Grace for the Race

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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. (Isaiah 9:6)

As we all prepare to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ this Friday, I am going to devote three articles to the fourth and final name bestwoed upon the Cosmic Christ Child through the the prophet Isaiah. I have been saying thoughout this series that in ancient times names were bestowed upon a king to describe his rule, his reign, and the scope of his kingdom, and that is exactly what Isaiah was doing when he announced the coming of King Jesus.

The prophet’s fourth title that finds its fulfillment in our Lord Jesus Christ is “Prince of Peace.” Since Christmas falls on Friday, I am going to break the normal Monday-Wednesday-Friday schedule of articles for “Grace for the Race” and post four article here this week. We will look at the first half of the name on Monday, the second half of the name on Tuesday, and both combined on Wednesday. Then on Friday I will post a special Christmas Day word of encouragement for you.

Prince – Moses was a prince for a season in Egypt, but Jesus Christ, the Greater Moses, is a Prince for all eternity. We saw this last week when we looked at the title “Everlasting.” For Isaiah’s original audience, who received this prophecy more than 700 years before the birth of the Cosmic Christ Child, the title “Prince” was easily and clearly understood. A prince was a person of great prominence and nobility who was responsible for leading his people–providing protection for them and caring for their needs. This perfectly describes the role of our Lord Jesus in the life of His people. The Pharisees of Jesus’ day understood Him to be a prince, but nothing like the one Isaiah was talking about! The Pharisees grumbled, “By the prince of demon [Jesus] is driving out demons” (Mark 3:22).

It is important to note just how intentional Isaiah was in giving the title “Prince of Peace” to the coming Messiah, rather than “King of Peace.” As we have seen throughout our study of these four magnificent titles for Jesus, Jesus is fully God, co-eternal and co-equal with the Father. Yet, it is instructive to see how a Prince submits to the authority of His Father and acts according to the Father’s will and not His own.

Our Prince was sent by His Father (1 John 4:9), and aligned His will perfectly with His Father’s will by becoming obedient through His death on a cross (Philippians 2:8). Time and again, our Lord declared His submission to His Father’s will:

• By myself I can do nothing; I judge only as I hear, and my judgment is just, for I seek not to please myself but him who sent me. (John 5:30)
• I did not speak of my own accord, but the Father who sent me commanded me what to say and how to say it. (John 12:49)
• The world must learn that I love the Father and that I do exactly what my Father has commanded me. (John 14:31)
• I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. (John 15:10)

And then, of course, there is the most remarkable example of the complete submission of the Prince of Peace to His Father’s will: As Jesus knelt in the Garden of Gesthemane, sweating blood in utter anguish as He anticipated taking on the terrible wrath of God for the sin of all of His subjects, He simply prayed:

“Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.” (Luke 22:42)

One final point about the title “Prince.” As a child of nobility in the house of the current earthly king, the prince would one day rise to the position of being king Himself, but he did not yet hold that position. In the very same way, while Jesus walked this earth and lived out the ministry for which He came, He was our Prince. But on that first Easter morning, after being crucified, dead, and buried, when Jesus walked out of His tomb alive and well, He now bore the title King of kings and Lord of lords. Praise His mighty names!

Tomorrow we will look at the second half of this amazing title.

This is the Gospel. This is grace for your race. NEVER FORGET THAT . . . AMEN!

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. (Isaiah 9:6)

Today we will close out our study on the third name given by the prophet Isaiah to this child who was to be born to us, this son who would be given.

Everlasting Father – It should be no surprise to see Jesus described as our Everlasting Father, especially in light of the fact that He also demonstrated the qualities of a mother.  

“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing” (Matthew 23:37).

Is it not staggering to see the depths of the love of our God as it is expressed to us in Christ Jesus? He loves us as a father and as a mother. I want to show you what I consider the most amazing picture of the Everlasting Father’s love for us, His children, which was expressed in His High Priestly Prayer, uttered just a few hours before His crucifixion. Reflecting on His care for His disciples, Jesus prayed, “While I was with them, I protected them and kept them safe by that name you gave me” (John 17:12). Such is the heart of our Everlasting Father toward His children. He does not leave us to face life’s difficulties and tragedies all alone; He protects us and keeps us safe.

