Who is Jesus to you? Lots of people believe in Jesus. Many atheists and agnostics believe in Jesus. They will say that He was a real historical person. They will say He was a great teacher of morality. They will say He might have even thought that He was a prophet. They might even say that He was a martyr who died for what He believed in. But they will not say that He is God. Even Muslims believe in Jesus. They call Him Isa. And they say that Isa was a great prophet. They will even say that they believe that Isa died on the cross. But they certainly do not believe that Isa is God. Mormons believe in Jesus. They even use His name in their churches. They don’t even refer to themselves as Mormons. They call themselves The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. For Scriptures, they use the Old Testament, the New Testament and the Book of Mormon, which is called “Another Testament of Jesus Christ.” The problem is, they see Jesus as being fathered by the Holy Spirit and Mary. Of course, they also see the Holy Spirit as fathering Lucifer. That makes Jesus not eternal. It also makes Him the half-brother of Satan. It certainly does not make Him God. Seventh Day Adventists believe in Jesus. But they believe that Jesus is a created being. They certainly don’t believe that Jesus is God. But it’s not just other religions and cults that can’t answer that question. People you see every day don’t know who Jesus is. This past week, I asked a man that question. He started rattling off a whole bunch of stuff about how he prayed all the time to Jesus. So I asked him again—who is this Jesus that you’re praying to? Why do you pray to Him? All that he could come up with is that he prays to Jesus so that Jesus will heal his liver and get his kids back for him. Now, if I would have started the conversation by asking that man if he believed in Jesus, what would he have said? He would have said, “Yes, I believe in Jesus.” But, in fact, what did he really believe in? He believed in a genie. He believed in someone who would grant his wishes if he rubbed Him in the right way. He certainly didn’t believe in the Jesus that Isaiah introduces us to in this passage. Of course we know that this is the Christmas season. And all around us, we will see reminders that Jesus is the reason for the season. We will have people coming to our Christmas Cantata and the children’s Christmas play who will hardly darken the door of this church the rest of the year round. And I can just about guarantee that if you ask them if they believe in Jesus that they will say that they do. The question is, who is the Jesus that they believe in? Last week we saw that Isaiah prophesied about a horribly dark time that was coming for Israel. But then in verse 2, he said, “The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined.” And then from verse 3 through verse 7, he describes Jesus as that great light. He is the great light that we celebrate at Christmastime. And here in verse 6, we see who that great light is. This verse gives us four answers to the question, “Who is Jesus?” The first answer is that Jesus is Wonderful Counselor.
Who is Jesus? He is Wonderful Counselor. Now, we’ve got to get a little bit technical here for a minute, so bear with me. But I want to show you how this lays out in the original Hebrew. In the KJV, you will see that there is a comma that separates Wonderful and Counselor. In the original, this verse gives Jesus four two-word titles. This first title is composed of two nouns—wonder and counselor. The KJV translators put a comma there to show us that “wonderful” is not an adjective that describes “counselor” like modern translation make it look. Isaiah is not saying that Jesus is a really good counselor. It would look funny, but the best translation would be a hyphenated word. Jesus is “wonder-counselor.” That’s the true sense of the original. Now, all of this is in the context of the government being upon Jesus’ shoulder. This Child… this Son… this great light to people who dwell in darkness… this Jesus who was born of a virgin, in a manger in Bethlehem over 2000 years ago… this child is coming to initiate His kingdom. When Jesus came in the flesh, He said that the kingdom of God was at hand. The kingdom in which He is the sovereign and sole ruler. The kingdom of God had come in the flesh. Did He come as a political king? Not the first time. But even though Jesus did not physically take the throne when He came the first time, as king, He is actively working all things toward the culmination of His Kingdom which will happen when He returns. And the only way that can happen is if Jesus really is the wonder-counselor. Wonder, as in the sense of miraculously accomplishing things that only God can accomplish. Counselor, as in the sense of ruling with the kind of all-knowing wisdom that only God can have. What did Jesus say to the Jewish leaders in John 5:17? He said, “My Father worketh hitherto, and I work.” In other words, Jesus said, “I work in the same miraculous manner and power and strength that God the Father does.” Who is Jesus? He is Wonderful Counselor. He is God and rules and reigns as God… miraculously, wonderously, wisely working all things together to the culmination of His eternal, perfect kingdom. His knowledge is wonderous. His wisdom is wonderous. His counsel is wonderous. That’s who Jesus is. But that’s not all. Because Jesus is also the mighty God.
