The King Who Reigns Forever • Isaiah 9:6=7; Luke 1:26-33
By Paula Smith
Ah… the smells of Christmas! I think it’s the mixture of all the smells – coconut cake, ham, biscuits, pine, and cedar – that make the smells so tantalizing. When I was a kid in our house, on the day after Christmas we would begin to sort out the smells and the icicles would come off the tree. The lights and ornaments went back in the box.
I once asked Mama why we took down the decorations so quickly. Her reply: “Jesus grew up.” Praise God He did! Luke said He grew and became strong, filled with wisdom. The favor of God was upon him (Luke 2:40 ESV).
Luke also said, “He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to Him the throne of His father David, and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end” (Luke 2:32-33 ESV).
Isaiah in the Old Testament prophesied that this child grows up and “the government shall be upon His shoulders” (Isaiah 9:6 ESV). Ezekiel then goes on to describe His name. I think this is where we begin to understand that this birth we have been celebrating leads to worshiping this KING — this One who reigns as Lord over all creation FOREVER.
“…and His name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:6 ESV). What does this mean for us? Let’s look closer at a couple of His names.
“Wonderful.” Commentaries say that the Hebrew word, “pala,” means a phenomenon outside the realm of human explanation. The same word is used in Psalm 139:6 in just this way: “Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain it.”
Isaiah said that the One to come would be a wonder. This doesn’t just describe what He does; it describes who He is. HE is the wonder!
“Counselor.” In its historical use, the word suggests a king giving counsel to his people. Even as a young child of 12, Jesus astounded the Jewish rabbis with His wisdom (Luke 2:46-47). As an adult, people were amazed at His wise counsel: “…and coming to His hometown He taught them in their synagogue, so that they were astonished, and said, ‘Where did this man get this wisdom and these mighty works?’” (Matthew 13:54 ESV).
Why is His name, “Wonderful Counselor,” important to us today? He helps us with our problems and leads us to a place of security, satisfaction, and enjoyment. He does this through His Word and prayer: “Your testimonies are my delight; they are my counselors” (Psalm 119:24 ESV).
He does this because of who He is. He can help us in ways that go far beyond our ability to understand: “I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my eye upon you” (Psalm 32:8 ESV).
“Mighty God” is the compound Hebrew title, El Gibbor. You may be familiar with the title, El, which is the singular form of the word, Elohim, which refers to the one true God. Gibbor means “strength, power, hero.” We have a Mighty God who is the only One worthy to be called, “hero,” and no one can match His might. Not only would Jesus have the power of God, He would be the God of power!
Jesus was the Mighty God even before His birth. “For by Him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities — all things were created through Him and for Him” (Colossians 1:16 ESV).
Jesus was the Mighty God during His life on earth. Jesus showed His right to be recognized as the Mighty God by demonstrating power over nature (Luke 5:1-11), power over disease (Matthew 9:18-26), power over demons (Luke 8:26-39), power over sin (Mark 2:3-12), and power over death (1 Corinthians 15:1-19).
Jesus is still the source of our power today. In Acts 1:8, Jesus promises to send the power of the Holy Spirit. Jesus is also the strength of our lives: “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13 ESV). Jesus secures our eternity: “…who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time” (1 Peter 1:5 ESV).
Do you believe — and are you acting — on this promise that Jesus is your Wonderful Counselor and your Mighty God?
Smith is a member of Ridgecrest Church, Madison. She may be contacted at pgrace56@hotmail.com.
