The Greatest Gift
By Mae Dunckley, D.B.S.

Christmas is a time when we exchange gifts with our families and friends to show our love for them. The idea of giving gifts is based on the greatest gift that was ever given – our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. His coming was foretold in Is. 9:6 over 700 years before His earthly birth.

The verse begins with a personal pronoun – “For unto us”. Isaiah wants people to know that this is a personal gift. God is not a distant Being removed from our lives, but He is interested in us as people. Because of His interest, a child was born. God is always explicit in His wording. Notice that a “child is born”. The Hebrew word for “child” is the idea of offspring, the physical fruit of a human union. The mother’s womb is the growth place for the physical body. Mary gave birth to the physical body which was used by Jesus Christ.

“Unto us a son is given”. Again, Scripture is personal and explicit. The child was born, but the Son was given. Jesus was and is an eternal entity. He did not begin life with the birth of His physical body, but rather placed his spirit into a physical body. John1:1 tells us “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God”. Christ, the Word, the Creator, merely took on fleshly clothes so that He could dwell among us. We know that the essence of life comes from the father. It was the Spirit that came upon Mary, giving the physical body that she bore the spirit of the eternal Son. The Hebrew concept of son is the Builder of the family name. Jesus came to earth to build the family name, to show us the heavenly Father, and to make it possible for us to join God’s family through the shed blood of the Son.

“And the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful.” Our name is the mark of individuality. It is what distinguishes us from everyone else. The names that follow give us an overview of Jesus Christ.

“His name shall be called Wonderful.” The Hebrew word for wonderful means: “a miracle,” “a marvelous thing,” something beyond description. No one else is like Him. Not only was His physical birth a miracle, but the circumstances of His birth fulfilled prophecies that had been given hundreds of years before His birth.

It is interesting to note that God told the last descendant of King David, King Jekoniah, “that no man of his seed shall prosper, sitting upon the throne of David, and ruling any more in Judah” Jer. 22:30. Yet, God had promised David that his seed would rule forever – a contradiction?— a broken promise? No, God always keeps His Word. Joseph was the descendent of King David and King Jekoniah, giving Jesus the legal right to the Throne of Israel through his step-father. However, since Joseph was not responsible Jesus’ conception, the seed of Jekoniah would not sit on the throne, though David’s seed through Mary would be on the throne. The Scriptures are always accurate!

His name shall be called “Counselor”. A counselor is someone you can talk to, who listens to you, who gives you advice and guidance. James 1:5 says “If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally…”. Jesus is the only counselor whose guidance is always correct. It is frustrating to spend time with a counselor and come away feeling that nothing has been accomplished. Jesus is the counselor who has the power to do something about the things that you discuss with Him because He is also called “The Mighty God. The original language carries the idea of the All-powerful one, a powerful warrior, our protector, and our champion.

Next, He is called the everlasting Father. Everlasting is perpetual, without end. We will never be an orphan in the family of God. He is the one who cares for us and watches over us, who wants the best for us. He loves us as no one else can love us. This is why the role of an earthly father is so important, because the earthly father sets the child’s perception of the heavenly father. Today, many people struggle with the concept that God loves them and that they can trust Him because their earthly father set a poor father image for them. Don’t let Satan rob you of a true understanding of God as Father because your earthly father “fell down on the job”. Study the Scriptures to understand what a father should be, and then realize that God is the perfect father who wants to meet the needs of each of his children.

Finally, Jesus is called the Prince of Peace. The Prince refers to the principal one, the chief of peace. The Hebrew word carries the idea of being safe. Peace is not the absence of conflict or trouble, but rather being safe during conflict or trouble. It is having confident assurance in any circumstance. He calms fear, uncertainty and doubt, and offers comfort in the midst of conflict. He promises to give peace. John 14:27 “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” He is willing to give peace; we must be willing to trust Him and accept His peace.

God has offered us the greatest gift of all, His Son, Jesus Christ. If we confess that we are sinners in need of a Savior and let Him know that we want to turn from our sin and accept the gift of his Son’s shed blood, He will save us from our sin and place us into His family.

When we receive the gift of Jesus Christ in our lives, we receive not only salvation from our sins, but a marvelous Savior beyond description, a counselor who will listen to us and give right direction, an all powerful protector, a loving Father who will never leave us, and the Prince who can give us peace even in the middle of the storms of life. Surely, God gave us the greatest gift of all, when He sent His son to be born of a virgin and to dwell on earth.

12-14-06