Some of my friends think I’m crazy. I like a good thunder and lightning storm. Now I don’t like the damage that lightning can cause, but I am enthralled by the majesty and beauty and power of a thunder and lightning display. It causes me to be filled with wonder.
In Isaiah 9:6, Isaiah tells us that one facet of Messiah’s name will be “Wonderful Counselor.” Literally, the text says that He will be a “Counseling Wonder.”
The word “wonder” here is a Hebrew word that carries the idea of something that borders on the miraculous – something that is a wonder to behold. It’s not wonderful in the sense of nice, and beautiful, and pleasant, but “full of wonder,” as the lightning which stretches across the sky, and holds us spellbound.
You see, everything about Jesus is a wonder: His virgin birth is a wonder – His sinless life, His teaching & miracles, His vicarious death and glorious resurrection – they all are wonders! And Isaiah adds to this list by telling us that he is also a “Counseling Wonder.” The counsel He gives in His Word is amazing in its effectiveness: His analysis of our human need is perceptive and His solution to our sin problem is the only one that works. His Word is amazing, and His counsel is a wonder to behold! David Garland put it this way: “He is to be called ‘a wonder of a Counselor’…because the counsel which He gives will be above the counsel of ordinary men.” Our Lord is a Counseling Wonder.
So – if Jesus is a Counseling Wonder, you ought to make Him your first choice, not your last chance.