“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 9:6 (NIV)
Can the birth of a child change our lives for the better? I believe it can. Almost a year after my father’s sudden passing, my beautiful niece was born. Before her birth, I had a dream of my dad holding a little girl in his arms and walking toward me. So you can imagine how meaningful her arrival was. She reminds me of him in so many ways. And although his death devastated our family, her birth brought the comfort, peace, and joy our hearts so desperately needed.
When the prophet Isaiah foretold the birth of Jesus, you can almost hear the excitement and anticipation in his words. The people longed for a Messiah—a deliverer who would bring light, joy, and freedom to Israel after a long season of darkness and oppression (see Isaiah 9:1–4). That is why heaven broke out in worship at His birth. That is why we still celebrate it thousands of years later. Jesus is the “Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace” we still desperately need. His birth changes everything.
Rising with the Son 