Mighty God | Isaiah 9:6

[00:00:00] Real Truth Daily. This is Daily Truths with Dave Ahlman.

[00:00:07] Grace, mercy, and peace be unto you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

[00:00:12] Last week we talked about this wonderful verse found in the book of Isaiah chapter 9 verse 6 that says,

[00:00:19] His name shall be called Wonderful Counselor or Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, and the Prince of Peace, right?

[00:00:27] So we said that we talked about Jesus being Wonderful Counselor last week and you might remember we said that a lot of times we as even followers of Jesus may listen to counsel that really isn't very godly or biblical or upright or upholding the word of God.

[00:00:43] And so sometimes secular counselors can lead us astray.

[00:00:46] And we talked about last week how Jesus as the ultimate counselor, the wonderful counselor, the divine counselor offers us his counsel in his word.

[00:00:54] And we emphasized last week how important it is for us to read the word of God, to be enlightened by the word, to be led by the word, and to build our lives upon that word because Jesus is our wonderful counselor, right?

[00:01:08] You remember that? How many of you remember every word of the sermon last week, right? No, just kidding.

[00:01:13] Okay, so we talked about Jesus being a wonderful counselor, but today we talk about him being mighty God, right?

[00:01:22] And so I've been thinking a lot about this sermon today and what it means that Jesus is our mighty God.

[00:01:28] And I was starting to think about all these incredible things that Jesus did to demonstrate, articulate, and show that he really was mighty God.

[00:01:36] One of the things I thought of is when he was on a boat, and you guys know this story, and he fell asleep and all of a sudden there was a strong, mighty rushing wind, this storm,

[00:01:45] and the rain was pelting up against the boat, and the disciples thought they were going to drown, right?

[00:01:50] And Jesus was asleep, and that demonstrates his humanity.

[00:01:54] And all of a sudden they woke him up, and he wiped some sleep from his eyes, and he looked at the surroundings around him, and he said,

[00:02:01] winds, waves, be still.

[00:02:04] And all of a sudden the wind stopped, and the waves quit crashing against the boat, and they all said, who is this that even the winds and waves obey him?

[00:02:16] Another story is when the disciples were out on the Sea of Galilee in the middle of the night, and Jesus was tearing a little bit,

[00:02:23] and he said he'd meet them on the other side of the lake.

[00:02:26] And of course you know the rest of the story.

[00:02:29] About three o'clock in the morning, Jesus is approaching them walking on the water, but they thought it was a ghost, right?

[00:02:37] And so they said, oh my goodness, it's a ghost.

[00:02:39] And Jesus said, fear not, take courage, it is I.

[00:02:42] And of course Peter, who is so bold, said, Lord, if it's really you, bid me to come out of the boat.

[00:02:48] And what did Jesus say?

[00:02:50] He said, come on, get out of the boat.

[00:02:52] And so what did Peter do?

[00:02:54] He got out of the boat, and every step was like cement, until he took his eyes off of Jesus, began to sink.

[00:03:00] Jesus walks over there, picks him up, and says, why did you ever doubt?

[00:03:03] And then together they walk on the water back into the boat.

[00:03:07] Why did Jesus do that?

[00:03:08] Because he is mighty God.

[00:03:11] We think about when he came to the tomb of Lazarus, and Mary and Martha both greeted Jesus and said,

[00:03:19] if you would have been here, my brother would not have died.

[00:03:22] When Martha came to Jesus, Jesus said, he will rise again.

[00:03:26] And she said, I know he's going to rise again on that last great resurrection day.

[00:03:30] And then what did Jesus say?

[00:03:31] Martha, I am the resurrection and the life.

[00:03:35] He who believes in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live.

[00:03:37] And he who lives and believes in me shall never die.

[00:03:40] Then he says, take me to the tomb.

[00:03:42] Roll the stone away.

[00:03:43] And they said in King James English, Lord, it stinketh.

[00:03:48] And he said, I don't care.

[00:03:50] And he said a prayer.

[00:03:51] And he looked inside the tomb.

[00:03:53] And he said, Lazarus, come out.

[00:03:55] And all of a sudden he did.

[00:03:56] And he said, unbind him and let him go.

[00:04:00] Who does that?

[00:04:01] Mighty God.

[00:04:02] Jesus told the disciples, culminating with his death and resurrection, that he would rise again.

[00:04:08] And this demonstrates, articulates, and powerfully displays that Jesus is truly who he claimed to be, that he is mighty God.

