LET'S ENJOY HIM

"For a child is born to us, a son is given to us;            upon his shoulder dominion rests.
            They name him Wonder-Counselor, God-Hero,
            Father-Forever, Prince of Peace."  - Isaiah 9:5

I was recently studying the verse above - you've probably heard it in Handel's Messiah... 🎝For Unto Us a Child is Born ♫... it's a great composition. It is a popular verse during Advent because it is a prophecy of Jesus' birth. While I was looking through some commentary on this verse, I came across a thought-provoking remark from Ray Ortlund:

"Look at Jesus. As the Wonderful Counselor, he has the best ideas and strategies. Let’s follow him. As the Mighty God (or God-Hero), he defeats his enemies easily. Let’s hide behind him. As the Everlasting Father, he loves us endlessly. Let’s enjoy him. As the Prince of Peace, he reconciles us while we are still his enemies. Let’s welcome his dominion."

I appreciate that Ortlund couples an action with each name of Jesus. Perhaps unsurprisingly - based on the title of this reflection - the one that stands out to me is: "As the Everlasting Father, he loves us endlessly. Let's enjoy him." That sounds very appealing - enjoying Christ. How do we do that?

One thought is that we enjoy Jesus by treasuring God's Word and allowing it to be our reality through faith. The Truth sets us free: free from the potential anxieties of the Christmas season; free from the potential fear of the unknowns of 2024; free from the grip of shame or guilt from something we have done; free from the pressure to "get our act together" so that God will love us. Embracing God's promise that He cares for us (Luke 12:22-31; 1 Peter 5:6-7) dispels anxiety. I can enjoy that. Embracing God's promise that He has a plan for me and that He will always be with me (Isaiah 41; Matthew 28:20; 1 Corinthians 2:9) dispels fear of the unknown. I can enjoy that, too. Embracing God's promise that Jesus died to pay the debt that my sins incurred (Isaiah 53:5; Romans 8) loosens the grip of shame and guilt. I can enjoy that for sure. Finally, embracing God's promise of unconditional love through Jesus' invitation for all to come to Him, no matter their circumstances or condition (Matthew 11:28; John 6) removes the pressure to have my act together, making sure my life looks all nice and neat on social media, tied up with a big Christmas bow. Again, I can really enjoy that.

So, there are certainly other ways to enjoy Christ, such as through prayer and other spiritual disciplines, but I want to emphasize the internalization of God's Word as a foundational way of enjoying Christ. Having His promises as a foundation for your life will bring about daily and ever-deepening enjoyment as you overcome the circumstances that aim to take your enjoyment of Jesus away. These circumstances try to convince us that God is not on our side - they plaster the sky with clouds, obstructing the sun. Let's allow the bright rays of God's promises to shine through, breaking up the clouds and bringing us into deeper relationship with Him. Let's allow Jesus, the Word made flesh, to be the ever-intensifying light of our souls, shining brighter and brighter through our words and actions, always putting the spotlight on Who we enjoy most.

❂ Gloria in excelsis Deo!

Timothy Nagy

Assistant Director of Mission, Ministry and Interfaith Dialogue

St. Francis College