Before we close out our examination of this amazing name for our Lord Jesus Christ, “Everlasting Father,” let me say a few words to those for whom the name “Father” stirs memories that are anything but fond and happy. As a pastor I have counseled many people who had dreadful experiences with their earthly father. Some fathers were absent . . . some were aloof . . . some were angry . . . some were abusive. Most of us sustained what I call “father wounds” at some point during our upbringing, and those wounds stay with us throughout life.

To be sure, every earthly father falls woefully short of the biblical model and godly goal set before us in Scripture. I know I did; just ask our four children. I say all this to say that, regardless of our experiences with our earthly father, we must always look to our heavenly Father, who has planend from all eternity to prosper us and not to harm us, who loves us unconditionally, and who has promised never to leave or forsake us.

Regardless of where this message may find you regarding your experiences with your earthly father, keep looking to your Everlasting Father, the Lord Jesus Christ. As Charles Spurgeon once said, “Jesus is everlastingly a father to those who trust in him.” The life of Jesus lays bare the heart of His Father in heaven — a love that our Lord has experienced for all eternity, a love that He demonstrted by dying in our place and on our behalf. It is a love that He now offers to us as our Savior, our Husband, our Friend, our Brother, and our Everlasting Father.

This is the Gospel. This is grace for your race. NEVER FORGET THAT . . . AMEN!

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. (Isaiah 9:6)

Throughout this week we are looking at the third name that Isaiah gave to Jesus: “Everlasting Father.” On Monday we looked at “Everlasting,” the first half of the name; today we will briefly unpack the second half . . .

Father – The symbolic use of the Hebrew word Ab, translated in our English Bibles as Father, had the express meaning of “possessor of.” This child born, this son given as the Everlasting Father (or “Father of Eternity”) is the Father and possessor of both time and eternity.

We see this clearly stated in the Gospel of John, as well as in Paul’s epistle to the Colossians:

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. (John 1:1-3)

By him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. (Colossians 1:16-17)

It is important to address two common questions that arise regarding applying this title of “Father” to Jesus:

• “Doesn’t this confuse the roles within the Trinity between the Father and the Son?”
• “Doesn’t this mean that God the Father and God the Son are one and the same person?”

The answer to both questions is “No, not at all.” In my view, Isaiah did not have the Trinity in mind when he wrote these words, nor was he describing the roles within the Godhead. Rather, Isaiah was setting forth the character of Jesus Christ in His relationship toward His people: Father to children. This child born and this son given is to be the King of Israel, and also King of all those Gentiles who have been and will be grafted into His kingdom. And as King, Jesus will be Father to all His children.

• Jesus will pay the penalty for the sins of all of His children.
• Jesus will protect all of His children.
• Jesus will provide for all of His children.

We see in Jesus’ own words how He applied the title “Father” to Himself as the One who is able to reveal the fatherly character of God to His children.

“I and the Father are one.” (John 10:30)

“The Father is in me, and I in the Father.” (John 10:38)

“Don’t you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you are not just my own. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work.” (John 14:10)

Again, Jesus and the Father are not the same person, but they are one in both essence and nature. As we read about the life and ministry of Jesus in the gospel accounts, we are also reading about the Father, who Jesus precisely represented, just as this prophesied name reveals. The writer of Hebrews explained, “The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word” (Hebrews 1:3), and the apostle John taught that “No one has ever seen God, but God the One and Only, who is at the Father’s side, has made him known” (John 1:18).

One Sabbath day, Jesus healed a lame man by the pool in Jerusalem called Bethesda, and the religious leaders once again questioned Jesus’ authority. His response to these self-righteous religious leaders was as clear tot hem then as it is comforting to us today: “I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does” (John 5:19). Here we see how beautifully the Son and the Father are one in their ministry toward man.

Remember, it was Jesus who said, “Let the little children come to me” (Matthew 19:14). Have you come to Jesus by grace through faith? Have you trusted in Him to pay the penalty for all your sins, to protect you, and to provide for you?

On Friday we will look at both parts of this name, “Everlasting Father,” together.

This is the Gospel. This is grace for your race. NEVER FORGET THAT . . . AMEN!

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. (Isaiah 9:6)

If you are a regular reader here, you know that we are in the midst of a Christmas season study on the four names of the Cosmic Christ Child, all of which were given by the inspired pen of the prophet Isaiah. The four names bestowed by the prophet help to identify Jesus Christ’s rule, His reign, and the scope of His kingdom. This week we will focus on the prophet’s third title, which finds its fulfillment in our Lord Jesus Christ: Everlasting Father. As we did with “Wonderful Counselor” and “Mighty God,” we will focus on the first half of the name on Monday, the second half of the name on Wednesday, and both combined to close out the week on Friday.

Everlasting is a title that is every bit as unique to this child born, this son given, as was the name “Mighty God,” which we looked into last week. Only in the mind of God can the name “Everlasting” be true. To possess the name Everlasting is to embody a profound truth, which is known as the preexistence of God.

Before the mountains were born or you brought forth the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God (Psalm 90:2).

Before the creation there was the Creator – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit – three separate persons with one eternal essence. As the second person of the Trinity, the Son is the preexistent Everlasting Father, who was, and is, and is to come. Jesus clearly asserted this truth in an exhange with the Jewish religious leaders, who had been challenging His message and His ministry.

Jesus replied, “If I glorify myself, my glory means nothing. My Father, whom you claim as your God, is the one who glorifies me. Though you do not know him, I know him. If I said I did not, I would be a liar like you, but I do know him and keep his word. Your father Abraham rejoiced at the thought of seeing my day; he saw it and was glad.”

“You are not yet fifty years old,” the Jews said to him, “and you have seen Abraham!”

“I tell you the truth,” Jesus answered, “before Abraham was born, I am!” (John 8:54-58)

The religious leaders, who knew the Scriptures quite well, understood exactly what Jesus was saying when He brought them back to the encounter between Moses and God at the burning bush. When Moses asked God for His name, God said, “I AM WHO I AM” (Exodus 3:14). Now Jesus was claiming that name for Himself, which meant that He was claiming equality with God. We know that the Jewish religious leaders rightly interpreted what our Lord meant when He said, “Before Abraham was born, I am!” because “At this, they picked up stones to stone him” (John 8:59). They knew full well what Jesus was saying, but they flatly refused to accept it. 

Here is one final point of proof that Jesus is Everlasting. When we read Jesus saying, “I am the Alpha and the Omega” (Revelation 1:8), we are to understand this as a statement of His everlasting nature. The first letter of the Greek alphabet is Alpha, and the last letter of the Greek alphabet is Omega; Jesus used these bookends to symbolize the truth that He is the beginning and the end, the first and the last, the Everlasting God of the past, the present, and our promised future.

Have you accepted His promise? “I am the resurrection and the life,” He tells us. “He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die” (John 11:25-26). Have you accepted this truth, by grace through faith? If so, then He is your Everlasting Father also!

On Wednesday, we will take a look at the word “Father,” the second part of this third name.  

This is the Gospel. This is grace for your race. NEVER FORGET THAT . . . AMEN!

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. (Isaiah 9:6)

Today we will take one last look at the second name given by the prophet Isaiah to Jesus Christ, this child who was born for us, this son who was given to us.

Mighty God – We have barely scratched the surface of the Scriptures to see how Jesus is our Mighty God. He walked on water, turned water into wine, cast out demons, cured lepers, gave sight to the blind, made the lame walk, and brought the dead back to life. He calmed the wind and waves of a ferocious storm with a word, and He multiplied five loaves and two small fish into a bountiful meal for a crowd that may have been as large as 15,000 people.

Jesus created the world; He bore the sins of the world in His body nailed to a cross; and on the third day after His burial He walked out of His grave alive and well. In His humanity He took upon Himself death, which is the wages of sin, and in His divinity He conquered the grave and destroyed the last enemy: death itself. Nothing was impossible for our Mighty God, who left His glory in heaven to take on flesh and dwell among us.

But that’s not all! That same power of our Mighty God is available to all those who believe in Him. The apostle Paul wrote —

I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength, which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms . . . (Ephesians 1:18-20)

For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding. And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and joyfully giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light. (Colossians 1:9-12)

Are you living out your life in the power of your Mighty God? If you have placed your trust in Jesus Christ, always keep in view that the Holy Spirit–the power that raised Jesus from the dead–is the same power that is dewelling within you. Have you not experienced the forgiveness of more sins than you can number? Have you not experienced insurmountable temptations that you have overcome? Have you not experienced virtues that were once beyond your imagination rising forth from deep within you?

Why is that? Why is this your experience? It is because of this Mighty God, who loved you enough to die for you, and who is now seated at the right hand of God the Father, making intercession for you moment by moment.

You have an equal share in the inheritance of all the saints of God. Within you is the power to say “YES” to what you must say “Yes” to and “NO” to what you must say “No” to. But also remember that, inasmuch as this power within you is perfect, you will not be perfect until you cross the Jordan and enter into your eternal rest. Everything you do you will do imperfectly, but fear not, Christian, you have a Mighty God who loves you unconditionally and forgives you completely.

I hope you’ll be back next week to look at the third name Isaiah gave to Jesus: Everlasting Father.

This is the Gospel. This is grace for your race. NEVER FORGET THAT . . . AMEN!

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. (Isaiah 9:6)

We are continuing our examination of the four names of the Cosmic Christ Child, all of which were given from the inspired pen of the prophet Isaiah. Our focus this week is on the appellation “Mighty God.” On Monday we looked at the first half of His title–“Mighty.” Today we will briefly unpack the second half . . . God.

We need look no further than the ministry of our Lord Jesus, in both His message and His miracles, to know beyond a shadow of a doubt that Jesus truly is the fulfillment of the second part of the title “Mighty God.” We already saw several reasons to accept this truth when we looked at how Jesus fulfilled the title of Mighty, but there is even more proof that He was indeed God.

Jesus forgave sins – Before Jesus healed a paralyzed man, He first forgave his sins. The religious leaders who were present were outraged; they considred this blasephemy, because they knew that only God can forgive sins. Knowing their thoughts, Jesus uttered these profound words:

“Which is easier: to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up, take your mat and walk’? But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins . . .” He said to the paralytic, “I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home.” He got up, took his mat and walked out in full view of them all. This amazed everyone and they praised God, saying, “We have never seen anything like this!” (Mark 2:9-12)

Jesus received worship – Receiving worship would be just as blasphemous as pronouncing forgiveness for sins . . . IF Jesus was not God. When Jesus appeared to the disciples one week after His resurrection, He showed Thomas the wounds on His hands, His feet, and in His side. Thomas responded, “My Lord and my God!” (John 20:28). Jesus did not correct Thomas, just as He had not rebuked Peter when he stated, “You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God” (Matthew 16:16). No, Jesus blessed Peter and told him that this knowledge had come as a gift from God the Father.

Jesus made several claims to be God – When speaking to the religious leaders at the temple, Jesus said, “I and the Father are one” (John 10:30). Jesus told Philip that “Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father” (John 14:9). Time and time again, Jesus claimed equality with God His Father; the religious leaders knew it, and they sought all the more to kill Him, especially when Jesus said, “Before Abraham was born, I am!” (John 8:58). In saying He existed before Abraham, Jesus was identifying His divinity, and when He said “I am,” Jesus was applying to Himself God’s holy name that He had shared with Moses at the burning bush. The religious leaders were completely tipped over by this, and they immediately picked up stones to stone Him (John 8:59).

Both the words and the works of Jesus make it crystal clear that He was God incarnate – the eternal, self-existent, unchanging God of the universe. On Friday we will look at both parts of this name together.

This is the Gospel. This is grace for your race. NEVER FORGET THAT . . . AMEN!

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. (Isaiah 9:6)

As we move through the weeks leading up to the celebration of the birth of our Savior, we will continue to examine the four names of the Cosmic Christ Child, all of which were given by the inspired pen of the prophet Isaiah. As I said last week, when a king was crowned in Isaiah’s time, the king would be given names or titles that would identify his rule, his reign, and the scope of his kingdom. The same was true in the four names given to this Child who was born to us and this son that was given to us.

This week we will focus on the prophet’s second title that finds its fulfillment in our Lord Jesus Christ: “Mighty God.” As we did with “Wonderful Counselor” last week, we will look at the first half of the name today, explore the second half of the name on Wednesday, and bring them both back together to close out the week on Friday.

Mighty is the Hebrew word gibbor, which means “power and strength.” Our English word omnipotent (absolute in power) expresses this attribute perfectly, and it can be rightly applied only to our Triune God.

It is interesting to note that the word gibbor can also mean “hero.” It is God Himself who is the hero of every biblical story. Only God is almighty (omnipotent), and this title finds its fulfillment in our Lord Jesus Christ in His mightiest act of all: rising from the dead. After His resurrection, Jesus appeared to two downcast disciples who were walking on the road to Emmaus, and He asked them what they are discussing. The two men did not recognize the risen Savior, and they were surprised by the question. They replied —

“Are you only a visitor to Jerusalem and do not know the things that have happened there in these days?” “What things?” he asked. “About Jesus of Nazareth,” they replied. “He was a prophet, mighty in word and deed before God and all the people.” (Luke 24:18-19).

