Tabor Baptist Church

Introduction

• Looking at Isaiah 9:6
• (The names of Jesus)

The Context

• Setting it in context
  • The days are dark, cold and wet - maybe miserable
  • Christmas time is a time to focus
    • Though Jesus was not born on Dec 25th and we do not need a tree
    • We must guard against materialism
    • People enjoy a holiday and being with family
  • It is an opportunity to proclaim the good news of Jesus
    • A reminder of the passage from Corinthians
  • Looking at a passage that speaks of the joy of Christmas
    • Jesus will be called Wonderful, Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace (9:6)
    • There shall be an end to war (9:5)
  • The dark background to the passage (8:19)
    • Many people were tempted to consult spiritist's and mediums
      • There is a challenge - why do they go to these things?
    • A people in spiritual darkness
    • Only concerned in materialism (Isa 5:8)
    • Drunkenness (Isa 5:11)
    • Prostitution (Isa 3:16)
  • You may say this sounds like today
    • The gospel can shine brighter in the darkness around
  • Go back to the Scriptures (8:20)
    • The Church needs to stand upon the word of God
    • The Church needs to preach the whole counsel of God
  • Isaiah knew that God's people were vulnerable and fearful
  • Isaiah begins to speak of better days (9:1)
    • There is hope
    • The Messiah will come to Galilee
    • We have seen the fulfilment of this
  • There will be great joy (9:3)
    • It is easy to become low and depressed by the world around
      • We are to be joyful
      • Jesus has come to forgive our sins
      • Jesus has come with good news

Isaiah 9:6

• A Child is born
  • One promise already given - a Son (Isa 7:14)
  • The Son is given to us
  • He will be human (a Child) and divine (a Son)
  • Christianity is not like other religions
    • It is not about doing good or the balance of your deeds
    • Salvation is a free gift
    • Example of Jenny
    • Have you received the gift of Jesus Christ into your heart?
• The government will be upon His shoulder
  • The responsibility will be on Him
  • He is the King of Kings
• Wonderful
  • Something so staggering
• Counsellor
  • There is no better counsellor than Jesus Christ
• Might God, Everlasting Father
• Prince of Peace
  • The only one that brings peace to man
• Looking at these titles over the next few weeks

Wonderful

• The words can be separate (Wonderful, Counsellor)
• We can overuse the word wonderful
• Biblical definition
  • Evoking a sense of awe, reverence, surprise, wonder, marvelling, trembling
• Names are important - especially in the Bible
  • Examples
  • His name cannot be compared with any other
    • His names are all superlative
    • He stands alone
    • His name should evoke awe and wonder - it must not lose its impact on us
    • Example of Spurgeon
  • May we lift up the name of Jesus
• Speaking of His relationship with the Father and the Holy Spirit
  • In the Trinity - perfect love
    • Love needs an object
    • There was selfless love within the Trinity
    • God is love
  • In the Trinity - a glory we can never understand
    • Jesus left this glory to come to our world
    • His glory was hidden from us
  • Man was made in the image of the Trinity
  • He had a unique relationship with the Father and the Spirit
• The Incarnation
  • Wonderful as the God-man
    • The Christmas story has many angels - examples
  • A divine and a human nature
  • Great is the mystery of godliness
  • The angels sang 'glory to God in the highest'
• The life of Jesus Christ
  • Never a step wrong, never anything wasted, never a wrong response
    • A perfect life
    • Our life is imperfect
      • But our hope is in Jesus Christ
  • To hear the Prince of all preachers
    • His heart burned for righteousness
  • He was humble
  • He understands us completely - being tempted in every way (but never sinned)
    • He sympathises with us
  • His deeds
    • Great miracles - examples
    • Go back and tell of the wonderful deeds God has done for you
      • The priests and the scribes saw the wonderful things that Jesus did
• His death (Isa 53)
  • Bruised for our inquities
  • Punished for our peace
  • Healed by His stripes
  • He died for us
    • Love Divine, all loves excelling
    • Do we say His name is wonderful?
  • He rose again and ascended into heaven
    • He has become the chief cornerstone
    • He has been given all dominion
    • He is the head of the Church
• His name shall be called wonderful
  • Jesus sticks closer than a brother
  • We have a wonderful Saviour