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The sermon centers on the confession that the child born and Son given in Isaiah 9:6 is truly “the mighty God.” Spurgeon insists that Christ’s deity is essential: only one who is fully God and fully man can mediate between God and humanity, and only His divine identity gives saving significance to His death. Christ’s victory over temptation, sin, death, and the powers of evil demonstrates His divine might. Therefore believers should bring every trouble and sin to Him, while sinners are urgently called to confess their guilt and trust Him for complete salvation.
Theological center: Jesus Christ is the true and eternal God who became man to mediate between God and humanity and accomplish salvation.
Applications: Trust Christ as Mighty God · Cast Troubles on Christ · Confess Sin and Come to Christ · Consider Christ’s True Deity
Primary texts: Isaiah 9:6 · 1 Corinthians 15:14 · Hebrews 13:8
“The mighty God.” Isaiah 9:6 *[The reader is referred to #214 and #215, volume 4, in which sermons severally entitled “Wonderful,” “Counsellor,” will be found.] OTHER translations of this divine title have been proposed by several very eminent and able scholars. Not that they have any of them been prepared to deny that this translation is after all most accurate, but rather that whilst there are various words in the original, which we render by the common appellation of “GOD,” it might be possible to interpret this as to show more exactly its definite meaning. One writer for example thinks the term might be translated “The Irradiator”—He who gives light to men. Some think it bears the meaning of “The Illustrious”—the bright and the shining one. Still there are very few, if any, who are prepared to dispute the fact that our translation is the most faithful that could possibly be given—“The mighty God.” The term here used for God, El, is taken from a Hebrew root, which, as I take it, signifies strength, and perhaps a literal translation even of that title might be, “The Strong one,” the strong God. But there is added to this an adjective in the Hebrew, expressive of mightiness, and the two taken together express the omnipotence of Christ, His real deity and His omnipotence, as standing first and foremost among the attributes which the prophet beheld. “The mighty God.” I do not propose this morning to enter into any argument in proof of the divinity of Christ, because my text does not seem to demand it of me. It does not say that Christ shall be “The mighty God”—that is affirmed in many other places of Sacred Writ, but here it says, “He shall be called Wonderful,” called “Counsellor,” called “The mighty God,” and I think that therefore I may be excused from entering into any proof of the fact, if I am at least able to establish the truth of that which is here foretold, inasmuch as Christ is indeed called at this day, and shall be called to the end of the world, “The mighty God.” First, this morning, I shall speak for a moment on the folly of those who profess to be His followers, but who do not call Him “The mighty God.” In the second place I shall try to show how the true believer practically calls Christ “The mighty God,” in many of the acts which concern his salvation, and then I shall close by noticing how Jesus Christ has proved Himself to be indeed “The mighty God” to us, and in the experience of His church. I. First, let me point out THE FOLLY OF THOSE WHO PROFESS TO BE THE DISCIPLES OF CHRIST, YET DO NOT, AND WILL NOT, CALL HIM GOD. The question ha…