Wonderful Counselor
Irene J. Ascough
When we named our children, we did not take that lightly. We prayed about the names and thought a lot about what they meant and there is a story behind each one of our kids’ names. There is a story behind my name as well and I always thought it was special to have that story. When my mom was pregnant with me, my Dad was in Bible College and taking Greek. She was helping study with flash cards and came across my name, which means Peace and said to him, Irene would be a nice name for a girl. My middle name is also Joy, and since I was born a week before Christmas, they have always liked to say that they had Peace & Joy for Christmas.
I also like words and I like to think about the meanings of words. It is interesting how some words are used in different contexts and mean different things. So thinking about the names of Jesus and the significance of why those names really fit, is something that I found interesting to ponder.
So here are some of my thoughts about Jesus’ name “Wonderful Counsellor” that I found interesting:
Think about the word wonderful or wonder… What else do we think of when we think of wonder? I think of the awe and starry-eyed amazement of children when encountering something new and beautiful. We have had deer come through our yard in the past couple of days and as we have watched them, we have wondered and it has been wonderful. We also wonder about things. Like when faced with a busy week, I wonder how am I ever going to get through it and get everything done? Or I wonder what are my children going to be like as adults? Or I wonder what it is going to be like to see Jesus face to face? There is a sense of looking to the future and imagining and hoping and exploring the unknown. It may be with wonder, awe, and amazement at something beautiful and it is also tied to the excitement and some fear of the unknown.
So how does that fit with a counsellor? How is Christ a Wonderful Counsellor? How does that wonder, awe, amazement, fear of the unknown, and the future fit with Christ as our counsellor? So again, I thought of the different counsellors we have in our lives. We may have had (or have been) a camp counsellor. I have seen lots of camp counsellors in action. The really good ones take a group of kids from all kinds of backgrounds, who are certainly coming to camp with some fear and excitement of the unknown and they are able to create a group where these kids feel like they belong and can be safe and secure and can learn and explore new things in a supportive environment. Hmm... kind of like what we want in the church. Is Christ our wonderful camp counsellor? I bet he would make a really good camp counsellor.
Another counsellor is the one we go to when we are struggling, feeling discouraged, hopeless, depressed. Maybe we are struggling in relationships with our spouse, our parents, or our kids. Maybe we have been hurt. There could be all kinds of reasons to see a counsellor and they can often help us to see things in a different way and begin to walk out of that darkness and hopelessness. When I have gone to Christ as a counsellor, I have found him to be wonderful as well. In the sense that when I go to him with my hurt and my despair in prayer, (most often with someone I trust within his body) and I am able to see things I would never have thought of on my own and there is awe and wonder and I am changed.
Counsellors are also people in our lives who we go to for advice and guidance. As in “seeking wise counsel” And when do we go looking for guidance and advice? At those times in our lives when we are making decisions about the future. Again, it is in Christ’s name that he is the Wonderful Counsellor. We can go to him for wise counsel, wisdom and advice, guidance and direction. Again my experience is that when I stop relying solely on my own experience and wisdom, and I seek Jesus’ advice and counsel, I often come away with wonder, amazement and awe as he leads and guides and directs me in ways that I would never have imagined if I had only used my wisdom.
One of the things that we often hear in songs and that we read in scripture is that we are to call on the name of the Lord. While it is a bit weird to think that calling on a name can save us, my experience is that when I am hurting or feeling unsure about the future or wondering what to do in a relationship or I am excited about something new and unknown, I need to go to Christ, the wonderful counsellor.
