Second Sunday in Advent December 7, 2025
Isaiah 9:6
Scripture Readings
Isaiah 40:1-8
Luke 1:57-80
Hymns
66, 91, 106, 132:1-3
Hymns from The Lutheran Hymnal (1941) (TLH) unless otherwise noted
Prayer of the Day: Mercifully hear, O Lord, the prayers of Your people, that, as we rejoice in the advent of Your only-begotten Son according to the flesh, so when He comes a second time in His majesty, we may receive the reward of eternal life; through the same Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
Dear Friends in Christ,
Sometimes names are chosen because of their meaning and significance. For instance, Fluffy the Cat was named Fluffy because she was a cat that was fluffy. In the Bible, Isaac was named Isaac because it means “laughter,” which is what 89 year old Sarah did when she heard she was going to have her first child.
As we continue to spend Advent with Isaiah, we are told of names for the Child who was to be born to us at Christmas. Remember, Isaiah is a prophet 700 years before Jesus was born. The believers of his day didn’t know about the shepherds, angels, and the manger. They don’t know about the life the promised Savior will live. They didn’t even know He would be named Jesus. In Isaiah’s time, they knew the Savior would be born of a woman, of the seed of Abraham, and be a Son of David. But that’s about it.
The LORD used Isaiah to teach His people much more about the promised Savior. As Isaiah names our Savior, he teaches those Old Testament believers—and us—truths about the Child that was born to us and the Son that was given to us. Listen to the names given in Isaiah chapter 9, verse 6:
For to us a child is born, to us a son is given;
and the government shall be upon his shoulder,
and his name shall be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. (ESV)
The first name given is, “Wonderful Counselor.” Something that is wonderful is, well, full of wonder. It is great and magnificent. It leaves us with “awe” and amazes us. The Hebrew word for “wonder” is used to describe the awesome works the LORD did in Egypt with the plagues and the crossing of the Red Sea.
As the Old Testament believer learns more about their Savior by the names He is called by, they learn he will be a counselor—someone who gives advice and direction. Now the world is full of counselors. There are guidance counselors at our high schools who give students advice about a future career and schooling. Marriage counselors give advice to couples about how to work on improving their marriage. Lucy, from the cartoon Peanuts, offers advice for 5 cents and good advice for 25 cents.
Sometimes counselors give good advice, like when the Elders of Israel counseled King Rehoboam to be a servant to the people of Israel and they would be loyal to him. (Rehoboam rejected their counsel.) Other times counsel is horrible and even damaging. For instance, in 1962 the Decca Recording Company told four young men from Britain that guitar music was on the way out, they gave bad counsel to a band called the Beatles.
However, the promised Child who was to be born to us, the Son that was to be given to us is named the WONDERFUL COUNSELOR. His counsel is wonderful. This should remind us that the WORD of the coming Savior, the things that He says, are very important.
Think of all the wonderful counsel that Jesus gives us:
In John 8 He counsels us, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” (John 8:31-32)
To those loaded down by their sins, the Wonderful Counselor says, “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28)
To those who are lost and confused, the Wonderful Counselor says, “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life.” (John 14:6)
Isaiah tells us of our Savior Jesus whose counsel is always wonderful!
The next name Isaiah gives isn’t a surprise to us. It is “Mighty God.” We know Jesus is mighty God. In a few weeks we’ll hear our children once again echo the Christmas angels who say that Jesus is “the Lord.” We know Jesus will show His divine nature as He walks on the water, calms the storm with His voice, heals the sick, and raises the dead. It doesn’t surprise us that Jesus is called, “Mighty God.”
But remember, at the time of Isaiah, none of these things had happened yet. So imagine how the Old Testament believer would have been amazed to hear these things about their coming Savior. Remember also the context in which Isaiah gives this name. Isaiah says at the beginning of the verse, “to us a CHILD is BORN.” A CHILD is to be BORN who is MIGHTY GOD? How can that be?