Those who had eyes to see recognized the supernatural power of His might. By the power of His Word, all things came into existence (Colossians 1:16). Jesus demonstrated the power of His being over nature, over disease, over demons, over sin, and even over death. Peter preached this truth in his sermon at Pentecost.

“Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with mighty works and wonders and signs that God did through him in your midst, as you yourselves know.” (Acts 2:22)

Here is something to remember, the God who parted the waters of the Red Sea is the same God who walked on the waters of the Sea of Galilee. The God who spoke all life into existence is the same God who speaks the Word of truth and life into your heart. To be sure, mighty in word and deed is one thing, but mighty when it comes to you and me, uniquely and personally, is another thing altogether! If you have trusted in Jesus Christ as your Savior, you are a receipient of that power.

My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand. I and the Father are one.” (John 10:27-29)

Jesus is mighty to save . . . mighty to sanctify . . . and mighty to keep us secure in our salvation. May that truth set us free to be all God is calling us to be. On Wednesday, we will take a look at the word “God,” the second half of Isaiah’s second appellation for this Child born on Christmas Day.

This is the Gospel. This is grace for your race. NEVER FORGET THAT . . . AMEN!

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. (Isaiah 9:6)

Today we will conclude this week’s study of the first name given by the prophet Isaiah to this child who would be born, this son who was given to us on the first Christmas Day. If you’ve been following this “Cosmic Christ Child” series, you know that we looked at the first word in the appellation “Wonderful Counseler” on Monday; on Wednesday we studied the second word; today were are going to put them back together and take in the full effect of the name Wonderful Counselor.

The apostle John opened his gospel with one of the most profound statements in all of sacred Scripture about this Wonderful Counselor:

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of men. (John 1:1-4)

One cannot help but hear the echo from the opening words of the Bible: “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth” (Genesis 1:1). Jesus was with God from all eternity; He is the living Word of God, the source of God’s creation, and the living expression of God’s communication with and love for the world. Jesus Christ is “the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word” (Hebrews 1:3).

We don’t know much about the early years of our Wonderful Counselor after His birth in the manger, but there is one event that sheds great light on why this title applies to Jesus Christ. When Jesus was twelve, his family went to Jerusalem for the Feast of the Passover, as was their custom. The following week, Jesus stayed behind after his family had departed for their home in Nazareth. When Mary and Joseph realized Jesus was not with their party, they returned to Jerusalem and found him in the Temple engaged in conversation with the religious leaders.

They found him in the temple courts, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. Everyone who heard him was amazed at his understanding and his answers. (Luke 2:46-47)

Here we see Jesus at the age of twelve amazing everyone who heard Him as He engaged in conversation with the wisest and most learned men in Israel. Their amazement was not rooted so much in His age, but rather in the depth of His wisdom. When He began His three years of ministry some 19 years later, the people could see and hear the distinct difference between our Wonderful Counselor and the religious leaders of that day:

The people were amazed at his teaching, because he taught them as one who had authority, not as the teachers of the law. (Mark 1:22)

It was a common practice for the religious leaders to quote well-known rabbis to add authority to their words. This was not, however, the practice of Jesus Christ. He was the Word of God incarnate, and when He opened His mouth to speak and teach and heal, the listener knew it was Jesus who had true authority. Jesus rebuked evil spirits (Luke 6:35), taught us to love our enemies (Matthew 5:44), and to forgive others as we have been forgiven (Matthew 18:32). He showed compassion to sinners and castigated the self-righteous.

At a time when many disciples were deserting Him, Jesus asked Peter if he wanted to go away also; Peter replied, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We believe and know that you are the Holy One of God.” (John 6:68-69). Truly, Jesus was the Wondlerful Counselor, who offerred words of life that no one else had uttered!

Before we move on to Isaiah’s next title for Jesus, I’d like you to think about this: Is it not a wonder to you that Jesus knows everything about you – every thought, every word, every deed, and every desire – and yet He still loves you and wants to be in relationship with you? “I have loved you with an everlasting love,” He assures us; “I have drawn you with loving-kindness” (Jeremiah 31:3). To be fully known and yet eternally loved by the One who is Truth is a the most wonderful and remarkable thing of all! May your heart be lifted up with joy on December 25 as you celebrate the birth of Jesus, our Wonderful Counselor.

This is the Gospel. This is grace for your race.NEVER FORGET THAT . . . AMEN!

