Mighty God

Advent invites us into a season of quiet and deep reflection in the midst of the busyness of the weeks leading up to Christmas. Accepting this invitation to slow down and take the time to ponder the mysteries of Christ is a worthwhile pursuit because as we consider the birth of Christ and all that means, awe begins to permeate our heart, soul, and mind.

This Advent season, I have specifically been meditating on how Jesus is our Mighty God (Isaiah 9:6), and reflection for me begins with understanding the meaning of words.

Mighty is defined as “possessing great and impressive power and strength,” and from a worldly perspective, there are many things that have been called mighty. Kings, the government, and nature all have demonstrated various degrees of strength and power throughout history. However, our God is unfathomably mightier than anything in this world, and as we comprehend this truth it should propel us to a sense of awe.

Meditating on God’s Mightiness

“Mighty God” is repeated throughout Scripture, especially in the book of Psalms, and gives us confidence that our God’s might surpasses anything and everything in this world. Psalm 93:4 declares that God is “mightier than the thunders of many waters, mightier than the waves of the sea, the Lord on high is mighty!” Psalm 65:5-8 proclaims, “O God of our salvation, the hope of all the ends of the earth and of the farthest seas; the one who by His strength established the mountains, being girded with might; who stills the roaring seas, the roaring of their waves, the tumult of the peoples, so that those who dwell at the ends of the earth are in awe at your signs.”

…my life rests in the hands of a mighty Savior who stills the waves of the sea and establishes the mountains…

What comfort these verses bring, to know my life rests in the hands of a mighty Savior who stills the waves of the sea and establishes the mountains yet cares deeply for me. God’s great might and power is proclaimed throughout all of Scripture but is demonstrated in an even more profound and mysterious way through the birth of Jesus Christ, that God would become man.

Jesus, Our Mighty God

Jesus, the Son of God, mighty and powerful, came to earth, not as a warrior or earthly king, but humbly as a baby. This profound mystery leaves me in true awe. Jesus, who is God and was with God in the beginning (John 1:1-3), chose to leave the majesty of heaven in order to dwell among us. Jesus, the one who calms the seas and establishes the mountains in His great might, chose to serve and not be served, to give up comfort for hardship, and to save us from our sin, even though it meant death on a cross.

Jesus did not come to earth to destroy armies or take over the government, but he revealed His mightiness through healing the sick, redeeming sinners, and by defeating death once and for all.

The writer of Hebrews sums it up well for us; “For it was fitting that he, for whom and by whom all things exist, in bringing many sons to glory, should make the founder of their salvation perfect through suffering” (Hebrews 2:10). God’s might is indeed perfectly displayed through His immeasurable kindness in sending Jesus to dwell among us and to offer redemption to humanity.

 

Awe That Leads to Worship

“May we never lose the wonder of what Christ, our suffering servant, has done for us.”

I wrote this quote from a Sunday service in my journal a few months ago, and the Lord has so kindly brought it back to my mind ever since. There is much that is trying to distract us from being still and sitting in awe of our mighty God, but when we allow our circumstances to keep us from resting at the feet of the Father we miss out on the gift of wonder. Resisting these distractions and reminding ourselves of the truth of God’s mighty character and the gift we have in Christ leads to awe, and when that awe captures our heart we cannot help but to rejoice and worship our God.

And as we rejoice and worship, we cannot help but to share the hope we have in Christ with those who do not know Him out of the overflow of thankfulness and joy in our hearts. When the wise men saw the star that led to Jesus “they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy.” Let that be us this Christmas. Let us rejoice exceedingly with great joy as we ponder in awe at the mightiness of God displayed through the mystery of the birth of Christ.