It is Christmas in July. Say what? “Have you been watching Hallmark again Bill?” The answer is No. If I want to see my wife during December I get my fill of Hallmark then (that is saying she does like to watch it). Some organizations do Christmas in July as sort of a “gifting month” for some cause. I have even heard of some pastors who preach a series of sermons using the Christmas in July theme.
To be totally clear and totally transparent, none of those are on my radar. I guess you might call my first sentence click-bait. 🙂 But during my Scripture reading this morning as I follow the Everyday Gospel Devotional by Paul David Tripp, I was led to read Isaiah 9-12. Well you can’t read chapter 9 without reading verses 6-7. Here it is for your reading pleasure:
For a child is born to us, a son is given to us. The government will rest on his shoulders. And he will be called: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. His government and its peace will never end. He will rule with fairness and justice from the throne of his ancestor David for all eternity. The passionate commitment of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies will make this happen! (NLT)
Sound familiar? It should. Even the skeptic has surely heard that passage during the most celebratory time on the calendar. How ironic that I should read it during the month of July. But even more important is the simple truth of that passage. Jesus is called 4 names- unless, like some, you split Wonderful Counselor into two. In either case, the names of Jesus are powerful, yet simple. They describe His character, who He is. Whole sermons can be and have been preached on each name. The great point is that each name has special meaning and describe Jesus as far more than a baby in a manger. Stop and read those names again and meditate on what each one means and how it affects your life.
And then celebrate Christmas in July in a whole new way.
Funny that you should write about this today. Just this past Sunday our church packed the operation Christmas child boxes for Samaritan’s Purse. We sang Christmas carols and had a dinner complete with Christmas cookies. It was a fun idea aimed at taking some of the pressure off of the Christmas season since we have several other special offerings and outreaches we give to at that time.
All the names (roles)of Jesus come into play at some point in our lives. Sometimes He is a counselor and others the One who brings peace in a storm, but always Saviior.
We do OCC every October/early November and you are right it is one of the special offerings and outreaches we do. Your idea is a novel idea Pam. I’m going to suggest we consider that. As for the names of Jesus, yes He is always Savior.
Christmas in July . . . Why not? Every day is a day to honor our Lord and Savior, remembering who He is and why He came to dwell among us.
Blessings, Bill!
Yeah…why not? For the exact reasons you state
Wonderful Counselor- there is no better guide for your life than God Himself. God is always the best Shepard, and in His care, once saved, you can never be taken away from God
Mighty God-God is Creator of all things seen and unseen, no one is more powerful than God.
Everlasting Father- God is the same yesterday, today, and forever. In times of uncertainly and constant chaos, you can trust that God is immutable.
Prince of Peace- God never promises an easy christian life, but God does promise a life with God is a life of peace and joy.
God is Holy,Holy,Holy Amen
Well done Gail! You gave this some thought. 🙂
Bill, this is a good reminder that these kind of passages aren’t just for the month of December.
Praise God for all the beautiful names He has in this blessed Trinity!
Exactly the point Linda! And what a truth it is to see these names.