[00:04:19] Now there's many instances, too, in the Bible where Jesus was declared to be the Son of God.

[00:04:25] And he never, ever denied it.

[00:04:28] One of the times is when he was gathered at a place called Caesarea Philippi.

[00:04:33] And he asked his disciples, who does the world say that I am?

[00:04:39] And the disciples said, some say John the Baptist.

[00:04:42] Others say Elijah.

[00:04:44] Others say one of the prophets who's been raised from the dead.

[00:04:46] And Jesus said, that's all fine and good, but who do you say I am?

[00:04:53] And Peter said, as a spokesman for the rest of the group, you're the Christ, the Son of the living God.

[00:05:00] And Jesus said, you're Peter.

[00:05:02] And upon this rock, not Peter being the rock of the church, right?

[00:05:06] Like the Catholics believe, like he's the first pope.

[00:05:10] No, upon this confession, this confession that you've made, Peter, upon this confession, I will build my church.

[00:05:16] So who did Peter say Jesus was?

[00:05:19] The Christ, the Son of the living God.

[00:05:22] When Jesus was before the Sanhedrin, the very early morning that he was crucified,

[00:05:28] he was asked under oath, are you the Messiah?

[00:05:32] Are you the Son of God?

[00:05:33] And what did Jesus say?

[00:05:35] You have said so.

[00:05:38] And all of a sudden, Caiaphas ripped his clothes because he thought that Jesus was committing blasphemy

[00:05:43] because he was proclaiming himself to be God incarnate.

[00:05:48] Jesus never denied his divinity when other people asked him, are you God incarnate?

[00:05:54] As a matter of fact, one of the great stories of the New Testament

[00:05:57] is after Jesus rose from the dead and made an appearance to his disciples the second time.

[00:06:03] The first time, all the disciples were there except for a guy by the name of Thomas, right?

[00:06:08] And Jesus comes and appears.

[00:06:12] And he said, Thomas, put your hand in my hand.

[00:06:15] Why did he say that?

[00:06:16] Because Thomas, a week before, when he was gone, Jesus appeared.

[00:06:20] Then Jesus leaves and Thomas appears.

[00:06:23] Thomas says, unless I put my hand in his side, my hand in his hand, I will not believe.

[00:06:29] Jesus knew that because he's mighty God and he's all-knowing.

[00:06:33] And so he appears the following week and he looks right at Thomas and he says,

[00:06:37] put your hands in my hand.

[00:06:39] Put your hand in my side.

[00:06:41] Stop doubting and believe.

[00:06:42] And then Thomas said, well, you're just a man.

[00:06:47] Thomas said, you're just a prophet.

[00:06:50] Thomas said, you're just a gifted orator, a marvelous speaker, a great entertainer, a great leader.

[00:06:55] That's who you are, Jesus.

[00:06:56] No, he gets down on his knees, some say, and says this, my Lord and my God.

[00:07:04] Hmm.

[00:07:07] We in the Lutheran church celebrate the fact that Jesus is not only human, but also divine.

[00:07:15] We call that the two natures.

[00:07:17] This is catechism stuff.

[00:07:19] The two natures of Jesus Christ.

[00:07:22] It used to drive me crazy when kids would say, I'd say, why are you going to heaven?

[00:07:28] And kids in confirmation would say, because God died on the cross.

[00:07:32] That drove me crazy.

[00:07:35] But it doesn't anymore.

[00:07:37] Do you know why?

[00:07:39] Because Jesus is mighty God.

[00:07:42] And really they were speaking great theology.

[00:07:44] Did God die on the cross?

[00:07:48] Yes.

[00:07:50] Here's the thing.

[00:07:51] We can sit there tonight or stand here tonight and deny that Jesus is mighty God.

[00:07:57] And that helps us then deny the reality of our sin.

[00:08:01] And we can say, oh, he was just another man and he died and he no longer exists.

[00:08:07] And that gives us then free license to do whatever we want.

[00:08:10] But here's the thing.

[00:08:12] We believe that Jesus Christ is truly the son of God.

[00:08:16] We believe that we're sinners and we cannot save ourselves.

[00:08:19] We believe that Jesus Christ paid the full penalty for our sin on the cross of Calvary.

[00:08:24] We believe that it's only through faith and faith alone in him that we're saved and our sins are forgiven.

[00:08:30] This is the truth.

[00:08:32] This is the reality.

[00:08:33] This is the foundation of our faith.

[00:08:35] This is what we believe, teach, and confess.

