The Mighty Infant

by Erin Bird

This week, as we continue our series through Isaiah 9:6, we come to title #2 for the Messiah. (If you missed last week's post or forgot what we talked about for Title #1, catch up here.) Here is Isaiah 9:6 as a reminder:

For to us a child is born,
to us a son is given;
and the government shall be upon his shoulder,
and his name shall be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

The second title we read is "Mighty God." This is a strange title to give to a newborn. Many kings, caesars, pharaohs, and dictators have tried to claim divinity. But to think of a child as God? That seems crazy.

And it is crazy! But it's true. God the Son entered humanity not as a space alien dropped from a UFO, but as a full-fledge human being born of a woman.

Yet while He was fully Human, He also was fully God. Not for a moment did Jesus cease being part of the Godhead. It's a mystery we can't fully wrap our heads around. (Heck, I can't even fathom how I got the incredible LeAnn Wojakowski to say yes to marrying me, so there's no way I am going to be able to fully comprehend how a baby could be the Mighty God!) It's a paradox we can't resolve, but it is true to the fullest.

While I can't wrap my tiny human brain around the idea of the Incarnation, for some strange reason I find great comfort in what I do understand. Somehow, to know that the God of the Universe entered into humanity as a helpless babe helps me to see Him in a new way. I can understand Him a lot more, knowing He can fully identify with the human condition.

Think about it: It must have been incredibly humbling for Jesus to leave heaven behind to come to earth, take on human flesh, and grow up rejected by those He came to save. But all of that made Him more real to us. God wasn't just some distant Deity in the sky. He was here, on earth, living among us.

And yet He could heal the sick, turn water into wine, calm storms with a wave of his hand, and raise the dead with a word from his lips. He was truly the Mighty God during His entire time on earth. Even as a helpless baby.

May the truth that Jesus, even as an infant, was and is the Mighty God give you comfort and joy this Christmas.