Jesus is the Prince of Peace (Isa. 9:6-7)

We have all heard of shalom. Shalom is more than the absence of hostilities because it also includes wholeness. A person does not have shalom merely because he is living in a country that is not at war; in addition he must have inner peace, a sense of satisfaction. Jesus gives shalom to all who trust in him. Can we identify features of this sense of inner and outer wholeness? Here are three of them.

 

First, there is the realisation of forgiveness by God. There is both an objective and a subjective response to the reality of divine pardon. Objectively, we understand that we are forgiven by God because of the work of Jesus on the cross. The gospel offers this pardon freely and this offer does not change. Pardon never comes by any other way. The outcome of our initial pardon was to enter into a state of peace with God. 

Subjectively, a sinner experiences various emotions as he/she grasps what has happened. His conscience ceases to condemn him because he realises pardon comes through Christ. Repentance flows from a heart touched with the gospel of peace and that is a sweet experience. Faith is a glad dependence on a loving Saviour. All these inner responses contribute to a sense of subjective peace.

 

This initial experience of peace through pardon opens the way for further experiences of Christ’s peace as we make our way through life. There is something very unusual about the peace of Christ in our hearts – we sense his pleasure when we do our best for him and, simultaneously, we sense his pardon as we confess our best was marred by sin.

 

Secondly, we should appreciate an aspect of this wholeness when we enjoy the harmony that marks the church of Christ. Jesus dealt with the obstacle of prejudice that had existed between Jews and Gentiles. The Jews despised the Gentiles because they were pagan idolaters – there was hostility. Yet Jesus through his gospel of peace brought conflicting races into a relationship of peace. A Jewish believer in Jesus and a Gentile believer in Jesus could now walk together and experience wholeness rather than conflict in their hearts.

 

There are other obstacles in today’s world that prevent harmony – social levels, age, degrees of intelligence, roles in life. The list can go on and on. Yet in the church, these obstacles should not exist. The church should be a community of peace, of wholeness – a community that displays clearly the evidence that Jesus is its Lord. Every gift we have, every contribution we put together, every decision we make, has the goal of peace in our local branch of the kingdom of Jesus. Living in such an environment results in a sense of wholeness. It is a great blessing to serve him in an atmosphere of peace.

 

Thirdly, we should anticipate a future aspect of wholeness connected to the return of Jesus. Many a person crossed land and sea because they looked for a better location, and sadly none ever found a perfect place. The reason for such a failure is that the perfect world is in the future. It will not come until Jesus brings into existence the new heavens and new earth. When that occasion comes, his people will be transformed into his likeness and will be ready for the life of glory. But what will be the ongoing experience of the world of glory? It will be peace, a peace of which Isaiah says in verse 7 that there will be no end of its increase. The increase will be both outward and inward.

 

We cannot understand yet what this will mean. But we should aim to have foretastes of it in this life. Paul reminds us in Philippians 4 that the way to obtain the peace that passes all understanding is to pray with a thankful spirit. Is this not what we should be doing, praying for pardon thankful that we can have it, praying for harmony thankful it is possible, and praying about the glory to come thankful we can anticipate it.

 

Jesus is the Prince of Peace (Isa. 9:6)

Some Japaneses soldiers in obscure Pacific islands took a long time to realise that the Second World War had come to an end. They missed an opportunity of experiencing peace. We can do something similar with the peace of Jesus announced in the gospel.

 

When Jesus was born, angels came from heaven with a song for the shepherds to hear. Part of the song declared, ‘on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased’ (Luke 2:18). Their song was, in a sense, a continuation of the prophecy given to Isaiah. The one he had predicted had arrived and the angels declared that his coming was a declaration of peace from heaven. 

 

Yet we also know that his birth caused great consternation in the palace of Herod; so there was no peace there. In addition, the inhabitants of Bethlehem, near where Jesus was born, did not seem to experience peace and the reason for this failure was their indifference. He had been born a king, as the wise men testified. Still it looks as if the arrival of the Prince of peace had not much effect, apart from giving hope to a few people here and there.

