This Child Born For Battle

A CHRISTMAS MESSAGE
This Child Born For Battle

“For every battle of the warrior is with confused noise, and garments rolled in blood; but this shall be with burning and fuel of fire. For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given.” Isaiah 9:5-6 KJV

What does this battle have to do with “a Child born ... a Son given”? Everything! His whole purpose for coming was to obtain victory over sin, death and hell (1 Cor. 15:54-57).

Every battle is confused and bloody, and so was that of our Warrior, who “before Pontius Pilate witnessed a good confession” (1 Tim. 6:13). On the one hand, confused Pilate was warned by his wife not to have anything to do with that righteous man, and knew that Jesus had been delivered to him because of envy; on the other hand, he feared the tumult of the crowd and so condemned Jesus to death.

Christ’s garments were “rolled” in His own blood as they whipped His back, pulled the hair from His face, and pressed the crown of thorns on His head. The “battle” didn’t stop there however, but as Isaiah prophesied, while Christ was hanging on the cross, the wrath of God raged against our sin and He took the fire of judgment upon Himself (Isa. 53:3-12). Our sins were fuel enough: “We see Jesus, who ... for the suffering of death ... should taste death for every man” (Heb. 2:9). The burning was complete: all “fuel of fire” was consumed when He was made “sin for us ... that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him” (2 Cor. 5:21).

For this battle, “unto us a Child is born”; for this victory, “unto us a Son is given.” Our response should be praise and worship.

By Tom Steere