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. 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. Isaiah 9:6-7
This morning, our sermon will focus on the song of the angels who announced the birth of Christ to the shepherds: “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!” (Luke 2:14). Connected as it is with Jesus’ birth, that probably makes many of us think of the prophecy from Isaiah above, with all of the names given for the Lord. Since we will essentially be discussing Jesus as “Prince of Peace” in our lesson, it seemed instructive to say something in this space about those other names.
Wonderful Counselor
This has sometimes been taken as two different names, but it is better understood as one with Wonderful modifying Counselor as the ESV has it. The word translated “wonderful” means that it is outside normal phenomenon; it is inexplicable, incomprehensible to us. “Counselor” is one who advises, consults, deliberates with; in ancient times, it pictures the wisdom of a King giving counsel to his people.
The meaning, then, is very close to a Greek word used in the NT: paraclete That’s a word that is unique to John’s writings. It is famously used in John 14:16 of the Holy Spirit: And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever. He is another Advocate, Helper, Comforter, depending on what translation you are reading. But notice that this is in addition to Christ himself. The word was used outside Scripture of an eminent person who gave support to someone else or helped settle a dispute—someone who defended another and, through their status, brought about a good outcome.
John additionally uses it in his first letter of Jesus: But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous (1 Jn 2:1). We can think, too, of how Paul calls him our one mediator (1 Tim 2:5). The idea is that Christ is our representative; he stands there as an Advocate before God on our behalf. Like a defense attorney, he pleads our case before the heavenly court. But he does not defend our innocence: we acknowledge our guilt, and he himself paid the penalty for our sins. So when Christ steps in for the believer who confesses, the Judge responds to HIM and says, in effect, “case dismissed.”
That is what our wonderful counselor does for us. He helps us, defends us, advises us, strengthens us, and pleads for us, in a way that is utterly, completely beyond anything we could imagine.
Mighty God
Jesus is also the Mighty God and the Everlasting Father. Remember what Immanuel means: God with us. Jesus left the ivory palaces, as we sing, and came to live among us, as one of us. He revealed most fully that God is not only a God of immense power, but of compassion, of tenderness—of love. Jesus reveals to us a Heavenly Father who we need not fear, a Mighty God who is our friend.
That is what God has given us in Christ. As in the days of Ahaz when Isiah first delivered this prophecy, faced with pressure from enemies in Syria and Israel, things might seem bleak for us at times. We feel at times that we are in political turmoil as well, we have experienced a good deal of social upheaval in the last several years, there are economic burdens on us, and that does not even get to whatever might be going on in our personal lives.
But God has promised us rescue from all the evil this world can muster. And he has given that to us, as a gift, in the form of his own presence.
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