 

The Gospels highlight for us incidents from the life of Jesus when he helped many people who were in trouble of various kinds. Yet even when he performed outstanding miracles for the benefit of others, often they were not followed by an experience of peace. Take the time when he fed thousands of people from a very small supply of fish and bread. Despite personally experiencing such amazing provision, they soon became disgruntled, and rejected Jesus. After the feeding of the crowd they wanted to make him a king, yet their desire was not for peace.

 

Or we can note the response of those who observed Lazarus had been raised from the dead by Jesus. The fact that peace had been restored to the family in Bethany did not create a sense of peace in those who heard about this mighty act. Instead they were highly disturbed by what had occurred and the religious leaders decided to try and kill Lazarus. They were aware that Jesus had shown his power over the cause of the greatest distress possible – death, and they remained hostile.

 

These incidents show that it is possible to be close to the presence of Jesus, to experience the effects of his provision, and to observe great displays of his power, and never come to experience his peace. In a sense we can say that each of these aspects occurs in a church service – there we are near to Jesus, perhaps feeling the effects of blessings he gives, and observing the witnesses of his saving power. Can some of us be so near to the experience of peace and yet ultimately not receive it?

 

Jesus is the Prince of Peace (Isa. 9:6)

It is common for leaders to make promises of peace. I suppose if we could ask people what they had most wanted to see in 2021, many of them would say peace because we live in a world in which peace is lacking in many areas of life. Yet I suspect that if we asked them to define what they mean by peace, a variety of answers would be given. Some would intend external peace whereas others, who live in fairly steady circumstances, would desire internal peace.

 

When we look back into history, we can see that peace has eluded many who sought for it. Sometimes a form of peace was imposed on other nations who had been conquered by a dominant country, yet its rule was resented by its subjects. Its peace was merely an absence of war. When we look around our world today, we conclude that politicians cannot give peace (despite their genuine attempts at times), prosperity does not bring peace (materialism cannot satisfy the heart), advances in technology have not brought peace (instead it has developed many methods of preventing peace), and increase in knowledge has not brought peace (we know much more than our ancestors did in lots of ways).

 

The people to whom Isaiah initially delivered his prophecy faced a situation in which there was no prospect of peace on a national level. Ahead of them was exile under the sway of the foreign powers of Assyria and Babylon. Yet to them, Isaiah had a message of peace when he predicted the coming of the prophesied Messiah. He reminded them that this peace could never be found in their circumstances, even if they changed and the exile came to an end. Instead he told them to look ahead to the birth of Jesus if they wanted to experience personal peace and anticipate an environment marked by peace. His message is the same as far as we are concerned.

 

Why do we need peace to be given? In order to get the true answer, we have to first realise why peace is absent. If we need the peace that Jesus brings about, then we should ask ourselves what there is about us that required God to send his Son into the world to bring this peace to us. So the first question to ask is this, ‘To whom does Jesus offer peace?’ The answer is that he offers peace to sinners.

 

When the Bible describes sinners, it uses a wide range of pictures. For example, sinners are said to be lost in a dangerous location (lost sheep in a hostile wilderness). Or they are regarded as rebels who have disobeyed God’s laws (he is the sovereign whom they have disobeyed). They are also depicted as being in a state of enmity with God. Enmity is not a word we use often today, but it means the presence of hostilities between two or more parties. When hostilities are present, there is no peace between the opposing groups. The amazing reality is that Jesus went to Calvary to deal with the issues that robbed us of such peace.

Jesus is the Everlasting Father (Isa. 9:6)

Yesterday, we focussed on how Jesus in a fatherly way will deal with his people as pardoned sinners. But there are other ways by which he will also reveal his amazing character. We can think of two today – his provision and protection.