[00:08:38] That Jesus Christ is truly not only a wonderful counselor, but mighty God.

[00:08:46] And because he is mighty God, both as God, man took our place on the cross and suffered the penalty for our sin, the wrath of God, experiencing the pain and agony of a crucifixion for us.

[00:09:00] And yet, three days later, conquered the grave, defeated death, looked right at the gate of death and said, I'm going to defeat you and win eternal salvation for my people.

[00:09:13] And that's exactly what he's done because he's mighty God.

[00:09:22] And tonight, he claims us as his beloved children in baptism, saved by his finished work on the cross.

[00:09:31] Tonight, we are fed through the proclamation of the word and nurtured in the faith.

[00:09:38] Every Sunday, we come to this rail and he gives to us not only bread and wine, but his body and blood to strengthen our faith and assure us that we're okay with God, at peace with God, destined for heaven and our sins forgiven.

[00:09:50] All of that happens when we come to this place.

[00:09:53] We're assured that our mighty God, Jesus Christ is with us in every moment of every day of our life, giving us strength to walk in his ways, obey his commands and lift up his name to people who need to hear who he is.

[00:10:07] And we can be assured that when we're walking through the dark valley of the shadow of death, we fear nothing.

[00:10:13] We fear no evil because he'll take us by the hand and lead us home.

[00:10:21] And believe me, I've had the wonderful opportunity to see that happen multiple times in my ministry.

[00:10:28] And when people know that Jesus is their savior, that he's not just a man, but he's mighty God who defeated death and bore their sins on the cross and gives eternal life to all those who trust in him.

[00:10:39] They look forward with great anticipation, joy and excitement, knowing indeed where they're going to be when they leave planet earth.

[00:10:46] And you guys know that too.

[00:10:49] And I've said this before and I'll say it again, when I'm bending over your bedside, hopefully it won't be for many years, but when I'm bending over your bedside and you're ready to leave planet earth.

[00:10:58] And I say, you're ready to go.

[00:11:00] You can say, I sure am because I believe in Jesus who is my savior, Lord, redeemer and King.

[00:11:05] And he is mighty God.

[00:11:09] Amen.

[00:11:10] Amen.

[00:11:13] So we, we, that epistle reading that we had tonight is so powerful.

[00:11:17] You know, that Jesus Christ is the one true God.

[00:11:23] That he's on equal par and equal level with God, the father and God, the spirit.

[00:11:29] And so we say to one another, the grace of God has appeared to all people.

[00:11:34] And it teaches us to say no to ungodliness and worldly passions and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives.

[00:11:40] As we await for the grand and glorious appearing of our great God and savior, Jesus Christ.

[00:11:47] Titus says there, Jesus is God.

[00:11:52] So my confirmation kids got it right.

[00:11:58] God really did die upon a cross.

[00:12:03] But here's the amazing thing too.

[00:12:07] I think of that song, Mary, did you know?

[00:12:10] Mary, did you know that when you kiss the face of your baby, you're kissing the face of God?

[00:12:17] That Jesus Christ was fully, fully divine before he assumed flesh and became a human being, conceived inside Mary's womb.

[00:12:29] And so when, and we've talked about this, I think maybe in podcasts or whatever it was.

[00:12:35] But we talk about Jesus growing up with siblings and them saying crazy things about how Jesus seemed to be the favored one.

[00:12:44] And can't you imagine comments that James and the other children of Mary and Joseph said about their eldest brother?

[00:12:53] You know, stuff like, well, Mary, mom, dad, you think, you think Jesus is perfect?

[00:13:00] Yes, he is.

[00:13:03] You think he doesn't sin?

[00:13:06] That's right.

[00:13:07] That's right.

[00:13:08] Can you imagine them walking in and knowing indeed what the angel had told both of them, both Mary and Joseph, that their son was God incarnate?

[00:13:19] And so when they'd walk into the room where he was playing, they'd say, we're watching God play today.

[00:13:25] When he was interacting with his friends, we're watching God interact with his friends.

[00:13:30] When he went out there and played dice or whatever it was the kids played back then, we're watching God.

[00:13:35] It's just inconceivable, unbelievable, amazing, unimaginable to understand this concept that Jesus was not only human, but all the glory, splendor, power, radiance, and majesty of God was squeezed into this tiny baby that was born in Bethlehem.

[00:13:54] It's just astounding.

[00:13:56] It's amazing.

[00:13:57] And what a wonderful story it is.

[00:14:03] You know that probably 80% of the people that celebrate Christmas in Boulder think it's nothing more and nothing less than just a story.

