Mighty God

As we enter the season of Advent, our focus and attention centers in on the birth of Jesus Christ and the gift that God the Father has given to us through Him.

I don’t know about any of you, but having children has completely changed the lens through which I view the birth of Christ. I gave birth to a baby girl in December and brought her home shortly before Christmas in 2019. I remember lovingly and joyfully crafting her birth announcement, excited to share the happy news with family and friends. I was sure to include details about her length and weight, arrival date and time, and a perfect photo of our sweet newborn baby girl. But, of course, the most important detail everyone wanted to know (and waited nine months to find out) was, what did we name this baby girl?!

In reminiscing back to that time and remembering all of the excitement and pure joy that comes from giving birth to a precious child, I am often compelled to compare my own experiences to the birth of Jesus. I don’t know if it’s because I gave birth in December around Christmas time, or if it’s something most Christian moms have done—maybe I’m just strange?! Not sure what the reason is, but I find myself thinking about it in this context.

What I’ve realized is that according to this prophetic verse in Isaiah 9:6, Jesus was given several names to be used in His birth announcement. Out of these names that are given, Mighty God is the one that sticks out to me. Could you imagine posting on social media, “Meet our beautiful new baby boy, Mighty God! 8 lbs, 6 oz; 21 in long and perfectly healthy!” It’s such a radical claim! A helpless, tiny newborn baby being called Mighty God? Unbelievable. Impossible. True.

All that power and wisdom and perfection, swaddled up in blankets, lying helplessly in a manger. Of all of the ways God could have come to us, this was what He chose? It makes me think of a song I love singing during Advent by Phil Wickham called “Manger Throne:”

Mighty God denied His own power and stepped down from His throne in Heaven to become a human baby. He became the lowest and most helpless version of mankind possible, totally dependent on those He had created to care for His every need. He traded majesty for meekness, and in doing so became Immanuel, God WITH us. How He can be human and God all at the same time is still such a mystery to me, and honestly it blows my mind. But I’m thankful He is who His birth announcement claimed Him to be: Mighty God.