Sermon Central
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Our Wonderful Counselor Series
Contributed by Tom Shepard on Nov 20, 2007 (message contributor)
Summary: This is the first of four sermons on Isaiah 9:6. 1. He Understands Your Struggles 2. He Cares For You 3. He Commits Himself To You
Our Wonderful Counselor
"For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; And the government will rest on His shoulders; And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace." Isaiah 9:6 (NASV)
This prophecy of the coming Christ that was given hundreds of years before his birth tells us that the child that was to be born would have some very amazing names. Of course the One that Isaiah is speaking of is Jesus. According to Isaiah He would be called:
Wonderful Counselor
The Mighty God
The Everlasting Father
The Prince of Peace
Over the next four weeks we will look at each of these four names in detail. Today we will look at Christ as our Wonderful Counselor.
Let me say right up front that in some translations these two titles are separated with a comma – wonderful and counselor. The translators believe that each title should be looked at separately. Some translations put both words together to come up with one title – Wonderful Counselor. It is important to know that in the original Hebrew there were no punctuation marks. I do believe that Jesus is wonderful. He is Lord of lords and King of kings. He is the creator of the universe. His name is above every name – and at His name every knee will bow and every tongue will confess – that Jesus Christ is Lord. I know that He is wonderful – but for today I want to examine Jesus as our Wonderful Counselor.
Later in the book of Isaiah we find that the author speaks of Jesus again when he says:
“The Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon Him, The Spirit of wisdom and understanding, The Spirit of counsel and might, The Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord.” Isaiah 11:2 (NKJV)
The Bible places a high premium on wise counsel. Wisdom and counsel are important. Let’s quickly look at two verses that talk about wise counsel.
“A wise man will hear and increase learning, And a man of understanding will attain wise counsel.” Proverbs 1:5 (NKJV)
“The counsel of the Lord stands forever, the plans of His heart from generation to generation.” Psalms 33:11 (HCSB)
Counseling today is at an all time high in our society. From Dr. Phil, to David Ramsey, to Oprah Winfrey people are seeking advice. There’s certainly nothing wrong with seeking advice and counseling when you have a particular need in your life – in fact the Bible encourages it. However, we must not lose sight of the fact that we, as believers, have access to most wonderful counselor imaginable – Jesus Christ.
What makes Him a Wonderful Counselor? I could list characteristics all morning but let me give you three:
1. He UNDERSTANDS Your Struggles
In Hebrews chapter four we find:
“For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tested in every way as we are, yet without sin.” Hebrews 4:15 (HCSB)
Jesus gets it. He understands it. He can relate to you. Sometimes when we are going through a difficult situation and someone says, “I understand what you are going through…” it seems empty because unless they have been through the same situation how can they possibly understand our problems. But Jesus does understand. He knows exactly what you are going through. When you come to him in need of counsel he knows your situation. He knows your heart and He knows your mind. Because of this fact verse sixteen of Hebrews chapter four tells us that we should: “approach the throne of grace with boldness, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us at the proper time.” Hebrews 4:16 (HCSB)
Have you ever been betrayed? He has. Have you ever been wrongly accused? He has. Have people ever gossiped about you? Have you ever suffered physical pain? Have you ever been in physical need? Have you ever felt lonely? Have you ever suffered loss? Have you ever been afraid? Have you ever felt that you have reached the bottom and there is no way up? He understands.
The Bible tells us that: “the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.” John 1:14 (NKJV) Jesus was fully human like you and I. He knows how mean people can be. He knows how rough life can get. He understands your struggles - come to Him - He understands your struggles.
2. He CARES For You
In first Peter chapter five verse seven it says in the Contemporary English Version:
“God cares for you, so turn all your worries over to him.” I Peter 5:7 (CEV)
Some counselors only care as long as you can pay the bill. Not Jesus! He cares about you as a person. He cares about your character. He cares about your spiritual growth and emotional welfare. He cares about the pain you suffer. He considers you of value and of worth. Look at what it says in Matthew chapter six and verse twenty six - Jesus is speaking and He says:
