(Article for publication week of 12-4-2014 Ad)
"For unto
is 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" (Isaiah 9:6). Seven centuries before His Incarnation, the
prophet Isaiah declared the coming of Christ. In this verse we have an amazing
prophecy that God would be manifest in the flesh.
Our text
declares that the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ would be "Wonderful."
This is a most appropriate name, for the Lord Jesus Christ is indeed the most
wonderful Person in the universe. Dear reader, would you agree with that
statement? Would you agree that the Lord Jesus Christ is the most wonderful
Person in the universe? If you know the Lord Jesus Christ, then I am sure you
will agree with that. And if you don't know Him, I pray He might have mercy
upon you and that you would come to know Him in experimental salvation.
The Lord Jesus
Christ is the most wonderful and unique Person in the universe. There is none
other who can compare. He is wonderful because He is the Second Person in the
Holy Trinity. Our text declares the Deity of Christ, for Isaiah wrote He is the
"mighty God." He is eternally begotten of the Father and is one with
Him. Thus the text declares His eternal generation for the Father must needs
have a Son to give a Son. And Christ is wonderful because He became incarnate.
As dear Joseph Hart wrote, "How it was done we can't discuss, But this we
know 'twas done for us." That is the "Word was made flesh" (John
1:14). We see this in the expression, "a child is born." Though He is
eternally God, Christ was made a Man. He was conceived by the Holy Ghost in a
virgin's womb by the agency and power of the Holy Ghost. Christ is wonderful because
He has two natures. He is very God of very God, and very Man of very Man. As
the God-Man He executes three offices. He is a Prophet to teach us; He is a
Priest to intercede for us; and He is a King to rule over us.
And His name
shall be "wonderful" for He has done the most wonderful work that has
ever been done, that is the redemption of poor sinners. He created the universe
and He governs the universe, but these are small works compared with the
salvation of poor sinners. This was a work that could only be performed by the
God-Man. Hebrews 1:3 declares that Christ purged our sins "by
Himself." No angel could have been our Redeemer. No saint could have been
our Redeemer. God the Father did not die for us, nor did God the Holy Spirit.
It was God the Son Who died for us and put away our sins as far as the East is
from the West. The Blessed Eternal Son of God left His Throne and glory, set
aside His crown and came into a sin-cursed world to die for poor sinners such
as you and me. As my dear brother in the ministry, Elder Jeff Pollard preached
among us on one occasion, "the Son of God became the Son of Man that sons
of men might become sons of God"! Now that is wonderful!
This is a name
of which believers never get tired of hearing. A believer in Christ will never
complain that he has heard all he wants to hear of Jesus. A true believer longs
to hear more and more of that wonderful name. As another old hymn says,
"more about Jesus would I know"! Yes indeed! His Name is Wonderful!
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