The Coming Messiah

For to us a child is born,
     to us a son is given,
     and the government will be upon His shoulders.
And He will be called
     Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God,
     Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Of the greatness of His government and peace
     there will be no end.
He will reign on David's throne
     and over His kingdom,
establishing and upholding it
     with justice and righteousness
     from that time on and forever.
                                     Isaiah 9:6-7

One of the more well-known prophecies of the coming Messiah from the words of the prophet Isaiah. I've heard them often in Christmas performances and songs over the years.

In just a couple of verses, the prophet Isaiah conveys amazing truth about the Messiah. Isaiah declared that Jesus would come from the line of David and that His kingdom would never end. Both of these important.

But, in the middle of all of this, Isaiah gives the Messiah some amazing names declaring what He will be.

Wonderful Counsellor.

Mighty God.

Everlasting Father.

Prince of Peace.

In these few words, so much of what Jesus's ministry on earth was is described. And they speak of what His ministry still is in the lives of those who follow His story.

When I read prophecies like this, I often begin to wonder about what thoughts would have gone through people's minds when they first heard those words. When we read them today, we do so with the benefit of history and knowing they were being fulfilled. But, the people Isaiah spoke them to, they didn't know. And that makes me wonder how they would have responded to those words in the moment.

If they truly grasped the reality of the words they were hearing, what would they have been thinking about? Would they have been looking for the Messiah continually then? Or did they get tired of waiting and forget about the words of prophecy?