“For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us…And his name will be called Wonderful Counselor.” Isaiah 9:6
Hundreds of years before the advent of Jesus the prophet Isaiah gave word of his coming. He said that the child to be born, the child upon whom the weight of the everlasting government would rest upon, would be a wonderful counselor.
As we look upon the child Jesus and reflect upon Isaiah’s words, what does it mean that the wonderful counselor laid there in a manager?
A counselor skillfully helps people to see the truth, helps them evaluate life and circumstance, giving them truth and through the truth brings freedom. Now in a clinical setting the truth may be skilled advice, it may be skilled observation, it may be a number of things, but the goal is to bring about healing and freedom.
It what ways did Jesus do this?
Why did God send a counselor?
How do we see this in the events of the incarnation?
I believe that there were specific things in the culture and religious status quo of the first century that Jesus’ life came to bring truth to. While Jesus would show himself as counselor throughout his journey to the cross I think we can see many truths displayed in the event of the incarnation. These are a bit general, but I’m sure these would have had a profound practical and contemporary impact to those living in His time; these truths carry that impact to us today.
Nearness
The incarnation screams of the Lord’s desire for nearness to His people. Any thought or idea of Him being far off or indifferent was immediately and utterly destroyed when God became a helpless babe.
Regard for the Lowly
We see in the incarnation the Lord’s regard for the lowly. Christ may have come as a wealthy king or even a opulent child, but he chose to come to a obscure family, to be born in obscure conditions wrapped in some rags, set in a feed trough. There was no trumpeting of his coming on the night of his birth, only to the overlooked shepherds were shown the glory of what occurred that night.
God’s Word is True
In the Babe of Bethlehem we see and receive encouragement that God’s Word is true. That night the word of God was fulfilled and in the coming days and years of the life of Christ the Word would continue to be fulfilled. Scriptures came to life that night, meaning not yet seen became illuminated and the glory of God is seen in a deeper way. He will fulfilled every word, and do everything he has set to do.
During this season of contemplating the advent, may the Wonderful Counselor lead us to all truth and enlighten our eyes to see more of His beauty.
**This post is a follow up of sorts to Advent Reflections, #1: Isa. 9 **
Daniel's Corner 