Isaiah 9:6-7 – What Child Is This? – Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace
Isaiah 9:6-7 Bible Study Video
Here are the words to a popular Christmas song.
What Child is this, who, laid to rest, On Mary’s lap is sleeping? Whom angels greet with anthems sweet, While shepherds watch are keeping?
That is a good question, what child is this? Who is this that we are still singing songs about Him and celebrating His birthday and life 2000 years later?
That is the question we will look at today and the title of this message: What Child Is This?
Isaiah 9:6-7 NASB – For a Child will be born to us, a Son will be given to us;
And the government will rest on His shoulders;
And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. There will be no end to the increase of His government or of peace
On the throne of David and over his kingdom,
To establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness
From then on and forevermore.
The zeal of the LORD of armies will accomplish this.
Overview – An Amazing Child
This is one of the most amazing prophecies in Scripture. It is a prophecy about a coming child, but no ordinary child. This child would be special. He was one-of-a-kind, given titles no other person has ever been given. This child would be the Messiah and would change the world.
When we look at history, we see that this prophecy was fulfilled in Jesus Christ. No one has changed the world like He has. Almost 2000 years later, His impact is still here and growing. Jesus’ life was so significant the calendar in use around the world today is based entirely on His birth. The calendar rightly tells us that world history can be divided into parts, before Christ, and after.
Around 2.4 billion people claim to be Christians. There are tens of millions of churches in the world. The Bible is the most printed and most sold and distributed book every year and 2nd place is not close.
2000+ years after Jesus’ birth, you can walk into a random mall in China and hear songs about that event being played to shoppers. Christmas is celebrated in almost every country across the world.
What child is this?
While not all of these people are real believers, it is easy to see that Jesus has had a huge influence.
He hasn’t only influenced the world in general, but also each of our lives. Think for a moment about how different your life is because of Jesus. Would you be in China? I wouldn’t. Would you be married to the same person? I wouldn’t. Would you be here this morning? I wouldn’t.
Jesus has transformed our lives.
The coming of this amazing child was prophesied around 700 years before Jesus’ birth. Some skeptics question whether perhaps these prophecies were added later. Maybe someone went back and inserted verses about the Messiah after the fact. Those ideas were squashed when a shepherd boy discovered the Dead Sea Scrolls in 1947 at a cave in Khirbat Qumran. One of these scrolls was a nearly intact Isaiah scroll. That scroll dates back to over one hundred years BEFORE Jesus’ birth (show PPT).
The entire Isaiah scroll has been scanned and you can see it digitally.
http://dss.collections.imj.org.il/isaiah
Verse 6, which we are reading today is right there in Hebrew (translated in the picture) written before Jesus was ever born. We can be confident in the Scriptures.
This verse says that “to us a child is born.” This child’s birth was not just announced in a general way to the whole world. It is not about the stats listed above. It is about a relationship. His birth matters, not just to the world, but to us, to you.
So why does a normal child’s birth 2000 years ago matter to us today? It doesn’t. But the Messiah was not a normal child. That is shown through the name given to Him. This name show us who He is. And He is far from normal.
I. Wonderful Counselor
Isaiah 9:6 – And his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor.
It’s interesting that in Hebrew the phrase “Wonderful-Counselor-Mighty-God-Eternal-Father-Prince-of-Peace” is one name. It says His name, singular, shall be called. The original Hebrew does not contain punctuation. KJV has a comma in between Wonderful and Counselor. Thus it would read. His name is Wonderful, Counselor. NASB translators viewed “Wonderful” as an adjective modifying Counselor.
In either case, both are true. He is “Wonderful” and He is a “Wonderful Counselor.”
Wonderful – Pele – It means “Wonder.” So literally His name is “Wonder.”
What did Jesus do to deserve this title?
—Miracles
o Calmed a storm
o Fed 5000 people with 5 pieces of bread and 2 fish
o Raised people from the dead
o Healed the blind
o Caused the lame to walk
o Walked on water
–Character
o Sinless. He was tempted in every way as we are yet without sin.
o Humility. Washed His disciples feet. Kept silent in the face of false accusations.
—Answers and Wisdom
o His wise answers routinely baffled his opponents.
o Even as a 12-year-old, they were astonished at the wisdom he displayed when talking with the temple scholars.
—His Sacrifice
o His death. The centurion was left astonished at what he had seen.
o His resurrection.
Jesus is wonderful. There is no one like Him.
Application – Do you recognize that Jesus is wonderful?. Not everyone recognized Jesus was wonderful.
The blind and the lame came to him at the temple, and he healed them. But when the chief priests and the teachers of the law saw the wonderful things he did and the children shouting in the temple courts, “Hosanna to the Son of David,” they were indignant.
While some people were in wonder at Jesus, some people were ticked.
