Isaiah 9 and the Names of Jesus

Our first year of homeschooling, we spent the month of December learning the names of Jesus. I had each name printed out on a strip of paper and over the course of the month, we made a paper chain which we then hung in our school room. It was a sweet time of learning about and focusing on the God who took on flesh and dwelt among us.

It’s been a few years since then (sadly, more than a few!) and I thought it was time to once again study the names of Jesus this Advent. A few of the names we’ll look at come from Isaiah 9.

The Prophecy of Christ in Isaiah 9

During Advent season, we often read the prophecy about Christ found in Isaiah 9. It’s a beautiful prophecy and one where several names are mentioned. I can almost hear a choir echoing these same words which inspired Handel’s famous work:

“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” (Isaiah 9:6).

This passage mentions four names: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, and Prince of Peace. To understand these names, it’s helpful to look at them in the context of Isaiah 9 and of Isaiah as a whole.

In the preceding chapters, Isaiah has warned God’s people of impending judgement. They have sinned in their rampant idolatry. Over and over we read accounts in the Old Testament of Israel’s evil kings. Occasionally, a godly king would reign and destroy all the idols and restore worship as God prescribed, but the next generation would again return to their idolatrous ways. God sent Isaiah to warn of their pending punishment, given through the hands of invading armies. Isaiah’s prophecy is frightening and filled with darkness, despair, and woe. Yet in chapter nine, the prophet bursts into the middle of his gloomy foretelling with good news.

There will be a child.

God’s grace would cut into the course of history and a ruler would be born. But he wouldn’t be just any ruler. He wouldn’t be like all the rulers listed so far in the book of Isaiah, those ones who led their people astray, who followed the ways of the world and defiled God’s house. This ruler would be Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

Wonderful Counselor

As a counselor myself, I’ve always been intrigued by the name of Counselor in this verse. This name doesn’t connote the same meaning as what we think of when we think of a counselor. It doesn’t mean Jesus is our therapist. It doesn’t refer to him being a good listener (though he certainly does listen to us). It doesn’t have to do with his empathy or compassion (though he has an abundance of both). Rather, it refers to his wisdom, a wisdom far and above that of human wisdom. “And the Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the LORD” (Isaiah 11:2). In fact, he would be Wisdom incarnate: “who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption” (1 Cor. 1:30). It is in this Wonderful Counselor “in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge” (Col. 2:3).

As John Calvin notes: “the Redeemer will come endowed with absolute wisdom…It is not, therefore, because he knows all his Father's secrets that the Prophet calls him Counselor, but rather because, proceeding from the bosom of the Father, he is in every respect the highest and most perfect teacher.”

This Wonderful Counselor would be wisdom for us, fearing and obeying God in our place. He would be a ruler who would not run and hide from evil, as some rulers have done. He would not be a ruler who would yield and conform to evil, as other rulers have done. He would instead face and confront evil with perfect wisdom. He would then conquer it forever through his blood shed on the cross.

Mighty God

This promised ruler wouldn’t just be a mighty man, a warrior with great strength and might. Though a son and descendant of the mighty warrior, King David, this ruler would not be merely a human king; rather, he would be a divine ruler. The name Mighty God means “God is a warrior.” God himself would step into the battle and fight for his people.

As Paul reminds us, our battle is not against flesh and blood, but “against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places” (Ephesians 6:12). We need the strength found in a Mighty God to fight these battles. Left to our own, we could not win against such forces, but with Christ we are more than conquerors.

Everlasting Father

In ancient times, a king was considered the royal father of the nation. The name Everlasting Father does not mean the Father of the Trinity, but a father in terms of being a caring protector of his people, as an earthly king is a protector of his people. This ruler-to-come would watch over and protect his people. And unlike any of Israel’s previous kings, this king’s dynasty would never come to an end; his is an everlasting rule.

“Behold, the Lord GOD comes with might, and his arm rules for him; behold, his reward is with him, and his recompense before him. He will tend his flock like a shepherd; he will gather the lambs in his arms; he will carry them in his bosom, and gently lead those that are with young. (Isaiah 40:10-11).

Prince of Peace

We always hear songs about peace during Christmas time. It’s something all humanity longs for. Ever since shalom was broken in the Garden, this world has hungered for a return to peace. While most earthly rulers strive to maintain peace, this ruler Isaiah tells us about will usher in real and lasting peace.

Through his perfect life and sacrificial death, Jesus Christ would bring peace between man and God. He would make a way for God’s people to come into his presence once again. “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid” (John 14:27).

As we celebrate once again the birth of the Christ-child, may our hearts bow in humility and gratitude to the King of Kings, to Jesus the Christ, Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace.

This is my final blog post for the year. As always, to keep up with my other writings, follow my author page on Facebook.

Merry Christmas to you and yours!

Blessings,

Christina

Advent Activity: The Names Of Jesus

Do you have any favorite Christmas traditions from when you were a child? Perhaps it was going together as a family to pick out the perfect tree. Maybe it was the cookies you baked together with your mom. These traditions are important to us because they provide us an anchor and  connection to our family. Traditions tie a family together and give all of us a sense of belonging.

In the Bible, traditions were important to God's people. God instructed them to celebrate certain feasts and festivals each year. These events were to be used to reflect on and remind God's people of all God had done for them. Parents were instructed to use these festivals to teach their children about God and his faithfulness toward His people.

"This is a day you are to commemorate; for the generations to come you shall celebrate it as a festival to the Lord—a lasting ordinance...And when your children ask you, ‘What does this ceremony mean to you?’ then tell them, ‘It is the Passover sacrifice to the Lord, who passed over the houses of the Israelites in Egypt and spared our homes when he struck down the Egyptians.’” Exodus 12: 14, 26-27

For Christians, traditions are important as well. As Noel Piper wrote in her book Treasuring God in Our Traditions, "The things we do regularly that help us in our deepest being to know and love and want God, the things that help our lives to be infiltrated with God--those things are traditions. And then if there are children in our lives, to pass these God-focused activities to the next generation--that's what tradition is for a Christian" (p.25).

Christmas is an opportune time for Christian parents to "pass these God-focused activities to the next generation." To read the rest of this post, visit For the Family, my writing home today.

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