The Wonderful Counsellor
“For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; And the government will rest on His shoulders; And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.” (Isaiah 9:6)
The Star that hovered of over the city of Bethlehem, pointing the way to the manger shined upon a world blanketed in darkness. Both Greece and Rome had risen to heights of grandeur and produced distinguished men of letters and philosophers. Then, as often happens in the case of civilizations, the boom had departed and the whole Mediterranean world, corrupted with luxury, had sank into materialism and moral darkness.
The Babe who lay sleeping in that manger bed was the light of the world, come to dispel that darkness. “The people that have walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them has the light shined.” This Babe is, “the true light that lightens every man that comes into the world.” He is the One of whom Isaiah prophesied, “Unto us a child is born, unto us a Son is given: and the government shall rest upon His shoulder: and His named shall be called Wonderful Counsellor …” This One by His words of wisdom and prudent counsel would dispel the moral and spiritual darkness which enshrouded the world into which He came. As we study the life and ministry of this One we find that He is worthy of the name Wonderful Counsellor. Men marveled and continue to marvel at not only His works but also His words of wisdom.
It was during His last week upon earth that certain Pharisees and Herodian’s came unto Him that they might trap Him. When they came to Him they addressed Him with words of ironical flattery and then asked: “Is it lawful to give tribute to Caesar of not? This question placed Jesus upon the horns of the proverbial dilemma. If He said, “No,” then He would be arrested immediately as an enemy of Caesar and Rome. If He said, “Yes,” His hold upon the people would be loosened as there were those who despised anything Roman and especially Roman taxes. But Jesus was not to be defeated nor easily trapped. He called for a Roman coin. He showed it to them and asked, “Whose superscription is upon it?” they replied, “Caesar’s.” “And Jesus said unto them, Render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar’s and unto God the things that are God’s.” In these words the Wonderful Counsellor stated an eternal principle which for that day to this has served as the standard whereby the Christian regulates his duty to God and country. There is to be no conflict but perfect harmony between two loyalties. If one accepts the protection of a government, and the privileges of the government, then one is under obligation to support that government. We are under obligation to support the laws of our land. Jesus made it very plain that sound religion and good citizenship go together. “Men have had to sometimes rebel against an evil government when no other opportunity of redress was possible. But in a democracy, where we ourselves make the laws by which we are governed, we are bound by every principle of good citizenship and every injunction of Christian faith to obey these laws, arrived by democratic procedure, whether they please or displease us.” According to the prudent counsel of the Wonderful Counsellor a Christian could never seek from his government benefits that are not right and lawfully his; a Christian living in a democratic America can never be a communist; a Christian must ever be a model citizen as “he renders unto Caesar the things that are Caesar’s.”
Earlier in the ministry of Jesus as man came to Him with a problem. His father had died and had left some property. His brother had gotten his hands on the property and refused to divide it. The man said, “Master, advise my brother to divide the inheritance with me.” Jesus used this incident to counsel those round about concerning another of life’s fundamental relationships. He said, “Take heed, beware of covetousness: for a man’s life consists not in the abundance of which he possesses.” Here is an eternal principle that needs to be shouted from the mountain tops of our land until it echoes and reechoes throughout the valleys and plains: “a man’s life consists not in the abundance of things which he possesses.”
We have come upon tragic days in our land. We witness the inroads of Communism and its socialistic philosophy which threatens the very foundation of Christian philosophy. But Communism is not the cause of our trouble, it is but the effect. The cause is found in our turning away from the counsel of the Wonderful Counselor. We have come to believe that man lives by bread alone. We have substituted the things of life for life’s eternal values. A man labors not that he might preform a service for his fellowman but that he might earn a dollar. (Don’t misunderstand me. I recognize the value and need of the things of life. But they are not the end, they are the means to an end.) A man does for others not for the joy of doing but for the power and prestige that may come to him. In a search for these things we have lost sight of the values. In a desire for social and physical security we have forgotten about spiritual security. Because of this false philosophy many in America are ready to support any government regardless of its spiritual foundation if it will offer the false hope of economic security from the cradle to the grave even if it means robbing man of his spiritual birthright of freedom to worship God and faith in the security of the individual soul. We need to hear again the wisdom of the Wonderful Counsellor, “Man’s life does not consist in the abundance of things that he possesses.”
In another interview with a seeking soul, Jesus the Wonderful Counsellor gives advice as to our attitude towards our fellow men. One day while He was teaching one who was versed in the Jewish law asked, “What shall I do to inherit eternal life?” Jesus led the questioner to answer his own question in these words: “Thou shall love the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbor as thyself.” Then the man asked, “Who is my neighbor.” Jesus replied by telling the story of the Good Samaritan. Our neighbor is anyone who is in need, physical, spiritual or material need. He may live across the world, he may live next door, but if he is in need. He is our neighbor. He may move in circles in which I do not care to move, or in which, my conscience will not permit me to move, but if he is in need he is my neighbor. I am to deal with him in the spirit of love and the measure of that love that I have for myself.
How we need this attitude in human relations today! There are too many in the world who behold their fellowmen as mere stepping stones to new positions of power, wealth, and prestige. In such lust for these things that pass away with the setting sun they rob their neighbors of their right to liberty, justice, and the pursuit of happiness. There are others who say, “Live and let live,” they isolate themselves from the needy of the world. They pass by on the other side, they permit lesser duties to crowd out higher ones. We need the spirit of the Samaritan who returned good for evil, who did for a Jew what no Jew of that day would have done for a Samaritan. At great personal sacrifice, of time, money, and comfort he bore the burden of another. “Love suffers long and is kind, love envies not, love vainest not itself, is not puffed up. Does not behave itself unseemly, seeks not her own, is not easily provoked, thinks no evil, rejoices not in iniquity, but rejoices in truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things, love never fails.”
John the Baptist was in prison. He was there because he had faithfully proclaimed the message of right living, in preparation for the coming of the “One who was greater than he, the latchet of whose shoe he was not worthy to unloose.” This One had come, John had baptized Him and shortly after had been cast into prison. In prison doubt laid hold of him and he sent two disciples to Jesus to ask, “Are thou He who should come, or do we look for another?” Jesus answered, “Go and show John those things which ye do hear and see.” (Matthew 11:4-6) Here is the counsel of Christ in relation to life’s great relationship. Each one in this world who comes in contact with Jesus must answer the question” “What think ye of Christ, whose son is He?” Arguments can be presented that He is the answer to the deepest need of the human soul. I can prove by logical reasoning that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God and that He can satisfy the deep spiritual longing of man’s soul. Jesus would have done the same in answering John but the best answer is not words but deeds. As we see what Jesus does, as we behold the change that is wrought in human lives by the touch of the Master’s hand we are convinced that He is the promised Messiah.
They said concerning Jesus “Never man spoke like this man.” (John 7:46) As you witnessed Christ this morning giving advice and counsel do you not agree that He is worthy of the title: Wonderful Counsellor?
Our world needs and is seeking advice today. This is evidenced by the number of people who go to palmists, to psychiatrists, to layers and to ministers seeking help and counsel. But so often Christ, the Wonderful Counsellor, is not invited into the conference. What a difference would result in world affairs if the advice of Christ was sought and followed at Lake Success, in high councils in Washington.
Are you weary, heavy burdened, perplexed by multitudinous problems. Go to Jesus for His advice and counsel. Seek it and follow it. for unto you a child is born … and His name shall be called Wonderful Counselor.
Dr. Robert W Kirkpatrick+
First Presbyterian Church, Saint Albans, W VA, December 5, 1949
Kingdom's Garden 
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