Wonderful Counsellor

Claim: Jesus' supernatural, all knowing, all wise, counsel to humnity is wonderful (unexpected, miraculaous and perfect)

Focus: To lay our lives in the hands of the baby who is wonderful counsellor is a relieveing and joy (light) in a dark life.

Function: To find relief and joy in Jesus the wonderful counsllor of life

PRAY

We spend a lot of time tryng to predict the future.

A lot more than you’d think!

For example - the question of What school will work out best for our kids, is a decison we make based on our prediction of the future.

What career choises will work out best,

in fact trying to predict the future is probably a skill we use most of the time in our decsions.

Should I cross this road so close the that corner, we’re predicting if we think a car is goign to come flying round.

Husbands face one of the hardest predictions known at this time every year,

‘Will my wife like that present for Christmas?

- we’re trying to predict the future.

The answer is no, by the way - she wont!

There’s big money in predicting the future as well.

I wonder who’s counsel you turn to,

A mortagage advisor perhaps advising whether to take a fixed rate or a tracker.

A doctor advising about your lifestyle or diet

Scientists and the government trying to predict COVID and the impact public behaviour will have on things.

People make a alot of money and or gain a lot of status claiming to be able to predict the future.

You might think of stock brokers trying to anticipate the markets,

But there are also those who set out to decieve us with their phrophetic claims:

you might think of fortune tellers or astrologers:

Here are a couple of Zodiac predictions I found online:

Everything you read online today may turn out to be a complete sham, or alternatively contain very inciteful tidbits detailing the most intimate details of your unconscious self.

If you think you've got problems today, just wait until tomorrow!

Eggs, flour, milk, potatoes, sage and onion stuffing - these are all the ingredients you need for a happy marriage and a pleasant evening.

I particularily like these one - although I suspect it’s someone taking the mick:

You’re probably breathing right now

and

This week is going to be a series of ups and downs. Mostly downs, but also mostly ups. (Sounds like a Boris announcment)

Things are going to come to a head today and either go well, go badly, or go...kinda...OK.

Listeneing to counsel is how we live our lives,

and based on what those counsellors/advisors think will happen in the future is the basis on which we make decisions.

Sometimes we act

Foolishly if we trust the wrong counsellors - as is the case with astrologers and mystics,

Or practically, as in the case of doctors and financial advisors.

And often, we simply counsel ourselevs in lifes decsions.

But Isaiah 9v6, introduces a counsellor of a different kind,

of a different origion,

of a different effect,

He is the type of counsellor we all should want for he, is

A Wonderful counsellor

Isaiah 9:6 NIV

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

There is so much to say about this extraordinary verse we’re actually going to have 4 talks on it!

One for each names given to this child to be born.

Wonderful Counselor,

Mighty God,

Everlasting Father,

Prince of Peace.

And so we’re starting with Wonderful Counsellor.

I guess the obvious question is - what does it mean!

He Jesus one more voise to advise us,

Does he sit us on a couch and help us find the answers within,

Will he make us happy through shrewed investments or familiy decision?

Well

And as often is the case with OT prophesy like this

- there seems to be at least 2 layers of promise here.

1 - Wonderful Counsellor for Everyday

This pormised child is going to lead God’s poeple in a way that stands apart from all those they are used to.

IF you read through Isaiah (well frankly most of the OT) you will find

leader after leader who may have human wisdom but not any true spiritual, of phrophetic wisdom.

Isaiah later in chapter 19 will deomnstrate the shortcomings of worldly wise counsellors by refelcting on the Super Power of the ancient world, Egypt:

Isaiah 19:11–13 NIV

The officials of Zoan are nothing but fools; the wise counselors of Pharaoh give senseless advice. How can you say to Pharaoh, “I am one of the wise men, a disciple of the ancient kings”? Where are your wise men now? Let them show you and make known what the Lord Almighty has planned against Egypt. The officials of Zoan have become fools, the leaders of Memphis are deceived; the cornerstones of her peoples have led Egypt astray.

Of course Egypt had some very wise and impressive leaders and counsellors - they were for a long

time the top dogs in the world - enslaving God’s own people!

But they did not, could not last forever.

They were not wonderful they were worldly.

We’ve seen throughout history the rise and fall of superpowers - advised by wise counsellors.

More recently we have seen the rise and fall of the British Empire,

The American Super Power,

and now Eastern nations and powers are dominating the world scene.

But they too will decline, for they have worldly counselloes, not wonderful counsellors.

But we don’t just need to look at the empires and powers, we can of course look at ourselevs.

That fixed rate mortgage didn’t turn out so well for you afterall.

That private school education you sought so vermently, perhaps didn’t lead to the life you or your parents thought.

Your savings for retirment perhaps wont be of use when illness comes.

Not bad or wrong things - simply example after example of how worldly wisdom and counsel is never enough for everyday.

It iwll always dissapoint here and there,

in small or catastrophic ways.

Clinging to worldly counsellors will leave us frustrtated and lost - even if for a time they are good and helpful.

Not to say they have no place in our lives - but if that is all our lives are about,

well then they will let us down everytime.

But thousands of years ago,

God’s poeple were promised a Wonderful counsellor

- and his wisdom and counsel is for everyday

- and if followed, will lead to satisfaction and joy everytime.

Isaiah 9:4–5 NIV

For as in the day of Midian’s defeat, you have shattered the yoke that burdens them, the bar across their shoulders, the rod of their oppressor. Every warrior’s boot used in battle and every garment rolled in blood will be destined for burning, will be fuel for the fire.

This counsellor will put an end to our enemies,

bring peace and calm,

His followers will v3 - rejoice!

Of course to do justice to this wonderful daily counsel we will need to invest in listening to the counsellor.

We will need to read

and ingest

and study

and absorb

the teachings of this child to be born if we are to benefit from his wonder.

And so as we read the Gospels in the NT,

Matthew,

Mark,

Luke and John,

and see and hear the life of Jesus,

Are we not amazed and in wonder at the counsel he gives.

We need only listen to his sermons, listen to his converstaions with his disciples,

hear his rebukes to realise he has a wonder to his counsel that has never been matched.

It’s not in error that Jesus at the end of his earthly bodily presence,

leaves his disciples with this instruction to pass onto the rest of history

Matthew 28:18–20 NIV

Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

Tell them to obey EVERYTHING I have commanded!

For My Counsel is wonderful!

But don’t takt just Jesus’ word for it..

Surely history itself lays tetsimony to the incredible cousel of Jesus.

His teaching has been the bedrock for the moral, political and judicial systems of the western world.

We’re so used to his teachings sometimes that we fail to see the incredible wisdom they contain.

‘Love your neighbour as yourself’ - genius if you think about it - and history credits it to Jesus alone.

Your morgagte advisor will give you a better assesment of the current loan markets than Jesus, but now lasting joy will be found in that counsel.

but listeneing to the wonderful counsel of Jesus about how to make decisions about money, and wealth will have a wonderful impact on your life everyday.

Do not store up for yourselevs treasure on earth where moth and rust can destroy,

Seek first the kingdom of God.

And His wonderful counsel allows us to rejoice, even in the trials of life.

Unlike worldy counsel that seeks to always relieve and seek comfort

- Jesus simply teaches us that in Him alone (not in anything else) is comfort and joy (comfort and joy).

His wisdom shows us an everyday way to live whatever comes our way.

This is why we must read our bibles everyday,

attend a church that faithfully teaches the bible,

This is not a matter of preference,

leagalism,

this is a matter of whether we want to enjoy the wondrful counsel of Jesus everyday or not!

But this wonderful counsellor is not just an everyday advisor - wonderful as that is.

He is also a

2 - Wonderful Counsellor for Eternity

It’s easy to forget that this prophesy was written hundreds of years before Jesus was born.

And very unlike the astrology predictions that are so generic

or circular that anyone can apply to themsleevs -

the prophesies about Jesus are far from straight forward to fulfill!

This wonderful counsellor, Mighty God, would be born as a baby!

Why make it so difficult!

And as if that;s not enough we also know he’ll be born into the kingly line of David, v7.

Not only does this Jesus chap have to tick the right boxes of place of birth,

geneology,

he then needs to demonstrtare himself to be an everyday wonderful counsellor that will never be forgotteen throughout history.

Not to mention that he’s going to have to die on a wooden cross and rise again to fulfill those other far from generic OT prophesises.

But this, all in and of itself, shows us how Jesus is far more than just an everyday wonderful counsellor.

His counsel is wonderful beyond understanding,

beyond all knowldge

beyond time.

In fact the word ‘wonderful’ is normally used in the OT to mean supernatural, or miraculous.

When this Jesus cousels we ought to expect the unexpected - the impossible!

His Counsel is not limited to our world or way of thinking,

it is other worldly!

And along side Isaiah’s everyday layer of prophesy,

he very much has an eternal, supernatural counsel in mind for this child.

Isaiah 9:2 NIV

The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned.

Isaiah 9:7 NIV

Of the greatness of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this.

Jesus the wonderful cousellor has a wisdom that has planned and counsels us into all eternity.

His cousel will lead us out of real spiritual darkness into light.

His cousel will uphold an eternal kingdom,

not just for our earthly life time - but for an eternal one.

And it will be a kingdom of justice - how we long for that today,

and of righteousness - how we long for that today!

There is something about Jesus being a wonderful counsellor that reassures us that he has an eternal salavation plan in place for those he calls to his kingdom.

His cousel is so wonderful that when we hear and respond to it

- we wonderfully become beneficiaries of his supernatural, unexpected, miraculaous plans.

His counsel leads us into the light.

Of course the darkness Isaiah is referring to is the Israelite nations continued rebelion against God.

It’s a vivid and helpful illustration for us too - especially at this time of year!

Our rebelion against God, our Sin - means we live in darkness.

1 John 1:5–7 NIV

This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. If we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.

Jesus shed his blood, to purify us from sin,

so that we can leave behind our darkness

and entre his kingdom of light, justice and righteousness.

Jesus is a wonderful counselor for Eternity.

And I guess the only application for this point, is to repent of our sin and join him in the light!

This child we celebrate at Christmas,

came as a wonderful counsellor - to wise to comprehend,

to knowledgable to explain,

Too wonderful to absorb.

His supernatural counsel, does what we could only consider impossible,

he brings light to our darkness,

both everyday and forevermore.

It would be foolsihness to reject this wonderful counsellor.

It would be pure joy to accept Him.

Christmas is about celebrating the amazing gift God gives us in his son Jesus.

And his name is wonderful counsellor.

As we step through advent,

and we face decsions that involve the future.

Let us be reminded that if we want to enjoy everyday and eternity,

then we can call for our friend and saviour first.

and his name is wonderful counsellor.

Pray