Omnipotent is one way we describe God, meaning all powerful, almighty or having virtually unlimited authority or influence. It must have been incredible to know Jesus, a human just like us but filled with the unlimited power of God. Let’s take a look at the personality of Jesus and see how he embodies the Strength of God.
Who is Jesus?
We have many passages of Scripture that define who Jesus is.
- Jesus is the “radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being” (Hebrews 1:3).
- He’s “the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation” (Colossians 1:15).
- And “in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form” (Colossians 2:9).
To speak about the nature of God is to speak about the nature of Jesus. They are one in nature, even if they are distinct persons. Jesus is God made flesh, and we can study Jesus to learn about the nature or personality of God.
Another passage, Isaiah 9:6, is a prophecy or prediction about a future event.
“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”
This verse was written six or seven hundred years before Jesus was born, but it gives us valuable information about him. He will be a son of those Isaiah is writing to – the people of Israel, and ultimately all people. He will be a relative of humanity, a person like us, related to us like family. He will also be a leader, having the government on his shoulders.
Then the passage goes on to pronounce four names by which we will know him. Biblical names always have meanings; they name the destiny of their holders, describing a life purpose. It’s not surprising that Jesus, the perfect Man, would need not only one name, but four names. Each of these four names represents a role he will play in leading mankind. He will be the Wonderful Counselor, the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father and the Prince of Peace. In previous posts I blogged about the Wonderful Counselor, the Everlasting Father and the Prince of Peace. This post is the last in the series, focusing on the Mighty God.
The Strength of God
Jesus is the Mighty God or the Strength of God. In Isaiah 9:6, the Hebrew words for “Mighty God” are “gibbôr el”. “Gibbôr” can mean warrior, brave, strong, able, hero, experienced, valiant soldier, or capable. “El” is the word used for God in the Hebrew, and can also mean mighty one, great, or heavenly being.
Putting these two words together gives us a picture of a heavenly being that is strong, able, brave, experienced and valiant. We would expect such a valiant warrior to accomplish great things and work hard. This isn’t mere theoretical or cerebral work; this is a man of action, using his physical body, expending energy, wearing himself out, sweating, perhaps being injured in the process. He keeps His eye on the goal with a sense of urgency. His experience and ability would make Him a great leader who inspires others to great things. People would trust such a leader, who exhibits great authority and strength.
The title of “Mighty God” in Isaiah 9:6 can be represented as the Strength of God, one of the four-fold personality styles of Jesus. The Strength of God represents the qualities of power, might, authority, hard work, and problem solving. Let’s take a look at Scripture to find examples of Jesus as the Mighty Strength of God.
The Personality of Jesus
The Gospel of Matthew presents Jesus as King, specifically the King of the Jews. The primary audience for Matthew was Jewish people, and the genealogy of Jesus is given in relation to Abraham, the father of the Jews. However, Matthew also emphasized this King was going to be ruler of all the people, not just the Jews. Jesus is truly a leader for all seasons and for all peoples.
Jesus’s titles in Matthew include the Son of David, the King of the Jews, and the Lion of the tribe of Judah. Jesus is presented as Messiah and King in Matthew.
Matthew, the writer of this Gospel, was the only Gospel writer who was an official. He wrote from the mindset of leadership and authority, he understood those roles and flavored his Gospel in that way. He wrote of the royalty of Jesus’s ancestry, and of the three Kings who came looking for Jesus. He included Jesus’s presentation of the Laws of the Kingdom in the Sermon on the Mount. In addition, Matthew was hated because of his role as a tax-gatherer, and so he understood being despised and rejected.
The Gospel of Matthew further fleshes out the image of Jesus as the lion, the Strength of God. The themes of royalty, leadership, saving, solving problems, and dominion are presented in Matthew. The lion is a powerful image representing the Strength of God. Lions are known to be strong, fearless, protective, fierce, and are called the King of the Jungle. In the book of Revelation, there is no one found in all the earth to stop the horrible plagues until Jesus is found worthy. “Then one of the elders said to me, “Do not weep! See, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed. He is able to open the scroll and its seven seals” (Revelation 5:5 NIV).
Jesus accomplished a lot during His three years of ministry on earth. No other man has ever accomplished as much as Jesus did in his short life. John 21:25 tells us, “Jesus did many other things as well. If every one of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written.”