Is He wonderful in your mind? If not, then something is broken
Perhaps you need to spend some time to meditate on who Jesus is. Sometimes after you get to know someone for a long time you start to take them for granted. Perhaps you overlook the qualities that made them special to you at the beginning. Think about why Jesus is wonderful. Now if you believe it say, “Jesus is wonderful because….” Fill in the blank.
Wonderful Counselor
A counselor is someone who gives advice. A counselor imparts wisdom and tries to help people improve their life or situation.
Therapy, counseling, and coaching are all industries that are growing quickly. You can find a counselor, online or in person, for almost anything.
• Career
• Marriage
• Relationship
• Trama
• Rehabilitation
• Mental health
• Education
• Addiction or abuse
But counsel is only as good as the source. It can be very helpful. Or it can be destructive.
Bad counsel
• Job’s wife.
• QinShiHuang, first emperor of China – Sought the advice of philosophers and alchemists for a life elixir that would allow him to live forever. One of these sketchy characters gave him mercury pills to eat every day. They finally drove him made and poisoned him to death at the young age of 49.
Jesus warned us about blind guides. Would you ask a blind man to lead you across the street? Receiving counsel from the wrong person can be dangerous.
But Jesus is the right person.
Jesus is a wonderful counselor. He is a great counselor for many reasons. One, He knows everything because He made it all. Two, He knows you better than you know yourself (every hair on your head). Three, He speaks the truth, not what you want to hear.
If you have made a wrong decision, if you have gone astray, if you have made a mess of your life or in some area of it, the reason is because you have not listened to His counsel. His counsel is wonderful. It is amazing. It is perfect. He is never wrong. He has never given wrong counsel to anyone. Nor has He have ever needed to ask anyone for counsel.
Here is His key life advice.
Matthew 16:25-26 – For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul?
His teachings are full of wisdom that can benefit your life.
• Don’t worry about the future.
• Love your neighbor as yourself.
• Be humble.
• Forgive.
Jesus is the light of the world. He can shine the light onto your problem. He can open your eyes so that you know what is important.
Application – John 8:31-32 – So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
What is the problem that you are experiencing in your life?
• Marriage?
• Family?
• Sin / Temptation / Addiction?
• Communication with friends?
Jesus is the wonderful counselor. He can help you with any of these or any other problem you face.
But many people with issues don’t like counselors. They are afraid that the counselor will tell them something they don’t like to hear. They are afraid that the counselor may tell them, “You are problem.” Most people don’t want to hear that. Most people want to hear, “The other person is the problem. You are good. If the other person would just listen to you / understand you / accept you then the problem would be solved.” So many either don’t go to a counselor, or they find a counselor who will just affirm and agree with them.
If you are looking for a counselor like that, Jesus is not your guy.
He will tell you the truth. You might not like the truth, but the truth will help and the truth will set you free. If you really want help, you need to be willing to face the hard truth. Seek Him and He will give you wisdom from above. You can seek Him through His Word and through prayer. Also, you can ask counsel from godly believers who know His Word and live it out.
Proverbs 3:5-6 – Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.
What child is this? He is Wonderful. He is a Wonderful Counselor. He is also Mighty God. He gives us the counsel we need. And then He enables us to do it. We cannot do it on our own. We are weak, but He is mighty!
II. Mighty God
Isaiah 9:6 – And his name shall be called… Mighty God.
What child is this?
This child would be called “Mighty God.” Think about that for a moment. The Creator of the universe stooped to take on human flesh. The King of Kings came from the throne room in heaven to lowly earth. And He didn’t come to be born in a palace of a great city and wear kingly robes. He came to born of a common family in a manger. God became a man. This prophecy about the Messiah points to the incarnation.
What is the incarnation?
The incarnation is the teaching that God “took on flesh.”
It comes from John 1:14.
John 1:1 – In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
John 1:14 – And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.
The Word is a title for Jesus. He is the truth. He brings God’s message.
Philippians 2:5-8 – Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.
Jesus was in the form of God. He condescended to be born in the likeness of men. Jesus is both 100% God and 100% man.
For us today we kind of take that for granted. We have been exposed to many teachings of the incarnation. It happened before your were born and has been true all of your life. But imagine how a person would have felt 3000 years ago to hear that a child would be called “Mighty God.” God’s name was so holy and so high they didn’t even dare to write it down in full. The idea that that awesome God, who is so untouchable, would be born into this world as a baby, would have hit like a bombshell. The idea is incredible. Why would He do this? How could this work? What would it mean for people? It wasn’t only game-changing; it was a universe altering revelation.
In short, it means that God cares. God cares so much for people that He decided to come down and live among us and help us. He didn’t remain distant. He didn’t say, “Sin is your problem. You deal with it.” He saw us in our terrible need and He bent down to pick us up. It reminds me of this verse in Hosea.
