What’s in a Name?
Isaiah 9:6
First Baptist Chenoa
Pastor Jefferson M. Williams
12-24-2023
Scavenger Hunt
[Cutting up slips of paper]
Every Christmas Eve, long after everyone has gone to bed, you can find me downstairs cutting up slips of paper. I thought I’d get a head start tonight.
Each of the slips of paper has a rhyme that points to a clue. Each clue leads to a present that contains another slip of paper with another clue. Usually, four or five small gifts lead up to a large one at the end.
I hide each of the gifts and clues in various places around the house.
On Christmas morning, the boys and I open our presents first. Then Maxine gets to have her scavenger hunt. There is a slip of paper somewhere on the tree that will begin her on a journey of clues and presents. I love watching her dig through the freezer for foot warmers or under the bed for her newest book. The Goose loves this tradition as well.
Since I’m already in “scavenger hunt” mode, I thought we would do a hunt through a few verses in Isaiah to see if we can find the clues that lead to the greatest present of all time.
If you have your Bibles, turn with me to Isaiah 9.
Prayer
A Name Prophesied
I recently met a woman in her 20s and I asked her if her parents were big Rod Stewart fans. She said, “Of course!” Her name was Maggie Mae.”
I know a student named Rio and I asked her if her parents were Duran Duran fans. Yes, they named her after the song.
There was a basketball player for the Fighting Illini a few years ago named Maverick Morgan. Yes, his parents named him after Tom Cruise’s character in the movie “Top Gun.”
I went to high school with a girl named Arwen, named after an Elf Princess in Lord of the Rings.
I’ve met students named Ariel and Elsa. I know a pastor who named his son Calvin, after John Calvin.
My name is Jefferson, not Jeffrey. I was named after my grandfather, Elmer Jefferson, who was named after Thomas Jefferson. My name means “son of peace.”
When I was single and working at a children’s home in North Carolina, I would eat dinner with Rico and Linda Delprado. They were New Yorkers, from the Bronx, and felt sorry for me. They would feed me a home-cooked meal and Rico would lay his huge calloused hands on my head and pray for me before I left.
One night, as Rico was praying for me something happened that I would never forget. Rico began to cry and said, “Look up at me.” He continued, his voice quivering, “You shall have a son and you shall name him Joshua for he will be a leader of men and Michael for he will be a warrior for God.” I just remember whispering back, “Yes sir.”
I was single but I did know a cute little red-headed girl named Maxine…
When my first-born son came into this world we didn’t have to worry about picking out names. It had been prophesied beforehand.
Names are very important and I do all I can to try to learn names and get them right. When someone remembers your name, it feels affirming. When someone can’t remember your name, it can feel like they don’t care.
We are going to be looking and one verse this morning - one verse and four names. But these four names have the power to change your life!
Turn with me to Isaiah 9:6.
Prayer
Not the First to Do This
Rico wasn’t the first to do this. When Zachariah and Elizabeth (close to 80 years old) had a son they named him John, although no one in their family had that name. Why? Because the angel told his father to name him John and said:
“He will be a joy and delight to you, and many will rejoice because of his birth, for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He is never to take wine or other fermented drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even before he is born. He will bring back many of the people of Israel to the Lord their God. And he will go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the parents to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous—to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.” (Luke 1:14-17)
When the angel appeared to Mary, he too gave her the name of the baby to be born to her:
“Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.” (Luke 1:30-33)
Seven hundred years before these two miraculous births, Isaiah the prophet gave his readers four names that would describe the Messiah to come. These four names tell of His character, His power, and His mission.
You have seen these four names on Christmas cards and in songs like Handel’s “Messiah.” This morning I want us to look at what they mean to us.
Text within its Context
In Isaiah 8, he lays out a prophecy of destruction that would come as the Assyrians invade their country, particularly the northern part of the Promised Land around the Sea of Galilee.
Isaiah was a prophet who lived about seven hundred years before Jesus was born. He wrote a very long book that contains incredibly specific prophesies concerning the nation of Israel and the coming Messiah.
In the chapters leading up to chapter nine, Isaiah has been trying to get the people of Israel to trust God completely. Their King, Ahaz, had abandoned God and introduced the worship of idols and witchcraft into the land. Ahaz was worried about the Assyrian army possibly invading Israel so he attempted to make alliances with several pagan nations.
Israel had become a dark place, full of hopelessness and wickedness.
Isaiah begged and pleaded with Ahaz to turn back to the Lord and to trust Him but Ahaz and the people ignored Isaiah.
So, just as Isaiah predicted, Assyria invaded the land and ravaged it, starting with the northern tribes of Zebulun and Naphtali.
Although things look bleak, Isaiah begins chapter nine with words of hope:
“Nevertheless, there will be no more gloom for those who were in distress. In the past he humbled the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the future he will honor Galilee of the nations, by the Way of the Sea, beyond the Jordan—The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned. (Isaiah 9:-1-2)
Contained in these verses, are several clues that point us to the ultimate Christmas present.
First, notice where he says the Messiah would come from.
The Assyrian armies had devastated the region of Zebulun and Naphtali and carried off most of the people into exile. Those who remained in the land were a beaten and discouraged people.
But Isaiah says that this great Deliverer would come from none other than that very region! Do you know what city is in this region?
We find the answer to this clue in Matthew 4:
“When Jesus heard that John had been put in prison, he withdrew to Galilee. Leaving Nazareth, he went and lived in Capernaum, which was by the lake in the area of Zebulun and Naphtali— to fulfill what was said through the prophet Isaiah:
“Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali, the Way of the Sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles— the people living in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned.” (Matthew 4:12-17)
What makes this more remarkable is that Galilee is kind of a “backwoods” place. It was on the border of the Gentile communities and the Jews looked down on this little town. No one would expect the Messiah to be born in such an out-of-the-way place.
I don’t know about you but that’s pretty cool, don’t you think? Jesus is born and lives in the exact place where Isaiah said He would be nearly seven hundred years earlier.
Isaiah continues:
“You have enlarged the nation and increased their joy; they rejoice before you as people rejoice at the harvest as warriors rejoice when dividing the plunder. For as in the day of Midian’s defeat, you have shattered the yoke that burdens them, the bar across their shoulders, and the rod of their oppressor. Every warrior’s boot used in battle and every garment rolled in blood will be destined for burning, will be fuel for the fire.” (Isaiah 9:3-5)
The coming of the Messiah would bring about great joy in Israel, like when Gideon defeated the Midianites in Judges 6. This phrase “divide the plunder” means a celebration of victory, much like in the locker room of a team that has just won the championship.
The Messiah will shatter the yoke, the bar, and the rod of the oppressor and that would also be an occasion for great rejoicing. Jesus did this by breaking the yoke of our sin that kept us trapped in helplessness and hopelessness.
After a battle had been won, the bloodstained clothing would be burned in a fire. It was a picture of complete and total victory.
A Birth Like None Other
Second, notice how the Messiah would be born.
For this we have to go back a few chapters to Isaiah 7:14. God promises to give King Ahaz a sign of His faithfulness. Isaiah points Ahaz to a promise recorded back in chapter seven:
“Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.” (Isaiah 7:14)
There was no need to fear because God would send a great deliverer, born supernaturally and He would be called, “God with us.”
?We find the answer to this clue in Luke 1:
In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.”
Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.”
“How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?”
The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God.” (Luke 1:26-35)
So Isaiah not only predicts the exact spot where He will be born but he also tells us that this will be no ordinary baby. He will be born of a virgin and be called the Son of God!
Turn on Your Heartlight
Third, Isaiah tells us what kind of effect He will have on the people.
Isaiah promises that the people who had been so devastated would no longer live in doom and gloom.
Look again at verse 2:
“The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned.”
I saw a picture I can’t get out of my mind. What you are looking at is the Korean peninsula. The bottom half is South Korea. You can see the lights of the cities. Look at the top half. That’s North Korea. Talk about those living in deep darkness – physically and spiritually.
This Messiah would bring light into the darkness. Those groping about in hopelessness and despair would be nearly blinded by a great light.
We find the answer to this clue in John 8:
“When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” (John 8:12)
Isaiah predicted that the Messiah would bring hope to a dark world. Seven hundred years later, a young Galilean rabbi told a group of people waiting for the Messiah that their wait was over – the light was dawning!