Christ engaged in hard work, which He considered the purpose of His assignment on earth. He spoke about His work in John 4:34, “My food,” said Jesus “is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work.” His work was never ending, just like His Father’s work, as found in John 5:17, “In his defense Jesus said to them, ‘My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I too am working.’”
Jesus also felt an urgency to get the work done. “As long as it is day, we must do the works of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work” (John 9:4).
Jesus moved fast. As a matter of fact, the word immediately is often used in the Bible in relation to the miracles that Jesus did, the actions He took, and the responses of people who believed in Him.
At the very beginning of His ministry, Jesus came into the synagogue in Nazareth, picked up the book of Isaiah the prophet, and read chapter 61 verse 1, “The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners.”
Then He sat down, handed the scroll back, and said to the astonished people, “Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing” (Luke 4:21). From the very start, Jesus set the tone for His leadership and goal achievement during his ministry on earth.
Jesus set an all-time record for the number of goals achieved in one lifetime. The Old Testament contains many goals – or prophecies – about the Messiah. Jesus accomplished every single one of them, down to the last detail. There are over seven hundred prophecies about Christ, most written hundreds or even thousands of years before He came to earth. Some have tried to calculate the odds against one man fulfilling all those prophecies. Experts in mathematics agree that, statistically speaking, any odds beyond 1 in 1050 (10 followed by 50 zeroes) have a zero probability of ever happening by random chance. In 1958, Dr. Peter Stoner calculated that the odds of one person fulfilling just forty-eight of the Messianic prophecies are 1 in 10157.
Jesus is a problem solver; He solved many dilemmas during His ministry on earth. We call His solutions miracles. People would stand in lines all day to present their problems to Jesus. Some even found healing just by touching the hem of His garment. He raised people from the dead (John 11:43-44). He fed five thousand people with a few fishes and loaves of bread (Luke 9:10-17).
Jesus was a confident and admired leader. We’ve never seen Jesus physically, even though many artists have tried to portray Him. I picture Him poised, walking with sure steps, posture erect, head held high.
Jesus portrayed His confident leadership in many ways. He had a recognized reputation for leadership. People trusted Him when He asked them to take on responsibilities and tasks. His apostles left everything and followed Him. Eventually, every one of them except John was martyred because they supported Him.
His confidence was exhibited in other ways as well. He never backed down to opposition and He never compromised, because He is the Truth. At one unfair trial after the other at the end of His life, He held fast to the truth of Who He was, even in the face of death.
Jesus’s leadership methods produced results that any business guru today would love to replicate. In only three years, Jesus trained eleven men to found an institution that is still going strong more than 2000 years later. What CEO could compete with that record?
Jesus’ powerful authority is seen when He came into the Jerusalem temple and found the moneychangers taking advantage of people (see John 2:13-16). He quickly and decisively made a whip from some cords and sent the moneychangers, their animals, and their customers fleeing.
Jesus’s authority even extended to the weather, the wind, and the waves, as seen in a wild adventure on the Sea of Galilee. The apostles were shaking in their sandals while Jesus took a nap. “The disciples went and woke him, saying, “Master, Master, we’re going to drown.” He got up and rebuked the wind and the raging waters; the storm subsided, and all was calm. “Where is your faith?” he asked his disciples. In fear and amazement they asked one another, “Who is this? He commands even the winds and the water, and they obey him”” (Luke 8:24-25).
Making Friends with Jesus
Those who are natural leaders can relate well to Jesus as the Strength of God. He knows you like the back of his own hand. But even for those of us who are not natural leaders or goal achievers, isn’t it reassuring that Jesus is such an amazing leader and so powerful that even nature obeys him? He truly is someone we can depend on for anything. He always keeps his promises.
To begin making friends with this side of Jesus, read the gospel of Matthew. Mark the passages that represent his power and leadership to you. Meditate on this aspect of his personality. What work would you love to see him accomplish today? Trust that he will never fail.
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For some it might seem intimidating to think of the power of Jesus unleashed towards us when we fail. Rest assured, Jesus always responds to us in love and with arms wide open up until our last breath of life. It will be a fearful thing to be in the hands of an angry God if we have failed to build a relationship with him in life. The bible tells us that many will die thinking they’ve lived a good enough life. But no one is ever going to reach heaven based on a laundry list of good deeds. For those who failed to take the step to be in relationship with the Mighty God, he will respond, “I never knew you…” If you aren’t sure how Jesus will respond to you please download and read my free resource, No Greater Love.
…because U count, deb