This morning I am going to try
to preach unto you to utter things I don't fully understand. Things, as Job said, too wonderful
for me. Things concerning Him whose name
is Wonderful, the Lord Jesus Christ, the Wonderful One. From Isaiah chapter 9 verse 6
comes this wonderful prophecy. concerning the Lord Jesus Christ,
which says, Unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given,
and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall
be called Wonderful, Counselor, the Mighty God, the everlasting
Father, the Prince of Peace. Unto us a child is born. There
was a babe in Bethlehem, a real infant, but yet it was the eternal
Son of God, given by the Father. He who is with the Father from
the beginning. He who is without father or mother,
without beginning of days or end of life. the eternal Son
of the Most High God was given, sent to this earth. A child is
born. and yet more than a child, the
Son of God, more than a human being, Immanuel, God with us. You see, that child that was
born was the eternal Son of God who was ever with the Father,
and yet He became an infant of days. The Eternal One became
an infant of days. The child was really the father
of the mother. Unto us a child is born. In Isaiah
7, verse 14, it says, A virgin shall conceive and bear a son,
not her son, but the Son of God. He shall be called the Son of
God, not the Son of Mary. But she was chosen. Her womb
was a borrowed womb because it was said of Jesus Christ, of
the Christ who was to come, that he was to be made of a woman,
made under the law to redeem them that were under the law.
Why was it necessary that he become born of a virgin? Because
in him is no sin. There's no seed of man in him. In Adam all die. He had no seed
of Adam in him. But in Christ shall all be made
alive. This is the eternal one. This
is the Son of the Most High God, who was with the Father from
the beginning, who had no beginning of days, nor end of life. And
yet He became a man. God was manifest in the flesh. A man. By man came sin, so by
man came life, or holiness, or righteousness. In Adam all die,
but in Jesus Christ shall all be made alive. The virgin shall
conceive. but it was not conceived by her,
but by God Himself. This is the sinless One, the
Holy One of Israel, the Son of the Most High God, who would
come to this earth as a man, sent by God to be a man for men,
not all men, but some men, yea, many, a substitute, a redeemer,
a covenant head, a law keeper, the law keeper, to keep the law,
to fulfill God's law, to honor God as a man. The soul that sinneth
must surely die. Well, Jesus Christ had no sin. He must surely live. And yet,
God made Him to be sin for His people, He who knew no sin, that
they might be made the righteousness of God in Him. Do you understand
this? No one fully understands it or
completely understands it, but it is so. We believe that He
who came is none other than God manifest in the flesh. Born of
a virgin, He must be, because He has no sin. A mere man cannot
put away sin. Who can forgive sins but one?
But God. That's right. The Lord Jesus
Christ. A child is born, but the Son
is given. the Eternal Son. And it goes
on to say, the government shall be upon his shoulders. The present
reign and rule of the Lord Jesus Christ is Isaiah's theme, is
Paul's theme, is Peter's theme, is Ezekiel's theme, is the theme
of this book. The reign and the rule of the
Lord Jesus Christ. The scripture says, the Lord
God omnipotent reigneth. Who is that? That is the Lord
Jesus Christ. He said, all authority is given
unto me in heaven and earth. He is not, as some say, wanting
to be, trying to be. He will be God if you let Him
be God. Oh, no. He always has been, always
will be God, omnipotent, reigning, all authority given unto Him
in heaven and earth. The government of the universe
is upon His shoulders. He reigns. He rules in the armies
of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth, and none can stay
His hand. He reigns. The government is
upon His shoulders, and His name shall be called. His name shall
be called, and he lists several names for the Lord Jesus Christ. Now, the names of various persons
in Scripture describes their character. God gives names to
various ones which describes their character or their appearance.
Adam, the name Adam means red earth or man. That's the first
man created from the earth. Abraham is called the father
of many. Israel means a prince with God. Peter means a little stone. The
names of the Lord Jesus Christ are many. And here is one, his
name shall be called Wonderful, meaning he is full of wonder,
one who is full of wonder, one whom we should be amazed at and
stop and marvel at and wonder at. He was wonderful in his birth. Yes, the Ancient of Days became
an infant. The life giver had his life nourished
at the breast of a woman. The child was the father of the
mother. God became a babe, wonder of
wonders, wonderful in his birth, wonderful in his life, wonderful.
