THE WONDER OF HIS NAME
BY PASTOR MARK TAYLOR
“For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.” (Isaiah 9:6-7)
Wonderful
His first coming was wonderful. This fulfilled prophecy in Isaiah 9 was to show us who God is and what He is like in the form of His Son, The Lord Jesus Christ. He was and is “Wonderful”. 742 years before his birth, Isaiah, God's prophet, foretold the amazing truth that he would be born of a virgin and said His name would be Immanuel - "God With Us". (Isaiah 7:14). 700 years before He was born, Micah, God's prophet revealed in Micah 5:2 that the Savior would be born in Bethlehem of Judah. There are over 60 prophecies and over 300 verses in the Old Testament which foretold His coming. The chance that any man might have lived down to the present time and fulfilled only eight of the prophecies is 1 in 1017." That would be 1 in 100,000,000,000,000,000. Jesus was not an ordinary man, but God in the flesh. “And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen His glory, glory as of the only Son, from the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:14). What a wonderful gift from God.
Every ordinary thing He touched became “Wonderful”. Everyone He touched changed from ordinary into “Wonderful”. At His presence, the blind would see, the deaf could hear, the lame could walk, and the dead could be raised from the dead. When Jesus came by, people felt His “wonderful” presence and everyone He touched received something “Wonderful” from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Everything He did was “Wonderful”. He fed thousands of hungry people with His “Wonderful” miracles. He ate and fellowshipped with the outcasts and unlovable in His community. He brought the message of eternal life to all who would hear and receive it. Everything He said was “Wonderful”. He talked about living forever with Him in Heaven. He talked about having rewards for living a good and righteous life. He talked about forgiveness for all the sins we have committed. He talked about His love for us and the need for us to love others.
Counsellor
We all need a counselor at one time or another. We need the advice of friends or family. Jesus has the credentials to be our advisor because he is completely trustworthy and wise. Jesus provides two things that we’d look for in a great counselor: He is understanding. – “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are - yet was without sin.” (Hebrews 4:15)
He is someone who really cares. – “Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.” (1 Pet. 5:7). So when we face any and every decision, this prophecy tells us that Jesus is there to advise us and give us direction. Jesus is our top advisor. He can see every possible outcome, and knows which choice is best. Every time.
Mighty God
This is an expectation of power. Calling this child “God” is a prophecy regarding the divinity of Jesus Christ. He will be the all-powerful God himself! Christ is our victorious king who has already triumphed over the evil powers of this world! Because of that, we can expect Jesus to continue give us victory over our struggles. As a “Mighty Warrior” he will deliver us safely from the wars we wage against the embarrassing temptations we have a difficult time getting under control. He will deliver us from laziness, bad habits, confrontations with family, and confrontations with people with whom we do business. He is the Mighty God!
The Everlasting Father
This is an expectation of care. “Everlasting” points to a promise of kingdom that will never end. (Is. 9:7) “Father” refers to the enduring, compassionate, fatherly care of the Messiah to His people. We can expect Jesus to be our “Provider Forever.”
“When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.” (Matthew 9:36)
Prince of Peace
This is an expectation of wholeness. A “Prince” is a leader, military commander or noble. “Peace” is the world “shalom” which means the absence of strife, completion, fulfillment or wholeness resulting in unimpaired relationships. He also provides “peace on earth,” “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men.” (Luke 2:14). There will be a time of absence of war and social justice on earth. This will happen when the Lord Jesus returns at His Second Coming. But until then He has come to bring peace into our lives. “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.” (John 14:27). This can happen in the part of the world where you live and occupy - within your heart and mind. The Lord Jesus Christ wants to come into our lives and bring us peace. "For He is our peace" (Ephesians 2:14).
Our Lord is more than a baby born in a manger. He is Wonderful, He is our Counsellor. He is our Mighty God. He is our Everlasting Father, He is our Prince of Peace.
