MEDIA

If you were God and you had a very important message for the human race, how would you say it? Would you use a loud, booming voice from heaven? W ould you broadcast it on every television channel at once? W ould you write the message across the sky? Or would you spread the news on social media?

God sent the message through a person � delivered in a manger, nailed to a cross and then raised up from the grave. In fact, Jesus is God's message. Verses 1 and 14 of John 1 say, �In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God � The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only.�

Christ was before Bethlehem. He said in John 8:58, �Before Abraham was born, I AM!� Jesus appears in the first verse of the Bible and remains throughout the Old Testament until His appearance in the flesh.

�He became flesh� is the key to understanding the true meaning of Christmas. The prophet Isaiah, 760 years before Christ's birth in Bethlehem, made a very clear distinction when he said, �For to us a child is born, to us a son is given� (Isaiah 9:6). A child was born but a son was given .

God takes Isaiah into the future and shows him the people of the world who, for a long time, walked in darkness and in the shadow of death. Suddenly they see a great light, a light which will set them free and break their chains of bondage, both physical and spiritual.

�The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned � For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace . � (Isaiah 9:2,6)

In Matthew 1:23 , we have a direct quote from Isaiah 7:14. �The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him E mmanuel, which means �God with us'.� Here, the name E mmanuel is clearly describing the divinity of Christ. But let's look at four other names given to the child in Bethlehem.

? Wonderful Counselor � in Hebrew, Pele Yoetz . Christ is not our prosecutor, but our counselor and defender.

? Mighty God � in Hebrew, El Gibbor . Jesus is given the name as God!

? Everlasting Father � in Hebrew, Abhi Ad which is literally translated as �Father of Eternity.�

? Prince of Peace � in Hebrew, Sar Shalom . Shalom means more than the peace obtained from the absence of war. It includes prosperity, well-being, harmony, peace in one's heart and peace with God. It is the perfect state of being.

God, in the person of His S on, came to this world in the flesh as a poor , humble child to save the world and bring peace. Have you found the Prince of Peace yet?

Pastor Joseph Hovsepian

Taken from God's Workshop: Meditations from Everyday Life for Everyday People (Go to www.josephhovsepianministries.com for more information.)