Wonderful Counselor | Isaiah 9:1-7
Have you ever had a situation where you didn’t know what to do? You had a decision to make, a crisis to face, a relationship to repair, or a diagnosis to process, and you found yourself wondering, “Who do I talk to? Who will understand? Who can help me?” We have all been there. Every single one of us, regardless of how smart, capable, strong, or spiritual we are, has had moments when we didn’t know what to do next. Who or where do you turn to? We often go to ChatGPT, a parent or friend, a pastor, listen to a podcast, or schedule a therapy session. Over the years, I have turned to wise, godly men and women that God has put in my life. There is nothing wrong with that, and I recommend having wise, godly people in your life to help you navigate life. Could it be that the One who is often the last person we turn to, should actually be the first person we go to? (Last resort or first response) Jesus. When you don’t know what to do, you don’t just need information or advice; you need a Wonderful Counselor, and His name is Jesus.
700 years before Jesus came to the world, God gave a word to the prophet Isaiah. This was a word of hope. Isaiah was writing and speaking to a people who were weary, anxious, broken, and traumatized by sin and evil. God’s Word of hope was a birth announcement of a child that would be born and a son that would be given. This child would have four names: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, and Prince of Peace. Each name moves us from gloom to glory, darkness to delight, sorrow to joy, oppression to freedom, and chaos to peace. The reason is that each name points us to the person and power of the child born on Christmas, who would die on Good Friday and raise to life on Resurrection Sunday. Jesus is the Wonderful Counselor who gives us hope we can hold on to when we do not know what to do. For us to understand the glory of His Wonderful Counseling, we need to see the gloom of the world’s darkness.