CALLED: WONDERFUL!

This is the time of year when your mind runs toward Christmas — whether you want it to or not! Even a "SCROOGE" would have to wire the corners of his mouth down, to keep from reflecting the mood of every street corner. The season holds SO MUCH PROMISE — there are plans to be made, cookies to cook, and shopping lists to concoct.

Children drool over PAGES OF TOY-ADS — and dream of opening a package under the tree! Happy REUNIONS will fill airports and bus terminals. SCHOOL BOOKS will be forgotten — and COLLEGE FINALS will be only a sigh of relief! SHOPPING becomes a passion — even for those who normally despise such moments. Every store is BRIGHTLY DECORATED — bells ring from every street corner and every store doorway. Even the STREETS seem to glisten different when it rains — this time of year!

Suddenly every parking lot and supermarket look like FORESTS UP LAMBERT CREEK! There are thickets of heavy timber on every corner. And it never ceases to amaze us — how those THICK, FULL FIR SAPLINGS in the parking lot — end up being the lop-sided, scrawny tree in our living rooms!

But it’s a GREAT time of year! Even if you think Christmas has become ridiculously commercial — it’s hard NOT to get all "pumped up" with the excitement of it all.

There’s SO MUCH PROMISE with it — and you know, it’s been like this since the days of Isaiah! The Prophet Isaiah caught a glimpse of the PROMISE OF CHRISTMAS, and he WROTE THAT PROMISE DOWN to thrill our hearts, many hundreds of years later! He himself would never have the privilege of meeting this One during his lifetime — but Isaiah looked FORWARD by faith!

Isaiah 9:6 tells us:"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, counselor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace."

In the Hebrew, "wonderful" means that He shall be miraculous, and perform wonders! NO OTHER PERSON BORN ON EARTH HAS EVER BEEN SO WORTHY OF BEING CALLED "WONDERFUL."

It is no surprise when 1 Peter 2:7 proclaims: "Unto you therefore which believe — HE IS PRECIOUS!" Wonderful, wonderful Jesus! From the moment the angels and shepherds rejoiced — through the moment He disappeared in the clouds before His awestruck disciples — Jesus was wonderful.

He was "wonderful" in His Virgin Birth. Angels marveled, and shepherds worshiped because HE WAS THE SON OF GOD! He was FREE FROM SIN from birth — for He was conceived by the Holy Ghost in Mary, before her marriage to Joseph.

Jesus lived a life ABOVE REPROACH. He was wonderful in His character! Even His arch-rival, Satan, could not blacken the "Name that is above every name." NO SOONER did the Lord’s ministry commence with His baptism — when Satan stepped daringly in front of Him! One of the most significant things Jesus said about those devilish efforts was when He said in John 14:30, "For the prince of this world comes, and has NOTHING IN ME."

Even when He was put to TRIAL, His enemies could find no fault in Him! Jesus Christ — God’s Son — manifested love, kindness, understanding, and truth at all times — and in everything He did. Hebrews 7:26 proclaims: "For such an high priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens." And back in Hebrews 4:15, "For we have NOT an high priest which cannot be touched with the feelings of our infirmities; BUT WAS IN ALL POINTS TEMPTED LIKE AS WE ARE, yet without sin." Oh Hallelujah — "wonderful!"

Not only was He wonderful in His person, but He was also wonderful in His earthly ministry. He was wonderful during that ministry in His face-to-face conflicts with Satan. Jesus overcame the devil during an early PERSONAL CONFRONTATION for 40 days in the wilderness! Satan tempted Him with the major drives of humanity — HUNGER, SURVIVAL, AND POWER! Jesus met him HEAD-ON — and there never again was any doubt what the final outcome would be! Time after time, Jesus went on to DESTROY the works of the devil — and cast out demons from people that hell had controlled!

Throughout this earthly ministry, He was also wonderful in His TEACHINGS. The people had never heard such a teacher! Matthew 7:28 describes it this way: "When Jesus had ended these sayings (that is, the Sermon on the Mount), the people were astonished at His doctrine: For He taught them as one HAVING AUTHORITY, and not as the scribes."

Great crowds followed Him wherever He went. In John 6:68 Peter confessed, "Lord . . . you have the words of ETERNAL LIFE!" The "wonderful" teachings of Jesus interpreted the Old Testament — and reached men’s MORAL, PHYSICAL AND SPIRITUAL needs. It is NO SURPRISE, then, that this earthly ministry produced "wonderful" miracles!

Jesus caused the blind to see — the lame to walk — the deaf to hear — the lepers to be cleansed — and the dead to live. He healed the WHOLE MAN — body, mind, and spirit!

While we glory in the wonder of His earthly ministry — probably no where was Jesus quite so wonderful as in His death and resurrection. Who ELSE would die with a prayer on His lips — saying, "FATHER, FORGIVE THEM!" He who had done NOTHING BUT GOOD, died as a criminal! God hid the mid-day sun and shook the earth while His GIFT TO MANKIND hung on the cross! At the moment of His death, the Temple Veil — that guarded the Holy of Holies from ordinary men — was ripped from the ceiling to the floor! And a HEATHEN SOLDIER grasped the foot of the cross — and cried: "Truly this was the Son of God."

Yet that was not the end — but merely the BEGINNING — for He was truly WONDERFUL in His resurrection! He LIVED UP TO THAT NAME from His birth to His death, and even beyond! Remember the definition of "wonderful" declared that He shall be MIRACULOUS AND PERFORM WONDERS! He showed He was miraculous and able to perform wonders BY RISING FROM THE DEAD. In John 10:17, Jesus said, "I lay down my life, that I might TAKE IT AGAIN."

Christmas was only the beginning! "His name shall be called WONDERFUL, Counselor, the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace." Oh yes — "WONDERFUL!"

"Unto you therefore which believe — He is precious!"

I lead you to this face-to-face encounter. His presence is TOO OBVIOUS to be ignored! He can make YOUR life wonderful, too! WHISPER "JESUS"!