The Mighty God

7th study in the series on the ‘Names of Christ’ adapted from PCC Prayer Meeting Exhortation on 14 Sep 2007

 

 

“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” (Isaiah 9:6).

The deity of Christ is a subject that has been debated quite vigorously in some circles. I remember the numerous occasions when I had the opportunity to talk with Jehovah Witnesses. Inevitably we would talk about the deity of Christ because to me this is the most important doctrine denied by the Jehovah Witnesses.

And this is the doctrine which confirms that Jehovah Witnesses are not Christians regardless of their claim that they are the only true Christians.

In speaking to a Jehovah Witness, I would try to bring up a number of passages in Scripture. Many of these, I believe, speak unambiguously about the Deity of Christ. So clearly do they speak of the deity of Christ that every Jehovah Witness is trained to give a standard answer and then to quickly move on to talk about something else.

One such passage is our text for this evening. In this verse, we are given 5 names of Christ—(1) Wonderful, (2) Counsellor, (3) The mighty God, (4) The everlasting Father, and (5) The Prince of Peace.

We have considered the first 2 names.

Christ is Wonderful in His person and His works. A life time of study and meditation will not give us a full comprehension of who He is and what He has done.

Christ is also the Counsellor. He is a King who rules by gentle entreaties by which He gently persuades His subjects to live according to the will of God with gratitude and love.

This evening, the Lord helping us, we want to study the third name, “The Mighty God.”

Let us once again ask the two standard questions we have been using in this series: (1) What does the name teach us about Christ? (2) What is that to us?

1. What does the Name Teach Us?

Christ is not just Wonderful, not just the Counsellor; He is “the Mighty God.” The name in Hebrew is El gibbor.

The Jehovah Witnesses would agree that this verse is about Christ. However, they would make it a point to say: “See here: He is called the ‘mighty God’ rather than the ‘Almighty God.’ Christ is lesser than God, you see. He is of similar substance to the Father, but He is a created being, a lesser God. He is a created divine being, if you like.”

The problem with this argument is the name El gibbor does not only occur here. It occurs also in Isaiah 10:21 (turn)—

The remnant shall return, even the remnant of Jacob, unto the mighty God.

Who is the mighty God? Well, the previous verse suggests that it is the LORD, Jehovah, the I AM, or the Holy One of Israel, the Almighty God.

Indeed, elsewhere in the Scriptures we see God, the Almighty God described as mighty. For example:

· Deut 10:17—For the LORD your God is God of gods, and Lord of lords, a great God, a mighty [gibbor], and a terrible, which regardeth not persons, nor taketh reward:

· Deut 7:21—Thou shalt not be affrighted at them: for the LORD thy God is among you, a mighty [gadol] God and terrible.

The word used here is synonymous with gibbor.

The point is: trying to deny that Christ is God because He is called Mighty rather than ‘Almighty God’ is an exercise in futility, for the Almighty God is called Mighty God too.

Christ is the Mighty God. “In Him dwelleth the fullness of the Godhead bodily” (Col 2:9). He is our Great God and Saviour (Ti 2:13).

Christ is the Mighty God. He is same in substance with the Father and the Spirit. The fact that He would be born as a child does not change that fact.

Christ would have two natures: One human and one divine. He is fully human and fully divine. He is the Emmanuel. He is God with us.

This is an amazing doctrine. Christ our elder brother, who was tempted at all points like as we are, who experienced the pains and sorrows that we endure, who thirsted, who hungered, who groaned, who wept, who bled, who died,—is also the Mighty God.

· He who is transcendently holy was conceived in the womb of a sinner.

· He who is eternal was born in a manger.

· He who is unchangeable and perfect in knowledge grew in wisdom.

· He who is ever blessed groaned and wept.

· He who owns the cattle upon a thousand hills had no place to lay His head.

· He who is infinite and omnipresent stood bound in Pilate’s hall.

· He who upholds the world by the word of His mighty power was nailed hands and feet to the Cross, apparently powerless even to wipe the sweat drops from His forehead.

· He in whom we live and move and have our being, died and rose again.