Mighty God
Peter M. Ascough
When we think of might we think of things like physical strength and power or strength in nature.Quite a number of years ago, Irene and I were canoeing on Georgian Bay just north of Barrie. It was a beautiful day we had our tent set up on a little island and we were out for a paddle in amongst all these rocks and bays and islands. We kept noticing how the sky was changing; it was becoming some really great colors and was pretty cool. We thought there might be some rain coming so we were making our way back to our island. Suddenly there was a crash of thunder and lightning a lot closer than we wanted it to be. Being on open water in an aluminum canoe during a lighten storm is probably not the wisest of places to be so we paddled as hard as we could to the nearest island and hunkered down. This incredible storm passed over us with big winds, driving rain and lots of thunder and lightning. But it only lasted 10-15 minutes and it was gone, the sky was clear and the lake was calm, so we paddled back to our campsite to dry off.
All I could think of was the mighty power of that storm. It rushed in and nothing was going to stop it. I know there are some ladies from this church that can relate to what it means to be caught in a mighty storm.
It’s not hard when we read through the Old Testament to think of God as a being mighty. There are stories of Him defeating armies, controlling nature; just the fact that he created this world is evidence of his might. But we don’t often think of Jesus, at Christmas time, as a one who is mighty. And yet he is. He is the earthly representation of divinity and all that is divine, including might. We see his might in the miracles he performs and in the way he controls nature but there is more to his title “Mighty God.”
First, Jesus showed his might in his ability to stand sinless in this world. Jesus stood before the temptation of Satan and remained sinless. He rebuked Satan and sent him away. It’s interesting how we respond to times we feel attacked by Satan, its all part of his lie. We feel the weight of bondage and powerless to overcome the struggles of life and yet the “Mighty God” embodied in Jesus can defeat Him with a word. We need to remember that through the name of Jesus we too can stand against Satan’s attacks.
Secondly, Jesus showed his might by carrying the weight of sin on the cross. We need Jesus to be mighty enough to remain sinless. Without a sinless sacrifice his crucifixion is meaningless. Through his mighty power he was able to conquer the power of sin; sin does not have hold on humanity anymore because of the Mighty God.
Thirdly, Jesus showed us he is the “Mighty God” through his resurrection. The grave could not hold him. In him is eternal life and he showed his might once again by overcoming death that through him non should perish but have eternal life.
Jesus conquered sin, death and the grave and that’s why he shall be called “Mighty God.” At Christmas we often think of a helpless baby, but perhaps this Christmas what we will see wrapped in cloth is instead the Mighty God. Mighty in humility, truth, hope, grace and love.
Everlasting Father
Sharon E. Klassen
When Darryl asked if I would want to study and speak on one of the names used to describe Jesus here, Everlasting Father, stuck out to me. I think partially because I was thinking of my own Father who died almost 9 ½ years ago. I thought Father would be the theme. But as I started praying and thinking about it, things shifted on me and I wondered if maybe it was the Everlasting that would be the focus. This was than confirmed for me when I read part of a sermon of Charles Spurgeon from 1866.
I am taking this from the sermon but have changed some of the language so it fits with us today. In Eastern culture one way to describe a strong character of a man is to describe him as the Father of it. So if a man is wise, he is called the Father of wisdom or if someone is very foolish he may be called the Father of folly. The strongest quality in the man is ascribed to him as though it were his child, and that he is the father of it. The Messiah here is called in the Hebrew “the Father of eternity” or everlasting, by which is meant that he is pre-eminently the possessor of eternity as an attribute. Just as the idiom, “:the father of wisdom” implies that a man is pre-eminently wise, so the term, “Father of eternity,” implies that Jesus is preeminently eternal; that to him, beyond and above all others, eternity may be ascribed. Jesus is the parent of eternity. Jesus is not the child of eternity but the Father of it. Eternity did not bring him forth from its mighty bowels, but he brought forth eternity. Independent , self sustained, uncreated, eternal existence is with Jesus our Lord and God.
