Seven-hundred and fifty years before Christ was born, the Prophet Isaiah said in Isaiah 9:6, “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace." I believe it is fitting at this Christmas time of 2009 to think again of that phrase, "His name shall be called Wonderful." It's a fitting name -Wonderful. Oh, the wonder of it all – the wonder of His birth, the wonder of His life, and the wonder of His death.

 

There is the Wonder of His Birth:

The Old Testament is filled with golden nuggets concerning His miraculous birth.

From which tribe would Jesus come? Ask Jacob, and he'll tell you it will be the tribe of Judah.

How about His family? Isaiah will call the name of Jesse.

Want to know where? According to Micah it was in Bethlehem.

He was the earthly child of a heavenly Father, and the heavenly child of an earthly mother. He was born in a barn and laid in a feeding trough because there was no room for Him in a small-town rooming house.

I marvel that God revealed Himself, not to a King, but to a group of blue-collar shepherds; not to temple priests, but to an old man and woman named Simeon and Anna.

 

There is the Wonder of His Life.

Jesus Christ – the Bread of Life and the Water of Life – hungered and thirst.

He could converse with doctors and lawyers, but didn't forget how to bend low to a little child.

He had no place to lay His own head, yet He has gone to prepare a special place for all His children. He lived His life in the beauty of holiness, yet never once refused an invitation to dine with sinners. He stopped a funeral procession and gave a widow her son back alive.

He caused blind eyes to see His marvelous creation and His glorious face.

He told the lame to throwaway their crutches, and the guilty to wipe away their tears. He told those who would be the greatest in the kingdom to wash the dirty feet of men.

 

There is the Wonder of His Death.

Those hands, those lovely, gentle hands, were pierced. That brow, that divine brow, was marred. That heart, that tender heart, was broken.

Even nature was shocked and appalled. The sun refused to give light, an earthquake shook the dead, and the veil in the temple was tom asunder by an unseen hand.

Sin mocked Him that terrible day. Apathy brushed past the cross without so much as a glance, and hatred spit on Him and cursed His precious name.

Consider with me the wonder of His birth, the wonder of His life, and the wonder of His death. Sin must have turned to Death and said, "Death, do you have Jesus Christ in your clutches?

Oh yes, said Death. The following day, just to make sure, Sin said, "Death, are you sure He's still there?" He's here said Death. And the day after that, Sin said, "Death, what's wrong? Sin, Apathy and Death then heard the voice of an angel proclaim, "He is not here, but is risen.

 

My wonderful Lord, my wonderful Lord, by angels and seraphs in Heaven adore;

I know Thou art mine, my Saviour divine, My Wonderful, wonderful Lord!

 

Again, in our 43rd year of ministry, it has been wonderful to KNOW and EXPERIENCE how GOOD and FAITHFUL our God is all the time. It has been our humble privilege to share with you the Weekly SERMON throughout this past year. Now, as we have shared with you, perhaps you would share with us. Would you be so kind as to drop us a note telling how these Weekly SERMONS have been a blessing to you? And even though we do not charge for the Weekly SERMON, we do have weekly expenses; therefore a gift would greatly help and be very much appreciated.

 

Again because of the CRADLE, the CROSS, and the CROWN, from our home to your home, we wish you a very Merry Christmas and a Christ-centered and fruitful New Year in the Lord during 2010.