So far, Isaiah’s clues have led us to a specific place, a special birth, and a supernatural spotlight of hope.
The Son is Shining
Let’s stop for a minute to consider what God is trying to say today.
Some of you in here are not in the mood for Christmas. You have lost your hope and “Joy to the World” is just a song you mumble. Because of the events of the past year and because of the dark world we live in you wonder to yourself is there is any hope at all.
William Chatterton Dix was in that exact place in 1865. At twenty-nine years old, he became deathly ill and was confined to bed rest for several months. He slipped into a deep depression. He nearly lost all hope but he began to write hymns to remind himself that the Son was shining behind the dark clouds that enveloped his soul.
One of the hymns he wrote celebrates the One that Isaiah spoke of:
“What child is this, who, laid to rest,
On Mary’s lap is sleeping,
Whom angels greet with anthems sweet
While shepherds watch are keeping?
This, this is Christ the King,
Whom shepherds guard and angels sing;
Haste, haste to bring Him laud,
The babe, the son of Mary!”
Where is the hope? It is found only in Jesus!
Bondage Breaker
“You have enlarged the nation and increased their joy; ?they rejoice before you as people rejoice at the harvest, ?as warriors rejoice when dividing the plunder. For as in the day of Midian’s defeat, you have shattered the yoke that burdens them, the bar across their shoulders, the rod of their oppressor. Every warrior’s boot used in battle and every garment rolled in blood ?will be destined for burning, will be fuel for the fire.” (Isaiah 9:3-5)
Isaiah continues his prophecy by telling us that the Messiah will be a Deliverer and will bring great joy to the people. He says it will be like the battle with the Midian.
We find that story in Judges 6. Midian had been oppressing the people of Israel for eight years. Every time the Israelites would plant crops the Midianites would invade the land and destroy all their food. It got so bad, they were so afraid, that they started hiding in caves.
God sent a judge by the name of Gideon who defeated the Midianities, with only three hundred men shouting and breaking jars no less.
It was a great victory. It meant that they would be free again. No longer would they live in fear and bondage. They didn’t have to hide anymore.
This Messiah would “shatter the yoke that burdens them, the bar across the shoulders, the rod of their oppressors.”
We find the answer to this clue in Luke 4:
“He went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, as was his custom. He stood up to read, and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. Unrolling it, he found the place where it is written:
“The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. ?He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, ?to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”
Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him. He began by saying to them, “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.” (Luke 16-21)
Jesus quotes another prophecy of Isaiah (61) as He is fulfilling the one found in chapter nine!
Isaiah says this Messiah will be the Deliverer of people who are in bondage and afraid.
The Bible teaches that we are born into bondage to sin and are hopeless to save ourselves (Romans 3:23)
The Bible teaches that sin invades our dreams, steals our joy, and torments us.
Isaiah later predicts that this Messiah would be:
But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed. (Isaiah 52:5)
Just like the people of Israel during the time of Gideon, we are in desperate need of a Deliverer. One who can make things right again and bring peace to our hearts. It has to be done for us because we cannot save ourselves.
You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person, someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:6-8)
In a demonstration of indescribable love, God sent Jesus to deliver us from the bondage of sin once and for all.
Isaiah then writes some of the most famous words in the Bible. The Messiah would bring light, hope, joy, and freedom into a dark and dying world. He uses four descriptions to tell us what kind of Messiah He will be:
“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the greatness of his government and peace, there will be no end. He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this.” (Isaiah 9:6)
Four Descriptions
A child is born. He will be fully human. A Son is given. He will be a Divine gift that will change the world. The baby in the manger is the Savior on the cross.
In Hebrew thought, a name expresses the very being of a person. Isaiah says that He will be a Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, and Prince of Peace. Let’s look at these one by one.
Wonderful Counselor
Isaiah starts with the word “wonderful.” This word can be translated as “astonishing” or “extraordinary.” Another way to translate it is “marvelous.”
In the 1980s, there was a boxer who wanted to be known as marvelous so much that he legally changed his name to Marvelous Marvin Haggler.
