Kingdom's Garden

The Mighty God

“And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.” (John 1:14)

Isaiah the Prophet lived in a most trying and desperate day. He lived in a day when the godless nation of Assyria was in the ascendancy. Already the armies of Assyria under the King Tiglasth-Pileser had overrun the Northern Kingdom of Israel and carried many of the inhabitants into captivity. Darkness and gloom had enveloped the region round about the Sea of Galilee. But Isaiah said that a new day would come: “The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them has the light shined.” This new era would not just happen; it would not be brought about as a result of political theory or political reform, but through the reign of a righteous king. “Unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government will rest upon his shoulder and his name shall be called … the Mighty God.” this one who was to come was to be the Messianic King, a Divine Person.

“In the fullness of time God sent forth His Son … Mary brought forth her first born son, wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger.” Concerning Him we read in the fourth Chapter of Matthew verses 12-16 “Now when Jesus heard that John had been taken into custody, He withdrew into Galilee; and leaving Nazareth, He came and settled in Capernaum, which is by the sea, in the region of Zebulun and Naphtali. This was to fulfill what was spoken through Isaiah the prophet: “The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, By the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles– “The people who were sitting in darkness saw a great Light, And those who were sitting in the land and shadow of death, Upon them a Light dawned.” This babe whom the wise came from afar to worship and unto whom they presented gifts of gold and frankincense and myrrh was the Mighty God. “The Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father.” The Nicene Creed which was formulated by the Council of Nicea in 325 A. D. states this truth in the following language: “I believe … in the Lord Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God, begotten of the Father before all the worlds, God of God, Light of Light, very God of very God, begotten not made, being of one essence with the Father.” and that has been the faith of the Church from the beginning to the present.

This faith is the foundation of the Church and all the Church believes and holds dear. At Caesarea Philippi Jesus asked the disciples: “Who do you say that I am.” Peter, inspired by God replied, “Thou are the Christ the Son of the living God.” Jesus made answer, “Upon this rock I will build my Church.” The Christian Church, the greatest and most influential organization the world knows is built upon the foundation that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. He is the Immanuel – God with us. This is the keystone that holds the entire arch of Christian doctrine in place. Remove this keystone and Christianity becomes a system of ethics but not a religion, it becomes a way of truth devoid of all power to live up to the truth.

How do I know that He is the incarnate Son of God? This is a question that deserves to be answered in a day when the deity of our Lord and Savior is being attacked on every hand: in our colleges and universities and even in some seminaries. A professor in one seminary said concerning Him: “He did not transcend the limits of the purely human.” A Charleston minister said: “To call Jesus the Son of God is to make claims for Him that He never made for Himself. The teaching that He is divine is an accretion of the ages.”

I believe that Jesus is God because He is the fulfillment of the Old Testament Prophecy. God said unto Abraham, “In thee and in thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed.” Jesus Christ according to the flesh is of the seed of Abraham and of a truth “He is the light that lights every man that comes into the world.” This world is a much more desirable home because nineteen hundred years ago God’s Son was born in a stable in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the King. We turn to the prophecy of Isaiah and we read concerning the Messiah who is to come, “He was wounded for our transgressions … all we like sheep have gone astray and the Lord has laid upon Him the iniquity of us all.” We turn to the pages of the New Testament and we hear Christ say: “The Son of man came not to be ministered unto but to minister and to give His life a ransom for many … this is the cup of the New Covenant in my blood shed for many for the remission of sins.” Writing under the inspiration of God, Paul testified “He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” (2 Corinthians 5:21) And Peter testified, “And He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed.” (1 Peter 2:24) King Herod knew where to send the Magi from the east because he had read prophesied by Micah that the King should be born in Bethlehem of Judea. Isaiah said He was to be the Mighty God. God spoke from heaven concerning Him, “This is my beloved Son.” Peter testified, “Thou are the Christ the Son of the living God.” Jesus said that He was God. Paul proclaimed that in Him dwelt all the fullness of the Godhead bodily.

