INTRO: A. Our text is one of the most important and informative verses in the entire Old Testament relating to Israel’s Messiah. 🔸It is so superlative in it’s teaching that it’s truths will engage scholars until the end of time. 🔸The Holy Spirit, through Isaiah, gives the promised Messiah of Israel a quintuplet of names which go beyond mere identification. Ivor Powell said :“The magnitude and importance of his declaration beggars description…(and) present(s) truth beyond comprehension.”
B. The Names and Titles of our Savior are important because they not only identify Him, but describe Him and His ministry. They give us an insight into His Person and reveal Him to be “THE MAGNIFICENT MESSIAH.”
TRANS: The prophecy here contains important theological and prophetical truth which we will not explore. Our purpose is to simply examine or mine some of the riches contained in this 5-fold name-description of our Savior. As Dr. Steve Hays said last weekend at the men’s retreat, sometimes our goal in a message is simple to exalt our Savior, nothing more…
I. HIS NAME IS “WONDERFUL”:
ILLUS: The word means to excite wonder, to cause astonishment, amazing, extraordinary or incredible.
A. Wonderful In His Person:
Col. 2:9-10 9 For in him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily. 10 And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power:
1 John 3:2 Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. (not as He was!)
B.Wonderful In His Preaching:
John 7:46 The officers answered, Never man spake like this man.
1. The chief priests and Pharisees sent officers to arrest Jesus, but they paused to listen to Him preach to His followers. 2. They had no doubt arrested many others, but His preaching arrested them!
ILLUS: His preaching 👉changed lives, 👉healed broken hearts and homes, 👉gave back fathers to children, husbands to wives, 👉reclaimed wasted lives and made men “new creatures.” 👉Crooked politicians restored stolen moneys, 👉soiled prostitutes were cleansed and made respectable, 👉foul mouthed fishermen became great leaders, 👉“ignorant and unlearned men” confounded the most educated and respected religious leaders.
C. Wonderful In His Power:
John 21:25 And there are also many other things which Jesus did, the which, if they should be written every one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written. Amen.
ILLUS: He said “all power” was given unto Him and His name is matchless in power. Power to heal, cleanse, save and take souls to heaven.
Acts 3:6 Then Peter said, Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk.
1 Cor. 6:11 And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.
II. HIS NAME IS “COUNSELLOR”:
NOTE: In the 👿NIV👿 the two separate names are joined to read: “Wonderful Counsellor” thus reducing the quintuplet of names to a quartet. Neither the Hebrew nor any other version or perversion of Scripture makes this blunder.
ILLUS: The word may mean “one who offers advice” or “one who prosecutes or defends.” Perhaps both meanings apply here.
1. He was not stampeded into making into making rash suggestions nor pushed into making wrong decisions. 2. His counsel is known worldwide: “Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.”
B. The Complete Counselor:
Heb. 7:25 Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.
QUOTE: Ivor Powell: “Christ is our legal counselor in the highest court in the universe. He never charges for His services: He never refuses to accept a client. It is stimulating to know He has never lost a case!”
III. HIS NAME IS “THE MIGHTY GOD”:
ILLUS: In a day of rampant idolatry in Israel Isaiah says that the coming Messiah will be THE Mighty God!
A. The Suggestiveness Of The Name:
1. It implies that Jehovah Himself would come to earth in the form of a child, i.e., take on human form. Isaiah is saying that this One will be none other than the Mighty God of Israel, with all His omnipotent power and greatness; the Creator become man, the miracle working God of Moses become flesh.
B. The Serenity Of The Name:
1. As The Mighty God He would have power over Satan, the world, disease and even death. 2. There would be nothing too hard for Him!
Jer. 32:27 Behold, I am the LORD, the God of all flesh: is there any thing too hard for me?
IV. HIS NAME IS “THE EVERLASTING FATHER”:
A. The Startling Description:
1. How can the Son be called the Father?
a. He is the second Person of the Trinity, so His essence is God. b. God is One, so the Son is just as much God as the Father. The term “Everlasting Father” stresses His relationship to time, more than His relationship to the other Members of the trinity.
2. The function of a “father” is to plan, provide, protect and produce offspring and the Messiah would do all of these things. 3. What Jehovah had been to Israel, Jesus would be to His people!
B. The Savior’s Declarations:
John 14:8-11 8 Philip saith unto him, Lord, shew us the Father, and it sufficeth us. 9 Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father? 10 Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works. 11 Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me: or else believe me for the very works' sake.
John 10:30 I and my Father are one.
V. HIS NAME IS “THE PRINCE OF PEACE:”
NOTE: Someone has correctly stated that peace is the world’s most elusive treasure.
A. He Reconciled Enemies.
Acts 9:1 And Saul, yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went unto the high priest,
Acts 9:26-28 26 And when Saul was come to Jerusalem, he assayed to join himself to the disciples: but they were all afraid of him, and believed not that he was a disciple. 27 But Barnabas took him, and brought him to the apostles, and declared unto them how he had seen the Lord in the way, and that he had spoken to him, and how he had preached boldly at Damascus in the name of Jesus. 28 And he was with them coming in and going out at Jerusalem.
B. He Changed Natures:
ILLUS: The maniac of Gadara was never at rest till He met the Prince of Peace.
Luke 8:35 Then they went out to see what was done; and came to Jesus, and found the man, out of whom the devils were departed, sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed, and in his right mind: and they were afraid.
C. He Subdues Nations;
1. The greatest nations on earth were made that way by the Prince of Peace. 2.America herself was made great because of Him. 3. Nations which reject Him lose peace and favored nations status with God. 4. Ultimately He will rule all earthly Kingdoms and their will be the long awaited and promised “peace on earth.”
CONCL: Oh, the wonderful names of our “MAGNIFICENT MESSIAH” the Lord Jesus Christ:
“Wonderful, Counsellor, The Mighty God, The Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace!”