After the Child is born to us on Christmas, He doesn’t look like MIGHTY GOD. He doesn’t look very mighty as He is wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger. He doesn’t look like Mighty God as a 12 year old at the Temple asking questions about the Bible. During His three year ministry He doesn’t look like Mighty God. And when He is nailed to a cross, bleeding and dying, His enemies mock Him who was supposed to be “Mighty God.”
Yet, this is the perfect name for the Child to be born to us. He is Mighty God, but He isn’t mighty for His own sake; He is mighty for us. He uses His might to save us. In His might, He stays on the cross to suffer and die for us. And on Easter, He clearly shows Himself to be Mighty God as He raises Himself from the dead. Rejoice therefore, that the Child born to you is Mighty God, a strong fortress to save you. (Psalm 31:2)
The next name Isaiah gives us, seems, again, to be a bit confusing. After all, Isaiah said a CHILD is to be Born, He is a SON that is given, yet Isaiah calls Him, “Eternal Father.” What is going on? How can the Son be Father? How can the one to be BORN be ETERNAL? Can you imagine being an Old Testament believer who was trying to learn more about your Savior and hearing this? Would you be able to help them understand this?
The baby born in Bethlehem on Christmas is eternal. He is the Word that was with God and was God in the beginning. He is the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. Jesus Himself testified that He is eternal when He said, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.” (John 8:58)
When the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, then the eternal entered time in order to win eternity for us as a gift. And this is where the name “Father” comes into play. Jesus is NOT God the Father. Jesus clearly speaks again and again of the Father sending Him into the world. Yet, “Father” is a fitting name for the Son given to us. Hebrews calls Him the AUTHOR and perfecter of our faith. Jesus is “Father” in the sense that He gave birth to our faith. Hebrews also quotes Isaiah 8, when the writer says of Jesus, “Behold, I and the CHILDREN God has given me.” (Hebrews 2:13) Jesus “fathered” your salvation when He rose from the dead.
Finally, we come to a name for the Child of which we are most familiar—Prince of Peace. A prince is a ruler, leader, commander or captain. The world has many princes. Some princes are lazy, wanting others to do everything for them. Some princes are tyrants who abuse and misuse their people. Some princes are power-hungry who want to take power from others.
So it is in this world. Sin ruined the peaceful calm of the Garden of Eden. Sin brought war, bloodshed and hostility. Nations war against other nations. Nations are even at war within themselves. What joy to hear that the Child who has been born to us, the Son who has been given to us is the Prince of PEACE. This Child, this Son, will fight for peace and give peace.
First of all, He brings us peace with God. He laid aside the peace of heaven, to involve Himself in the warfare of our sin. Rather than being a tyrant prince who sheds the blood of his enemies, Jesus was born as the Prince of Peace to shed His own blood FOR His enemies. Isaiah writes later, in chapter 53, “Upon Him was the chastisement that brought us peace.” (53:5)
Our Prince then overcame our greatest enemy as He rose from the dead. After Easter, how is it that Jesus greets His disciples? Luke 24:36—“PEACE to you!” John 20:21—“Peace be with you.” John 20:26—“Peace be with you.” The Prince born to us has atoned for our sins. The Prince given to us has reconciled us to God. This Prince has conquered our enemy, the devil and crushed Him underfoot. By His resurrection we have been set free from the bondage of the fear of death. We can now say with aged Simeon after he held this child in his arms, “Lord, now you are letting your servant depart IN PEACE, according to your word.” (Luke 2:29) All hail, the Prince of Peace!
Names! Perhaps the name your parents gave you had significance. That certainly is the case with Jesus. When God wanted His people to know more about the Savior who would be born and given to them, He called His name, “Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” Praise be to His saving name! Amen.
Ministry by Mail is a weekly publication of the Church of the Lutheran Confession. Sermon archives, and subscription and staff information may be found online at www.clclutheran.org/ministrybymail. Audio Sermons are available at: podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/ministrybymail
All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®, copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.