I believe in the deity of the Lord Jesus Christ because of His unique life. And I use the tern unique in its true meaning: without a like or equal. He is the One person of all the ages who was not a sinner. When I read the words of Paul “for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God, I say “Amen.” I know that he is speaking about me. I know that I not only have disobeyed God but have also failed to live up to those high possibilities for which He created me. Yet there is One of whom it was written, “He knew no sin, neither was there any guile found in His mouth.” That statement is not offensive to me, yet it would be if it were written of anyone else. His enemies and friends alike claimed that He was sinless. He taught others to seek forgiveness but never once did He feel the need of seeking forgiveness. He never fled because of fear, He never retraced His steps because of a mistake. He is the perfect character.

I believe in the deity of Christ because He lives today. In speaking of His body He said, “Destroy this Temple and I will raise it up again in three days.” Men sought to destroy Him but in three days He arose from the grave with a mighty triumph over His foes. Ere He ascended into heaven He promised His disciples: “Lo, I am with you always even unto the end of the world.” This promise has been kept. Paul testified, “At my first defense no one supported me, but all deserted me; may it not be counted against them. But the Lord stood with me and strengthened me, so that through me the proclamation might be fully accomplished, and that all the Gentiles might hear; and I was rescued out of the lion’s mouth.” (2 Timothy 4:16-17) The early disciples had an optimism, a dauntless courage that made fear impossible. This was the case because they were sure that they were not alone.

This experience of the early saints has been the experience of the children of God of all ages. Here is a man, J. G. Paton by name, who is burring his wife and baby at the midnight hour in far-off Hebrides. No scene could have been more lonely, or few more ordeals more trying. How does he manage to see it though? This is his own answer: “The ever merciful Lord sustained me to lay the precious dust of my loved ones in the same quite grave. But for Jesus, and the fellowship he vouchsafed to me there, I would have gone mad and died beside that lonely grave.” I believe in the deity of Jesus Christ because though crucified, He still lives. I believe that He is the Mighty God because He has never left me nor forsaken me since that day when I met Him on my Damascus road.

Because the Son given unto us, the child born in Bethlehem’s manger was the Mighty God the innate desire to know God that surges in every human soul can be satisfied. The Psalmist expressed the unuttered and unexpressed desires of the human race when he testified: “as the heart pants after the water brook so pants my soul after thee, O God.” Man wants to know his Creator. Man knew much concerning God in the days before Christ. One cannot read the Shepherd’s Psalm without a realization of this fact. They had seen something of His power in nature. They had seen something of His beauty in the faces of the best men and women. But a more adequate revelation was needed. “For God who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, has shined in our hearts, to give light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

One of the most gripping scenes in all literature comes at the end of Charles Dickens’ A Tale of Two Cities. The carts were running along through the thronged streets of Paris on the way to the guillotine. In one of them were two prisoners – a strong man who had found his soul again, and one who was giving his life for a friend; and by his side a girl who was little more than a child. She had met Sydney Carton in the prison and had been strengthened and steadied by his poise and courage. She had asked to be permitted to ride to the guillotine with him. “Will you let me hold your hand?” she asked. “I am not afraid, but I am a little weak, and it will give me more courage.” So they rode to death together, her hand in his. There was no fear in her eyes, no cowardice in her face. Then they reached the place of execution, she looked up to the quite, brave face of the man beside her and said, “I think you were sent to me by heaven.”

This is a parable of what has happened in the life of the Christian. Jesus Christ has been sent us by God to comfort in the hour of sorrow, to lead in the moment of perplexity, to enlighten in the hour of doubt, to save us from sin and its consequences.

“Unto you a child is born, unto you a son is given and his name is called … the Mighty God” There are many proofs of the deity of Christ but the all-inclusive proof is when you own Him as your Savior and God. You know that honey is sweet by tasting it. You know the power and thrill of love only by loving. You will know Him as the Mighty God as you crown Him you Lord and God.

Dr. Robert W Kirkpatrick

First Presbyterian Church, Hinton, W VA. December 4, 1955