So we're in Isaiah chapter 9 and we're reading from verse 6 and it is just the one verse that I want to read again today. For 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, Counsellor, the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace. Amen. May God bless to us this reading from his word.

I mentioned last week my purpose to take a few weeks and just with the young people's address and dwell on this verse in the thought that many of them will be confronted with this verse as a reading. here and there, and I wanted, just because of the Christmas season, and I wanted to remind us all that these are not just verses that are to be read, whether by rote or by practice, formally, without any thinking, but these are real, vibrant, truths concerning the Lord Jesus Christ.

And Isaiah wrote this 800 years before the Lord Jesus Christ was born. 800 years before Jesus came into the world as a babe in the manger. And what he wrote has sustained generations of people as they anticipated Christ's coming and has been an encouragement to generations ever since as we recognize that these things that Isaiah wrote concerning Christ help us to understand and explain to us who the Lord Jesus Christ is.

Now last week we spoke about how this prophecy of Isaiah anticipated Christ's birth and how it was that when he said the child would be born and the son would be given, he was speaking about the Lord Jesus Christ, the child and the Son is the Lord Jesus. He is the Son of God and he was the holy child born to the Virgin Mary. And Isaiah told us that one of Christ's names would be Wonderful because he is wonderful in himself and wonderful in what he does. He has accomplished and will yet accomplish. And I hope you know the wonderful Saviour Jesus Christ in your own life. Not just the facts about Him, not just the history, not just the stories about His birth, but that you know Him personally and you have come to love Him and to trust in Him personally.

But next, Isaiah tells us that this child will also be called counsellor. Counsellor. And it's that word that we're going to think about today. The child would be called wonderful and the child would also be called counsellor.

Now actually, some people think that these two words should be read together so that what Isaiah is telling us is that Jesus is a wonderful counsellor. That's translated elsewhere as being he who does wonderfully in counsel. or, and I think this is very special, or even the angel or messenger of the great council. And all of these titles are very suitable for the Lord Jesus, however it is that we translate them. whether there's a comma in there or not to distinguish them and set them apart. If he is wonderful, then all he does is wonderful. If he is called counsellor, then we can but suppose that he does a wonderful job in that role as counsellor.

Nevertheless, these other titles do open up some beautiful thoughts about this child who was to be born and this son who, at the time of Isaiah's writing at least, was still to be given. The Lord Jesus Christ.

So if we're right in thinking about the Lord Jesus Christ as this counsellor and member of the council, what is the council of which we are thinking? Well, it is the council in which the Son of God was a counsellor. And we remember that the Lord Jesus Christ as the Eternal Son was present in the eternal council of grace and peace where he spoke forth as the representative of his church. Now his church didn't exist at that time, except in the purposes and in the will of God. But in that eternal counsel, it's called the everlasting covenant, in that eternal covenant or eternal counsel, that counsel of peace, the Lord Jesus Christ is figured there as being representative of the church, representative of the people of God. And he spoke forth as our representative and he voiced his willingness to come and die for his people and redeem them from their sin.

The word counsellor usually means one who gives counsel or advice. Now, that doesn't mean that the Lord Jesus, in the everlasting council, or as part of that everlasting covenant, that he gave advice because, well, God in three persons has infinite wisdom and does not need advice. But the counsel of God is also another expression of the united purpose of God. So that when we speak about the counsel of God, we're talking about God's purpose in salvation, God's purpose in this world, God's purpose of grace and peace towards his people, which was that which came out of, if you like, the covenant of grace and peace and the eternal council set forth the purpose of salvation as it is the revealed council and purpose of God and all the persons in that council Godhead, the persons of the Godhead agreed to undertake and accomplish the works of creation, providence, grace and salvation.

In that council where the Lord Jesus Christ was the counsellor, in that council the means or method of salvation was settled upon The eternal Son of God would take our nature as his own and by his obedience, by his suffering and death on the cross, he would provide all that was required to satisfy God's justice and reconcile fallen sinners to the Holy Lord God. That was one outcome of the council.

Something else was settled in that council. The identity of the elect was settled upon. God chose the people whom he loved from eternity. He wrote their names in the book of life and he set them apart in Christ. He sanctified them in Christ, their head and representative. And none of those who were given to Christ can ever be lost, and nor will any be added to their number. The Lord Jesus said in John chapter 6, All that the Father giveth me shall come to me, and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.

Another thing that was settled in that council was the time of Christ's incarnation and the time of his death. That was settled upon as well. When the fullness of time was come, we read in Galatians, when the fullness of time was come, God sent forth his son, made of a woman, made under the law. Then again in Hebrews we read, once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. So again, the timing of God's purposes was settled in the eternal council.