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. (Isaiah 9:6)

During the weeks leading up to Christmas Day, I am going to share some thoughts about the four names of the Cosmic Christ Child, all of which are rooted in these words from the pen of the prophet Isaiah. Throughout this week, we will examine the name “Wonderful Counselor.” On Monday we dug into the meaning of the first word, “Wonderful,” and today we will unpack the second word: Counselor.

In the ancient world, one of the duties of a king was to deliver counsel to the people of his kingdom, helping them to navigate their lives and to live as happy, productive citizens. When you think of a king as a “counselor,” your thoughts might immediately go to the wisest man in the world in Isaiah’s day: King Solomon, who had given wise and godly counsel to his people. As the nation of Israel became increasingly apostate, the prophet Micah emphasized this truth of a king as counselor when he warned Judah of coming judgment: “Why do you cry aloud? Is there no king in you? Has your counselor perished?” (Micha 4:9 ESV).  

The answer to Micah’s query is that the true Counselor had not yet arrived on the scene. On the Mount of Transfiguration, the voice from the cloud said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him.” (Matthew 17:5). Jesus was the promised Counselor whom God had promised through Isaiah. Here is how the author of the letter to the Hebrews described Him:

In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the universe. The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven. (Hebrews 1:1-3)

God spoke to Adam, Abraham, and Moses personally. He spoke to Jacob in a dream. He spoke to Isaiah in visions. But when the appointed time had fully come (Galatians 4:4), God spoke to the world through His Son, our Wonderful Counselor. The inspired gospel accounts are filled with compelling accounts of Jesus as the Counselor, from His patient instruction of the religious leader Nicodemus, who came to Jesus at night (John 3), to His gracious invitation to the broken and shunned Samaritan woman who was trying to avoid contact with other people by coming to Jacob’s well at noon (John 4). Jesus always knew just the right words to say because He is omniscient (all-knowing). His disciples recognized this truth, saying to Him, “Now we know that you know all things” (John 16:30).   

Jesus our Counselor knows our thoughts, hears our cries, and speaks perfectly into every situation we face. Paul described Christ as the One “in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge” (Colossians 2:3). Paul was not saying that this wisdom and knowledge is “hidden” from us, but rather that all wisdom and knowledge are contained in Him and are now available for us to access and to guide us throughout every aspect and season of life.

On Friday, we will return one more time to the title “Wonderful Counselor” to see how both these names fit perfectly together.

This is the Gospel. This is grace for your race.NEVER FORGET THAT . . . AMEN!

For the next four weeks leading up to Christmas, I would like to share a few thoughts about the four names of the Cosmic Christ Child, all of which are rooted in these words from the pen of the prophet Isaiah:

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. (Isaiah 9:6)

Let’s begin with a brief word about the context of this passage. In the ancient world, when a king was crowned, he would be given names or titles that would identify his rule and his reign and the reach of his kingdom. The same was true of the four names bestowed upon this child that was born and this son that was given to us. This week we will focus on the meaning of “Wonderful Counselor,” the first name for our Lord Jesus Christ. We will look at the first half of the name on Monday, the second half of the name on Wednesday, and both combined to close out the week on Friday.

Wonderful is a word we are all quite familiar with, especially at Christmas time. It is part of the title of a Christmas movie beloved by millions: It’s A Wonderful Life. I’m sure we will all hear “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year” played on the radio and in department stores throughout the Christmas season.

However, if we are to fully grasp the meaning of this word Wonderful in the context in which it is used in sacred Scripture, we must divorce ourselves from the way we typically use it. To say something is a “wonder” or is “wonderful” is to talk about how it makes us feel and the emotions we experience. But in the biblical context, it would be better for us to see wonderful as something holy, transcendant, and utterly outside our experience. If I were to use one word as a synonym, it would be supernatural. When the psalmist Asaph was inspired to write about the “wonders God did in the land of Egypt” (Psalm 78:11), he was pointing to the supernatural and miraculous power that God put on display before the watching world.

David marveled that “Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain” (Psalm 139:6). Clearly, he meant that God’s power and grace are wonderful, magnificent, and awe-inspiring, far above and beyond our ability to fully comprehend.

So when we read the words of Isaiah, we see that “Wonderful” is something supernatural. This means that Jesus is not only wonderful in what He does, but in who He is. Jesus is wonderful. On Wednesday we will take a look at the second part of the name given to Him: Counselor.

This is the Gospel. This is grace for your race.NEVER FORGET THAT . . . AMEN!