Handel’s “Messiah” was written in 1741 as an Easter oratorio; however, two of it’s pieces are more closely associated with Christmas music: “For Unto Us a Child is Born” and “Hallelujah”. The former memorializes Isaiah’s prophecy about the birth of Jesus Christ and the names by which he will be called, or the roles he will play:
“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, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:6).
For Unto Us a Child is Born, Part 2
The Mighty God
Mighty means powerful1 and yet, paradoxically, the “mighty God” came to earth as a child. In truth, His power came from what He would become.
Gordon B. Hinckley taught: “There would be no Christmas if there had not been Easter. The babe Jesus of Bethlehem would be but another baby without the redeeming Christ of Gethsemane and Calvary, and the triumphant fact of the Resurrection.”2
Humankind needed the power that the promised Christ would bring. That is why his birth was heralded by so many. But just as the baby Jesus in the manger would be just another baby without His eventual Atonement, we too are helpless until we allow the power of the Atonement of Jesus Christ in our lives.
Seek for that power.
Russel M. Nelson taught: “When you reach up for the Lord’s power in your life with the same intensity that a drowning person has when grasping and gasping for air, power from Jesus Christ will be yours. When the Savior knows you truly want to reach up to Him—when He can feel that the greatest desire of your heart is to draw His power into your life—you will be led by the Holy Ghost to know exactly what you should do.
“When you spiritually stretch beyond anything you have ever done before, then His power will flow into you.”3
Jesus Christ has all the power necessary to save us. And we have all the power necessary to reach up to Him and be rescued.
- See the definition for “Mighty” found in the Merriam-Webster online dictionary
- “The Wondrous and True Story of Christmas“, Gordon B. Hinckley, Ensign, December 2000
- “Drawing the Power of Jesus Christ into Our Lives“, Russell M. Nelson, General Conference, April 2017
Author’s note: On Christmas Eve 2021, I read a Facebook post from Elder Jeffrey R. Holland where he recounted a personal Christmas experience that changed his perspective of Christmas. In part, he shared this self-rebuke, “…Put your theology where your Christmas carols are” (read his full post here). I decided to take some time and think through the messages of some of these carols. I rediscovered that the truths these Christmas hymns teach can help us understand the “good tidings of great joy” (Luke 2:10) spoken of by the angel to the shepherds on the night of the Savior’s birth.
Lead Photo by Jonny Gios on Unsplash
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