We say that the four names that Isaiah gave the Christ Child in Isaiah 9: 6 shows that there is something in Him for everyone. Those names may be familiar, but what do they mean? This daily devotional looks at the characteristics identified in the names of the Christ Child.
Nuggets
- We need the Christ Child’s counsel.
- The most important thing — in my opinion — about Isaiah including this in the list of names for the Christ Child is it connection to God.
- The Christ Child is the Father of the coming age.
- When disciples are experiencing peace — even in struggles — it is easier to focus on the Will of God.
- Jesus is wonderful because of Who He is the Son of God.
Devotions in the Prophecy of the Christ Child series
A person’s name is really important. In the Jewish culture, that name gave insight to the character of the person with that name.
Pastor John pointed out that Jesus didn’t have a name — didn’t need a name — until He came to earth. Isaiah gave Jesus four names in the sixth verse of Isaiah 9 that He would have already had but really became prominent when He started His mission as Redeemer.
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Each of the four names have two components to it to further show us Jesus’ character. Gregory wrote, “They are not mere empty names, assumed for the purposes of pomp and impression, but appropriate descriptions of living realities.”
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Parker cautioned that the compound names should be taken together. Well, I didn’t listen. We are going to look at each component and then the name as a whole.
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Let's Put It into Context
The Holman Bible Dictionary defines prophecy as “reception and declaration of a word from the Lord through a direct prompting of the Holy Spirit and the human instrument thereof.”
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Prophecy is a divine revelation to mankind through the Holy Spirit of a future event. This was God telling us that we would be delivered.
What Did Wonderful Counselor Mean to Isaiah?
“For a child will be born for us, a son will be given to us, and the government will be on his shoulders. He will be named Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace” (Isa. 9: 6 CSB)
You know me. I have to start out as Dictionary Chick.
Wonderful is something totally amazing. It is so miraculous, we are astonished. To me, many times we can add an incomprehensibility to that list.
It is something too amazingly good for us to understand.
Oh, yeah. It can be mind boggling. But Parker said it needs to fill our imagination.
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The Christ Child was called wonderful. Ross and Grenoble contended that the Christ Child earned the distinction of wonderful because of the following:
- He possessed the character or nature of God in human form.
- His birth was not an everyday, run-of-the-mill conception and delivery but was prophesied.
- He led an obedient life in which He completed His mission.
- He expanded the kingdom of God through His teaching.
- He was totally committed to His mission, even to the point of death.
- He rose victorious from the grave.
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These distinctions elevated the Christ Child above the angels. They even elevated Him above the laws of nature.
Kelly took it a different way. He declared that the Christ Child received the distinction before He ever got to earth. He said He was wonderful because of this history, relationship, and work.
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A counselor gives us advice on various aspects of our lives. At times, it is what actions we should perform. Other times, it is being there to help us work through something. The counselor has to know us and the situation — as well as viable options for us to take.
The Christ Child is a wonderful counselor. He has been present with God from the before the beginning of creation and knows all of the plans, especially the Plan of Salvation.
If you have not admitted that your relationship is not right with God,
have not asked Jesus to be your Lord and Savior,
and have not confessed your sins,
please read through the Plan of Salvation and prayerfully consider what God is asking you to do.
Glossary
We need the Christ Child’s counsel. Gregory wrote, “As ‘the Counsellor,’ He directs and instructs His people in all their temporal, spiritual, and eternal concerns; if He did not do so, they would soon be involved in disorder and ruin.” Who better to go to than Someone Who has a wealth of information that He will let us tap into?
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Taken together, wonderful counselor is comforting. We have Someone Who will give us advice because He has been there, done that, and bought the t-shirt. He knows what needs to be done — both in our actions and through our sanctification. He knows happenings — past, present, and future.
The Christ Child is there for us.
What Did Mighty God Mean to Isaiah?
“… Mighty God …” (Isa. 9: 6 CSB)
Well, this one set of words we are going to keep together. Isaiah was talking about an all-powerful God. We know the churchy word for that is omnipotent.
To read a related devotion, click the button below.
I love how Smith translated mighty God. He called it God-Hero.
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Isn’t that so descriptive? No, it isn’t the first picture word that usually comes to mind when we think of God.
But think about it. What are some words or phrases we use to describe a hero?
- Strong
- Capable
- Has good character
- Fights for what is right
- Courageous
- A leader
Oh, yeah. The Christ Child is all of those things.
The most important thing — in my opinion — about Isaiah including this in the list of names for the Christ Child is it connection to God. This is also a name used for God the Father.
