A Not So 'PC' Christmas

"For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; and the government will rest on His shoulders; and His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace" (Isaiah 9:6)

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!  SEASON'S GREETINGS!  HOLIDAY WISHES!  You've heard it all before, beloved, and if anything it becomes more pronounced with each passing year.  Those 'PC' blues!  Trying our best not to offend or put anyone off because of their religious beliefs or lack thereof.  As a result, Christmas has become a sterile, surface-only, secular celebration.

Would you like to really enjoy this year a not so 'PC' Christmas?  Would you like to get back on track and genuinely celebrate CHRISTmas?  If you would, then all you need to do is to reflect with me on the prophetic words of Isaiah spoken hundreds of years before the birth of Jesus of Nazareth.  Note first here the manner of His coming.  The promise that "a child will be born to us" emphasizes His incarnation and reminds us that God has given to us in Him the Son of Man.  He laughs with us, cries with us, hurts with us, but most of all has died for us as He has taken our sins upon Himself.

But Isaiah also declared that "a son will be given to us."  This promise emphasizes His divinity as surely as the word "born" emphasizes His humanity.  Thus, the Son of God became the Son of Man by becoming "Immanuel" - God with us!

The prophet then went on to say that "the government shall rest upon His shoulders."  Hear the word "government" and instantly an institution comes to mind.  The Hebrew word here however actually means "a governing" and refers not to a national governmental structure but rather to His Lordship over the lives of men.  Isaiah was promising to us that with His coming we would receive our own King of Kings.  Every detail of our individual lives lies in His hands.

And what of the specific ministry of His coming?  Isaiah told us that He would be called "Wonderful Counselor."  He is the One to whom we can turn for direction for life's living.  This Christmas child would have all the answers for all the questions that pluck at the strings of our hearts.  He would be able to show us the direction in which our lives should go.

The prophet said also of Him that He will be "Mighty God."  The Hebrew word here means "strong" in the sense of the One who gains the ultimate victory.  So as the Wonderful Counselor He gives us the direction we are to go, as the Mighty God He gives us the power to go in that direction.

But Jesus is also to us the "Eternal Father."  In that role He provides us with assurance about life's living.  His kingdom within us is an unending one, so there is never a need for us to fear for our future.  The Christmas child makes possible for us an eternal relationship with the Father.

Finally, He comes to us as "Prince of Peace."  Because of Him we have first of all peace with God.  And then we also are enabled to be at peace with ourselves.  And when we are at peace with God and with ourselves, we should always be at peace with our circumstances no matter what they might be.

There you have it, beloved, the makings of a genuine not so 'PC' Christmas!  It is after all the real Christmas message and it's about time we took it back from the Grinch that is stealing it from us.  Merry CHRISTmas to each and every one of you!

Ron