A 12-year-old boy, a genius, confounding scholars and teachers. Later, wondrous in his speech,
wondrous as a preacher, speaking as none other, moving thousands,
wonder worker, healer of the blind, halt, lame, deaf, dumb,
palsied, even raising the dead. A wonder to all who heard Him.
A wonder to all who saw Him. A wonder to all who watched Him.
He was without sin. And a special wonder to those
whom He revealed His true self to, His true nature, His true
glory. A few chosen ones He took up
on the mountain as He was transfigured before their very eyes as they
saw Him who dwelled in light which no man can approach unto.
Wonder of wonders, the Son unveiled, the Lord Jesus Christ, Master
of the ocean, billows His will obey. What manner of man is this,
they said, He whose name is Wonderful. We reserve this name, this adjective,
wonderful, for something or someone we think is truly special, above
ordinary, specially dear and dear and joyful to us. That is
His name, wonderful, the wonderful one, wondrous in His love. Having
loved His own, He loved them to the end, wondrous in His mercy
to the chief of sinners. One of His last works upon earth
was to grant full pardon and complete mercy to the worst man
on earth, a thief on the cross. Wondrous in His grace. Yes, He
gave it all. He gave His life. Wondrous in
His compassion. He healed all who had need of
healing. Wonderful in His gentleness.
A true gentle man, meek and lowly. Wonderful in His holiness. He
said, Who can convince me of sin? Wonderful, that's His name. Wonderful in birth, wonderful
in life, wonderful in death. He laid down His life for His
friends, for His sheep, even more criminals, worthless ones. Sin laid on Him who knew no sin. Willing, agreeing to leave His
Father, leave heaven. Wonderful in his condescension
to this despicable place called planet earth, this cesspool,
this dung heap. For who? Worthless worms. Oh, his name is wonderful. His
death was a wonder, subjecting himself to such treatment, such
condemnation, such torture, such crucifixion. The judge of the
universe being judged by mere mortal men. He who angels praise,
jeered and mocked by men. The lion of the tribe of Judah
becoming a lamb before her shearer, which was dumb. The Lord of life
expiring on the tree that He planted. Oh, wonderful. His name
is wonderful. And Counselor. Call His name
wonderful. And Counselor. He's the originator
of all things. He's the author and finisher
of the faith. He's the eternal purposer, the
counselor ordaining all things. Counselor as in advocate, as
in lawyer, a counselor for the defense of His people. Court
appointed, a defender of His people. And when this mighty,
wonderful counselor approached the bench of God's divine justice,
the mercy seat, The judge's throne. All of his defendants were acquitted
of all charges. Wonderful counselor. His name? The mighty God. The everlasting
Father. What further proof do we need
from Scripture that this One named Jesus is indeed the Almighty
God, the Father of His people? Oh, we can't explain it, but
I can proclaim it. We can't understand it, but I
do believe it. Do you? God was manifest in the
flesh. The express image, God who said
in the beginning, let us make man in our own image. Well, God became a man. Invisible
God became visible. He that hath seen me, Christ
said, hath seen the Father. I and Father are one. Call His
name the Mighty God. In the beginning was the Word,
and the Word was with God, and the Word was God, and all things
were made by Him. He is God. He is God. Call His name Wonderful, Counselor
of the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace."
Prince, as in heir, as in ruler. Prince, as in the people's advocate,
the people's leader. Prince of Peace. The defeater
of the foes of God's people, the adversary. The justice of
the people. Ordaining, ensuing, making peace
by the blood of His people. And the government, it says,
and His peace is upon His shoulder and there is no end of it. No
end. His reign, His rule extends throughout
time and place in eternity. Eternal in its scope and eternal
in its length. This peace that He made by the
blood of His cross for His people, This peace that He made is forever
and ever, and He sits upon that throne right now. And upon it,
He orders it, He establishes it with justice and judgment
from henceforth even forevermore, the zeal. The power, the glory,
the honor of God's house and for God's people and for God's
glory, the Lord of hosts, He well performed it. And He did.
Jesus Christ did just that. He made peace and He now reigns
and rules. When Christ said, I am not come
to bring peace but a sword, meaning that He would He would divide
houses all over who He is, but yet He made peace because the
sword of justice entered into His own bosom and thereby made
peace with an angry God for His people by the blood of His cross.
Yes, in this peace we have peace with God because of Jesus Christ. His name? Wonderful. Wonderful. Amen.