A Mighty God

We have a Mighty God!  If God had a name what would it be?  Well he does have a name and it is Mighty God!  Isaiah reminds us in chapter 9 how Gideon the least person in the least family in the least tribe in the whole of Israel with just 300 men defeated the great and powerful Midianite army.  But the battle was unfair! On one side you had the great Midian army consisting of hundreds of thousands of men.  And on the other side a mere 300.  It was never going to be a fair fight. As with Gideon was the God that breathed the whole of the universe into being.  It was never going to be a fair battle!  I could remind you of David and Goliath.  How on one side you have a Philistine army led by a giant who no one could beat.  On the other side a terrified Israel with a young shepherd boy as their champion.  It was never going to be a fair fight though, because on the side of David was the God that breathed the entire universe into being!  We could recall Daniel being put into a den of lions.  How on the one side you have man eating ferocious beasts and on the other one vulnerable defenceless person.  It was never going to be a fair fight though, because on the side of Daniel was the God who breathed the entire universe into being.  And that Mighty God, Isaiah declares is coming to live on earth!

Mary is told that she will give birth to this mighty God. She asks the obvious question, ‘how can that be since I am a virgin’?  ‘Nothing is impossible for God’ comes the angels incredible response.  For we have a Mighty God.  And that little boy grew up and calmed storms, walked on water, bought recovery of sight to the blind, healed the sick, multiplied food, turned water into wine and turned society upside down with radical and wonderful teaching.  He was and is a mighty God. 

We return to Joan Osbourne’s song and question, ‘What if God was one of us’?  What if this Mighty God is one of us?  Well He is!  What are the difficulties we face today or in the weeks and months ahead?  What sin is it we keep having to confess too?  What is a friend suffering with and has had  to come to terms with just having to live with? What things are we just getting on with because it is just the way things are and we see little or no hope?  Because the battle is unfair!  On the one side we have our huge insurmountable problems and on the other side we have are broken powerless selves.  It is an unfair battle though, because on our side is the God that breathed the entire universe into being!

One of my favourite stories is of Legion. Because his is the most incredible story of defeat becoming victory.  Legion was a nuisance.  He had mental health problems.  He was demon possessed.  He walked around the town, screaming and crying out, whilst he self harmed with rocks and stones.  He frightened children and he disturbed neighbours.  There needed to be something done.  So the towns people removed him and placed him among the tombs in the countryside.  There the cries and shouts were distant and you did not have to see him self harm and rip his clothes off.  Legion would wander back though.  So the towns people then had to manacle him by ankles and wrist but his demonic and chaotic rages even led to him breaking free of chains.  Legion was a wreck.  He had no life.  He was defeated.  Then Jesus enters the scene.  Jesus approaches him with a touch and a prayer.  The result?  Legion is found in his right mind, fully clothed and at the feet of Jesus.  Defeat turned into victory.  Sorrow into Joy.  Darkness into light.  Just as Isaiah had prophesied all those years ago.  We have a mighty God.  Legion before meeting Jesus, self harming, naked, disturbed… beaten.  Legion after meeting Jesus, fully clothed, in his right mind, at peace… running around the towns of the Decapolis telling everybody what Jesus had done for him.  We have a mighty God.

What area this advent do you need to invite the Mighty God into?  What defeats might be turned to victory?  If ever there is a picture of defeat it has been British tennis over the last 50 odd years!  But see the picture above!  See the photos and videos of Andy Murray finally bringing victory.  See the joy, see the emotion, see the celebration.  Our Mighty God can do that for us.  What ever it is we face this advent and next year, know this, that the battle is unfair, because on our side is the God who breathed the entire universe into being.  May you know this Mighty God at work in your life, and may your defeats be turned into glorious victory.  In His name, Amen