Isaiah 9:6 - The Attributes of Jesus

"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)

A Messianic prophecy that shows us the character of Jesus. Centuries before he was born, Isaiah gave numerous prophecies which accurately detailed the life and character of Jesus Christ. In this post I'm going to show what each attribute mentioned here means. I hope that, when reading this, you gain a greater understanding, and a deeper relationship with our beautiful Saviour.

A counselor is someone who provides guidance to us. A counselor helps us to work through problems in our lives. Counselors should never condemn a person for what they have done and they don't turn away those who are trying to improve themselves. A wonderful counselor is someone who does all these things perfectly. Jesus is the perfect counselor, he does not condemn people (John 3:17), he will not turn away those who seek him (John 6:37), and he can help those who come to him, no matter their problem, for he is God.

Jesus is the Mighty God, he proved this throughout his life by doing things which are impossible for men to do, and by knowing things that were impossible for him to know. This attribute, combined with the last one, show how great it is that Jesus has decided to be our friend. With an omnipotent, omniscient friend who wants to help us and will never condemn us, nothing is impossible. (Matthew 19:26).

Everlasting Father. This attribute can be misinterpreted as it seems to say that Jesus and the Father are the same person, this is not true. In this verse Isaiah is talking about the character of Jesus, not about his role in the Godhead. He is telling us what Jesus will be like. A father is someone who cares for us and who loves us despite ourselves. He is our provider and won't withhold from us any good thing without good reason. He is our protector, he keeps us safe from dangers. Jesus is the Everlasting Father. He will do all these things perfectly for all time. He will protect us and provide for us.

Jesus is the Prince of Peace. No matter what he was going through on Earth he was at peace. When he was ridiculed or mocked, he was at peace. When he was being tortured and being accused of blasphemy, he was at peace. When he was dying in the most painful way possible, he was at peace. Jesus's peace didn't depend upon his circumstances but it came from his divine nature. This peace is offered to us for free. Jesus freely gives us this peace that comes from above (John 14:27, John 16:33). When you are stressed, worried, or afraid, be at peace. Accept this peace that Jesus gives you.

Jesus is many things, these were just four attributes that help to give a basic understanding of who Jesus is. These are by no means the only attributes of Jesus but they do help to teach us who he is and what he desires to do. Jesus is our Saviour, he came into this world to save us from our sin. Accept this gift that he has given to you so that you may have eternal life.

Prayer

Lord Jesus, thank you that you are willing to take our troubles upon yourself. Thank you that you will never reject us and that you always are able to help us. Thank you for providing for us and for protecting us from troubles in this world. Thank you for never leaving us alone, and thank you for giving us the peace that you had. Thank you for coming to Earth and dying for us. Amen.