He Shall Reign Forevermore

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. -Isaiah 9:6-7

We typically do not think of babies are reigning. Crying maybe; unable to take care of themselves; cute and cuddly, but by no means in charge of anything. What then makes the baby in Isaiah 9 any different? What baby could handle the responsibility of ruling any government on the face of the earth? A typical child can only cry and let their parents know they need something… But not this baby. Although this child was born on this earth with needs as most children have, he was ultimately born to supply our needs. This baby would be birthed into this world crying as most children do, but this child would ultimately cry from a wooden cross, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me” and “It is finished.” This child was born into a world of turmoil and moral decay, but one day he will rid the world of sin and establish a new kingdom of perfection for all of His followers to dwell with Him. This child was born to be king. He was born to reign forever. This baby who was born had several attributes Isaiah wanted us to know about.

Wonderful counselor. Everything that comes from this child’s mouth is true and can ultimately be trusted. Trust Jesus to give you His perfect wisdom. James 1:5 “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.”

Mighty God. There is nothing this king cannot do. He is able, He is capable, and He rules with unparalleled power and might. This king will fight your battles. Psalm 24:8 “Who is this King of glory? The Lord, strong and mighty, the Lord, mighty in battle!”

Everlasting Father. This is a comforting attribute. This king is our daddy, forever. Despite lies from the enemy, God is always there for you. John 10:29 “My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand.” Hebrews 13:5 “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”

Prince of Peace. The king’s reign will bring peace. Revelation 21:4 “Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. 2 And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. 4 He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” That’s a kingdom we all long for.

This child born is JESUS!

As you think of Him this Christmas season, praise the Lord of Heaven, the king who reigns forever. Allow the words of Philippians 2:9-11 to ring true for you: “Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”