Hosea 11:4 – I bent down to them and fed them. (Talking of Israel)
God bent down. Emperors don’t bend down. Kings don’t bend down. They sit on their high throne and look down on everyone. Everyone else has to be lower and bend down.
But in this case, the High Emperor of heaven did bend down. He lowered Himself not just to become a person, but to become a servant of all and to die for all. As a man, He was able to represent us before the Father.
So what does the incarnation teach us about Jesus?
He is Humble
We live in a world where everyone is very concerned with their rights.
• I was here first.
• That’s mine.
• This is my spot.
• I have the right to free speech. I can say what I want.
• It’s my turn.
• I washed the dishes yesterday. You have to today.
The list is unending. People stand on their perceived rights and will not compromise. We fight and argue for things that we are not even entitled to. We push for our rights when we don’t actually have any.
But look at Jesus. Jesus had real rights. He had divine rights. No one could take them away from Him. He deserved those things. Yet He chose to willingly give up those rights for our sake.
Jesus sacrificed His life for us and many times we are unwilling to give up even an inch of space to others. He was humble and we are not.
Application – Stop fighting so hard for your “rights.”
He is Love
When we think about why Jesus did this, the answer always comes back to “love.”
Psalms 8:4 – What is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him?
What is man? Why should God care about us? It’s not because we are irresistible. It’s not because we are lovely or cute. It’s not because of our goodness. It’s because of His choice to love us. He is the Mighty God. There is no one higher than Him. No one can make Him do this. It was His choice. He is love.
He is Mighty – Can save us
While the incarnation teaches us that Jesus is humble, we see in the title “Mighty God” that humility does not equal weakness. This Hebrew word for Mighty (gibbor) is used to describe someone strong, valiant, heroic, a champion. It is often used in Scripture both of God and of the mightiest warriors.
Jesus is brave, powerful, heroic. But He was not powerful in the sense that people were expecting. They were looking for a mighty military leader to free them from Rome. In Jesus’ second coming, He will be that mighty leader. But the first time He led in a different way.
We see His might in the many miracles He did. He came in the “power of the Spirit” (Luke 4:14). He cast out demons. He stood up to the persecution and attacks of the religious leaders. His teaching was powerful and authoritative (Matthew 7:29). The bravest thing He did was to carry out His mission to die on the cross. He knew what was coming. He stared death in the face and walked straight into it without flinching. Jesus had the power to lay down His life and then to take it up again (John 10:18). That power was proven in the resurrection.’
What does His might mean for you?
Zephaniah 3:17 – The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save.
He is mighty to save. We are relying on Him to save us. A weakling or an ordinary person will not make the cut.
Application – Place your trust in Him. He can save you. He can and will keep His promises.
III. Eternal Father
Eternal
• Pre-existent
• Self-Existent
• Born as a child in time but existed before and after
o John 8:58 Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.”
o Revelation 1:8 “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.”
• He will never leave or forsake us
Father
First, this is not a reference to Jesus as having the role of Father within the Trinity. We know from Scripture that Jesus is the second person of the Trinity. Even in this passage, He is called a son, “to us a son is given.”
Father of Time and Creation –
The term “Everlasting Father” can be translated “Father of Eternity.” It hints to the fact that Jesus is the author of time and that He is the Creator of all.
The image of and our connection to the Father (Delete this section?)-
John 14:8-10 – Philip said to him, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us.” Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you so long, and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own authority, but the Father who dwells in me does his works.
The Father is Spirit. He is invisible. He can never be seen by us. Jesus is our connection to Him. Jesus is the reflection of the Father (Colossians 1:15). In Him, we see the Father’s heart, the Father’s love, and the Father’s message for us. If you want to know anything about the Father, look at Jesus. The only way to the Father, is through Jesus (John 14:6).
Through Jesus we can have a relationship with the Father. He will safeguard our relationship with Him forever.
Our protector and provider –
A father protects His family. He provides for His family. He sacrifices for His family. He leads His family. Jesus does these things for us. A father is the head of the family. Jesus is the head of the church. As a father should be wiling to die for His children, so Jesus died for us.
He will never stop caring for us. He will never stop providing for us. Our earthly fathers may disappoint us. Some of you may have been scarred because of your earthly fathers. Maybe he was harsh, indifferent, aloof, or abusive. Jesus will not be. He will not let you down. Your earthly father may have abandoned you at some point. Jesus will not.
Look at what Jesus said about Himself.
Luke 13:34 – How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing!
This verse doesn’t mean Jesus is a mother or a hen. But He does take that role toward us. In a similar way, He treats us as a good father. Here we see His desire to nurture and protect us.
Application – Will you let Him? Will you go to Him for that protection or will you turn somewhere else? He is the everlasting protector and provider. Anything you turn to in this world will be temporary at best.
He is worthy of our eternal devotion and trust.
