The Names of Christ at Christmas
Isaiah 9:6,7
I. Introduction (Isa 9:6,7; 1Tim 3:16)
A. Wonderful - What a neat word!
B. Marvellous is another word just like it And Amazing! Fantastic!
C. These are words that relate mainly to Jesus Christ
D. It actually is one of His very names (Isa 9:6)!
1. All the new bible versions all remove the name Wonderful and make it just an adjective describing the next name, which is Counsellor
2. But the King James’ translators knew this was a perfectly good name
3. It describes just WHO Jesus is, just like the other four names do!
4. Even a wife will use it sometimes – Oh he’s wonderful! And that’s all she has to say! She doesn’t have to say, “He’s a wonderful guy, or a wonderful cook, or a wonderful dishwasher…”
E. Just the Person of Jesus Christ, when pondered, causes great amazement and wonder in the mind and heart of a person.
F. Napoleon said: "I know men; and I tell you that Jesus Christ is not a man. Everything about him amazes me. His spirit overawes me, and his will confounds me. There is no possible comparison between him and any other being in the world. He is truly a being by himself. His birth, the history of his life, the profoundness of his doctrine, his gospel, his march across the ages-all these are to me a wonder, an insoluble mystery. Alexander, Caesar, Charlemagne and I founded empires. But on what did the creations of our genius rest? On force. Jesus Christ alone founded his empire on love; and at this hour millions would die for him. I am at St. Helena, . . . I die before my time; him whom the world called The Great Napoleon! What an abyss between my deep misery and the eternal reign of Christ which is proclaimed, loved, adored, and which is extending over all the earth!” -Rev. Eugene Bersier
G. Truly, He is someone who is just FULL of wonder
H. I never exhaust the wealth of truths, and of life that rests in that magnificent name of Jesus
I. I could preach every day, all day, and will never run out of things to say about this Man from Galilee!
J. I want to look at that name, Wonderful, today
K. And let it sink down deep into our hearts, and change our perspective of Him, once again – deeper, broader, wider, higher
L. Never boring, or dull - Not the Jesus of this Book!
M. Let’s just see how WONDERFUL Jesus really is!
II. Message
A. Wonderful In Prediction.
1. From the very start (Gen 3:15)
2. All throughout Scripture (Lk 24:25-27)
3. 33 Specific prophecies
a. Where Jesus would be born
b. Who would announce His arrival – John the Baptist
c. Where Jesus would spend most of His time
d. What Jesus would do – give sight to the blind, lift of the lame, and raise up the dead
e. How long Jesus would live
f. How he would die – by the piercing of His hands and feet
g. How long He would stay dead
h. Who would betray Him
i. How He would die alone, without His disciples
4. This one wonder is the clincher – no one can deny the wonder of the Person of Jesus Christ seeing that all these prophecies came true to the letter
5. I never grow tired of seeing the Lord Jesus pointed to throughout my Bible – don’t miss the Old Testament Scriptures – they all paint a marvellous picture of God’s Son, fulfilled in that one solitary life!
B. Wonderful In Birth (Isa 7:14)
1. Not born with the high and mighty, but with the lowly, and poor in a tiny village called Bethlehem
a. With a bunch of smelly Shepherds crowded around Him
b. In a stable, in a feeding trough, on top of a pile of hay
c. In swaddling clothes – strips of old cloth – not even a blanket
d. Truly marvellous how a diamond arrived in such plain wrappings
2. Born NOT by genetic engineering, but by something called a virgin birth!
3. Too awesome to understand - It just CAN’T be done
a. To this day, you have to have TWO sets of 23 chromosomes to make a human being – one from momma and one from daddy
b. Doctors are messing with the fertilization process where there is no daddy – trying desperately to do away with daddies
1) Works with a few species. Hasn’t worked with humans yet
2) Can only make females in mammals – never males – never will!
3) The virgin birth of a Son is an impossible wonder!
4. King at His birth – not when He grew up like normal princes and kings (Mt 2:2) “Where is he that is born King of the Jews?”
5. The Lamb at His birth as well – from the time of His birth, Jesus was here for only one purpose – to save us from our sins as the one final Lamb in our place
C. Wonderful In Life.
1. Just the fact that He Lived – did not fake it like the film industry
2. Just the fact that He cared – watch His life:
a. Cared about a short guy named Zaccheus in a Sycamore tree
b. Cared about a little girl named Tabitha who had died
c. Cared about a widow woman as she was burying her only son – so He raised that young man back to life for his mom’s sake
d. Cared about Lepers – even touched them to heal them
e. Cared about children – rebuked His disciples for treating them like the world did – people never had time for children until Christ came!
3. Wonderful in that He Stayed - He Put up with us for 33 ½ long years
a. Could have left at any time
b. Could have called it a day
c. Could have even come down off the cross
d. Could have sought revenge for all the injustice showed Him
e. But He didn’t
f. Praise God – Jesus stayed all they way
4. The Life of Christ is THE greatest life ever lived, and is the only one worth learning from! All the greatest of humanity is dung compared to Christ!
D. Wonderful In Love (Mk 10:21)
1. People could tell Jesus loved them – Mary, Martha, and Lazarus, John
2. Even this rich young man who was so distant, haughty, and full of himself
3. The apostle Paul spoke constantly about Jesus Christ as if he was the only person Jesus loved (Gal 2:20)!
4. The love of Christ is the secret to a happy heart
a. Are you loved?
b. If you think you are, and have never known the love of Christ for you, then you know not love – not at all!
5. Every word on every page in the Gospels is written with the grip of love
6. Everything Jesus did was out of great love – no other reason!
7. It amazes me! His wondrous love - It overwhelms me!
E. Wonderful In Death.
1. Only Jesus could take death and be wonderful in it! Amen!
2. No one killed Him (Jn 10:17,18)
3. Instead, He wilfully, carefully, and specifically:
a. Became sin for us – never sinned at all, yet took the blame
b. Was punished in our place – we should die that way
c. Bore the punishment – did not reject it like all of us would have
d. Forgave the world that was trying to kill Him
e. And then rested – released His life and died
f. He was doing just what Isaiah 53 said would happen
4. All those around the cross stood amazed (Mt 27:54)
5. What looked like such a disaster, such a defeat, was a wonderful victory (Col 2:13-15)
6. His death was awesome – amazing – marvellous – wonderful!
7. To this very day, the greatest thing to preach about, to ponder, to rejoice in, is the crucifixion because of just how amazing it truly is!
F. Wonderful In Heaven Now (Col 3:1). Jesus is very busy in heaven
1. Reigning – in control – let Him lead your life! He knows what to do!
2. Inviting (Rev 3:20) – let Him save your soul! There is no one who wants you saved more than Christ Jesus! No one who wants your family born again than Jesus!
3. Saving – no one else saves – not Mary, or the saints, or the Church
4. Interceding (Rom 8:34; Heb 7:25)
a. Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.
b. Read John 17 and see how wonderful Jesus is at interceding!
5. Aren’t you glad Jesus is wonderful still to this day – never changes!
G. Wonderful In the Future.
1. Jesus is infinite – without limit
2. So, He will never stop amazing us – four hundred trillion years into eternity – and we will still be amazed!
3. I can’t wait!
III. Conclusion
A. Just the Person of Jesus Christ, when pondered, causes great amazement and wonder in the mind and heart of a person
B. We have taken a look at that name, Wonderful, today
C. Have you let it sink down deep into our hearts, and change our perspective of Him, once again?
1. He is Wonderful In Prediction. Not an Accident
2. He is Wonderful In Birth (Isa 7:14)
a. Virgin Born – as impossible as it is
b. King at His birth
c. The Lamb at His birth – to save us from our sins
3. Wonderful In Life.
a. He really lived – not a fairy tale
b. He Cared – watch His life
c. He Stayed
4. Wonderful In Love (Mk 10:21)
a. Everything Jesus did was out of great love
b. It amazes me! It overwhelms me! Heals me!
5. Wonderful In Death.
a. What looked like a disaster, and a defeat, was a wonderful victory
b. His death was awesome – amazing – marvellous – wonderful!
6. Wonderful In Heaven Now (Col 3:1)
a. Reigning – in control
b. Inviting (Rev 3:20)
c. Saving – no one else saves – not Mary, or the saints, or the Church
d. Interceding (Rom 8:34)
7. Wonderful In the Future.
a. He is infinite
b. So, He will never stop amazing us
c. I can’t wait!
d. Are you ready for eternity?
e. All of this will not work for you unless you repent and believe on Him! On His name (John 1:11,12)
f. Here is how to be saved today!
DATE: 5 Dec, 2004 AM
PLACE: BBC Ballincollig
Craig Ledbetter
Bible Baptist Church
Ballincollig, Cork, Ireland