island here. It was my line in a church Christmas pageant many years ago. The Christmas pageants were always quite exciting and performing in them was always a little nerve-racking. The church was always filled to capacity – even the balconies and the lobbies were full. There were stage lights shining on us. There was a microphone in front of each of us as we spoke. With all of this going on it could be very difficult to remember your line. Thankfully, I did. And I still do. This memory verse has stayed with me decades later and there is not an Advent Season that passes without my reflecting on this passage. I am so thankful for that.

This is a great reminder to me of what Christmas is all about. It is all about the birth of our saviour; the one who saves us! It is a reminder that Jesus is not only the leader of an heavenly government but He is also the mighty God, the everlasting Father, and the Prince of Peace. I am reminded that at Christmas we celebrate how, John 3:16-17:

…God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.

Jesus came into the world so that the world through Him might be saved. He came to this world so that we could all live peacefully with one another forever in His Kingdom to come.

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