A. B. Simpson - The Names of Jesus

A division of Zur Ltd.

The Names of Jesus
ISBN: 978-1-60066-046-7
LOC Control Number: 2007932457
1991 by Zur Ltd.

Previously published by Christian Publications, Inc.
First Christian Publications Revised Edition 1991
First WingSpread Publishers Edition 2007
Originally preached as sermons and also published in 1892

All rights reserved
Printed in the United States of America

12 11 10 09 08 5 4 3 2 1

Unless otherwise indicated,
Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE: NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION .
1973, 1978, 1984 by the International Bible Society.
Used by permission of Zondervan Bible Publishers.

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)

T he idea of a child king was not unfamiliar to the Old Testament. Little Samuel had been Israels best prophet and judge; young Josiah, wearing a crown at the tender age of five, was the best of Judahs kings after David.

All these were types of Jesus, Gods holy and anointed King. With beautiful simplicity, even after His resurrection and ascension, the apostles speak of Him in their prayers to the Father as thy Holy Child, Jesus. He Himself has told us that His best representative on earth is a little child. And whoever welcomes one of these little children in my name (that is, belonging to me) welcomes me (Mark 9:37a). And even His Father in heaven is not ashamed to be represented by the same little child. Whoever welcomes me does not welcome me but the one who sent me (37b).

There is nothing more beautiful in an old and venerable man than the simplicity of childhood which often characterizes the greatest minds. Perhaps when we meet with our God, we will be touched most of all by the simplicity of His presence. At least, it is very beautiful to know that the Christ who comes still to guide and govern us is a child Christ, gentle as the touch of an infants hand, accessible as your own little ones, easy to approach, simple and loving as an innocent child; yet mighty as the Mighty God and the Everlasting Father.

It is very touching to notice in the apocalypse that Jesus is continually described by a diminutive term of peculiar endearment; not the Lamb, as it is translated in our version, but literally the little Lamb, the dear Lamb of God.

Let us look, however, at the other side of the picture, and, as we do, let us carry with us the concept of the child. Four illustrious and glorious names are here given to Jesus.

This name has reference to His prophetic work and office, for He is our prophet as well as our King, the great teacher and guide to His people. The term counselor has reference to His guidance rather than to His teaching. One may know much and be able to say much, and yet not be a good counselor. Jesus is our wisdom and leads His trusting children in the right paths where they will not stumble.

1. He often leads us contrary to the ideas, opinions and judgments even of wise men, and His thoughts are as high above our thoughts as the heavens above the earth. If He is our guide, He will often bid us do things which prudence regards as folly, possibly as fanaticism; but God will vindicate His own wisdom in the end, and wisdom is proved right by her actions (Matthew 11:19b).

It must have seemed a very foolish thing to the Canaanites to have an army march seven days around their city walls and then simply blow their trumpets and shout, but it was the wisest way to take Jericho. It must have seemed a very foolish thing to ask a widow to give away her last handful of meal to a stranger when she and her boy were starving, but it was the best way to save her and her boy from starvation and to open the way for a continual supply for the coming months. It must have seemed an absurd thing for young David to face the giant Philistine with a simple sling and stones, but it was the only way by which he could have obtained the victory. It must have seemed absurd to commit to 12 fishermen the task of evangelizing the world, but it was Gods wisdom, and it became Gods mighty power. It may have appeared very strange to Philip for the divine message to come to him to leave Samaria in the height of his great evangelistic work there and go down into a lonely desert where he could not expect to meet a soul, but it was Gods way to preach the gospel to the Prince of Ethiopia and, through him, to the whole of Northern Africa. He leads us by a way that we know not; but it is ever the right way, and we will thank Him at last that He has proved our Wonderful Counselor.

2. He is a Wonderful Counselor because the people He leads are such weak and foolish people. When we commit ourselves to the guidance of Christ we become weaker in ourselves, ceasing to look to our own wisdom. Without His guidance we would indeed be utterly helpless, but this is our very strength. The little child who knows nothing of the way through the strange city is safer than the one who knows a little. The latter is very apt to trust in his or her imperfect knowledge and go astray. But the former, knowing nothing, simply holds his or her mothers hand and is safely led by one who knows better. And so it is said of the heavenly pathway:

And a highway will be there;

it will be called the Way of Holiness.

The unclean will not journey on it;

it will be for those who walk in that Way;

wicked fools will not go about on it.

(Isaiah 35:8)

Not that we are competent, says Paul, to claim anything for ourselves, but our competence comes from God (2 Corinthians 3:5), and it is indeed wonderful how the most simple-hearted and uneducated minds are led by the Holy Spirit, not only into full knowledge of Gods Word, but kept from error and mistake and guided safely through all the mazes of lifes pathway!

3. This Counselor is wonderful in His patience and love. He is willing to take infinite trouble with us. Over and over again He teaches us the lessons we are so slow to learn. Over and over again He repairs our mistakes and lifts us up from our stumblings, saying to us, How is it that you do not understand?

There is no difficulty too intricate for Him to unravel. There is no little detail of life too petty for Him to take an interest in. There is no toil too tedious for Him to go through with us. There is no tangle too involved for Him to unthread and loose. There is no complication of difficult circumstances too extreme for Him to be willing to take hold of and lead us gently out into the light.

Even our stupidity and rebellion have not always provoked Him to leave us; but He waits, loves and leads us, until at last He brings us into His perfect will and our hearts are ready to say, Wonderful Counselor, patient Teacher, gentle Christwho teaches like Him?

4. The best of all about this Wonderful Counselor is that He does not merely tell us what to do and give us a chart of the way, but He comes with us every step of the way and becomes our personal guide.