[00:14:17] But we know it's so much more than that.

[00:14:20] So much more.

[00:14:22] I think of Jesus who is on the Mount of Transfiguration and he's just hanging out with his disciples and he grabs three of his closest disciples.

[00:14:32] You know who they were, Peter, James, and John.

[00:14:33] And he says, we're going to go up on this mountain.

[00:14:35] And so he goes up on this mountain.

[00:14:37] And all of a sudden, this human being was transfigured before them in glory and radiance and splendor.

[00:14:45] He shined like the sun.

[00:14:46] His clothes were whiter than any launderer, the Bible says, could ever get them.

[00:14:51] And Peter was so stunned and amazed.

[00:14:53] I think he always was one who never was short on words.

[00:14:57] And he didn't know exactly what to say.

[00:15:00] And he was overwhelmed by the glory, power, radiance, and splendor of God, Jesus Christ, magnificently displayed on this mountain.

[00:15:08] And so he says, and you guys know this, Lord, it's good for us to be here.

[00:15:14] Let me build three booths.

[00:15:16] Because Jesus was having a conversation, as you remember, with Moses and Elijah.

[00:15:24] And Luke tells us the conversation they were talking about was his death.

[00:15:29] They were preparing him for his departure.

[00:15:35] And so he says, Lord, it's good for us to be here.

[00:15:38] Let me build three booths.

[00:15:39] One for you, one for Moses, one for Elijah.

[00:15:43] And then all of a sudden, a voice from heaven says, this is my beloved son, God incarnate, mighty God.

[00:15:48] This is my beloved son in whom I'm well pleased.

[00:15:53] Listen to him.

[00:15:54] Where have you heard those words before?

[00:15:56] Apart from the words, listen to him, at Jesus' baptism.

[00:15:59] Now, three years later, God the Father is affirming once again who Jesus really is.

[00:16:04] And he's given a powerful display of who he is as he glows as bright as his sun.

[00:16:10] All of a sudden, they're fearful.

[00:16:13] They're apprehensive.

[00:16:14] They're shuddering in fear.

[00:16:15] Jesus walks down, touches them.

[00:16:18] And they look around and they see nobody.

[00:16:25] Moses is gone.

[00:16:26] Elijah is gone.

[00:16:27] The cloud is gone.

[00:16:28] The Father's voice is gone.

[00:16:29] They see nobody but Jesus.

[00:16:32] And then Jesus said, okay, you've seen me demonstrating that I'm God.

[00:16:38] I'm mighty God.

[00:16:40] And then Jesus said to them, go down this hill and I'll stay up here for a while.

[00:16:46] No.

[00:16:47] He goes down to the valley with them.

[00:16:50] And I believe that when we worship on a Sunday or Wednesday, it's a mountaintop experience where

[00:16:56] we get a taste of the glory of mighty God.

[00:16:58] But then we walk out the double doors and we go into the parking lot.

[00:17:01] We go back home.

[00:17:02] And Jesus goes with us.

[00:17:05] And Jesus goes with us.

[00:17:05] Not as just a human being.

[00:17:07] But wonderful counselor.

[00:17:09] The everlasting father.

[00:17:11] The prince of peace.

[00:17:13] Mighty God.

[00:17:15] God.

[00:17:19] God.

[00:17:20] So the confirmation kids truly did get it right.

[00:17:24] God was born in Bethlehem.

[00:17:28] God was conceived in Mary's womb.

[00:17:32] God did all these incredible miracles to demonstrate that he was who he claimed to be.

[00:17:38] God was the one who affirmed his divinity when he was asked if he was the Messiah.

[00:17:43] God was the one who died on the cross.

[00:17:45] God was the one who triumphed over the grave.

[00:17:47] God is the one who goes with us today to comfort, bless, direct, uplift, forgive, and give eternal life.

[00:17:55] How amazing that we believe, teach, confess, and build our lives on Jesus Christ who is mighty God.

[00:18:04] Amen.

[00:18:06] And now may this, this the word of God, strengthen and preserve us in the one true faith until life everlasting.

[00:18:14] Because we have heard the word proclaimed tonight.

[00:18:19] May that strengthen and bless and encourage you in the days ahead.

[00:18:23] To God alone be all the glory.

[00:18:26] Amen.

[00:18:27] Thank you for tuning in to Daily Truths with Dave Ullman.

[00:18:30] Pastor Dave Ullman is the pastor of Mount Hope Church in Boulder, Colorado.

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