The Christmas Child

“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

December 12, 2022

God has painted a portrait of His Messiah in vivid colors in Isaiah. But strange as it may seem to us who now see God’s Messiah after His birth, life, death, and resurrection, the portrait of the coming Son of God was a puzzle to the Old Testament prophets (1 Pet. 1:10-11). The Messiah of Israel would come as a baby who was born in humble settings. This takes us to the description of the Christ-child in four illuminated and spectacular names. The first name is that of “Wonderful Counselor.” He is Wonderful because He is a supernatural being. When Samson’s father, Manoah, asked for the name of the angel of the Lord who appeared to him, he was told “it is wonderful” (same word in the Hebrew as in Isaiah 9:6). It has overtones of deity, one who surpasses human thought and power. The miracle-working coming Messiah is the embodiment of the whole counsel of God (Acts 20:21). Jesus Christ brought words of eternal life and who, when He comes the second time, will rule the earth in perfect wisdom. He is spoken of as the “wisdom from God” in 1 Corinthians 1:30. Are you looking for the meaning of life? All of the great minds of mankind can’t hold a candle to the brilliance of the Lord Jesus Christ. Think about this as you wonder who you are and what is your purpose in life. Only Jesus Christ can give us the counsel about the ultimate questions we ask.
H
“O God of infinite wisdom, keep me from ever thinking that any human being can out-smart you. I am assaulted daily by human arrogance. Keep me sure-footed as I seek to live by your thoughts and not by human wisdom.”