For The Glory Of His Name: Mighty God

Intro: Trying to get to the high ground

When I was young my brothers and I loved to gather around the T.V. to watch WWF Monday Night Wrestling. Professional wrestling is the male equivalent to As The World Turns, Dallas, The Young and Restless, General Hospital, and other Soap Operas. It was exciting and dramatic.

I grew up with stories of Hogan, Shawn Michaels, Steve Austin, Rick Flair, The Bushwhackers, The Macho Man, the Million Dollar Man, maybe yours are the time of John Cena, Edge, Cody Rhodes or Randy Orton and others. The drama moved through the rise and fall of champions, crowd favorites and villains. What every fan waited on though was when their favorite wrestler set up the famous signature finishing move.

Wrestlers use these moves to declare their superiority in the ring—moves like the "Stone Cold Stunner," "Tombstone Pile driver," or the "People’s Elbow" leave no doubt about who’s in charge. The finishing move is the wrestler's ultimate declaration of victory, a powerful act that leaves their opponent down for the count.

Displays of power are celebrated by humanity. Whether our favorite football team dominating on the field or a mighty military parade showing off the strength of a nation, humanity is enamored by celebration of great victories and power.

But here's the thing—no matter how impressive or iconic these actions are, they’re just momentary displays of strength. The victory they secure is temporary, and the titles they win are fleeting. The strength displayed will fail, why? Because this world is fleeting and always in flux. There is always a bigger fish. In the wrestling match for worldly power nothing is permanent. True might and power transcend this world. It is not found on dirt or water but from what is beyond our comprehension.

Creation Power

Imagine the ultimate display of power—not in a ring but in all of creation. Imagine a power so great, a victory so complete, that no force in heaven or on earth could stand against it.

This is the power of Jesus Christ, our Mighty God. When Jesus stepped into the "ring" of human history, He didn’t just come to compete—He came to conquer sin, death, and all the forces of evil. Through His death on the cross and the resurrection, Jesus performed the ultimate "finishing move" that secured eternal victory for all who believe in Him. I had a conversation with a dear friend of mine discussing what Jesus’s final move would be called. I would call it the Sacrificed Lamb but Jim seemed to think The Flying Dreidle! My favorite the Lamb Slam!!

In Isaiah 9:1-6, the prophet speaks of the coming Messiah using powerful titles such as Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, and Prince of Peace. The title Mighty God is especially significant, suggesting that the Messiah will embody divine power and authority in a way that aligns with the attributes of God Himself. Understanding how this relates to Jesus requires examining what aspects of divine power are meant by the term Mighty God and how they connect to the mission and identity of Jesus.

In the Text

Context: Just after Jesus describes his ministry to John the Baptist he enters into conflict with the Pharisees who were bent toward his destruction. Jesus left the synagogue behind and turned to the crowd. There he brought healing to them all! (vs. 15). Jesus ordered that the people not declare His works but instead allow him to remain “hidden”. Another prophecy that has been fulfilled by Jesus.

Mighty God, as the prophet Isaiah described the God King of Israel over 700 years earlier was a king that was valiant, heroic, strong, and commanded a military might. Or so that is how it became to be interpreted. The people of Israel were looking to power and might from a worldly stand point. If you think of what this looks like in ancient times, and one may think of parades of kings; I can’t help but think of the scene from Aladdin when he presents himself to the princess for the first time and how the genie provides Macy’s Day Parade style commentary.

But God’s displays of power in our world do not look like the acts the world upholds.

Psalm 48:14 ““This is God, our God, forever and always! He is the one who will lead us even to the very end.””

In Matthew’s text:

Jesus works to remain hidden, he works in periphery, he displays his power only when it is most scrutinized. Jesus, after healing the man’s hand withdraws, he doesn’t tilt toward his opponent as jousting knight would. Matthew cites this reading from the Prophet Isaiah

Unlike the understanding of the role of the messiah by Israelite leaders which the messiah would seize power by force and overthrow the gov’t Jesus walks in authority. (The biggest one always invites challenge by those who seek to overthrow like a gang or prison mentality). Jesus doesn’t Jesus in not seeking out challenge but withdrawing reveals the Might of God will overcome not using human standards of conquest.

