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 Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Isaiah 9:6
To realize the potential of your life, to live as God your Creator meant for you to live, abundantly, freely, joyfully, and victorious you must accept who you are in Christ. But you cannot truly appreciate who you are in Him if you do not know who God is. So much of who we are is dependent on who God is. It means nothing to us if we are a child of God, if we not understand God as our Heavenly Father. It means nothing that we are friends of God if we don’t grasp that He is our Friend. Consider the depth of knowing we are secure and protected in the light of understanding He is our Rock, The Lord of hosts. To get to know who God is means persistently pursuing Him, determinedly spending time with Him, reading His Word, listening to Him, and learning from elders, teachers, and other believers. So, let’s look at some of who our Lord is. One of the most famous of Messianic prophecies gives us some beautiful names for Him and speaks to the Triune God, The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit being one God. God is not The Father in charge and two lesser gods called the son and holy spirit under him. He is One God in three manifestations of purpose. It is okay if we don’t fully understand that concept. It is beyond human understanding, but it is not beyond the mind of God. His ways are not our ways, his thinking is not our thinking (Isaiah 55:8-9). Isaiah 9:6-7 reads,
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 Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
7 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.
We know this passage is about Jesus, we say it every Christmas. But how often do we mediate on the awesomeness of what it says about the LORD? God first says that unto us, to the world a son is given. So right away we know that God gave us His Son. Today, that phrase brings to mind another well-known Bible verse, one that most every Christian and many non-believers know by heart, John 3:16.
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
That seemingly simple verse is profound in meaning and beautiful in it implications. Let’s continue reading what Jesus had to say to the Pharisee Nicodemus about salvation. In John 3:16-21, Jesus said,
For God so loved the world,[ that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. 19 And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. 20 For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. 21 But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.
What does this passage say about you and about God. It says that you are loved and God loves you so much that He was willing to give us His Son to save you. It says that He is the Judge and in Him you are not condemned. It says that Jesus is the Light and that the great works you do, which says you are capable of those deeds are carried out in God. That means He empowers you to do His work.
Now back to the passage from Isaiah and what else it says about our Lord. Isaiah was given four names for the Savior to be known by, Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, and Prince of Peace. It is interesting to me that only one of those names is one we commonly associate with the Son of God. When we think Prince of Peace it is Jesus we think of. That name speaks to His royalty, He is the Prince. It speaks to His bringing peace, reconciling the world to God. And it speaks to the peace He gives in knowing we have nothing to fear because we are not condemned to separation from Him. 2 Corinthians 5:17-21 describes it like this.
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. 18 All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; 19 that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. 20 Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. 21 For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
Jesus reconciles us to God, He reconciles us to Himself so that we too can become princes of peace, reconciling the world to Him. We are His ambassadors of peace, we are the righteousness of God! What a great and mighty job! What a beautiful name He gave us.
Wonderful Counselor is a name we normally associate with The Holy Spirit. The Hebrew word for wonderful means full of miracles, full of marvel, extraordinary and hard to understand, and filled with God's acts of judgment and redemption. Counselor from the Hebrew means to advise reflexively, to deliberate or resolve, make known, inform well, consult, to give and take counsel, determine, devise, guide, and give purpose. He is a teacher, lawyer, mediator, intercessor, and psychologist wrapped up in one divine person.
The Hebrew word for counselor yaats is translated in the Greek as paraklhtoj, it has the same meaning, an intercessor, consoler, advocate, and comforter. This is the word used In John 14:26 when Jesus promises the Holy Spirit. John 14:25-27 reads,
“These things I have spoken to you while I am still with you. 26 But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you. 27 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.
Romans 11:33-36 describes counsel as making God known to us, realizing Him for us. This is what the Wonderful Counselor does.
Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!
34 “For who has known the mind of the Lord,
or who has been his counselor?”
35 “Or who has given a gift to him
that he might be repaid?”
36 For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen
Our Savior is also called Mighty God! El Gibbor! Powerful, Strong, Warrior, Giant, and Champion God! He is fighting for us. We have nothing to fear with Mighty God as our Champion. 1 Corinthians 6:13, 14, 15,19,20[i] says this,
The body is … for the Lord, and the Lord for the body. 14 And God raised the Lord and will also raise us up by his power. 15 Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? But he who is joined to the Lord becomes one spirit with him… 19 Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, 20 for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.
The next name is so beautiful, this passage is about the Son given to us, it is listing some of the names of our Savior, the Son of God and here He is called Everlasting Father. Wow! He is Eternal never ceasing, always and forever Father, Ab, intimate originator of the family, the One who gives life and name to His children. The relationship between Jesus and the Father is so personal that He is the Father and the Father is the Son. We get to share in that intimacy because as Jesus is in the Father and the Father is in Him, so we too are in Christ and Christ in us. In John 10:30 Jesus said, “I and the Father are one.” Then in John 10:37-38 He took it to the next level, He said,
... If I am not doing the works of my Father, then do not believe me; 38 but if I do them, even though you do not believe me, believe the works, that you may know and understand that the Father is in me and I am in the Father.
And in John 17:20-23 Jesus prayed that you and I could experience this same unity with Him.
I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, 21 that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me. 22 The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one, 23 I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me
You see you cannot separate God into three separate beings, He is One God. He is Father, Son, and Spirit always. And the extension of that is that no one and nothing can separate us from God or His love! (John 10:28, Romans 8:38-39).
