He shall reign for ever and ever

I have been thinking about the meaning of Christmas lately (no surprise there) and these scriptures in specific:

But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, who are too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel, whose coming forth is from of old, from ancient days. -Micah 5:2

Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. - Isaiah 7:14

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. Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this. Isaiah 9:6-7

There are many other prophecies in the Old Testament that speak to Jesus' first advent that I could list. These verses amaze me in the way that they speak to the nature of His coming and the nature of the Messiah. These verses tell us not only the specifics of His birth but the specifics of His essence.

In these verses we see that His birth would be

• in a specific place.. not just any place in Israel;
• a divine one.. no man would be involved in His conception;
• a human one.. a virgin would give birth to the Messiah.

We also see in these verses the nature of the One born:

• Ruler in Israel.. Jesus is the King of kings and Lord of lords.
• Immanuel.. God with us.. God born of a woman.. amazing!
• Wonderful Counselor.. was there ever a wiser teacher than Jesus?
• Mighty God.. He is not only the Son of God.. He is God the Son.
• Everlasting Father.. Jesus has all the attributes of God, including eternality.
• Prince of Peace.. Jesus came in love and peace to bring peace and love.

I love it that the passage in Isaiah 9 does not stop with the Messiah's birth but goes on to speak of a kingdom and government with no end. In truth the birth of Jesus Christ set in motion an eternal change.. it ushered in a new era in the kingdom and government of God.

So in this season when we celebrate the coming of God to earth take a moment and celebrate with me the eternal reign of Jesus Christ.. and sing with me the refrain from Handel's Messiah:

"Hallelujah: for the Lord God Omnipotent reigneth. The kingdom of this world has become the kingdom of our Lord, and of His Christ; and He shall reign for ever and ever. King of Kings, and Lord of Lords."

Hallelujah!! Hallelujah!!