This one is the most mysterious of the titles given to Jesus in this verse. I hope you will continue meditating on these names today and through the week.
IV. Prince of Peace
This name is also progressive. He gives wonderful counsel. He then gives you the strength to keep it. He promises to be with us always as a father protecting and providing for us. Then if we follow that counsel and if we have that relationship with Him, peace follows.
He is the Prince of Peace. A prince is a noble title. A prince is going to be king. He is going to be king when the time comes. We will see that in the next verse.
When Jesus came, He offered peace to the world. That is seen in the angel’s announcement about His birth.
Luke 2:14 – Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!
This phrase “peace on earth” is beautiful. It makes its way into many Christmas carols. But what does it mean?
The peace that this world offers is fragile and shallow. It may result in a lack of direct conflict, but not genuine reconciliation. Jesus offers another kind of peace altogether.
The peace that we need is between man and God. In Genesis 6, God commented that His Spirit was striving with man. Man’s sin had brought about enmity between he and God. Man’s rebellion against God has continued almost unabated since the fall.
God would have been perfectly justified in wiping us out. He could have said, “I am done.”
But He didn’t. Jesus came to bring an olive branch. He came to mediate a peace treaty between God and man. When a superior force offers terms, they are normally simple. Total surrender. The peace treaty that He offered is truly remarkable. He would take all of the sin, debt, and punishment onto His own shoulders. He would sacrifice Himself on our behalf. And He would bring us into God’s own family to be adopted as His very own sons and daughters.
Romans 5:1 – Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.
The peace is available for all. But there is still a condition. We need to place our faith in Christ. We need to repent of our sins. We need to stop fighting Him and submit to Him. That is His wonderful counsel. When we listen to His counsel and submit to Him, we have peace with Him.
That does not guarantee that if you follow Christ, you will be at peace with everyone else. Sometimes following Jesus brings us into conflict with others. Maybe some of you have a parent or relative who disagrees with your faith. That is not the peace that Jesus offers. He does not promise a total absence of conflict. He does not promise that there will be no storms. But you can have peace in the midst of the storm. Jesus slept when there was a storm outside because He had a perfect relationship with the Father. He didn’t worry about or fear anything.
When you follow His wonderful counsel, you can experience that deep peace in your own heart.
Application: Are you experiencing peace with God? Are you at peace in your heart? If not, it is likely because you have not followed the Wonderful Counselor.
If you follow His counsel, He will give you His peace – Steve Lawson
God is offering a peace treaty with you. He took all the cost on Himself. Will you accept Him? To do so, you need to also accept His terms. Total surrender to Him. He is in charge of your life. That is true whether you realize it or not. It’s not up to you to give up control of your life to Him. He already is in charge. It is up to you to acknowledge that He is in control. That recognition will bring you peace.
V. Amazing King
Isaiah 9:6 – And THE government shall be upon his shoulder… 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.
What child is this? This child would become king. It says that THE government will be on his shoulders. This is God’s kingdom that He will one day establish on earth. The final kingdom. The kingdoms of this world rise and fall. Egypt. Babylon. Persia. Greece. Rome. Byzantine. Mongols. Ottoman. British. All rose. All fell. All temporary. All weak, sinful, flawed, vulnerable. All faded away. The book of Daniel describes the kingdoms of this world as a beautiful statue. One day God’s kingdom (represented by a rock not cared by human hands) will come and shatter all of these so that nothing remains of them. His kingdom will endure forever.
The kingdoms of this world are good at recycling. They conquer the previous one, take some elements, reuse some things, and recycle the rest.
Jesus’ kingdom will be totally different. It will be a different kind of kingdom. It will be grand and glorious. It will never fade away. It will never end. It will be just. It will be righteous. Because He is just and righteous.
While it has not yet been established physically, we don’t have to wait to join it. That child grew up and preached that the “kingdom of God is at hand.”
Application – Which kingdom are you seeking after? Which kingdom are you investing in? It is far better to invest in the eternal kingdom than one that is on life support!
Conclusion
What child is this? The most amazing in history. His NAME is “Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”
Wonderful Counselor – He will never lead you astray. Are you listening to Him? Are you following His counsel?
Mighty God – He will give you the strength to do what He wants you to do. Are you relying on your own strength or relying on Him?
Everlasting Father – He is not only a Savior, a friend, a Lord. He is like a father. Do you cherish that relationship?
Prince of Peace – He offers peace in between you and God. He offers peace in your heart amid the storm. Are you experiencing that peace? Have you accepted His terms and surrendered yourself to His counsel?
His kingdom never ends – Are you part of that Kingdom? Are you investing in that kingdom?
Perhaps there is something in there that you need to do. Or perhaps God just wants you to marvel at the WONDER that is Jesus. Perhaps the application for you today is to simply appreciate Him and enjoy your relationship with Him.
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