Matthew 12:18–21 “Look, my Servant whom I chose, the one I love, in whom I find great pleasure. I’ll put my Spirit upon him, and he’ll announce judgment to the Gentiles. He won’t argue or shout, and nobody will hear his voice in the streets. He won’t break a bent stalk, and he won’t snuff out a smoldering wick, until he makes justice win. And the Gentiles will put their hope in his name.”

Isaiah foretells that it is Jesus. Historians of the secular world have often described Jesus as being a failed prophet. At the end of his earthly ministry he was killed on a tree and hung in shame. Jesus died in poverty, cruelty, and shame, where even his own disciples would abandon him in his hour of need. In our world he has every marker of a failure. Weak and powerless though he seemed we all would have counted him out by earthly standards. Tough luck old chap but you just didn’t get it done.

The Question

It makes no sense. Mighty God but born helpless and mortal? Mighty God but poverty and homelessness? Mighty God but no office or authority? Yet, Jesus is the Mighty God. There was a wonderful quote in the move Nefarious in which the demon shares with psychiatrist that it was a gross miscalculation when Jesus went to the cross. They underestimated what was going to happen on the cross with Jesus’s death. You see when the nails went in they cheered, with each hammer swing they celebrated, with each gasp for breath they venerated the act of dying coming to Jesus the very son of God. They were setting up for the big finishing move. All of the enemies of Jesus crowded around to watch him die a failure. A failed son, a failed prophet, a failed teacher, a failed messiah, and the went for the finishing move, they set up to take authority and power, and in the moment of their assumed victory the tide turns and everything falls apart. Like David before Goliath, it wasn’t about what the enemy saw it was about what God could do.

Psalm 50:1–6 “From the rising of the sun to where it sets, God, the Lord God, speaks, calling out to the earth. From Zion, perfect in beauty, God shines brightly. Our God is coming; he won’t keep quiet. A devouring fire is before him; a storm rages all around him. God calls out to the skies above and to the earth in order to judge his people: “Bring my faithful to me, those who made a covenant with me by sacrifice.” The skies proclaim his righteousness because God himself is the judge. Selah”

Mark 1:1 “The beginning of the good news about Jesus Christ, God’s Son,”

John 1:1–5 “In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God. The Word was with God in the beginning. Everything came into being through the Word, and without the Word nothing came into being. What came into being through the Word was life, and the life was the light for all people. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness doesn’t extinguish the light.”

Revelation 5:8–9 “When he took the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each held a harp and gold bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. They took up a new song, saying, “You are worthy to take the scroll and open its seals, because you were slain, and by your blood you purchased for God persons from every tribe, language, people, and nation.”

Jesus will demonstrate he is Mighty God. Let’s look to his ministry and see!

The context of Jesus as Mighty God demands the verdict. To be mighty is to command authority and power to deliver ones people from the things that threaten them. Jesus transcends authority over earthly items and effects each level of creation.

Power over:

Creation

Cosmic Evil

Earthly Forces

Death itself

1. Conquering Chaos

In the biblical worldview, chaos often symbolizes disorder, the absence of peace, and the forces that oppose God’s will. This is seen in the primeval chaos of Genesis 1, where the Spirit of God hovers over the waters, bringing order out of chaos. In the New Testament, Jesus is depicted as having power over the chaotic forces of nature (e.g., calming the storm in Mark 4:35-41), showing His sovereignty over the natural world.

The Mighty God in Isaiah can thus be seen as one who brings order, peace, and harmony to a world beset by chaos. Jesus, as the Mighty God, brings this order not only in the physical realm (e.g., calming storms, healing diseases) but also in the spiritual realm—offering reconciliation and restoration to a world torn apart by sin and division. The conquering of chaos, in this sense, is both literal and metaphorical, as Jesus restores both creation and humanity to their intended order.