And another thing that came from this council was that all the blessings of God's goodness were settled upon the elect. So that God's gifts of grace and glory and the calling of the individuals who were to share in his salvation as heirs and joint heirs with Christ was settled. Romans chapter 11 verse 29 says, the gifts and calling of God are without repentance. He chose there who and how he would bless his people. And then at the appointed time, the Lord Jesus, the counsellor or messenger of the great council, came forth into the world as this little child, Jesus, to reveal and to accomplish the purposes of God in the salvation of his people. So in this sense, Christ is our counsellor because he reveals the whole counsel of God and declares the gospel to fallen men and women.

But there are other ways in which the Lord Jesus gives us counsel as well. He gave us counsel in person when he was on the earth. So after he was born and had grown up and he became a man and began his ministry at 30 years of age, his ministry only lasted three years or three and a half years because he was crucified when he was 33, around 33. And when he gave his ministry in person, he also gave counsel to those to whom he spoke.

He advised sinners, for example, to repent of their sin and believe in him. He counseled men and women and boys and girls to sin no more. He pointed the way to God. He welcomed the weary and the hungry and the thirsty to come to him. He counseled us how to live our lives, how to behave and how to speak, and even how to suffer for his sake. He taught us to love one another as He loved us. He taught us how to pray for one another after the pattern that He left us, to pray to His Father, to pray in His name, asking His help for those things which we need.

And again, the Lord Jesus continues to counsel us even after he goes back to heaven because he counsels us in his word when we read and hear the Bible preached faithfully to us. The wisdom of God is revealed to us in the Bible. If you have a Bible, you should read it. And if you don't have a Bible, then you must get one and then read it. In fact, if you are listening to this and you don't have a Bible, send me a note and tell me and I will get one for you as a gift from me for you to read. The Bible contains the wisdom and the counsel of God and that is taught to us in scriptures for our growth in grace and for the knowledge of the truth.

So here are some practical aspects of the Lord Jesus Christ being our counsellor. I would encourage you to get to know Christ's counsel for living. Our day-to-day life ought to be guided and regulated by the values and principles taught by the Lord Jesus Christ and the direction given to us in the Bible. Now that is not to say that you will find an answer for every possible question you're faced with in your life. But you will find the principles to live by and examples from the lives of men and women, boys and girls, just like you who have gone before.

But this is important too. Trying to live by the Bible's rules outwardly only goes so far. What we really need is an inward transformation. The Bible calls it conversion. We need to be converted. It isn't enough to have Jesus as an advisor. We need him as Lord and Saviour in our hearts and in our souls. And it is true that salvation is God's gift of grace, but it is to be sought for, it is to be desired from Christ with humility and sincerity. Paul told his young friend Timothy that the Holy Scriptures are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.

And may we all come to know Christ's counsel in the Holy Scriptures. but more importantly, his mercy to bring us salvation and his friendship and guidance for our life. So that was the first application. Get to know Christ's counsel for living. And also, get to know Christ's counsel for dying. One day all of us are going to die. and the Lord Jesus had some advice for men and women facing that reality. A group of people had been killed when a tower collapsed in Jerusalem and rumours began to circulate that these people must have been really bad to have died in this way. However, the Lord used that as a lesson and he counseled his hearers in Luke chapter 13, and this is what he said,

The Lord Jesus Christ, in speaking like this, was warning people, preparing people to in turn prepare for their own death. by repenting of their sin. And our Saviour preached repentance and faith. And if we would be wise, we too will prepare for our own death by seeking the mercy of God in repentance and faith as the Lord Jesus Christ counseled.

We should seek Christ's counsel for life. We should seek Christ's counsel for death. And then just quickly, we should get to know Christ's counsel for eternal life. Our Saviour told us in John chapter six, verily, verily, I say unto you, he that believeth on me hath everlasting life.

You know, What you think of me doesn't matter very much. And my usefulness to you extends only insofar as I am faithful to the word of God. But I want you to hear my words right now. You're young, but you're growing older all the time. And you will face challenges and difficulties and trials and problems in your life. And you will be tempted to forget the things that you have heard me speaking to you. But I want you to hear the counsel of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Forget what I say if you will. but do not despise the gospel. Do not ignore the counsel of Jesus Christ. He is the counsellor who will do your soul good. He is the wonderful counsellor who can guide you day by day and supply all your need for eternity.

The psalmist Asaph said in Psalm 73, thou shalt guide me with thy counsel and afterward receive me to glory. That was a blessed hope indeed that Asaph had. May each of us be able to say the same and to mean it from the bottom of our heart. Amen.