 

Jesus cares for his people as they make their way through this world. An earthly father will always take care of his children as best he can – usually their needs will take priority over all else. It is the same with Jesus – the needs of his church are always before his eye. Whatever needs such may have at this moment, Jesus knows about them. We may not be aware of our own needs, but in a sense that does not matter. What is important is that he knows what we need.

 

My earthly father did his best for me, but I know there were many situations in which he would not have been able to help me. For example, he could not give to me what was needed to pass language exams. For that matter, I was dependent on others. Yet even my father and all other helpers together could not provide for all my needs. In total contrast to them, Jesus can. We are familiar with the wonderful words of Paul in Philippians 4: : ‘My God shall supply all your needs according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.’ Jesus sees what I need, selects the appropriate grace from the heavenly storehouse, and applies it to me personally by the Holy Spirit.

 

Jesus knows our needs, has the resources to provide them while we are in this world, and in addition he will meet our needs throughout the eternity to come. Because we will be creatures always, we will be in need always. One of the images used of Jesus in this regard is that of Shepherd. As the Shepherd, he suffered on the cross (Zech. 13:7); as the Shepherd, he finds us lost in and ruined by sin (Luke 15:3-7); as the Shepherd, he guides us throughout life (John 10:7-9); and as the Shepherd, he will lead us eternally to the fountains of the waters of life (Rev. 7:17). He will show his fatherly care as the permanent provider.

 

Jesus also reveals his fatherly heart in his constant protection of his people from their powerful enemies against whom they are powerless in themselves. He protects them in different ways: sometimes he stops the devil from tempting them; at other times he enables them to defeat the devil through the spiritual armour described in Ephesians 6. One aspect of their armour is calling upon the Lord in prayer, and when they do he answers them and delivers them. From one perspective, the Christian life is a pilgrimage, from another it is a warfare involving many battles in which they need the ongoing protection of their King. And the day will come when they will fight their last battle in this world and find themselves in the presence of their caring, protective King forever.

 

No doubt, Jesus encourages his people in life by reminding them of his promises. An earthly father’s heart always aims to encourage his children. When they have done their best, even if they did not come first, he says to them, ‘Well done.’ And Jesus is yet to say to his servants, when they reach their heavenly home, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. Enter into the joy of your Lord.’ Encouragement regarding the past and the future will be given on the day of judgement from the fatherly heart of Jesus.

Jesus is the Everlasting Father (Isa. 9:6)

Yesterday, we thought briefly about the fatherly basis of the kingdom of Jesus, that he as King would be kind and generous to his people. No doubt, there are many ways in which he will do this, but here are three examples.

 

The first example of fatherly care shown by Jesus is his willingness to pardon his subjects. This response is revealed at different stages in their history. They experience it for the first time when they come to him as rebels in great need of his forgiveness. When they confess their sinfulness to him, he immediately pardons them. The basis of their pardon is his work on the cross when he paid the penalty required of them for their sins. Although the price was high for him, he freely forgives them.

 

Then they experience his fatherly character as he pardons them throughout their lives in this world. Although forgiven by him when they come initially to him, they are not made sinless. This means that they will continue to sin, even when trying to obey his laws as their King. Sometimes they sin and dislike their own actions; at other times they may sin because they have become cold in heart towards him. Yet when they repent of their sins, he shows his fatherly care by forgiving them again and again.

 

A third way in which King Jesus will show his fatherly care with regard to the pardon of his people will take place in the future, on that momentous day when he will sit as Judge of all intelligent creatures. It will be awesome day, when he appears in glory. Although he will be so exalted, his heart will burn with great desire to announce, and that publicly, concerning each of his people, that their sins have all been pardoned. Sometimes we try and imagine the looks on our faces when this great announcement will be made, but we should also think about the look on his face as he makes this amazing declaration. It will be a wonderful insight into how fatherly the heart of Jesus is.