Who is Jesus? Jesus is the mighty God. That is the second two-word title that Isaiah prophesies. Whereas the last title spoke of the fact that Jesus is all-knowing, this title speaks of the fact that Jesus is all-powerful. I want you to notice something here. Isaiah is talking about a child being born. Of course we know that he is prophesying about Jesus being born. All throughout Christmas, we think about the baby Jesus. We sing about the baby Jesus. We decorate with the baby Jesus. The children will have a play next Sunday night about the baby Jesus. The fact is that Jesus came as a helpless little baby. He didn’t have a halo around His head. He was physically born the way all other babies are physically born. His crib was a feed trough. And His diaper was made from strips of cloth—that’s what swaddling clothes are. Jesus was a completely human baby that nursed and cried and fussed just like every other human baby does. A child was born. But, even though Jesus was a completely human baby just like any other baby—He was also infinitely more than just a human baby. Because that child who was born, is also God. Not a god. Not another god. Not a lesser god. Not a representative of god. He is THE mighty God. The one and only God. As Deuteronomy 6:4 says, “Hear O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord.” Jesus is that God. As the Father is Mighty God, so the Son is Mighty God. This child… this tiny, frail baby… this Jesus in the feed trough is THE mighty God. And do you know what else Isaiah said? He said that a child is born and a son is given. But that child is born to whom? That son is given to whom? Look back at the first three words of verse 6. He said, “Unto us.” Well, who is that “us”? look back up at verse 2. The “us” is “the people that walked in darkness.” The “us” is “they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death.” Who is Jesus? Jesus is God with us. Hebrews 4:14-16 says, “Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.” Jesus is God. But Jesus is also with us. He is God who took on flesh. He has felt our infirmities. He has been tempted the same way we have. He has felt pain. He has felt real hunger and thirst. He has felt loneliness and heartache. Jesus has experienced everything that our human flesh can experience—yet without sin. Why? So that He could be the perfect substitute for us. So He could offer Himself as a perfect substitute, so that we may obtain mercy that we don’t deserve. So that we might find grace to help in time of need. So that we who walk in darkness might see a great light. So that we might no longer walk in the shadow of death—because our Mighty God in the flesh conquered death for us. That’s who Jesus is. He is the Mighty God who came in the flesh for us. But even that’s not all. He’s given a third title here. He is also the everlasting Father.
Who is Jesus? Jesus is the everlasting Father. The third two-word title that Isaiah gives Jesus is a curious one. It’s curious because he’s still talking about a child being born and a son being given. Then he calls this child and son a father. Once again, Isaiah is tapping into the mystery of who Jesus is. When Isaiah called Jesus the mighty God, he tapped into the dual natures of Christ. Jesus is at the same time 100% fully man and 100% fully God. Theologians have written books for 2000 years trying to fully explain it, but they can’t do any better than Isaiah did 7 centuries before Jesus was born. Isaiah said that a child is born who will be called THE mighty God. Fully man—yet at the same time fully God. And then Isaiah moves from the mystery of the dual-natures of Christ to the mystery of the Trinity. That’s another subject that theologians have tried to explain for 2000 years. But Isaiah said it as well as it can be explained. He said that a son is given. And at the same time, that Son will be called the everlasting Father. Jesus hit on this as He was praying for us before He went to the cross. He prayed, “Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word; That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me. And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one: I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me. Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world.” In His prayer, Jesus is saying that He and the Father are one. But at the same time, He is saying that they are two. Of course, God the Spirit is included in the Trinity as well. So, as confusing as it might be, God the Father, God the Son and God the Spirit are three persons, yet at the same time are one God. And because of that, Jesus is everlasting. He has no beginning and He will have no end. Jesus said that He was in a loving relationship with the Father since before the foundation of the world. John 1:1-3 says, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.” Colossians 1:15-17 says, “Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature: For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.” Hebrews 1:1-3 says, “God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds; Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high.” Who is Jesus? He is one with the Father. Just as the Father is God, Jesus is God. He was never created and will never cease to exist. There was never a time when Jesus wasn’t and there will never be a time when He will not be. He is the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end. As Jesus said in Revelation 1:8, “I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.” That’s who Jesus is. He is the everlasting Father who has no beginning and no end. But there is one more title that Isaiah gives Him. He is also the Prince of Peace.
Who is Jesus? Jesus is the Prince of Peace. Even though in English it translates to three words, in the original, this is the final two-word title. Remember how Isaiah started this prophesy. He started by alluding to the fact that in the near future, Israel was going to come under horrible military attack. In verse 1, he referred to that as “her vexation.” But then he said that the true darkness that they were going to experience was going to be far worse than those “light afflictions”. When we think about all of the wars that most of us have seen just in our lifetimes, it makes us long for peace. But peace from wars is nothing compared to the peace with God that we really need. We always like to think of God as a loving God—and He is. But He is also righteous and holy and just. And because He is holy and righteous and just, He cannot have a relationship with anything that is not as holy as He is. That means that if we are not completely perfect like God is, it is impossible for us to have a relationship with Him. But our sinfulness not only keeps us separated from God, it offends Him. As sinners, we are by nature under the wrath of God. We are at war with Him and peace is impossible—unless One who is perfect would be our substitute. And He did. When Jesus suffered and bled and died on the cross of Calvary, He took the full force of God’s wrath on our behalf. He bore our sins in order that we might have peace with God. Colossians 1:19-20 says, “For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell; And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven.” Who is Jesus? Jesus is the perfect, spotless Lamb of God who was slain that He might take away the sin of the world. Colossians 2:14 says that He, “[Blotted] out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross.” Jesus took the full wrath of God on our behalf so that we might have eternal peace with Him.
Who is Jesus? Jesus is our wonderful counselor. He is THE mighty God. He is the everlasting Father. He is our Prince of Peace. So, let me ask you, who is Jesus to you? Is this who He is to you? Or is He something far less than that to you? If Jesus is less than that to you, then I can tell you that you are walking in darkness. And I can tell you that you are living in the land of the shadow of death. But there’s good news for you tonight. Because, unto you a child is born. Unto you a son is given. He will be your wonderful counselor. He will be your mighty God. He will be your everlasting Father. He will be your Prince of Peace. All you have to do is believe that He is who He says He is and that He did what He said He did. Will you believe Him?
