2021 Christmas Advent Day 4: The Wonderful One

• Main Passage: Isaiah 9:6
  • For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon His shoulder: and His name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The Mighty God, The Everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.
• Jesus is The Wonderful One. The word wonderful means something that provokes to wonder or marveling. The root word means something that is beyond one’s power and thus wonderful or miraculous; it speaks of God’s awesome power and might to do anything He pleases. It is first used in Exodus 15:11 in Moses’ song of victory, to say, “who is like unto Thee, O LORD, among the gods? Who is like Thee, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders?” The LORD had showed Israel and Egypt many wonders, and brought Israel out of Egypt, the Iron Furnace, “with a mighty hand, and with an outstretched arm, and with great terribleness, and with signs, and with wonders.” [Deuteronomy 26:8] The LORD is “the God that doest wonders…who alone doeth great wonders.” [Psalms 77:14; 136:4] “Blessed be The LORD God, the God of Israel, who only doeth wondrous things.” [Psalms 72:18] God alone, by His great hand and power works wonders; “Oh, that men would praise The LORD for His goodness, and for His wonderful works to the children of men!” [Psalms 107:8; 15; 21; 31]
  • Isaiah tells us the Child which will be born, the Son which will be given as a gift from The Father, is wonderful. The character and nature of the Child which Isaiah speaks of will be beyond human power; His very essence and substance will provoke awe and wonder; His coming and His life will be beyond all visible power; in all His ways He will be so far beyond all human means in breadth and length and depth and height that He can only be attributed to God, to be God Himself: for who is like The LORD who alone does wonders; “there is none like unto the God of Jeshurun…there is none holy as The LORD: for there is none beside thee.” [Deuteronomy 33:26, 1 Samuel 2:2]
• Jesus’ birth is according to God “a marvellous work and a wonder.” This is found in Isaiah 29:14.
  • “Wherefore The Lord said, forasmuch as this people draw near Me with their mouth, and with their lips do honour Me, but have removed their heart far from Me, and their fear toward Me is taught by the precept of men: therefore, behold, I will proceed to do a marvellous work among this people, even a marvellous work and a wonder: for the wisdom of their wise men shall perish, and the understanding of their prudent men shall be hid.” [Isaiah 29:13-14]
    • The birth, life, and death of Jesus, to the world is foolish. Paul says, “for the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God. For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent. Wherefore is the wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the disputer of this world? Hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?” [1 Corinthians 1:18-20] Paul quotes this passage in Isaiah as being fulfilled in the cross of Jesus. Just think of the utter foolishness of it all, the absurdity, the wonder. That a carpenter from some backwoods town in the desert, who was despised of the mainstream religious leaders and the people, who was mocked and ridiculed, who was loved and adored by the outcasts and the sinners – by the fishermen and the prostitutes – by the sick and the crippled, but hated by the rich and famous – by the religious and the intelligent, who was sentenced to death for claiming to be God, and whom we believe is the savior of all men kind for all of history. The wisdom of the world would tell you that’s beyond idiotic. But it is written, “let no man deceive himself. If any man among you seemeth to be wise in this world, let him become a fool, that he may be wise. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God…” [1 Corinthians 3:18-19a]
• This is the wonder, this is the marvellous work of God: that He could use the weak and the lowly to accomplish the most grand display of strength and power in all of the universe and in all of history. Yes, we believe that this child who was born into a dirty feeding trough and who was poorer than dirt is our glorious savior who lives today: we believe this carpenter who lived two thousand years ago who was sentenced to death as a raving lunatic cleanses us from our sins. For “God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise, and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; and base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are: that no flesh should glory in His presence.” [1 Corinthians 1:27-29]

Questions For Day 4

1. Jesus is the most wonderful thing in all of creation. Nothing matches His beauty or His majesty. He alone is wonderful; provoking those who see Him to awe and wonder. Do you see Jesus as wonderful? What is the proof in your life?
   • Reflect: If something catches your eye and you think it is beautiful you will look at it. You may pick it up, walk around it, take a picture. Jesus’ beauty is eternal and never ending. Those who view Him as such will gaze upon Him continually; those who do not, will not. Jesus needs no defense: taste and see that The Lord is good.
   • “If you seekest [knowledge and understanding] as silver, and searchest for her as for hid treasures; then shalt thou understand the fear of The LORD, and find the knowledge of God. For the LORD giveth wisdom: out of His mouth cometh knowledge and understanding.” [Proverbs 2:4-6]
   • “In [Jesus Christ] are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.” [Colossians 2:3]
   • “A gift is as a precious stone in the eyes of him that hath it…” [Proverbs 17:8]
2. The Bible says, “remember His marvellous works that He hath done; His wonders, and the judgments of His mouth.” [Psalms 105:5] What is the danger of forgetting God’s wonderful nature and wonderful works?
   • Reflect: The Israelites often forgot what God had done for them. It resulted in them being led astray, in going after other gods, in not trusting in The LORD. It eventually resulted in their judgment and punishment; God gave them up to their enemies and they were destroyed. There is no respect of persons with God; if we neglect Him, we too will face punishment or judgment.
   • “Beware that thou forget not The LORD Thy God, in not keeping His commandments, and His judgments, and His statutes, which I command thee this day: lest when thou hast eaten and art full, and hast built goodly houses, and dwelt therein; and when thy herds and thy flocks multiply, and thy silver and thy gold is multiplied, and all that thou hast is multiplied; then thine heart be lifted up, and thou forget The LORD thy God, which brought thee forth out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage…” [Deuteronomy 8:11-14]