LEARNING DAILY

 

Isaiah 9:6-7a, For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government will be upon His shoulder, and His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of His government and peace, there will be no end.

 

We just cannot go through the Christmas experience without reading the prophecies about the birth of Jesus. Pastor Ed Newton shared the importance on prophecy in his message this weekend. He said that there were 324 prophecies telling of the coming of Jesus. Of those prophecies 324 of them were fulfilled. He also said there were an additional 48 Messianic prophecies that told of the coming of the Messiah and each one of them were fulfilled as well. The important point of this is 372 prophetic statements that the Messiah, would come into this world to redeem all who would come to Him; they all were fulfilled in Jesus Christ.

 

The prophecy above speaks to the birth of the Messiah being at a specific time in history. Isaiah uses five names that would characterize or explain His purpose as the Messiah. “His name will be called Wonderful”. When He came into this world, He was a supernatural wonder. Angels announced His birth to shepherds. They went to see Him and went away praising and worshipping God for the things they had seen. Wise men from the East were guided by a star that eventually rested over Bethlehem. When they saw Him, they bowed and worshipped, giving to Him gifts; they left returning home in a different direction being obedient to directions given them supernaturally. He transcends our human knowledge because he is God, He showed His character by what he did and by what He taught. He is called Wonderful because He is wonderful!

 

“His name will be called Counselor”. The Messiah would reveal the mind of God. He would be perfect wisdom, council from God’s perspective, and have words of eternal life. He would reveal the perfect plan by which all people could be saved.

 

“His name will be called Mighty God”. In the Messiah, all the fulness of Deity would exist in human form, He is Almighty God. Because of this, He removes our sinful nature of rebellion against God. Believers have all they need in Jesus.

 

“His name will be called Everlasting Father”. Do not confuse this with the Messiah being the Father, although He and the Father are one (John 10:30). The Messiah would come to reveal the Father. “The Messiah would Himself act toward His people eternally as a compassionate father who loves, protects and supplies the needs of His children” (LSSB).

 

“His name will be called the Prince of Peace”. Government leaders continue to seek “peace” in this world. The “peace that comes with the Prince of Peace is peace with God for all would believe through the deliverance from sin and death. Peace on earth will truly come when the Messiah returns to this world as the King of kings and Lord of lords to defeat the devil and his Antichrist and establish His reign on earth. In The Revelation 3:21 we are told the day is coming when He will reign forever.

 

From now on DJSB will be used to note information or quotes from the David Jeremiah Study Bible and LSSB will refer to information and quotes from the Life in the Spirit Study Bible