Special Child

“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.” (Isaiah 9:8 CSB)

All children born are special; the One Isaiah prophesied, however, was extraordinary. This One would be the Messiah of Israel, the Savior, the Son of God. He would become the Ruler of God’s people, and He would have at least four names. “Name,” in this context, is not a formal name as we know them but is a means of naming His character, His attributes.

This Son would be “Wonderful Counselor.” “Wonderful” speaks to us of the miraculous, that which creates a sense of wonder in us when we see it. He is One who comes alongside us with a life that is full of wonder and amazement.

This Son would be “Mighty God.” In Him would dwell all the power of Almighty God, for He would be God Incarnate. There is no limit to His power. It is absolute.

This Son would also be “Eternal Father.” The union of the Trinity would cause Him to be not only the Son, but also the Father, and the Spirit all at the same time. So, He would take on the characteristic of the Eternal Father, the Creator.

Then, the Son would be “Prince of Peace.” He would be the Prince who ushers in peace, who rules with peace.

This Son would be the Leader and the Ruler of God’s messianic kingdom. The Jesus of history, however, did not appear to the people to whom He was sent to fit these descriptions. His appearance was rather humble and modest. He was a carpenter from Nazareth as far as they could tell, one who fancied Himself a rabbi. He talked a good talk but didn’t have the credentials from their viewpoint. This is because they missed the point. The messianic kingdom is not an earthly kingdom but a spiritual one. They failed to see beyond because they lacked spiritual perception, as evident in the interview between Jesus and Nicodemus.

Jesus is the fulfillment of all Isaiah’s descriptions, and He will come in wonder, in power, in eternity, and in peace to lead us into His kingdom of light. That was the point of His first coming, and it is the same point of His second coming.

Even so, Lord Jesus, come. Amen.