Ross pointed out that, because of this, “… worship, which only belongs to the Mighty God, is given to Christ.” We know from the Ten Commandments that God does not share that worship with just anyone!
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God has no problem sharing the worship with His beloved Son.
What Did Everlasting Father Mean to Isaiah?
“… Eternal Father…” (Isa. 9: 6 CSB)
Yeah, I used everlasting in the heading and eternal in the verse. I see everlasting as continuing a really long time. I see eternal as a lasting relationship with God.
I know. It is a sublet difference. I was wanting to point out the same-yesterday-today-and-tomorrow aspect.
But I can see an argument for both. Spurgeon wrote, “Consider His eternal existence, ‘begotten of His Father from before all worlds,’ being of the same substance with His Father; begotten, not made, co-equal, co-eternal, in every attribute, ‘very God of very God.’
That hooks everlasting and Father together, too, doesn’t it? Okay, Parker knew what he was talking about.
In my defense, Gregory didn’t think father was the important word here. It seems like the Jews had a propensity to call people father who were not their father. (Hmmm. Am I related?)
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I guess I always wondered why the father part was included here. If God was God the Father, why did Isaiah say Jesus is the father?
Parker gave us a big why. The Christ Child is the Father of the coming age. Ross described Him as “… the Father of the world to come, or final dispensation of mercy and grace, as the Gospel is often called.”
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Ross felt that Jesus was the Father as come to faith through Him. All believers will be given His image.
What Did Prince of Peace God Mean to Isaiah?
“… Prince of Peace” (Isa. 9: 6 CSB)
It is more understandable to me to have the Christ Child designated as the Prince of Peace. With Dad as King, that makes the Christ Child a Prince.
But that opens up the possibility to have more princes and princesses. That is why the Christ Child is called the Elder Brother.
To read a related devotion, click the button below.
It is appropriate that the Christ Child is known as Prince of Peace. Ross noted that “And peace is the disposition for which the Saviour was renowned; the blessing which He died to purchase, and lives to bestow.”
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Isn’t that a novel concept? Peace instead of war.
Why is the peace so important (in addition to it being part of Jesus’ character?) When disciples are experiencing peace — even in struggles — it is easier to focus on the Will of God.
How Did Jesus Fulfill This Prophecy?
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” (Jn. 3: 16 NIV)
Boston reminded us that Jesus isn’t wonderful because of all the miracles He performed. He is wonderful because of Who He is. He is the Son of God.
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I know. The Jews had problems with that. They really liked the miracles.
To read a related devotion, click the button below.
We can, too. Really, we do this when we try to relegate Jesus to being a social Messiah.
Jesus wants us to look at His message, not His works. He wants us to see our need because we are spiritually dead. He wants us to see our need because we have to navigate the Sanctification Road.
Our salvation was the only reason Jesus came to this earth.
Making the Connections
I like what Parker said. He wrote, “This is no evidence that Isaiah saw the birth of Christ as we understand that term, but what he did see was that the only deliverer who could accomplish the necessary work must fill out the whole measure of these terms; if he failed to fill out that outline, he was not the predicted Messiah.”
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Okay, not everyone is going to be a writer. But we have to communicate to others in no uncertain terms the prophecy of the Christ Child and Jesus’ fulfillment of that prophecy. We have to show them His character.
If we don’t show others Who Jesus is, we have failed, too.
This of it this way. Counselor, God, Father, and Brother. Jesus is Whoever we need to be.
How Do We Apply This?
Remember, we said Kelly thought the Christ Child as wonderful because of His history, relationship, and work. We can have that, too.
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Oh, yeah. It takes work. It is called the Sanctification Road. We build a history with God as we navigate the Sanctification Road. That helps us build our relationship with God. We do the works to honor God, but we can’t have the works mean anything without the relationship.
If the Christ Child is the Everlasting Father, He is the Father of the age to come. That means we have to be ready. We have to have deep-rooted believes — God’s way. We have to be living in obedience to Him.
Parker made a great observation. In Elaine-speak, he said quit looking in the review-view mirror. We don’t have to understand it. We need to look to Jesus’ second coming and be ready.
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Leckie said, as wonderful as Jesus is, we shouldn’t be astonished by Him. If we are, we might miss His mission and purpose.
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Yes, Jesus is all of these things. Most of all, He is our Redeemer, our Savior, and our Deliverer.
We can’t think that Jesus won’t allow us to come to Him. He will.
Gracious Heavenly Father. You are a loving Father. You sent the Christ Child to be the substitute to take the penalty of sin for us. We thank You and believe in Jesus as our Savior. Amen.
What do you think?
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