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“For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given, and the government will be upon His shoulders. And He will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”
Christmas is the announcement of His kingdom. It is the declaration that heaven stepped into the earth, not to observe it from a distance, but to heal believing humanity from the inside out. When Jesus was sent, the kingdom was not postponed to a distant future, it was inaugurated. And as we honor Him, behold Him, and glorify Him, we experience both Him and His kingdom growing within us.
Jesus did not begin His ministry by telling people to wait patiently for God to act someday. He began by calling people to change the way they think because something decisive had already happened. “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” Repentance was not merely a moral adjustment; it was a mental and spiritual reorientation. The reason the mind had to change was because the kingdom had arrived. God’s reign was no longer distant or theoretical. It was present, near, and accessible.
Key statements to hold onto:
The kingdom was planted when Jesus was sent.
The kingdom is not only “later”—it is “now,” in seed form, within reach.
Repentance is learning to think in agreement with the reality Jesus brought.
The Child, the Son, and the Government on His Shoulders
Isaiah prophesied this long before Jesus was born, speaking into a season of darkness, exile, and despair. Isaiah 9:1 Nevertheless, there will be no more gloom for those who were in distress… Isaiah 9:2 The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned. This was not a promise reserved only for the end of history. It was a declaration that once the Messiah entered the world, gloom would no longer have ultimate authority. Light would.
Then Isaiah gives us the heart of Christmas itself: Isaiah 9:6 For unto us a child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government will be upon His shoulders. This is where Christmas becomes unmistakably about a kingdom. A child is born—fully human, entering our weakness, limitation, and vulnerability. A Son is given—fully divine, heaven’s gift to earth. And the government rests upon Him—not the fragile, shifting rule of human systems, but the unshakable reign of God.
And Isaiah names this child in a way that expands our vision of who Jesus is:
Wonderful Counselor — the one who leads us by the Spirit, guiding, teaching, correcting, and comforting us from within.
Prince of Peace — the one who establishes peace with God, restoring relationship and removing separation.
Everlasting Father — the one who perfectly reveals the Father’s eternal heart toward us; if you want to know what God is like, look at Jesus.
Isaiah 9:7 Of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end. Christmas is the beginning of that increase. The kingdom starts like a seed, but it does not stop growing.
Key points to remember:
Christmas is not just a birth announcement; it is a government announcement.
The kingdom increases as Christ is revealed and received.
Seeing Jesus clearly is not optional—it is the doorway into experiencing His reign.
God Establishes the Kingdom—We Host It
One of the great misconceptions of Christianity is the idea that we are responsible to establish God’s kingdom in our own strength. Scripture is clear: God establishes it.
Daniel 2:44 In the time of those kings, the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed… it will itself endure forever. God sets it up. God sustains it. God brings it to its final fulfillment.
And this is why our posture matters so much. Our role is not to force the kingdom into the world through pressure, politics, or control. Our role is to honor the King and allow His reign to take root in our hearts. Jesus made this unmistakably clear: Luke 17:20–21 The kingdom of God does not come with observation… for indeed, the kingdom of God is in your midst.
The kingdom works from the inside out. God rules first in the heart, then through the life.
Key statements to anchor your mindset:
I am not establishing the kingdom—God is.
My job is to submit to the King and host His rule within me.
The kingdom is not “over there.” It is “in your midst.”
The Kingdom Grows as You Behold the King
Jesus described the kingdom as something planted that grows and transforms. Luke 13:18–19 What is the kingdom of God like? It is like a mustard seed… it grew and became a tree… Luke 13:20–21 It is like leaven… until it worked through the whole lump. The kingdom is alive. It spreads. It permeates. It changes what it touches.
And the way we experience this kingdom is by beholding Jesus. Hebrews 12:2 Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith. What you behold shapes you. What you fix your attention on forms your inner world. When our view of Jesus is small, our experience of the kingdom is small. When our view of Jesus expands, our experience of His righteousness, peace, and joy expands.
Paul describes the felt reality of the kingdom like this: Romans 14:17 For the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.
Breakout takeaways:
The kingdom is not performance—it is life in the Spirit.
The kingdom feels like righteousness settling the heart, peace restoring the soul, and joy strengthening the inner man.
Beholding Jesus is how the seed grows.
The Meaning of Christmas
This is why Christmas matters so deeply. Christmas is the restoration of relationship. God sent His Son to repair what was broken, to bridge what was separated, and to bring heaven and earth back together. Through Christ, the veil was torn, the distance was removed, and God came near—and He stayed.
Christmas is the proclamation that the Wonderful Counselor has come. The Prince of Peace has come. The Everlasting Father has come—in the person of Jesus Christ. And the kingdom He brought is increasing.
So the invitation of Christmas is simple: honor Him, glorify Him, and behold His majesty. Lift your eyes. Broaden your view of Jesus. Let Him become bigger in your heart than the darkness in the world. Because the kingdom was planted when He was sent, God Himself is establishing it, and as you behold the King, you will experience the kingdom.
