Wonderful Counselor Isaiah 9:2-7 Whether times are good or difficult, the birth of a child is an occasion for celebration and joy. One of the tasks new parents sometimes struggle with is coming up with the perfect name for their child. I remember that struggle. Back in the day, my wife and I bought a book of baby names hoping to find just the right name. Today, many parents Google baby names. I did my own Google search last week and found some interesting names. I found a child whose name is Jed (middle initial) I Knight. I found man in Lake Norman, North Carolina whose name is Bud Light. There is a professor at the University of Rhode Island whose name is Dr. Joelle Rollo- Koster. In New York City, there is a lawyer of Chinese descent whose name is Sue Yoo. In Albuquerque, NM there is a dentist named Dr. Ken Hurt. Who in the world would go to Dr. Hurt for their dental care? In Fresno, there’s a man named Brock Lee. I also found an IT professional named Jurassic Park. But here was the strangest name of all. There’s a young man in Madison, Wisconsin whose name is Beezow Doo-doo Zopittybop- bop-bop. When we look in the Bible, names are filled with prophetic significance. For example, the name Abraham means “the father of a multitude.” The name Moses means “drew out.” The daughter of Pharaoh drew Moses out of the Nile River when he was hidden in a basket in a patch of reeds near the shoreline. In Isaiah chapter 8, God spoke to the prophet Isaiah and told him to get a scroll – and write the name Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz. Not long after that, Isaiah and his wife learned they were about to have a child. God told Isaiah to give the child the name he had written on the scroll: Maher- Shalal-Hash-Baz. The name meant: “Plunder.” God said to Isaiah, “The nation of Israel will soon be plundered and the people will be taken into exile.” In Isaiah chapter 9, we find the prophecy of the birth of another child - but this child would be born 700 years later. This child would have several names of prophetic significance. We read in verse 6: For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. What child is this? This child is none other than the Lord Jesus Christ. According to Nave’s Topical Bible, there 2 are over 250 different names for Jesus found in the Bible. In these four weeks of Advent we’re going to look at four of those names – one for each week. These are, by no means, ordinary names. They’re names for God! Today, we’re going to consider the name Wonderful Counselor. Let’s put this prophecy into context. When Isaiah wrote these words, the northern kingdom of Israel was about to be invaded by the Assyrian army. The last verse of chapter 8 tells us that Israel would experience distress, darkness, fearful gloom and utter darkness. God’s people would be forced into slavery and would experience unimaginable misery. In the next chapter, Isaiah shares a very different prophecy. Against the backdrop of despair, he prophecies about the coming of a glorious kingdom. Isaiah envisions the dawning of the light of salvation which will result in great joy for God’s people. God is going to liberate His people. Even more, He’ll bring about the end of war once for all. This is good news! But it begs the question: How is God going to do this? Through the birth of a very special child. Isaiah said: For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. Could there be a more surprising answer to all of the problems in this dark, fallen and corrupt world than the birth of a child? Dr. Ray Ortlund put it so well: “God’s answer to everything that has ever terrorized us is a child. The power of God is so far superior to the Assyrians and all the big shots of the world that He can defeat them by coming as a mere child. His answer to the bullies swaggering through history isn’t to become an even bigger bully. His answer is Jesus.” What is the significance of the name Wonderful Counselor? The name wonderful in Hebrew is the word, “pele’.” In the Old Testament, the word “pele’’” speaks of something magnificent – something only God can do. This word was used by Job when he said of God: He performs wonders that cannot be fathomed, miracles that cannot be counted. Had we been present when the Israelites walked through the parted waters of the Red Sea on dry land - we could have said, “That’s wonderful. Only God could do that!” Had we been standing by Joshua when he commanded the sun and the moon to stand still so he could conquer the enemies of Israel, we could have said, “That’s wonderful. Only God could do that!” Had we 3 stood on Mount Carmel by Elijah when fire fell from heaven and consumed the altar and the 450 prophets of Baal were defeated, we could have said, “That’s wonderful. Only God could do that!” This is what Isaiah wants us to understand: The child who is coming will do things only God can do! When we hear, see or read the word counselor we usually think of someone who is a therapist – a person who listens to the problems of people and offers understanding and guidance. The English word “counselor” comes from the Hebrew word “Yo’hetz.” The Hebrew word speaks of someone who is a strategist, not a therapist. It’s important to bear in mind that the context of Isaiah 9 is political – not therapeutic. All wise rulers surround themselves with trusted counselors. Historians tell us that one of the reasons why Queen Elizabeth I was such a remarkable monarch was become she followed the strategic wisdom of her Privy Council – most notably William Cecil and Francis Walsingham. Cecil and Walsingham were astute, fearless and unswervingly loyal to their Queen and country. They always told Queen Elizabeth what they thought was best for the crown and for England - even if it made her angry. Queen Elizabeth often unloaded on them with her infamous temper. But when William Cecil died in 1598, Elizabeth said, “No one in Europe had a better and more devoted counselor.” Jesus Christ is the Wonderful Counselor. He has a strategy for using you and me to advance the interests of His kingdom. He sees the big picture and our tiny part in it. This means we can trust Him. We can follow Him with the confidence He’ll always lead us in the right direction. What is it that makes Jesus a Wonderful Counselor? This is a subject we devote an entire series of messages to - but I’d like to share three things that Jesus does in our lives. Here’s the first: 1. He understands our struggles. We read these words about Jesus in Hebrews 4:15: For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses. What is this passage saying? Jesus knows exactly what it’s like to be you! You may be going through a problem this morning that’s extremely painful and disconcerting. Sometimes when we’re struggling with a problem a friend may say, “I 4 understand what you’re going through.” It’s a great blessing to have a caring friend – but if that person hasn’t experienced that same difficulty, those words ring hollow. But Jesus understands. He’s been there. Have you ever been betrayed? He has. Have you ever been wrongly accused? He has. Have people ever gossiped about you? Have you ever suffered physical pain? Have you ever felt lonely? Have you ever felt abandoned? Have you ever suffered deprivation? Jesus understands. He knows exactly what you’re going through. He can relate to you. He knows your heart. He knows your every thought. Jesus not only understands - He invites us to talk with Him about our problems. Look at the next verse: Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need. An author by the name of Jeffrey Eugenides wrote a Pulitzer Prize winning novel titled, The Marriage Plot. One of the characters in the book is a young man named Mitchell. Mitchell wanted to do something significant with his life, so he went on a pilgrimage to India to care for the sick and dying. Shortly after arriving, he began caring for a man who was desperately ill. When Mitchell went to check on the man early one morning, he discovered that the man had soiled his bed overnight. Mitchell was violently repulsed by the sight and the smell. He suddenly realized he couldn’t do this kind of work. There were depths of caring into which he could not and would not plunge. So, Mitchell gathered up his belongings, ran out of the home and caught a train in order to escape. Jesus didn’t do this. We read in the prologue of John’s gospel that The Word (Jesus) became flesh and dwelt among us.