Sermon Illustration: Whadgya Git?

Recently, I begin a sermon on Isaiah 9:6 this way:

I am guessing that the most frequently asked question over the next 3 weeks is a brief, 4 word question. It’s a 2 word question if you grew up in North Alabama like I did because we just combine syllables. It’s easier that way.

Kids will ask it of their friends and siblings and cousins.

Parents will ask it of their children.

Aunts and uncles and grandparents will come over and ask it.

You’ll have it asked of you and you will ask it of others.

No, it’s not “would you please pass the nog?” Or, “What time can we wake up and come to the den on Christmas morning?”

This question will be asked a lot more than that.

Here it is. See if you don’t agree:

“Whadgya Git?”

Or, more properly said, “What did you get?” Or, even a more proper translation might be, “What did you receive?”

How we say it where I from is simply, “Whadgya Git?”

What did Santa bring you?

What did your spouse give you?

What did you get from your grandparents?

What did you get from mom and dad?

“Whadgya Git?”

It’s a great question. A Christmas question. A Christian question. A Gospel question. You can tell pretty quickly by the response and by the look on their faces as to whether or not the gift was a success.

When it comes to Christmas, “Whadgya Git?”

From there, I did my best to unpack Isaiah 9:6, claiming that how you answer this question (related to the Christ-child) reveals what you understand about both the Gift and the intentions of the Giver.