So when the future Messiah is described as the Everlasting Father here this means he already exists. I am not sure if the hearers of the prophesy at that time would have totally comprehended this. I am not sure we totally comprehend this. Why do we need to comprehend this? I think we need to start comprehending so that we can be more aware of who Jesus is. We need to see how Awesome Jesus is and acknowledge that he is God. He is the Father of eternity. Lian included John 1:1 last week and it fits here as well, This is actually verses 1 & 2 and keep in mind that when it talks about The Word, it means Jesus. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning.” I wrote in my Bible beside this passage, Nativity from Heaven’s perspective. This is Heaven looking down and viewing Jesus. It is only over the last couple of years I have been more deliberate in spending personal time with God. There were many years when I relied totally on the little devotional time Darryl and I would spend together most mornings. I was dry. We all have different phases that we go through in our lives and if this is how you are feeling. Know that there is more. For me, I had to pray for a desire to be in the word and deliberately spend more time reading & studying the Bible and praying. It is through this that I am growing to understand what it means to want more of God. That it matters that I not only believe in him but that I actually believe him and that he is who he says he is. In turn I am who says I am. He is our Everlasting Father, the Father of the everlasting. That makes us his children when we come to him and acknowledge our need of him.
He is the beginning. He created eternity. He is more than we can ever imagine. We have worth because of him. He is ours forever. Amen
THE PRINCE OF PEACE
Christmas Day 2012
Darryl G. Klassen
“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders…”
The four names given to this child indicate that he is a ruler, a king, but not just a king, a king with unusual qualities. Presidents, prime ministers, chairmen, and national leaders of all kinds are under considerable scrutiny for the things they say and do. With the internet, the average citizen has been given the power to speak out, to criticize and to evaluate our leaders from the safety of home. There is not a leader today who remains unscathed by the press, the tweet or social media; the reason being that they are not perfect and they can’t please everyone.
Isaiah foretold of a child who would be king, who would be a Wonderful Counselor, the Mighty God, Everlasting Father…and Prince of Peace.
Jesus is the Prince of Peace.
The Hebrews called peace “Shalom,” which meant more than the absence of war. Shalom is well-being and freedom from anxiety. In relationships, it is goodwill and harmony – the opposite of war. Jesus came to remove the curse of all war, but especially the war within, which is sin in our hearts.
This peace begins with the restoration of relationship with God. Every good Jew knew that God is Holy and unapproachable because of their sin. They knew that we were dependent on God's mercy to stand in His presence. Every good Jew longed to be accepted by God. The familiar blessing of the High Priest speaks to this:
“THE LORD bless you and keep you; the LORD make His face shine upon you and be gracious to you; the LORD turn his face toward you and give you peace:" (Numbers 6:24-26)
In order to really understand the prayer of the Rabbi you have to think in terms of opposites. The people prayed that the Lord would bless you instead of curse you; that he would keep you instead of cast you away. They prayed that His face would shine when it looked at us rather than become dark in wrath and judgment. It was a prayer that God would turn His face toward you, rather than away from you, and give you peace instead of terror and distress.
Jesus brings us peace with God through the removal of sin. He takes the sin from our backs and shoulders and puts it on himself. He makes it possible to stand before God without fear of judgment. “Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ…” (Rom 5:1). Jesus makes it possible to be friends with God. This is the peace that passes all understanding and guards our hearts and minds from fear.
The angel on the night of Christ’s birth spoke to the shepherds and said, “Fear not,” and later sang, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests” Lk 2:14).
Personal peace is elusive. There reside in each of us thieves who steal our peace. Some thieves come in the form of regrets; others unresolved conflicts, and still others a sense of unhappiness with who we are as people. We may feel unhappy with ourselves for various reasons but the root of this unhappiness is fear; fear that we just don’t measure up, fear that we will never be what we hoped we would be, fear that we are not good enough for God or anyone else.
The Prince of Peace has defeated fear. Jesus offers peace for your war-torn soul. He offers us relationship with God. He gives us Shalom. Jesus said, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid” (John 14:27).
If there is no need to fear and God and you are at peace, then all the other worries of life should fade. They don’t though, do they? Christmas time offers us again the opportunity to receive the Prince of Peace, to embrace Shalom, and to revisit this promise of God.
Receive the peace of Christ – it is a gift of immeasurable worth. AMEN
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