Isaiah was saying that the One to come would be wonderful. When people heard Him teach, they would be amazed and whisper, “Wonderful!” When He made the blind to see and the deaf to hear, the lame to dance, and the dead not dead, the people would whisper, “extraordinary.” When He gave hope to the hopeless and loved the unlovables, people would whisper “marvelous.”
The One to come would be a wonderful counselor. What makes a good counselor? I mean you can have a bad counselor, you know?
[Geico Comercial]
A good counselor is caring, is a good listener, keeps confidence, and tells you things you might not want to hear for your good.
This word can also mean advisor. But this advisor will not be just for Kings or Presidents. His counsel will be available to all.
He hears us when we call out in frustration or fear. He can advise us through His Word about decisions we need to make about our jobs, marriages, kids, or future.
I worked for six years in a large psychiatric hospital. I can tell you from personal experience that in December, our admissions and referrals went through the roof.
At Christmas time, many people do not have a “Holly, Jolly Christmas.” Many people are sad, depressed, and even suicidal at Christmas time. Many are lonely and feel like they have no one to talk to about their problems.
Can I share some good news with you this morning? Jesus is called the Wonderful Counselor and you don’t even have to come with a co-pay to meet with Him. The very One who spoke the world into existence also says, “I will never leave you or forsake you.” He wants you to pull up a chair and spill your aching heart out to Him. He’s ready to comfort you. He’s ready to help and guide you.
Will you reach out to Him this morning?
What a Mighty God We Serve
To us, the second description that Isaiah gives is something that we’ve seen on a Christmas card. But for Isaiah’s readers, he could not have said anything more controversial. He says the One that is to come will be called “Mighty God.” This means “powerful warrior” or even “God Hero.”
Let me ask you a question. What got Jesus killed? Did He just get sideways with a few religious leaders? Was it because He healed on the Sabbath? Was it because he taught so powerfully? Nope.
In response to Jesus saying that He will be going away, Philip says, “Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us.”
Jesus replied with these earth-shattering words,
“Don’t you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? (John 14:9)
Muhammad, Buddha, and Confucius never claimed to be God. But Jesus did.
The One to come wouldn’t be just an ordinary man. He would be the God-Man. He will be Immanuel – God with us.
Do you know what this means? It means when you shake your fist at heaven yell, “You don’t know how I feel!” God whispers back, Oh yes, child I do. I’ve walked the same rocky ground that you walk now. I’ve been tired, sick, and hungry. I know how you feel more than you can ever know. I am Immanuel – you are not alone.
Do you need Him to be the Mighty God for you this morning?
Everlasting Father
I only saw my dad cry a couple of times and one was at his father’s funeral. Something is devastating about losing your father.
Many of you know the pain of losing your dad. Others of you know pain because your dad has never really been there for you.
Isaiah said that the One to come will be called, “Everlasting Father.”
In Isaiah’s day, the thought of calling God “father” was absurd. But then a young Galilean rabbi named Jesus turned the world upside down by teaching his disciples to pray beginning with “Our Father.” It’s better translated “Abba” or “daddy.”
Through Jesus, you can have a relationship with a Father who loves you just the way you are, unconditionally, with no strings attached. He rejoices over the thought of you. If He had a refrigerator, your picture would be on it.
He is the “everlasting father.” He lives in the forever. You will never stop having a Father who loves you. Even when your earthly father dies, the Everlasting Father will still hold you in his arms. Psalm 68 calls Him a “father to the fatherless.”
Can I meddle a bit? Some of you are mad at your father this morning. And that anger interferes with everything in your life – your relationships, your job, your joy. Can I encourage you to give your dad a break and forgive him? If you are a Christian, you already have a Father who loves you wildly, extravagantly, and without limit.
Forgive your dad for his shortcomings. Let it go. That could be the best Christmas present you could give him, and yourself, this year.
Prince of Peace
The Hebrew word for peace is “shalom.” This means wholeness and an absence of fear.
This room is full of fear this morning. There are older people afraid of dying and younger people afraid of really living. Some wealthy people are afraid they are going to lose it all and poor people are afraid they will lose what little they have. Some people are afraid that they may never find love, or find love again.
Into a world, filled with fear, Isaiah said the One to come would be a Prince of Shalom.
