Isaiah 9:6-7 (ESV) — 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. Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.

Echoes are fascinating things. If you are in the right environments, you can yell at the top of your lungs and your voice will come shouting back to you. It is incredible to consider that sound waves originating from our mouths reverberate through the atmosphere. 

There are echoes throughout Scripture. The first promise of the gospel, given by God in Genesis 3:15, echoes throughout the Old Testament until the arrival of Jesus. We hear those echoes in prophecies and in figures who served as types of the Christ who was coming to the world. Isaiah 9 is one of those echoes. 

Our passage today echoes God’s promise that the offspring of Eve will crush Satan’s head. A child will be born, a son given. This is no ordinary child. The government shall rest on his shoulder. This speaks to the Lordship of the coming child. He will rule as king over peoples and kingdoms of the earth, even those who do not recognize Him as Lord.

Then God declares through Isaiah the names of the coming Son: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, and Prince of Peace. There are none wiser than Jesus, the Wonderful Counselor. He directs us as the Good Shepherd who knows best. He is Mighty God, the author and creator of the universe. He brings order, commands obedience, and saves His people. He is the Everlasting Father. The coming child is not God the Father (the first person in the Trinity). Everlasting Father is a title based on His function and role as the Alpha and Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End. The child born is Prince of Peace. He offers peace to all who come to Him by faith. He forgives sins, provides graces to the weak, and gives hope to the downtrodden. 

This Scripture directs its first hearers, and us, to long for the coming child. It is an echo and reminder that One is coming who will defeat the Serpent. This Savior will redeem man from the curse, and rule as true Lord over all the earth. The first hearers undoubtedly wondered: Who is he? When will he arrive? How long, O God, until the Light will come? But we know today who He was. Jesus came born of the woman, and as the crucified, resurrected, and ascended King of the world, He has authority on heaven and earth. The government is on His shoulders. All people answer to Him. He is our Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, and Prince of Peace. Seek Him today.

Questions for Reflection:

• What does it mean to talk about echoes of Jesus running throughout the Old Testament?
• How does Jesus fulfill the promise of the Isaiah 9 passage in His life, death, resurrection, and ascension to Heaven?
• How does the reign of Jesus in the world bring peace and assurance in our lives today?

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