Knowing God's Character: Jesus is the Mighty God (Isaiah 9:6)

What if the Mighty God of Christmas could transform your family’s faith and give you strength for every moment of Christian parenting?

In this powerful holiday episode of 7 Minute Devotions for Busy Parents, host Christen Clark invites you to pause your busy family life and discover the deep implications of Jesus being “Mighty God” from Isaiah 9:6. Christen shares inspiration for raising Christian kids, finding purpose and faith at home even when life feels as fragile as a ceramic nativity set.

• [00:01:03] Why “Mighty God” stunned Isaiah’s audience and how that truth empowers parents today
• [00:04:47] How the strength of Christ meets our family’s daily weaknesses and brings hope during Christmas and beyond

Resources:

• Instagram: @7minutedevotions, @christenclark 
• Family Podcast: @collidekidspodcast

Transcript

Christen Clark [00:00:01]:

Hello and welcome back to 7 Minute Devotions for Busy Parents and Merry Christmas. I'm your host, Christen Clark. Hey, if you press play today, hoping that I would teach you how to not be busy anymore, especially at Christmas time. Well, I am so sorry, but I have absolutely no such advice like that. None. I'm. I'm barely keeping up myself. I'm definitely a busy parent and that's why I created this show.

Christen Clark [00:00:26]:

But in all seriousness, in the middle of this busy season, thank you so much for pausing with me for a minutes to be refreshed and encouraged. I hope that I can at least offer you that Today we're continuing our December series in Isaiah 9. 6, looking at these powerful names given to Jesus long before his birth. Last time we talked about Jesus as our wonderful counselor. This week we're focusing on that second title, Mighty God. And when Isaiah wrote these words, he wasn't writing to a confident, thriving nation. Judah was standing on the edge of collapse. Their future felt uncertain.

Christen Clark [00:01:03]:

Their leader had failed them. They were afraid and powerless and unsure of what would happen next. And into that darkness, Isaiah prophesied the coming of a child, a messiah, one who would bear the names that were far more than symbolic comfort. These names pointed to his true identity. Isaiah 9. 6 says, for unto us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders, and he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. I read an article that points out the two titles, Wonderful Counselor and Prince of Peace sound like really great traits of an earthly leader. Judah desperately needed an earthly leader that had wisdom and peace.

Christen Clark [00:01:57]:

But the other two names, Mighty God and Everlasting Father, that would have stunned Isaiah's original audience. They weren't expecting God himself to come and live among them. They had no concept of the incarnation. Names in this culture always pointed back to God's character. But they wouldn't yet understand that the Messiah would actually be God in the flesh. That's why this prophecy is so significant for them and for us today. The title Mighty God comes from the Hebrew and El Gabor, meaning God of strength, God the warrior, or God our champion. It is not subtle.

Christen Clark [00:02:37]:

It's not symbolic. It is a clear declaration of divinity. The Messiah would be God himself. Colossians 2, 9 confirms this beautifully. It says, for in Christ, all the fullness of the deity lives in bodily form. Jesus was not just a wise man. He wasn't a moral teacher. He wasn't just a miracle worker.

Christen Clark [00:02:59]:

He was. He was and is the Mighty God, the one with all authority, the one who commands heavenly armies, the one who fights for his people, the one who has no rival and no equal. And yet this mighty God came to us. As a baby. Last week, I actually helped my mom decorate for Christmas, and we pulled out her old Nativity set. And as we unwrapped each piece, we noticed that a few of the figurines had been chipped or cracked and. And Mary was missing a hand. It was kind of sad.

Christen Clark [00:03:34]:

The angel got knocked down, I think I knocked it down, actually, and had another hand that was barely hanging on. So we found it and we had to glue it back on. It was so fragile. There's something almost tender about all of those little fragile figurines, especially the baby in the manger. The whole scene looks really delicate and breakable and easy to mishandle. And, you know, I wonder, maybe everything in that first Christmas also was pretty fragile. I don't know if they were losing hands, but everything that was happening in the manger and the stable and where they were and all the different characters that were a part of the story, everything was so fragile, except the one who was lying in the manger. Because while the Nativity set could be chipped and broken, the real child in that manger was and is the mighty God.

Christen Clark [00:04:27]:

A newborn wrapped in cloths, yet holding all power and authority. A baby who was laid in a feeding trough. Yet the one who spoke creation into existence, so small and vulnerable to our eyes, yet nothing about him was fragile. That's the mystery and the beauty of Christmas. The God who is infinitely mighty chose to come to us in the smallest, humblest way, not to impress us with his strength, but to share his strength with us. He took on the posture of a servant, and he laid down his life for the people he loved. Everything Jesus did, from his conception to his resurrection and ascension, was marked by divine power. And although we will fully see his mighty God glory at his second coming, and every moment of his earthly life revealed the strength and the authority of God.

Christen Clark [00:05:22]:

Now, I know this is a lot, but what does this mean for us as parents here and now? It means that the same God who stepped into Judah's fear and uncertainty steps into ours too. We don't face challenges of parenting alone. We don't chase the hardships of life by ourselves. We don't carry our fears about our kids, about the world, about our families. And in our own strength. Jesus is our warrior. He is fighting on our behalf. He's our champion.

Christen Clark [00:05:50]:

He's defeated sin and Darkness. Jesus is our defender. He is protecting us from what we cannot see. Jesus is the God of strength, empowering us when we feel weak. And let's be honest, we need that. We worry about our kids and we feel overwhelmed by the world they're growing up in. We face spiritual battles and big emotions and hard days and and moments we're just not sure how to navigate. But we have access to the strength of the mighty God.

Christen Clark [00:06:20]:

We can go to him in prayer when we're afraid or uncertain. We can lean on his sovereignty when we feel powerless. We can trust that he rules over every detail. Nothing is outside of his authority. The same God who commands the universe holds you and your family in his perfect hands. Foreign. Let's pray together. Mighty God, thank you for revealing yourself to us in Jesus.

Christen Clark [00:06:56]:

Thank you that you are strong when we are weak. That you are a mighty God. That we can trust in you when things feel shaken. And that we can know that you're in control when our life feels out of control. I confess that I worry and fear about a lot of little things and I try to carry all of my burdens on my own. But I need to trust in you more and know that you're going to walk through this life with me and that you're going to give me the strength that only you can help us to continue to remember that you are the mighty God and help us to see that this Christmas that you are holding us in your mighty hand. Thank you, God, for who you are and what you've done for us in Jesus name. Amen.

Christen Clark [00:07:39]:

Well, thank you for listening today. What a comfort to know that the child born in Bethlehem is our mighty God, strong, sovereign and present in every part of our parenting journey. If this episode encouraged you today, would you take a moment to leave a rating and a review on your favorite podcast app? It really helps other people find out about the show and I would love to know what you think about what we've done so far. Join me next week as we are taking on the next name in Isaiah's prophecy, Everlasting Father. I think you're really going to like it. And remember, parents keep showing up. God is with you.