2. Conquering Cosmic Evil

The concept of cosmic evil—the powers of darkness that oppose God's reign—is a major theme in Scripture, particularly in the New Testament. In Colossians 2:15, for example, it is said that through His death on the cross, Jesus disarmed the rulers and authorities and triumphed over them. The Mighty God of Isaiah is not only a conqueror of earthly powers but is also one who defeats the spiritual powers of darkness.

Jesus is depicted as the one who came to destroy the works of the devil (1 John 3:8) and to reclaim humanity from the clutches of sin, death, and demonic influence. His ministry—especially His death and resurrection—was a direct confrontation with the forces of evil, and His triumph over them is seen as a central act of His divine power. This cosmic victory is essential to understanding the title Mighty God: Jesus conquers not just physical or political enemies but also the very powers that hold creation in bondage.

3. Conquering Earthly Authority

Jesus’ claim to divine power also involves His authority over earthly powers and rulers. The title Mighty God in Isaiah suggests an authority that is greater than any earthly king, ruler, or empire. While Jesus' ministry on earth was marked by humility and nonviolence, He consistently demonstrated His authority over all realms of creation—spiritual, moral, and physical.

In the Gospels, Jesus is portrayed as the one who challenges the authority of oppressive political systems, religious structures, and societal norms that hinder God’s kingdom. This does not always mean direct political action (e.g., Jesus did not overthrow the Roman Empire), but rather a subversion of these systems through the proclamation of God's kingdom and a radical message of love, justice, and grace. His divine power was not exercised in the way human rulers typically wield power, but in ways that redefined power itself—through service, sacrifice, and love.

4. Conquering Death

Finally, the ultimate expression of Mighty God in Isaiah 9:6 is seen in the conquering of death. Throughout the Gospels, Jesus is depicted as having power over life and death—raising the dead (e.g., Lazarus, the widow’s son), healing the sick, and ultimately laying down His life to conquer death itself through His resurrection. In Christian theology, Jesus' death and resurrection are the ultimate demonstration of divine power. Through His resurrection, Jesus defeated the last enemy—death—and inaugurated the new creation.

Isaiah 9:6 points forward to a Messiah who would not only conquer chaos, cosmic evil, and earthly powers, but also the most fundamental enemy of all: death. The victory over death is the final and most glorious expression of His might as Mighty God.

Daniel 6:26 (CEB)

I now issue this command: In every region of my kingdom, all people must fear and revere Daniel’s God because: He is the living God. God stands firm forever. His kingship is indestructible. God’s rule will last until the end of time.

Wrap UP

The victory of Jesus is unlike anything the world has ever known. As the Mighty God, He redefined power—not through force, but through love. In Jesus, God inverted the very concept of conquest. His greatest act of power wasn’t domination but servanthood. The crucifixion, which appeared to be a moment of defeat, was actually the ultimate triumph—disarming the forces of evil and opening the way to redemption for all humanity.

In Christ’s death, the powers of darkness were defeated. In His resurrection, He was exalted as the name above all names, the eternal King whose authority is unmatched in heaven and on earth.

"Jesus hit sin and death with the ultimate finisher. Call it the Lamb Slam! #MightyGod"

"Wrestlers bring the drama. Jesus brings the eternal victory. #FinishingMove #MightyGod"

"Stone Cold stunned the ring. Jesus stunned the universe. #EternalChampion"

"Forget the People’s Elbow. Jesus’ finishing move? The Cross—and it wins forever. #Victory"

"Wrestling finishing moves win titles. Jesus' finishing move wins eternity. #MightyGod"

"Hulk Hogan dropped the leg. Jesus dropped sin and death! #UltimateVictory"

"Jesus didn’t come to wrestle—He came to win the whole match for humanity. #MightyGod"

"The world might flex its muscles; Jesus’ might crushed death with a humble heart. #DivineChampion"

"No pyro, no theme music—just a cross, an empty tomb, and eternal victory. #JesusWins"

"Jesus: undefeated, undisputed, and the eternal heavyweight champion of heaven and earth. #MightyGod"