You cannot serve only one part of God, if you decide that The Spirit is not God, then the god you serve is not the God of the Bible, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. You serve an idol. If you serve God the Father but leave out the Son, then you too are ignoring what He said about Himself in Isaiah, He gave us a Son, His name is Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, and Prince of Peace. Verse 7 like the verses surrounding these two talks about some of what the Savior does. It shows us more of who God is, He is the promise of the never-ending King of Israel sitting on the throne of David. He is the over every government on the earth. He is Just, Judge, and Righteous. He is the Lord of hosts, and He is Zealous.
Cherished, I encourage you to mediate on these names of God and understand the truth of who He is and what that means for you and the world around you. We will over the next several days study passages that will help us to understand more of who God is.
[i] Click the link to read the passage 1 Corinthians 6:13-19 in its entirety.
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 Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
7 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.
We know this passage is about Jesus, we say it every Christmas. But how often do we mediate on the awesomeness of what it says about the LORD? God first says that unto us, to the world a son is given. So right away we know that God gave us His Son. Today, that phrase brings to mind another well-known Bible verse, one that most every Christian and many non-believers know by heart, John 3:16.
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
That seemingly simple verse is profound in meaning and beautiful in it implications. Let’s continue reading what Jesus had to say to the Pharisee Nicodemus about salvation. In John 3:16-21, Jesus said,
For God so loved the world,[ that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. 19 And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. 20 For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. 21 But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.
What does this passage say about you and about God. It says that you are loved and God loves you so much that He was willing to give us His Son to save you. It says that He is the Judge and in Him you are not condemned. It says that Jesus is the Light and that the great works you do, which says you are capable of those deeds are carried out in God. That means He empowers you to do His work.
Now back to the passage from Isaiah and what else it says about our Lord. Isaiah was given four names for the Savior to be known by, Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, and Prince of Peace. It is interesting to me that only one of those names is one we commonly associate with the Son of God. When we think Prince of Peace it is Jesus we think of. That name speaks to His royalty, He is the Prince. It speaks to His bringing peace, reconciling the world to God. And it speaks to the peace He gives in knowing we have nothing to fear because we are not condemned to separation from Him. 2 Corinthians 5:17-21 describes it like this.
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. 18 All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; 19 that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. 20 Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. 21 For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
Jesus reconciles us to God, He reconciles us to Himself so that we too can become princes of peace, reconciling the world to Him. We are His ambassadors of peace, we are the righteousness of God! What a great and mighty job! What a beautiful name He gave us.
Wonderful Counselor is a name we normally associate with The Holy Spirit. The Hebrew word for wonderful means full of miracles, full of marvel, extraordinary and hard to understand, and filled with God's acts of judgment and redemption. Counselor from the Hebrew means to advise reflexively, to deliberate or resolve, make known, inform well, consult, to give and take counsel, determine, devise, guide, and give purpose. He is a teacher, lawyer, mediator, intercessor, and psychologist wrapped up in one divine person.
The Hebrew word for counselor yaats is translated in the Greek as paraklhtoj, it has the same meaning, an intercessor, consoler, advocate, and comforter. This is the word used In John 14:26 when Jesus promises the Holy Spirit. John 14:25-27 reads,
“These things I have spoken to you while I am still with you. 26 But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you. 27 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.
Romans 11:33-36 describes counsel as making God known to us, realizing Him for us. This is what the Wonderful Counselor does.
Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!
34 “For who has known the mind of the Lord,
or who has been his counselor?”
35 “Or who has given a gift to him
that he might be repaid?”
36 For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen
Our Savior is also called Mighty God! El Gibbor! Powerful, Strong, Warrior, Giant, and Champion God! He is fighting for us. We have nothing to fear with Mighty God as our Champion. 1 Corinthians 6:13, 14, 15,19,20[i] says this,
The body is … for the Lord, and the Lord for the body. 14 And God raised the Lord and will also raise us up by his power. 15 Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? But he who is joined to the Lord becomes one spirit with him… 19 Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, 20 for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.
The next name is so beautiful, this passage is about the Son given to us, it is listing some of the names of our Savior, the Son of God and here He is called Everlasting Father. Wow! He is Eternal never ceasing, always and forever Father, Ab, intimate originator of the family, the One who gives life and name to His children. The relationship between Jesus and the Father is so personal that He is the Father and the Father is the Son. We get to share in that intimacy because as Jesus is in the Father and the Father is in Him, so we too are in Christ and Christ in us. In John 10:30 Jesus said, “I and the Father are one.” Then in John 10:37-38 He took it to the next level, He said,
... If I am not doing the works of my Father, then do not believe me; 38 but if I do them, even though you do not believe me, believe the works, that you may know and understand that the Father is in me and I am in the Father.
And in John 17:20-23 Jesus prayed that you and I could experience this same unity with Him.
I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, 21 that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me. 22 The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one, 23 I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me
You see you cannot separate God into three separate beings, He is One God. He is Father, Son, and Spirit always. And the extension of that is that no one and nothing can separate us from God or His love! (John 10:28, Romans 8:38-39).
You cannot serve only one part of God, if you decide that The Spirit is not God, then the god you serve is not the God of the Bible, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. You serve an idol. If you serve God the Father but leave out the Son, then you too are ignoring what He said about Himself in Isaiah, He gave us a Son, His name is Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, and Prince of Peace. Verse 7 like the verses surrounding these two talks about some of what the Savior does. It shows us more of who God is, He is the promise of the never-ending King of Israel sitting on the throne of David. He is the over every government on the earth. He is Just, Judge, and Righteous. He is the Lord of hosts, and He is Zealous.
Cherished, I encourage you to mediate on these names of God and understand the truth of who He is and what that means for you and the world around you. We will over the next several days study passages that will help us to understand more of who God is.
[i] Click the link to read the passage 1 Corinthians 6:13-19 in its entirety.
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