SUNDAY 20th
Isaiah 9:6-7 – ‘For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will do this.’
The one born, was not only going to be the Saviour of the world but also be known as the:
Wonderful Counsellor
Mighty God
Everlasting Father
Prince of Peace
And he also was to rule and reign as King in a kingdom which will never end.
In the KJV the titles Wonderful and Counsellor are two separate titles rather than as one ‘Wonderful Counsellor’ I think that it matters not how we put it for as Wonderful, he would also be a Wonderful Counsellor, and a Wonderful Mighty God, a Wonderful Everlasting Father and a Wonderful Prince of Peace – he is and always will be wonderful in all his ways.
The tiles here mentioned are further proof of the deity of the Lord Jesus Christ for they are titles or names that would also be ascribed to God the father.
WONDERFUL COUNSELLOR – In the book of Judges there is an account of the angel of the Lord appearing to Manoah and his wife to tell them that they were going to have a son, who was to be the man Samson, in this story Manoah asks the angel of the Lord what is name was, to which the angel of the Lord replied, ‘Why do you ask my name, seeing it is wonderful?’ (Judges 13:18) a few verses later Manoah says to his wife, ‘We shall surely die for we have seen God.’ (v22) They recognised that this angel was no ordinary angel it was God himself, what we call a theophany, appearing in the form of a man. Jesus being God is also Wonderful, and he did wonderful things during his earthly ministry and he is wonderful as a Counsellor. That is, he will always give wise counsel, the Scripture tells us that ‘the child (Jesus) grew and became strong, filled with wisdom. And the favour of God was upon him.’ (Luke 2:40) and again in the same chapter even by the age of around twelve, it says ‘and all who heard him were amazed at his understanding and his answers’ here was not a Wonderful Counsellor in the making, here was a Wonderful Counsellor already at work.
MIGHTY GOD – There is no doubt once we recognise that Jesus was God in the flesh that we see him as the Mighty God, it was clearly demonstrated through the miraculous signs that he did, the miracles over nature, the elements, sickness and of course the power revealed through the Cross and his resurrection from the dead. It was Nicodemus who said to Jesus, ‘No man could do these signs that you do unless God was with him’, well, God was not only with him, he was also himself God in the flesh!
EVERLASTING FATHER – I guess this is the most difficult title to understand in relation to Jesus, for we always refer to God as the father and Jesus as the Son, even Jesus called God his Father and encouraged us to call him our Father as well. ‘Everlasting’ is no problem, for in believing in his deity we readily accept that the Lord Jesus is eternal, he is the first and the last, the alpha and the omega, with no beginning nor end, he existed before he was placed in the virgins womb, and he lives for ever after his resurrection from the dead.
In regard to Father, I looked up a few books and suggestions are that he protects like a father protects a child, he provides like a father provides for his family, one book pointed to two Scriptures where Jesus called someone ‘son’, ‘And behold, some people brought to him a paralytic, lying on a bed. And when Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, Take heart, my son; your sins are forgiven.’ (Matthew 9:2) And on another occasion someone ‘daughter’, ‘And he said to her, Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace, and be healed of your disease.’ (Mark 5:24)
PRINCE OF PEACE – Prince of peace to me speaks of the highest source and provider of what is the truest and highest peace. Through his death and resurrection he has brought us peace, we have touched on this over a couple of devotions recently, peace with God, peace within ourselves and peace with one another, it is a perfect peace and a permanent peace, but it also speaks of the future when he will set up his throne in Jerusalem in what we call the future millennial reign where he shall reign over a kingdom of peace.
May we ever be conscious that this was no mere baby born in Bethlehem, it was God in the flesh, who has come to be our Wonderful Counsellor, our Mighty God, our Everlasting Father and our Prince of Peace. He came to live among men, he came to die for the sin of men, he arose again for our justification and he wants to rule in our hearts as the King of King and the Lords of Lords. Will you allow him to enter in.
Unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given:
And the government shall be upon his shoulder.
Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah.
Unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given:
And his name shall be called Wonderful,
The mighty God, the everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace.
Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah.
Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end:
Upon the throne of David and upon his kingdom to order it,
And to establish it with judgment and justice, from henceforth, even for ever.
The zeal of the Lord of Hosts will perform this.
Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah.
And his name shall be called Wonderful,
The mighty God, the everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace.