Unto Us: Celebrating the Arrival of JesusSample

Wonderful Counselor

As followers of Jesus who are imperfect, we all need help to live in a way that glorifies God. All of us need wise counsel to help guide our decisions. Fortunately, Isaiah 9:6 tells us that Jesus is our Wonderful Counselor. The Hebrew language, which is the original language of the Old Testament, defines it this way:

Wonderful — pele’
To wonder or marvel at something extraordinary or hard to understand

Counselor — ya’ats
To advise, consult, give counsel, counsel, devise, plan

When we put these two definitions together, we see that Jesus was born with a supernatural capacity to offer the most marvelous counsel and advice we’ll ever know. 

While His wonderfulness may be difficult for us to grasp, there’s nothing He doesn’t understand. Even at the young age of 12, all who listened to Him preach in the synagogue were astonished at His understanding. No idea, concept, or piece of knowledge is beyond His reach or intellect. He is the perfect Messiah and Holy One who provides us the necessary counsel we need. 

But this wonder describes more than just Jesus’ miraculous activity—it’s who He is. Yes, He does wonderful, extraordinary things beyond our comprehension, but He, Himself, is the wonder! Jesus was born both God and man. It may be difficult to fathom, but His entrance from Heaven straight into the world was astoundingly miraculous.

Think about one or two areas of your life where you truly need advice or help. You never have to think, “Well, I’ll just never figure out what to do here.” The truth is that Jesus is not just the Wonderful Counselor, He is your Wonderful Counselor. Followers of Jesus have complete access to Him and His awe-inspiring abilities. We don’t have to hope we get things right—we can trust in the One whose strength is extraordinary to counsel us in our lives. 

His counsel is readily available to us through the Bible and by spending time with Him. When we learn about Him, His character, and His ways, we’ll recognize His leading and His guidance in our lives. Our Wonderful Counselor is ready and willing to guide us in every area of our lives.