Good Wednesday to you my ‘Walking with Jesus’ friends,
Yesterday we began our journey toward Christmas 2023 by looking at the prophecies of Isaiah, written about 700 years before Jesus’ birth. Isaiah had predicted the devastating destruction of the northern kingdom of Israel by the global, dominating empire Assyria, which did happen in 722bc.
Isaiah also predicted a glorious future event, the coming of Messiah and the HOPE that Messiah would bring into that very same area, devastated by Assyrian forces, the region of the Galilee. Isaiah proclaimed the Messiah would bring the light of God’s TRUTH into the darkness of despair, and the HOPE of the Presence of God. (Isaiah 8:19-9:2,6)
Isaiah proclaimed 4 powerful titles or phrases which would describe the Messiah and His impact on Israel and eventually our entire world: “He will be called ‘Wonderful Counselor; Mighty God; Everlasting Father; Prince of Peace…” (Isaiah 9:6) The people who heard Isaiah or read his writings over the years found great hope in these words. In times of great confusion or despair everyone seeks wisdom and counsel. In Israel’s history, the glory days of King Solomon were revered as having the wisest man in the world, Solomon, as Israel’s king, and God’s blessing and protection of Israel during those years.
But Isaiah was predicting a future time when a wise counselor would be even greater than Solomon for Israel. The words of Jesus were received as the greatest words of God’s wisdom ever spoken. In fact do you remember Peter once said to Jesus “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We believe and know that You are the Holy One of God.” (John 6:68,69)
Jesus Himself had said, “I am the light of the world, whoever follows Me will not walk in darkness… If you hold to My teaching, you are really My disciples. Then you will know the truth and the truth will set you free!” (John 8:12, 31,32) And on the night before He went to the cross, Jesus told His disciples “I am the way, the truth and the life, no one comes to the Father except by Me.” (John 14:6)
That same evening Jesus told His disciples that He would send the Holy Spirit of God to live within each of His followers and the Spirit would be their God given Counselor, teaching and guiding them as Jesus had taught and given them God’s counsel. (John 14:16,17,26) Yes, those who listened to Jesus, and have read the Gospel accounts written by those who were with Jesus, understand that Jesus is the God sent Wonderful Counselor the prophet Isaiah was predicting!
When the prophet Isaiah used the phrase “Mighty God” to describe the forthcoming Messiah, it was very welcomed news for Israel had been enslaved by the Egyptians, then conquered by the Assyrian armies, and soon thereafter came the conquering Babylonian armies. Oh, how the people longed for God to send an all-powerful Messiah who could lead Israel in triumphantly defending itself against its enemies.
Through the years the people watched with hopeful expectation as courageous men rose up willing to lead small groups of warriors in rebelling against the overwhelming forces of their enemies. But in every case their insurrections were short lived and accomplished little.
Therefore, when Jesus began doing His miracles, people quickly took notice and began wondering if finally, this Jesus was the long-awaited Messiah who they expected would have superhuman, invincible power only available through “Mighty God”?
Matthew wrote his account of the birth of Jesus claiming an angel had appeared to Joseph declaring this baby to be the fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecy “The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son and will call him Immanuel.” and then Matthew added these words of commentary: “which means Mighty God with us” (Matt. 1:21 & Isaiah 7:14)
When Dr. Luke wrote his account of Jesus, he claimed the angel Gabriel had appeared to young Mary and told her: “You will be with child and give birth to a son and you are to give Him the name Jesus….The Holy Spirit will come upon you and the power of the Most High God will overshadow you . So the holy one to be born to you will be called the Son of God…the LORD God will give Him the throne of His father David…” (Luke 1:35,31,32) Isaiah’s phrase Mighty God is fulfilled in Jesus the all-powerful Messiah, do you believe that?
Isaiah’s third prophetic phrase ‘Everlasting Father’ combined two profound concepts. First, ‘timelessness’ and second, “Fatherhood”! While Israel had some famous great leaders of the past, they were all humans who eventually grew old and died, and often their sons did not follow in their ways, and thus times of great success were followed by times of despair. Oh, how wonderful it would be if someday, somehow God would send a Messiah unrestricted by time, someone who could live and lead forever!
Luke’s account of Jesus quoted the angel Gabriel as making this announcement to Mary regarding the miraculous son she would bear: “The LORD God will give Him the throne of His father David, and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever. His kingdom will never end.“ (Luke 1:32,33) Do you hear timelessness as well as reigning authority?
John records that on one occasion as Jesus and Jewish religious leaders were debating God’s truth, Jesus said “I tell you the truth, before Abraham was born, I am!” (John 8:58) This was a clear declaration by Jesus of his timelessness and specifically His preceding Abraham who they considered to be their ancestral Father of the Jewish people.
Jesus repeatedly referred to “Almighty God” by a word no other human being had ever dared use when referring to God. The word is “Father”! Over and over again Jesus called God “My Father”. John records that Jesus said: “My Father is always at His work to this very day, and I too am working… I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by Himself; He can do only what He sees His Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does…The very work the Father has given Me to finish, and which I am doing, testifies that the Father has sent Me.” (John 5:17,19,36)
Finally, John records that Jesus, when speaking of the people who would believe in Him, said: “My Father who has given them to Me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of My Father’s hand. I and the Father are one!“ (John 10:29,30) For those willing to hear the power and significance of the words Jesus spoke, His timelessness and His relationship with Almighty, Eternal, Creator God are very clear, aren’t they?
Finally, Isaiah used the phrase “Prince of Peace” which would have awakened in all who heard or read it a great sense of hopeful anticipation that one day the Messiah would come and bring the peace of heaven here to earth, especially to Israel! Peace has been something very rare indeed for the Jewish people, going all the way back to Abraham and God’s first Covenant with Abraham 4000 years ago!
Jesus proved His ability to bring peace to the storms of nature by calming more than one storm on Lake Galilee and even walking on the waves in a storm! (Matt. 14) Jesus proved His power over Satan’s demons by bringing the peace of deliverance to many people, even a man troubled by a legion of demons which possessed him and caused him to live in a cemetery and cut himself with stones! (Mark 5) Jesus brought the peace of resurrected life to three different families devastated by death when Jesus raised their dead loved ones to life! (John 11; Luke 8:41-55; Luke 7:11-15)
And most significant of all, Jesus promised and provided peace with God for any person who would trust in the death and resurrection of Jesus to be sufficient to earn their deliverance from their sin condemnation and sin bondage! John records that Jesus said “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you… Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not be afraid.” (John 14:27)
So today my friends, I call us to celebrate that Jesus Christ is the fulfillment of Isaiah’s outrageous prophecy that Messiah “… will be called ‘Wonderful Counselor; Mighty God; Everlasting Father; Prince of Peace…”! And here’s a song to help us celebrate this glorious, timeless, Christmas truth…
Today’s Scripture is Isaiah 9:6.
Choose below to read or listen.
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Bible images provided with attribution to www.LumoProject.com.
Have a comment or question about today’s chapter? I’m ready to hear from you, contact me here.
Pastor Doug Anderson
“Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, with our eyes fixed on Jesus…” (Heb. 12:1,2)
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