 

A further way of revealing his fatherly care concerning our sins will be the way that Jesus will not refer to them throughout the endless ages. We will refer to them as we praise him for paying the penalty for them. Yet he will never say to any of us, ‘You lived a terrible life,’ or ‘You were such a failure.’ Instead we will be treated as those who have been pardoned.

 

Jesus is the Everlasting Father (Isa. 9:6)

We may be puzzled by this title of Jesus because it could give the impression that Isaiah confused the persons of the Trinity by giving the name of the first person (the Father) to the second person (the Son). But that is not what Isaiah is doing when he uses this title. Instead, he is saying that for eternity Jesus will perform fatherly actions.

 

We find it very hard to understand the concept of anything that is eternal. Normally we think about it from the viewpoint of endless existence, but that is only part of its meaning. In addition to its length, there is in the concept of eternity, when applied to God, a reminder of the wealth of God. So when King Jesus is here described as eternal, we have a reference to his everlastingness (the length of his reign) and to his resources (what he can use throughout his reign).

 

One way to interpret the term ‘Father’ is to take it as meaning author or originator. That is a way the word is commonly used. If a man begins something, he is usually recognised as the father of that organisation. He may have a blueprint for it and its future development will be according to his plans. ‘Everlasting Father’ can be translated as ‘Father of eternity’, and if we take ‘Father’ as meaning author or originator we can say that eternity belongs to Jesus and that he has a blueprint mapped out for it. In other words, Jesus as king is the author of the future development of his kingdom. We serve a king who has great plans for his kingdom.

 

Jesus will continue his fatherly role because he is indestructible. Often a kingdom flourishes as long as its initial ruler survives. This was true of many empires in the history of the world – they seemed invincible as long as the original ruler was there, but they quickly declined and lost centre stage once he was gone. Isaiah reminds his listeners that this would not happen to the Messiah’s kingdom because he himself would be indestructible. Not even death could defeat him.

 

His manner of reigning will be fatherly. We know that an earthly ruler can reign for a long time and possess great resources. When that scenario occurs, the matter that will concern his subjects is the character of the ruler. For example, Isaiah refers to earthly emperors who reigned for a long time and had great supplies from which to draw throughout their reigns. Yet their characters were cruel towards their subjects and they treated them harshly. What is the characteristic of King Jesus that Isaiah speaks about? The prophet declares that the eternal reign of Jesus will be marked by fatherliness. Isaiah takes this common, everyday concept and applies it to the way Jesus will govern his affairs throughout his endless reign. The way Jesus will rule will display his tenderness and his compassion. 

 

Jesus is the Mighty God (Isa. 9:6)

We have seen in previous readings that Jesus, the might Warrior, when he was on earth and when he was on the cross, defeated the enemy. But that was not the end of the warfare because Jesus continued his triumphs even after he died.

 

The Saviour celebrated his triumph when he ascended to heaven after his resurrection from the dead. This was another enemy that he defeated when he left the tomb of Joseph of Arimathea. Death, which had proved almost invincible, met its match and discovered that it had no power over Jesus Christ. In majestic energy he tore open its locked doors and came out of the dark domain as the conqueror of death. 

 

Then, after a period of forty days in which he encouraged his disciples and gave them their task to engage in while he would be away, he ascended to God’s throne and sat down on it, not as an usurper, but as the mighty warrior God.

 

Having won such great victories over the kingdom of darkness and over death, Jesus now continues his exploits, achieving great successes throughout the ages of time, making ongoing progress as he develops his kingdom by adding more and more subjects to it. Every time he brings a sinner into his kingdom, it is evidence that he is the mighty God.

 

One consequence of looking at Jesus as the mighty God is that we are reminded that, unlike earthly sovereigns, Jesus does not have to arrange alliances in order to ensure that his kingdom will survive. It was common in the past, just as it is common today, for powerful nations to make treaties with smaller nations in order to protect potential weak points in their empires. Jesus does not have to make deals with weaker powers in order to secure the borders of his kingdom. He protects every inch of it himself.

