and his name shall be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Isaiah 9:6

Life takes more than planning; you have to have power as well. A map and a steering wheel are great, but without an engine, you’re going nowhere. The baby Jesus is God’s wonderful counselor anointed to usher in God’s supernatural plans, but He’s also more. He shall be called by a name that will ensure that God’s plans come to fruition. He shall be called “Mighty God.”

Might speaks of a powerful ability to accomplish a task. You could say it pictures necessary muscle! When God declared that He will get relief from His enemies and avenge Himself on His foes, He declared this will happen by calling Himself “the Mighty One of Israel” (Isaiah. 1:24). When God declared that He will make Israel’s oppressors eat their own flesh, He highlighted His ability to achieve this by calling Himself their “Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob” (Isaiah. 49:26). When God promised that He will protect Israel’s grain from becoming their enemies, He promised this experience by His “mighty arm” (Isaiah 62:8). Thus, “mighty” is an “attribute of God especially as fighting for his people.”¹ And what His might backs, His might accomplishes.

How awesome and comforting it is to have a God who fights for His people! And who not only fights, but who wins. God’s Messiah bears this awesome power in the name “Mighty God.” As such He has the ability to carry out the supernatural (wonderful) plans of God upon this earth. This might was clearly showcased in the first coming of Jesus. With a word Jesus cast out demonic strongholds. With power Jesus healed the paralytic, removed illnesses, raised the dead, and walked on water. Through Jesus’ entire ministry on earth, we witnessed the power of His name “Mighty God.”

Don’t underestimate the amount of strength these actions took. Demons don’t just obey anybody. Lame legs don’t just walk. And the dead doesn’t stand up on their own. These are powerful entities and problems. Yet, the Messianic “Mighty God” rules over them according to God’s good pleasure. John Oswalt says, “This king will have God’s true might about him, power so great that it can absorb all the evil which can be hurled at it until none is left to hurl.”²

As we celebrate the birth of Jesus, we celebrate God’s supernatural power intervening upon a broken earth to redeem and reconcile it to Himself. The power we lack to change our hearts, to heal our bodies, to fight off demonic evil, and to be reconciled to God, was born among humanity. How awesome and comforting it is to have a God who fights and who wins, and not solely during Christmas time, but through every moment of His people’s lives. Praise the Lord for the mighty name and character of His Messiah, Jesus Christ! And praise the Lord that His mighty name continues to stand under, behind, above, and before His people in all things.

Ascribe power to God,
whose majesty is over Israel,
and whose power is in the skies.
Psalm 68:34