Mighty God

"For a child will be born to us ... and His name will be called ... Mighty God" (Isaiah 9:6).

The word "mighty" means powerful; it is used of someone who has complete control, such as a champion warrior or mighty tyrant. The Hebrew word in this verse is actually the intensified version of another word that also refers to a valiant man or warrior; Jesus has greater power than the strongest human champion, requiring a superlative word. He is the Mighty God.

Jesus created the world and sustains His creation.
"For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities - all things have been created through Him and for Him. He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together" (Colossians 1:16-17).

Jesus was mighty in His demeanor and words.
He spoke boldly, and no one dared to interfere (John 7:26). Even officers sent to apprehend Him returned empty-handed, declaring, "Never has a man spoken the way this man speaks" (John 7:46). Jesus' complete knowledge placed Him above question; it was obvious to His listeners that He "came from God" (John 16:30). When a band of soldiers came to arrest Him, a simple three-word response from Jesus caused them to fall to the ground (John 18:6). Even the ruler who examined Jesus had no trouble believing Jesus was a king (John 18:37).

Jesus performed miracles over nature.
He turned water into wine (John 2:9). He exponentially multiplied quantities of food to feed thousands of people (Matthew 14:15, Matthew 15:22). He orchestrated unexplainable catches of fish (Luke 5:6, John 21:6). He placed money in the mouth of a fish and caused that particular fish to be caught by Peter (Matthew 17:24). He caused a fig tree to wither precipitously (Matthew 21:19). He calmed a mighty storm (Matthew 8:26). He walked on the water in a stormy sea (Matthew 14:25). He caused a boat to immediately reach land from the middle of the sea (John 6:21). He appeared to disciples (and disappeared) by ignoring walls (John 20:19, John 20:26, Luke 24:31). He ascended into heaven (Acts 1:9).

Jesus performed miracles of healing.
Jesus healed what might be considered normal illnesses, those that come within the course of life, and that sometimes reach the point of being life-threatening. He healed the nobleman's son (John 4:46), Peter's mother-in-law (Matthew 8:14), the centurion's servant (Matthew 8:5), and Malchus's severed ear (Luke 22:51).

Jesus healed demon-possessed people: a man with a demon (Luke 4:35), a blind-mute man with a demon (Matthew 12:22), two violent men with demons (Matthew 8:28), a mute man with a demon (Matthew 9:32), a woman who couldn't stand upright due to a demon (Luke 13:11), a child with a cruel demon (Matthew 15:22), and a demon-possessed boy who was very sick and in danger of killing himself (Matthew 17:14).

Jesus healed those with long-term and life-long conditions. He healed a paralytic man (Mark 2:4), a man with a withered hand (Matthew 12:10), a woman with a twelve-year hemorrhage (Matthew 9:20), a bed-ridden man with a thirty-eight year illness (John 5:5), and a man with dropsy (Luke 14:2).

Jesus healed terminal illnesses. He healed a leper (Matthew 8:3) and even ten lepers at the same time (Luke 17:12).

Jesus restored lost senses. He healed two blind men (Matthew 9:27), a deaf and dumb man (Mark 7:33), a blind man (Mark 8:23), a man blind from birth (John 9:1), and two blind men (Matthew 20:30).

These lists are certainly not exhaustive, as other passages reveal that this activity was habitual for Jesus, and that He sometimes healed multiple people in a single setting (Luke 4:40, Mark 1:34). These passages don't reveal details, but simply relate that He healed many or as many as came to Him or all manner of illnesses. "They brought to Him all who were ill, those suffering with various diseases and pains, demoniacs, epileptics, paralytics; and He healed them" (Matthew 4:24).

Jesus performed miracles of resurrection.
Jesus raised a widow's only son (Luke 7:11). He raised Jairus's daughter (Matthew 9:18). He raised Lazarus after he was in the tomb for three days (John 11). He even took back His own life after He was crucified (Luke 24:6, John 10:18).

Jesus has power that can be considered nothing but divine.
The blind man Jesus healed recognized His divine power, stating, "If this man were not from God, He could do nothing" (John 9:33). Jesus demonstrated His power to forgive sins. "But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins" (Matthew 9:6). Jesus has the power to hold fast the eternal security of His followers. "I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand" (John 10:28). Jesus has the power to build and protect the church. "Upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it" (Matthew 16:18).

Was Jesus the Almighty God? Undoubtedly and indisputably. Though born as a baby in a manger, He was in fact God and had all the divine power belonging to God. Jesus continues to exercise His divine might as He still stands as the world's only Savior.