· He whose might is the basis of our strength remained in the grave for three days.

Wonder of wonders that our mighty God should go to such an extent to save us and to demonstrate His love towards us!

2. What is That to Us?

Christ is the Mighty God. In light of this, shall we not…

a. Firstly, learn to direct our prayers to Him freely. We must not be so caught up with correctness in terms of how we address God that we frown upon any prayers directed to Christ. I believe it is not wrong to direct our prayers to Christ, especially in private.

Our Lord teaches us to direct our prayers to the Father; and we should do so especially in public, for our Lord would have His Father magnified.

Indeed in public worship, Christ joins us to worship the Father.

But we must not forget that Christ is also fully God. He is the Mighty God. Therefore, it not wrong for us to pray unto Christ or to speak to Him in our prayers.

We see a number of examples in the Scriptures.

When the resurrected Lord Jesus appeared to Thomas, what did Thomas say? He cried out: “My Lord and my God” (Jn 20:28). This is a word of adoration and prayer. It is a prayer directed to the Lord Jesus.

When Stephen was stoned, we are told that he “[called] upon God.” But what did he say? He says: “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit” (Acts 7:59). This is a prayer. A prayer directed to the Lord Jesus, the mighty God.

When the apostle Paul wanted to express thanksgiving for his call to the ministry, who does he thank? He says:

“And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who hath enabled me, for that he counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry” (1Tm 1:12).

The point I am trying to bring across is that we must not be too stifled by proper order to direct our prayer to Christ our Lord.

In fact, I believe that there are many occasions where prayers might be fittingly directed to Christ our Lord. A cry for salvation and help for example may be directed to Christ. A sinner may indeed be taught to cry out unto the Lord Jesus to save him. Christ is our mighty God. He is mighty to save.

b. Secondly, if Christ is the Mighty God, shall we not learn to trust Him to see us through all the trials in our lives? Shall we not cast our cares upon Him because He cares for us and sympathises with us?

The Lord Jesus says:

“28 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light” (Mt 11:28-30).

What have you done with this instruction, beloved brethren and children? What does it mean to you? Have you gone to the Lord Jesus as your mighty God who is compassion and understanding?

Have you gone to Him and prayerfully unburdened your heart, or has His instruction to you meant very little to you because you don’t know what to do with it.

Remember that Christ is the Mighty God. He is not an angel or a departed saint, who cannot hear our prayers. He hears our prayer for He is omnipresent and omniscient.

It is not Charismatic to unburden your heart to the Lord Jesus. It is being biblical. It is to understand who He is. He is mighty God. He is our mighty God—who cares and is well-able to carry our burdens.

c. Thirdly, if Christ who is the head of the Church is mighty God, shall we not learn to wait upon Him in regards to His church?

In our eyes the church has many flaws. Many things need fixing. The leaders need fixing. The members need fixing too, we sometimes think. When we begin to think like that, we begin to forget that church is not a mere human organisation. Whether we are looking at the church universal or the church local, the church is not a mere human organisation.

The head of the church is Christ, the Mighty God. Is Christ not capable of protecting the Church? Is He not capable of shaping the church according to His sovereign will? Is He out of control?

No, no, He is the mighty God. When He says that the gates of hell shall not prevail against it, it is not wishful thinking. It is a fact. It is the truth because the head of the church is sovereign.

So beloved brethren, let us not grow discouraged. We must do our part. We must pray. We must seek to do what is right for the glory of God. But ultimately we must rest in Him and trust Him who is the head of the church, the mighty God to lead us in the right direction.

Conclusion

Christ is the Mighty God. The head of this church is not the pastor, or the elders. These are very dispensable. The head of the church is Christ. And Christ is not a mere man who needs like us to wait upon the Father. Christ is the God-Man. He is fully man, but He is also fully God. He is the mighty God.

Let us beloved brethren, learn to direct our prayers to Him, learn to cast our cares upon Him, and learn to wait upon Him in regard to our lives as individual believers and as a church.

Christ is our Mighty God. Amen.

—JJ Lim