About 700 years before the Word was made flesh, God revealed details about the Savior of the world so we would know what He would be like. In Isaiah 9:6–7 we find these words:
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.
He is given several names here to whet the Jews’ appetites for the promised Messiah. We can see these names when Jesus shone His light in the darkness during His ministry throughout Israel.
Wonderful Counselor: Jesus was peppered with questions, and He had wise answers for them all. His enemies tried to trick Him, but He turned the tables on them. “Give to Caesar the things that belong to him, and to God the things that belong to Him.” The people marveled at the wonderful works he did, saying, “He has done all things well.”
Mighty God: We see this name when we read of His miracles which only a God could do. Giving sight to the blind and hearing to the deaf. Raising the dead. Casting out demons. Calming the stormy seas. A mighty God was reconciling the world through Jesus Christ. Jesus’ great work of rising from the dead compelled Thomas to say, “My Lord and my God!”
Everlasting Father: You don’t hear this mysterious title applied to Jesus very often. Maybe it reflects Him as the Creator who guided the human race, beginning with Adam and Eve, as the Father of us all — who Himself had no beginning or ending. He desires to enter into an eternal family relationship with us, being our provider, protector, and leader, like an earthly father.
Prince of Peace: He came to make peace between us and God through the blood of the cross. Sin had separated us from fellowship with God. We have been hounded by sin’s anxieties and fears. Through His stripes sin’s powers were destroyed, we rise above it, and we have peace with God.
We can know two kinds of peace. We can hear something that is emotionally pleasing for a while, then it passes away with the next distraction. Or we can have an ever-increasing peace. This peace rides on the back of the ever-increasing kingdom, as verse seven begins, “Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end.”
So the more we give of our lives to Jesus to “govern,” the more He can give us His peace, a peace that the world doesn’t give. We yield to let Jesus be Prince of Peace over our thought life, words, behavior, attitudes, and our things. As we let Him rule over all, we’ll know an ever-increasing peace.
Surrendering as living sacrifices, we’ll know His deeper work in our lives and respond by praising Him as Wonderful. We’ll find the Bible giving us accurate direction in our personal situations and we’ll call Him Counselor. He’ll change our lives in ways that are impossible by ourselves, so we’ll acknowledge Him as a Mighty God. We’ll enjoy a deeper relationship with Jesus to the Father and have the hope of everlasting life. We’ll find peace with God, peace in ourselves, and peace with others, and testify that it is all due to the Prince of Peace, not ourselves.
The last part of these two verses is encouraging. “The zeal of the LORD of hosts will do this.” God promised this and He is faithful who will do it. It is His determination and power that will work in our lives, not our own ability. He is committed about transforming our lives and our relationship with Him. He doesn’t give up. He won’t forsake us. He will build His church.
When we truly believe this, we do no less than surrender to Him daily, telling Him to keep working, for we are helpless and need Him to provide everything. Our surrender moment by moment is giving Him permission to work in us.
“His name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” Let these names be in our thoughts and prayers to enlarge our appreciation for what kind of Savior He wants to be to us, as someone who able to save to the uttermost all who come to God through Him.
Let us pray.
O Lord of heavenly armies, thank You for the Savior. We need this Wonderful Counselor to guide us today on the next steps in our journey to be more like Christ. We ask the Mighty God to do what is impossible with man and form a shining hope in us of life from the dead. May we find comfort from the Everlasting Father who shepherds His family every step of the way. Way we leave all the details to the Prince of Peace and find rest from our striving. In the name of the Crucified One we pray. Amen.
