Counting the Days: December 8, 2023
Logan Hilton ’24
Special Education: General Curriculum
For a child has been born for us, a son given to us; authority rests upon his shoulders; and he is named Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. His authority shall grow continually, and there shall be endless peace, for the throne of David and his kingdom. He will establish and uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time onwards and for evermore. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.
Reflection
Isaiah’s prophecy told of who Jesus would when he came to Earth as the Messiah, repeating twice that a child and a son will be born to us. Isaiah then describes in a series of definite statements the free gift that is Jesus Christ. Jesus is our wonderful counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, and Prince of Peace. Each of these descriptions shows God’s compassion and desire for relationship with his creation. The Lord is a counselor who loves and intercedes for us. He is fully God even as he is fully man on Earth. He is everlasting, having no beginning and no end. He is the Prince of Peace. The Lord shows us His heart in this prophecy. He cares for his people even as he is the everlasting Lord of the universe. God desired a relationship with us. To make that happen God became incarnate in human flesh, taking the penalty of our sin, coming down from perfection to bring salvation to mankind because we are incapable of saving ourselves.
The prophecy describes His reign on the throne as being one of justice and righteousness. The Lord is giving us a close look into how Jesus will live, 700 years before He ever steps foot into the world. If we hold this passage up to the gospels, we find it to be in complete unison with who Jesus was on Earth and lives to this day. God’s promise was fulfilled, and we find joy that we have been given a gift so perfect and loving even though we have done nothing to deserve it.
Even now, we turn to fight under our own power and knowledge and forget to turn to the wise counselor. This prophecy is written well before the arrival of the Lord, but it is written as if the Lord has already come. The Lord is a Lord who will not fail. The Lord speaks in definite terms not in possibilities. Take the word of the Lord and his promises with the expectation of his perfect timing. Isaiah displayed this faith in how he spoke about Jesus’ coming, in the present tense. God is not a God of lies and failure, but truth. The stage was set for Jesus’ arrival well before he arrived. The Wonderful Counselor fulfilled the prophecy and promises of God.