 

A second consequence of realising that Jesus possesses divine power is that we do not have to be petrified by the power of the enemy. If we are subjects of King Jesus, then we will be attacked by the enemies of his kingdom. They are powerful enemies arraigned against the church – the world, the flesh and the devil. In ourselves we are no match for these enemies and they will defeat us if we fight them in our own strength. What we have to do when under attack is to remind ourselves that we are to use the Lord’s strength. As Paul puts it in Ephesians 6:10: ‘Be strong in the Lord and in the power of his might.’

 

Jesus is the Mighty God (Isa. 9:6)

We thought yesterday about the mighty victories Jesus had during his life on earth. Today we can think about the biggest battlefield, the cross. There, an important battle took place between Jesus and the powers of darkness. Jesus himself described it as the hour and power of darkness. 

 

The cross can be viewed from many angles. Usually we focus on Jesus paying the penalty of our sins there. Yet, in addition, we can look at him resisting the powers of darkness. As he was on the cross, Jesus was tempted by these opponents to sin, but he resisted and won the victory over them. In doing so, he left an example for us; as James says, ‘Resist the devil and he will flee from you.’

 

We have to remember that the Mighty One is now both God and man. Both in the desert and on the cross he resisted and won the victory through his humanity. With regard to his deity, he could have destroyed the devil with ease. But he was fighting on our behalf and therefore he, the eternal God, resisted the powers of darkness in his human nature, in dependence on the almighty Holy Spirit.

 

Paul told the Colossians that on the cross, when defeating those hostile powers, Jesus made an open show of them, highlighting that they had lost something that they often used. The weapon they had against us was to condemn us for our sins. It was the practice when a person was crucified to put a notice of his crime on a board above him. Paul takes that practice and uses it as an illustration. Above the head of Jesus in a figurative way was the list of our sins for which he was paying the penalty.

 

When the devil now condemns us for our sins before God, the divine response is to tell him that the penalty due to us has been paid by Jesus. This means that the devil’s accusations are powerless in the court of divine justice, although we might feel a wrong sense of weakness when he reminds us of our sins. The correct response is for us to recognise the victory of Jesus on the cross and remind ourselves that the penalty was paid when Jesus engaged in combat on the battlefield of the cross.

Jesus is the Mighty God (Isa. 9:6)

Obviously this title of Jesus points to his deity. But the word translated ‘God’ would have done this without the inclusion of the term translated ‘mighty’.Since the prophet also adds another word indicating might, it is evident that the prophet is stressing the power of Christ.

 

Some scholars are of the opinion that the word translated ‘mighty’ indicates that Isaiah is describing the divine Messiah in his role as a Warrior. The idea is also found in Psalm 45:3-5, also addressed to the promised Messiah: ‘Gird your sword on your thigh, O mighty one, in your splendour and majesty! In your majesty ride out victoriously for the cause of truth and meekness and righteousness; let your right hand teach you awesome deeds! Your arrows are sharp in the heart of the king’s enemies; the people fall under you.’ Isaiah is reminding us that the divine Messiah would be constantly engaged in fighting on behalf of his kingdom.

 

There are many ways in which we could approach the campaign of the divine warrior-king. But we can look at it from three angles: first, his activities during his life on earth; second, his activities on the cross of Calvary; and third, his activities since he ascended to heaven. Today we can think about the first set of activities.

 

We can begin with his baptism because it was the occasion when a public announcement was made that Jesus would be involved in a campaign against the enemies of the kingdom of God. The Saviour, after he was baptised by John, was led by the Spirit into the desert, there to face the most prominent foe of God’s kingdom. There Jesus engaged in conflict with the enemy and won a great victory.

 

We can also observe the conflict between the Warrior and the powers of darkness through the miracles and wonders that Jesus performed. One suggestion that has been given for the amount of satanic influence and activity that is recounted in the Gospels is that the powers of darkness, recognizing that the Son of God had come into the world, increased their presence in the world in order to mount a sustained attack upon him. 

