In Isaiah 9, a prediction is made about the name Jesus will have – he will be the Wonderful Counsellor, the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father and the Prince of Peace. Those four titles together make one name and obviously point to his greatness as a Ruler. It was common for kings to have lots of titles, most of which were meaningless. But each of the titles of Jesus is full of meaning.
We might be puzzled by the third title (Everlasting Father) and wonder if it has any connection to God the Father. It is not connected to the Father. When Jesus is called the Everlasting Father, it means that he will act like a father and look after his subjects. Often, a king is called the father of his nation. Unlike all other rulers, Jesus will be able to take care of all who belong to his kingdom.
In addition, he will not only take care of them occasionally. Rather he will take care of them eternally – one of his roles as the eternal King is to care for his people while they are in this world and also in the form of his kingdom that will exist in the next world. No other king can make such a claim. They have to hand on their kingdom to a descendant or a conqueror. In contrast, Jesus will remain a perfect king for ever.
It is a good idea to think about how Jesus takes care of us. Perhaps drawing up a list would help us see how he uses his power on our behalf. And we can also put together a list of what he has promised to do for us in the next world.
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