Name Above All Names – The Names of God Advent Study – {Week Four}

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Isaiah 9:6

Can you imagine seeing our prominent leaders, the wisest sage of our days, or even your own father, bending their knees to bow before a child? The Wise Men sought Him, but other kings tried to kill Him. This child born in a lowly manger sure caused a stir.

How can the birth of a baby boy turn things around? It really passes all understanding. The birth of this child will bring salvation and redemption to the whole human race. The President cannot bring about this amount of change. Philosophers have not figured out the secret to changing the human soul. No artist has painted a masterpiece as beautiful as the sight of Jesus in a manger.

A human life is worth as much as the respect it holds for the mystery. – Dietrich Bonhoeffer

How will you come to the manger tonight? Will you bow your knees and kneel before the baby? Do you see what I see? Do you see a Wonderful Counselor, the Mighty God, an Everlasting Father, and the Prince of Peace? For unto us a child is born.

Wonderful Counselor

Who do you go to for advice? I often call on my best friend, Tina, when I need human advice. I call her for advice on everything from paint colors to raising children. It is good to have someone you trust to speak into your life. Wise friends are one of God’s blessings.

However, the ultimate source of all wisdom comes from God. How often I have called out to Him when facing a difficult decision or facing trials and troubles. He is exceptional and distinguished in every way. His solutions to our problems come in ways we could never conjure up.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer, in the book, The mystery of the Holy Night, says this about our Wonderful Counselor: “Wonderful Counselor is the name of this child. But because this child of God is God’s own Wonderful Counselor, He Himself is a foundation of all wonders and all counsel. For those who recognize in Jesus the wonder of the Son of God His every word and deed becomes a wonder; they will find Him the last, deepest, most helpful counsel for all their trials and troubles. Go to the child in the manger, believe in Him the Son of God and you will find in Him wonder upon wonder, counsel upon counsel.” 

Mighty God

In Hebrew the title Mighty God is El Gibbor. El meaning God and Gibbor, which means “strength, power, hero.” Our God is all strength, all power and therefore our hero. Isaiah prophesied the coming of a Messiah that would not only have the power of God, but would be the God of power! (Our Daily Bread)

Dietrich Bonhoeffer, in the book, The mystery of the Holy Night, says this about our Mighty God: “Mighty God is the name of this child. The child in the manger is none other than God himself. Nothing greater could be said: God became a child. He lies in the manger, poor like us, wretched and helpless like us, a human of flesh and blood like us, our brother. And yet He is God, yet He is strength. Where is the divinity, where is the strength of this child? In the divine love, in which he became just like us. His poverty in the manger is his strength. In the strength of love he overcomes the chasm between God and humanity.”

Everlasting Father

What does it mean to say that something or someone is timeless?  According to the Webster Dictionary, timeless means to not be restricted to a particular time or day. So, if someone refers to you as timeless, they might be saying you will stay beautiful forever.

Our Everlasting Father is timeless. He is not restricted to a particular time or date and He will be our Everlasting Father, the one who will never leave your side and will bring you into eternity with Him.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer, in the book, The mystery of the Holy Night, says this about our Everlasting Father: “Everlasting Father’ – How can this be the name of the child? This child wants nothing for himself; he is no wunderkind in the human sense, but an obedient child of his heavenly Father. Born in time, he brings eternity with him to earth. As the Son of God He brings us all the love of the Father in heaven. Go there, seek and find at the manger the eternal Father, who here has become your dear Father too. “

Prince of Peace

He did not have to campaign or worry about electoral votes. He is neither a Republican or a Democrat. Yet the government will be on His shoulders. He is the Prince of Peace. He comes to us, unites Himself with us, and brings to us the gift of peace.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer, in the book, The mystery of the Holy Night, says this about the Prince of Peace: “Prince of Peace – Where God comes in love to humans, unites himself with them, peace is made between God and human being and between human being and human being. If you are afraid of God’s anger, go to the child in the manger, and get the peace of God as a gift. Have you fallen into strife and hatred with your brother, come and see how, purely from love, God has become our brother and wants to reconcile us, one with another. Out in the world power rules. This child is the Prince of Peace. Where he is, peace rules.”

Advent all year long

“The Advent season is a season of waiting, but our whole life is an Advent season, that is, a season of waiting for the last Advent, for the time when there will be a new heaven and a new earth.” 
― Dietrich Bonhoeffer, God Is In the Manger

Everlasting Father, Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Prince of Peace, we celebrate your advent into our hearts and wait expectantly for your second coming. We glorify your name, the name above all names. We celebrate with adoring hearts the baby Jesus, the presence of God that rode in on a donkey, was born in a manger, and redeemed us, miserable sinners, because you wanted to be with us. Thank you for this holiest of nights. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Did you know I am writing a four-book series called the Advent of a Warrior? The first book, which was published in 2019, was A Warrior of Hope. This year I published the second book, A Warrior of Peace. I have just begun writing the third devotional in the series, A Warrior of Joy, and intend to publish it in 2021. So, as you may guess, the final devotional in the series will be A Warrior of Love. Hope, peace, joy, and love represent the four candles of Advent. My prayer is for these devotionals to bring hope, peace, joy and love to all of us, as we wait upon the second coming and a new heaven and a new earth. As we wait upon the Advent of the Warrior.