 

At the same time we must remember that victories over the evil kingdom were not limited to physical deliverances. Paul reminds us that the whole world lies under the sway of the god of this world (Eph. 2:1ff.) and that he has blinded the minds of those who do not believe. Therefore when Jesus enlightened the dark minds of sinners as to he was, it was another way of him attaining victory over the devil. There were many such who discovered that through Jesus they could have their sins forgiven, like Mary Magdalene out of whom he cast out seven demons.

Jesus is the personal Counsellor (Isa. 9:6)

There have been innumerable circumstances in which a person has said, ‘I wish I knew someone who could tell me what I should do in this situation.’ A follower of Jesus knows the exact Person to do this, Jesus himself. One of the blessings, indeed one of the greatest privileges, that a pardoned sinner is given is the presence of Jesus as his friend and guide, his shepherd to protect him from danger. How does Jesus do this?

Initially we have to say that usually Jesus does not provide personal counsel to thosewho do not use the means he has provided. One of these means is the Bible and in it Jesus gives us all the information we need for every situation we will face in life. Sometimes the information will not contain all we want to know, but it will contain all that we need to know. The Bible tells us how to live, gives us guidelines regarding every area of life, and contains promises of God’s help. If we want to have the counsel of Jesus, we must read the Bible.

A second means that Jesus expects his followers to use in order to discover his counsel is prayer. Prayer is like having an appointment with our counsellor, except with regard to meeting with Jesus we don’t have to join a queue and wait our turn. We have access to him at all times, and we can call on his help in every situation.

A third means that Jesus uses is counsel through his people. We are not the first to experience our situation and when we find ourselves in strange circumstances we should contact those who have been in similar states. They will have learned something from Jesus during their times of trouble and confusion and can then share what they learned with others. They should be willing to share and the others should be willing to listen.

The fourth means that Jesus as the personal Counsellor uses is the Holy Spirit. He explains the Word to us, he enflames our prayers, he takes us through difficulties. The response that hinders the work of the Spirit is sin because it grieves him and we lose the sense of blessing that comes with the services of the wonderful Counsellor. Of course, our wonderful Counsellor knows how to bring us back into a right spiritual relationship with him, and for that we should also be thankful.

Jesus is the pardoning Counsellor (Isa. 9:6)

One of the most difficult decisions that an earthly advisor can face is to provide advice for his master concerning those who have rebelled against his rule. Should they be punished or should they be pardoned? With regard to the kingdom of Jesus, as far as its human members are concerned, each one of them was a rebel initially.

 

Yet Jesus, in a wonderful display of wisdom, pardons every rebel who asks him for mercy and forgiveness. None of them are refused in order to become a warning to others. Instead each of them becomes an example of what Jesus can do for others, which is that he can pardon all their sins. In order to prove this point we could highlight the cases of notorious sinners such as Saul of Tarsus, but we don’t have to do so. All we have to do is look at the sinners we know who have been forgiven and deduce from their experiences that we can be forgiven as well.

 

Of course, we know that the reason why Jesus is the pardoning Counsellor is because he himself became the sinbearer who was punished in the place of sinners. On the cross of Calvary, the divinely-chosen Counsellor became the substitute for sinners and suffered in their place the wrath of God. He himself has provided the basis whereby each of us can be forgiven.

Jesus is the permanent Counsellor (Isa. 9:6)

One of the reasons often given for a change of government is that politicians run out of ideas regarding what to do, or else circumstances arise for which previous policies don’t have an answer. This will never be said of Jesus. His message never changes because it is the answer for all possible circumstances. Jesus is a permanent Counsellor because he has a message that is always relevant.

