The Mighty God
by Miles McKee

At the Council of Chalcedon in A.D. 451 the Church acknowledged Christ to be one person with two natures affirming that the scriptures taught Christ was fully man and fully God. However, the teaching of Chalcedon was not invented in the 5th century. This was no, “figment of pious imagination” for the mighty prophet Isaiah had already given the same key to understanding the mysterious constitution of the person of Christ. He writes in Chapter 9:6,

“Unto us a child is born.”

So, before we go any further, let me ask you, is a child who is born a human? Of course it is! But Isaiah goes on to plainly declare that this child is also, “The Mighty God.”

This child is given the full title of Deity! The Hebrew word used, in this passage, for God is in the singular ‘El’ and not the plural ‘Elohim’. Not only are we told that He is God but that He is the ‘Mighty’ God. One of the essential attributes of God is power. For God to be God He must have all might, power and sovereignty. So let me ask, how many mighty Gods are there? I hope you don’t think there is more than one! The Bible knows of no such thing but rather declarers that the mighty God and the Lord Jesus (the child born) are one and the same!

If we believe that Christ is human but not God then we reject the clear record of the Bible. We treat the Bible like a giant cafeteria where we can go in and pick and chose the things we like and leave what we consider unpalatable for others to consume!

However, Isaiah in this one scripture (Isaiah 9:6) has given us the key to understanding the mystery of Christ’s identity. This promised one is to be both God and man, both human and divine; or as we have already discovered, one person with two natures. This key unlocks the door to the understanding of Christ’s person. If you throw away this key, the door of understanding won’t open. He is one person with two natures; He is both the child born and the mighty God.

Critics, especially the Muslims, say that the term “Mighty God” is just a name and nothing more than a name given by his parents to the coming Prophet (Jesus). They say, had Isaiah 9:6 said something like “and he will be God Almighty Himself” then this would be different, because we now would be talking about not just a child’s name given in honor of God, but rather about GOD Almighty Himself.

This of course is a very silly argument, as no self- respecting Hebrew parent would have named their child ‘God’---never mind, ‘The Mighty God’. For example a Jewish boy might have been called ‘Elzaphan’ which means “God has protected” or Eliakim which means “God raises” or Elisha which means “God is Salvation”. But nowhere do we ever find a Jewish boy running around the place being named ‘The Mighty God.’ Besides that, Isaiah, it must be remembered, was not naming the child; he was merely identifying Him for our benefit!

Here’s a heartwarming word from the powerful pen of Spurgeon on this matter and then we’ll move on to our next heading,

“………permit me now to say, I beg and beseech of you all present, as God the Spirit shall help you, come and put your trust in Jesus Christ, he is “the mighty God.” Oh, Christians, believe him more than ever, cast your troubles constantly on him; he is “the mighty God;” go to Him in all your dilemmas, when the enemy comes in like a flood, this mighty God shall make a way for your deliverance; take to him your griefs, this mighty God can alleviate them all; tell him your backslidings and sins, this mighty God shall blot them out. And, O sinners, you that feel your need of a Saviour, come to Christ and trust him for he is “the mighty God.” Go to your houses, and fall on your knees and confess your sins, and then cast your poor, guilty, helpless, naked, defenseless souls before his omnipotence, for he is able to save unto the uttermost them that come unto God by him, because when he died he was not manhood, without divinity, but he was “the mighty God.” This, I say, we will write on our banners, from this day forth and for ever; this shall be our joy and our song-the child born and the son given is to us “the mighty God.”

CHS: His Name----The Mighty God: Sermon #258

Jesus is the Mighty God! If you do not believe this you have placed your trust in someone who, in your opinion, is less than God, not only do you not believe in the Bible but you are following a different Christ than the one revealed in God’s Word. Your Christ is a Christ of the imagination and human concoction. Your Christ can not save you for He is not the Mighty God!

“The virgin’s promised Son is born,
Behold the expected child appear:
What shall his names or titles be? -
“The Wonderful, the Counsellor.”
[This infant is the mighty God,
Come to be suckled and adored;
The eternal Father, Prince of Peace,
The Son of David, and his Lord.]”

Isaac Watts