What do the angels say every time they show up? Do not fear.
What’s the antidote for fear?
According to John, it’s love. But not just any love.
He wrote,
“There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.” (I John 4:18)
If you struggle with fear this morning, let the Prince of Peace drive it out.
Through Christ, you can have peace with God. Jesus died on the cross, in your place, for your sins, to make a way for you to have a relationship with God.
Through Christ, you can have the peace of God.
Paul says in Ephesians 2:14 that Jesus is our “peace.”
And through Christ, you can have peace with others. If you are willing to surrender your life to Jesus this morning, you will get a new name – “child of God.”
“Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God…” (I John 1:12)
Peace Like a River
This makes a good Christmas Card, but how does this work in real life, when life gets hard?
I recently read Granger Smith’s book, “Like a River.” Granger was a very popular country artist with a number-one hit in 2016., “Back Road Anthem.”
He was a very disciplined person. Each morning, he would spend time saying the affirmations that his self-help books recommended. He would then meditate, clearing his mind and distractions. At the end of this time, he would quickly read through a Christian devotional. He ate right, exercised daily, and had a beautiful family and a thriving music career.
He wrote that he was a “dog tag” Christian. He had “accepted Jesus in his heart” when he was a young teenager in Texas but didn’t see the need for Jesus most of the time.
All of that changed in June of 2019. Playing outside with his three children on a warm summer day, River and his brother were playing a water gunfight. Three-year-old River fell into the pool.
Despite doing CPR and the doctors doing all they could, River Smith died.
Granger tried to be strong for his wife and other children but he couldn’t shake the scene from his mind. It haunted him and wouldn’t allow him to sleep.
They went to secular counseling, which they both agreed was helpful but he kept saying that something was missing.
He went back on the road but couldn’t sleep and started smoking pot and drinking to try to drown out the sadness, rage, and confusion of his heart.
One late night in his tour bus, he decided to end his life. The self-help books, the positive mantras, none of it helped. He felt like he could go on.
In the quietness of the night, he writes that he heard a voice very clearly say, “Do it. It’s the only way to have peace.” At this, he dropped to his knees, and yelled, “Save me, Jesus. Please help me.”
He woke up the next morning on the floor of his bus and decided he couldn't tell anyone what had happened the night before, not even his wife.
He didn’t know what to do but he knew the self-help books weren’t the answer.
He did what any good self-respecting Southern would do - he listened to over a hundred sermons from Billy Graham while driving the backroads of his property. Then, a friend sent him a sermon by John Piper.
As he was driving listening to Piper, he writes that suddenly everything came together and everything made sense. He stopped the truck bowed his head and trusted Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross for salvation from his sins. His wife, Amber, committed her wife to Christ too soon after that.
He drove home, threw away the self-help books, found an old NIV study Bible, and spent the next months sitting at his desk, devouring the Word.
The more he read, the more wanted to read.
In the pages of the Bible, he found a Wonderful Counselor who listened and understood his pain. This counselor had no easy answers but daily gave him the courage to face this struggle head on. He felt heard and valued.
In the pages of the Bible, he met the Mighty God. He understood that God was sovereign (in control) over everything and that he could trust His heart even when he couldn’t understand his hand. Jesus was no good teacher or wise prophet. He was exactly who He said He was - God in the flesh, Immanuel - God with us. God had lost a son and understood.
In the pages of the Bible, he found an Everlasting Father. His father had died four years before River died. His dad was an amazing man of faith that everyone loved. He missed him terribly. God through Jesus fathered him through the valley and walked with him through the storm.
Most of all, In the pages of the Bible., he found the Prince of Peace. Jesus invaded his heart and flooded him with supernatural peace. The peace that passes all understanding. It didn’t mean that the pain disappeared. It meant that Jesus wrapped them both in His love and care and they felt safe to truly grieve with hope.
Granger quit touring and then, quit the music business altogether. He is currently a seminary student at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville. He wants to spend the rest of his life telling others about this baby who was born to die to save us from ourselves.
Do you know the Wonderful Counselor, the Mighty God, The Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace?
Maybe, like Granger, you had some sort of religious experience when you were younger. I’m not talking about that. I’m asking where you are with Jesus today. Right Now.