 

In addition, Jesus is the permanent Counsellor because he will pronounce final judgement on all intelligent creatures. The ultimate location in which his wisdom will be revealed, as far as this stage of God’s eternal purpose is concerned, will be the judgement seat. Jesus will pronounce the final verdict regarding the eternal destiny of all human and angelic beings. A judge, we know, has to be able to assess evidence and pronounce the most suitable sentence. On the Day of Judgement, the wisdom of Jesus will be revealed as he passes judgement on all gathered before his throne. He will not need any help in fulfilling this task.

 

A third way in which Jesus is the permanent Counsellor is revealed in the various means he will use to convey eternal blessings to all the redeemed throughout the endless ages of bliss that awaits them in the new heavens and new earth. At this moment we have no idea what life will be like in that beautiful world, but Jesus has it all mapped out. Until then, it is enough for us to know that he will be, for ever, the permanent Counsellor guiding the perfect world in order to ensure that all will go well for ever.

Jesus is the wonderful counsellor (Isa. 9:6)

Obviously, Jesus is great and we can see that is the case from this verse in Isaiah which details his name. His name includes four titles and we can think about the first – wonderful Counsellor – today and tomorrow. 

 

Normally, a powerful Ruler, in order to govern and maintain control of his kingdom, would surround himself with wise counsellors. The kingdom of God only needs one counsellor, and he is Jesus. He himself has no need of advisors. In fact, he is in charge of the development of the kingdom of God.

 

Because he is wise, he knows how to over-rule the actions of his enemies. The kingdom of Jesus is under constant attack, whether from false religions or atheistic philosophies or sinful practices. Behind this attack is the intrigue of the devil and his kingdom. Even although we can, at times, recognise the methods of the enemy, we don’t know how to counteract him unless we pay attention to what Jesus says in the Bible. But although we do not know what to do, Jesus our wonderful Counsellor always does.

 

Jesus as the wonderful Counsellor knows how to work all things together for the good of his people. Sometimes the onslaught of the enemy seems so efficient and widespread that we have to confess that we are completely puzzled at what is going on. We look around for clues that Jesus is responding to the crises and we do not see any. What should we do in such situations? We should imitate the response of one of the Psalmists who resolved, during a time of spiritual darkness, to consider the past, the great days of the right hand of the Most High (Ps. 77:10-12). Answers to our current dilemmas are often found in considering what Jesus did in previous generations; we are not the first to wonder if the Counsellor is at work, but he is.

 

Jesus as the wonderful Counsellor knows all the details of the eternal covenant and what is required of him as the last Adam. Adam was the head of the old humanity, Jesus as the last Adam is head of the new humanity. In that eternal agreement, certain demands were appointed him, and he is fully acquainted with all of them. He knows exactly what he has to do at every moment.

Jesus, a Son and a child (Isa. 9:6)

At first glance, we might conclude that Isaiah means the same thing when he says that the promised Messiah will be a son and a child. But he means different things by this description of Jesus. Calling him a child refers to his birth, but calling him a Son refers to his identity.

 

Of course, we know that his birth was unusual in that he was born of a virgin. Through the miraculous activity of the Holy Spirit, the human nature of Jesus was conceived in the womb of his mother. Although she was a sinner, the Holy Spirit protected the Saviour’s humanity and it was not tainted by sin in any way. This meant that he would be an unusual child, a child who never thought, said or did anything wrong.

 

The emphasis on his infancy and childhood is very important because they were part of the process of him living a perfect life. Because he had a perfect life, he would be a suitable sacrifice when the time came for him to go to Calvary three or so decades later.

 

He became a child after he came into the world, but he was a Son before he came into it. From eternity, he had been the only-begotten Son of God. This relationship with the Father never had a beginning and their eternal contact with one another was also fully shared with the Holy Spirit. Three divine persons in unity, equal in power and glory. 

 

Jesus never gave up any of his divine attributes when he became a child, unlike what a hymn says when it claims that he emptied himself of all but love. Instead of losing any attributes, he added to his person a human nature. In Bethlehem was born a child who had always been fully God and would continue to be so. And that all happened for us.