December 5, 2017 (Tuesday)
After Jesus had calmed the storm on the Sea of Galilee, his disciples asked each other, “Who is this?” Jesus Himself put the question to His disciples: “Who do men say that I am?” and then, “Who do you say that I am?”
Without quoting the answers given to that question by the disciples, I go to the Book of Isaiah for an answer, to Isaiah 9:1-7, which tells us without a doubt who Jesus is. Here is the verse (NIV): “And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:6b NIV).
We live in the day of counseling. Counselors abound, each one offering a glimmer of hope for someone anxious about their personal problems and in need of help in solving them. The greatest counselor of all, a “Wonderful Counselor,” Jesus, is our helper. The song says it well, “I must tell Jesus all of my troubles, He is a kind, compassionate friend, If I but ask Him, He will deliver, make of my troubles quickly an end. I must tell Jesus. I must tell Jesus. Jesus will help me. Jesus alone.”
Isaiah goes on to say He is “Mighty God.” The Apostle John later explains it: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” Jesus is God the Son. An adequate description of the one true God is that He is God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. We call this the “Trinity,” and the word describes our God.
He is described in Isaiah 9 as “Everlasting Father.” Jesus said, “I and the Father are One.” “Father, Son and Holy Spirit:” three persons, one God. Mysterious, yes, but He is our God and there is no one like Him.
Isaiah declares Him to be the “Prince of Peace.” Many people in today’s world do not understand that Jesus brings peace, because they have never opened their minds and hearts to receive Him as their “Prince of Peace.” If all the people of the world would apply the teachings of Jesus as given to us in the Sermon on the Mount, we would have peace–perfect peace.
Jesus Christ is all this and more. No wonder we celebrate His coming into the world at Christmas time.
