Wonderful Counselor

Today is the first day of Advent and we are going to be looking at the Hope of Christmas for the next four weeks.

I want us to start by looking at one verse that will be the foundation of the series: Isaiah 9:6

Isaiah 9:6 CSB

6 For a child will be born for us, a son will be given to us, and the government will be on his shoulders. He will be named Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.

Isa. 9:6 is the single greatest verse that describes Jesus.

This verse describes both the humanity and deity of Jesus

4 titles here

This is OT prophecy concerning the birth of a great king who will come as a conquering warrior to bring peace that Israel is looking for.

Notice that in some translations there is a comma between wonderful and counselor.

To those who believe it should be there, they see wonderful describing the titles given.

Yet others believe that there should be no comma to follow the pattern of four two word titles.

We won’t go into all of the background, I feel that there should be no comma.

What is clear is that we the humanity and deity of Jesus wrapped up in this verse.

How can Jesus be 100 percent man and 100 percent God?

Wonderful is deity and counselor is the humanity side

Mighty God: mighty as a warrior and God deity

Eternal Father: Eternal is deity while father is an enduring human term

Prince of Peace: He will one day be the prince and rule here on Earth, but the Peace can only come from God.

Even in the beginning we see it as well.

A Child – humanity of Jesus

A Son is given – deity John 3:16, “For God loved the world in this way: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.”

Let’s begin with Wonderful Counselor, How does this bring hope at Christmas?

1st Wonderful

The word is much weightier than the way it’s used in normal conversation today.

We say things are “wonderful” if they are pleasant, lovely, or the least bit likable.

Jesus is wonderful in a way that is boggling to the mind.

Three Fill ins for what wonderful means:

Incomprehensible-means mind boggling wonder.

While in seminary, we would often sit and discuss theology.

Come to the point where no matter what explanation you can come up with, you realize that your finite mind just can comprehend it all.

You can discuss theology intellectually but some point must come to faith.

Just by faith believe in it.

Unknown - It’s a learning process.

The more you study, read and memorize the more you know God.

Miraculous - The times where only God can actually do things that goes against all we know.

So Hope of Christmas is when God comes into your life when life is unknown and incomprehensible and provides miracle.

God is just one step away.

Light breaks through hope comes in.

That’s God.

Jesus As Wonderful

Birth Was Wonderful

Isaiah could have ended verse after Savior, But didn’t.

He clarified who Jesus was.

Christ bridged gap of sin.

He is a mediator.

Go to God through Christ.

He makes intercession for us, he whispers to God.

His payment on the cross links us to God.

Not only mediator, but master.

Many things compete to be a master in our life.

Can lose focus of what Christmas is all about.

Good Sunday, but Monday starts and “who is lord of my life?”

He mediator and master

That’s what makes the birth wonderful.

Power Is Wonderful.

Matthew 4:23 says, “Now Jesus began to go all over Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people.”

People would hear him teach and want to know why he is so authoritative.

Chorazin was city near Capernaum that had a church or synagogue.

In it there was special seat called the Seat of Moses.

This is where people spoke and taught the law.

This is the spot Jesus would sit to proclaim the law like no one else had and he backed it up by his miracles.

The Word speaks to you.

See God move in your life.

His Teaching Is Wonderful.

Luke 4:32, “They were astonished at his teaching because his message had authority.”

There were false prophets and Messiahs in that day, and even today.

The people were seeing prophecy was coming true in front of them

Then Jesus comes along.

When he taught people were astonished because he taught with authority.

Bible is not just a book it is the Word of God.

John 1:1, tells us “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”

These are the very words of God

Impossible to grow without being in the word of God daily.

Get into it, pray over it, memorize it, meditate on a passage.

Fight the Battle of blankets or the battle of the blahs.

Bible is living and powerful, it’s a seed to plant in your life and let it grow.

His Life Was Wonderful

Hebrews 4:15, “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who has been tempted in every way as we are, yet without sin.”

We don’t have to go to a High Priest to find hope and forgiveness.

We have Jesus

We have an all access pass to the heavenly Father.

Call to ministry – Cupp says don’t do it, but if called then go for it.

Mistake many make is to go to others before we go to God.

You can count of Jesus – Access to Father, mediator, whisper in God’s ear.

Go to Him first.

His Resurrection Is Wonderful.

Mark 16:6, “Don’t be alarmed,” he told them. “You are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has risen! He is not here.”

All tombs of other great religious leaders are full of bones.

Jesus’ tomb is empty – no bones

He defeated death

Resurrection is wonderful.

Jesus As Our Counselor

Psalm 139 read it

Verses 1-10 Whatever place you’ve God is there. Have you been at a place where you feel God is not there. Yet, he’s there

V.11 life dark around you, it was day but you were depressed, discouraged, confused

V.12 God is light and though it may be dark to Him it is like light.

V. 14 Wonderful God made you wonderful “Fearfully and wonderfully made.”

Want to know who you are get to know God.

Your faith may be at a point of doubt, but “my soul knows it well.”

He will touch you only and you will know it is God.

v.16 what to do tomorrow? Ask God

V. 17-18 God never leaves you

V. 23 – Search me – open up inward parts down deep

Isaiah 28:29, “He gives wondrous advice; he gives great wisdom.” Only voice you’ll ever need

Col. 2:3, “In him are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.” No one has all wisdom and knowledge but God.

Heb. 4:16, “ Therefore, let us approach the throne of grace with boldness, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in time of need.”

Grace not judgement, not criticism, not skepticism

Wonderful to approach throne of grace – can trust Him

No need to fear

We get mercy and grace

Psalm 23 says surely goodness and mercy will follow you.

In all His counseling Jesus knew exactly what to say.

How Our Wonderful Counselor Affects Us?

His Care

1 Peter 5:7, “Casting all your cares on him, because he cares about you.”

We carry anxieties around afraid to share because you may not like me.

So I hold on to them.

Then I am overwhelmed.

He cares.

How is that hope? When overwhelmed I don’t have the ability to see hope.

Give it to Jesus – confess it and let it go.

Attach a bible verse to it.

365 promises in the Bible that’s one a day.

Our Correction

Hebrews 12:5-7, “And you have forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons: My son, do not take the Lord’s discipline lightly or lose heart when you are reproved by him, for the Lord disciplines the one he loves and punishes every son he receives., Endure suffering as discipline: God is dealing with you as sons. For what son is there that a father does not discipline?”

Going through discipline of God,

Know that you are loved by the Father

Don’t like what you did, but I love you.

Discipline exist so we won’t hurt ourselves.

His Companionship

Romans 8:15, “For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear. Instead, you received the Spirit of adoption, by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father!”

Any other relationship we get into always ends in fear.

Marriage – commitment of trust – are they really here for me.

“Things” never last

Never run out of God.

He’s got plenty to go around.

His Compassion

Psalm 103:14, “For he knows what we are made of, remembering that we are dust.”

Frame of a house, we are dust.

Without Christ building a frame of dust.

He knows we are dust, but He does amazing things with dust.

He is a master of turning messy into masterpieces.

When He steps in, He makes us as in Psalm 139 says fearfully and wonderfully made.

My soul knows.

That’s hope – in the midst of messy we see a loving wonderful God.

Don’t forget – Remember

For unto us a child is born; a son is given. Christ being born and given to us is our greatest source of hope.

Prayer