For unto us a Child is born,
Unto us a Son is given;
And the government will be upon His shoulder.
And His name will be called
Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
The second thing that stood out about this devotional and placing it today is the title: Jesus is exactly who we need. Jesus is the reason for the Christmas season, not Santa Claus. And as nice as it is to get (and give) presents, and as good as it is to spend it with family and/or close friends, and even as wonderful as the music that has been written around this season, it's nothing compared to knowing Jesus Himself as my God, my King, my Lord, and my Savior. (Which I still need to get way better at than I currently am doing.)
Jesus is Exactly Who We Need
Have you ever put your hope in someone, only for them to let you down? We live in a broken world, and even the best people will fall short and cause pain. But Isaiah knew that someone was coming who would be different. He’d be reliable, consistent, and exactly what we need.
In Isaiah 9:6, Isaiah is pointing to a king with four titles: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. But what do those names mean?
A wonderful counselor is someone wise, intelligent, and compassionate. They’re the kind of leader who provides support, advice, and direction in life.
Someone with “mighty” in their title is strong, resilient, and willing to stand up for what’s right.
This king will be an everlasting father, someone who views His people as His children rather than His servants.
And a prince of peace describes someone devoted to building bridges between diverse groups and ensuring that everyone has what they need for a whole and healthy life.
On Christmas morning, the son with all of these wonderful titles was born. Not in a palace or castle, but in a humble, ordinary manger.
When we look at the life of Jesus, we see Him consistently model these qualities. He supported and advised people with questions. He stood strong in the face of threats and temptations. He cared deeply for everyone He met. And Jesus gave His life to restore peace between God and humanity for eternity.
Jesus is a Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, and the Prince of Peace. Have you seen Him in each of these roles in your own life? How have you seen Jesus’ wisdom, strength, kindness, and consistent care in your life?
My response to the last paragraph: the short answer is, I've seen His wisdom, strength, kindness, and care through various different people over the years. I think one of the hardest things I've had to learn (and there have been (and continue to be) many such things!) is that it was never about the immediate person(s) who directly helped me out in these ways. One of the greatest pains I ever endured was seeing how some of these folks could in one season be so loving and caring and "there" for me, and in the next, act as if they were ashamed to even know me. The truth that has helped me understand is knowing that, it wasn't them; it was God, and that only God (and anyone actually connected to Jesus through the Holy Spirit) would be able to exhibit that kind of love, strength, and kindness, etc. At the same time, this is the kind of love with which Jesus commands us to love others. I still fail the sniff test on this, but at least I can say I'm beginning to understand moments when I did experience God's love, and to actually properly understand them, instead of placing undue expectations and burdens on the vessels (people) through which I experienced it. God is love, and we are mere vessels, mere clay, through which our obedience to Him will make this possible.
Prayer: Jesus, thank You for being so good. You are everything I could ever need. Please help me to trust You completely, seeing more and more every day that You truly are the Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, and Prince of Peace. What a gift to know You. In Your name, Amen.
