How Christmas Beats Coronavirus - Introduction

Every warrior’s boot used in battle and every garment rolled in blood will be destined for burning, will be fuel for the fire. 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 Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the greatness of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and for ever. The zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this. Isaiah 9:5‭-‬7 NIVUK https://bible.com/bible/113/isa.9.5-7.NIVUK

I'm sure many of us will have had the experience of being near a port or a beach or a swimming pool when you see a red and white circular object with a hole in it, normally in a red case, and often in a prominent place. They're not so beautiful that you'd ever want to take your picture with them. Most of the time you ignore them or look away from them. In fact, we probably take them for granted. We may not even notice they are there. But if we ever needed them, we'd yell for them like our lives depended on it. Because it may well do. If not ours then someone else's. What am I talking about? Life preservers. I'm sure you've read this prophecy too many times. You've heard it read so many times that you could probably recite it from memory. But this year? This year it should feel different. Because this year, in the face of the deadliest outbreak in living memory, we have depended on these words. And many of us still are. This is the year we have really noticed these verses. They mean something to us that they probably didn't before. In this meditation we will go through the titles given to the Messiah, to Jesus. We will ask two very simple questions of each one. Firstly, what did it mean when it was first given? Secondly, what does it mean now? You see, these titles were not just given so they could be printed on greetings cards. No, they really meant something to the Israelites back then. In the previous chapter, Isaiah 8, Isaiah has prophesied the coming of the Assyrian army: how they will loot and smash their way through the Northern Kingdom, destroy the capital Samaria and take many thousands of people captive. The Israelites needed these comforting words in Isaiah 9, just as much as we need them now. I should also add that these names were not registered on Jesus' birth certificate. He isn't like the man who saw his team win the football European Cup and named his new child after all eleven players and three substitutes - using their surnames. No, these are titles, like nicknames, given to Jesus because of who He is. Before we start looking at the names Jesus is given in this prophecy, we must first examine the context in which this promise was given, that is THE LAND THAT LONGED FOR CHRISTMAS.