The Prince of Peace

An adaptation on Isaiah 9:6 from a sermon given by Ruffin Hill

There are passages in Scripture that feel like a doorway. Once you step through them, you find yourself standing in the middle of the entire story of the Bible. Isaiah 9:6 is one of those passages.

“For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.”

This single verse reaches backward into eternity and forward into the future. It speaks of Christ’s first coming and His second. It reveals His humanity and His deity. It tells us not only what Jesus would do, but who He would be.

Isaiah, more than any other Old Testament prophet, was given a unique window into the person of Jesus Christ. There are sixty-six chapters in Isaiah, just as there are sixty-six books in the Bible. Thirty-nine chapters align with the Old Testament, twenty-seven with the New. And though some have tried to argue that Isaiah had multiple authors, the truth is simpler and more powerful: God Himself breathed these words through one man, revealing truths about His Son that would not be fully understood for centuries.

In Isaiah 9:6, we are given five names that describe Jesus Christ. Each one deserves our attention. Together, they tell us who He is and why He alone can bring peace to a restless world.

A Child Born, a Son Given

Isaiah begins with two statements that are easy to read past but impossible to exhaust.

“Unto us a child is born.”

This speaks of Christ’s humanity. Jesus truly came into the world as a child. He grew, learned, hungered, slept, and suffered. He was fully human.

“Unto us a son is given.”

This speaks of His deity. Jesus was given. He is God’s gift to mankind. John 3:16 reminds us that

“God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son…”

Jesus is the God-Man. Fully God. Fully man. Not half of each, not a blend, but completely both.

And Isaiah tells us something else:

“The government shall be upon his shoulder.”

Jesus will rule. Though He was rejected at His first coming, He will reign at His second. History is filled with men who believed they could rule the world. Nebuchadnezzar, Alexander the Great, Caesar, Napoleon, Hitler, Stalin. Today, their empires are footnotes in history books. But one day, Jesus Christ will rule as King of kings and Lord of lords, and His kingdom will never end.

His Name Shall Be Called Wonderful

The first name Isaiah gives Him is Wonderful. A word that means far more than “impressive” or “pleasing.” It means beyond explanation. Above the ordinary. One of a kind.

We see His wonder throughout Scripture.

He parted the Red Sea and led Israel through on dry ground.

He caused the sun to stand still.

He brought down the walls of Jericho.

But even those mighty acts fall short of capturing how wonderful Jesus truly is. We simply do not have words sufficient to describe Him.

Wonderful in His Birth

There has never been another birth like His.

Born of a virgin. Conceived by the Holy Spirit. Laid in a feeding trough. Announced by angels.

Kings and empires have come and gone, yet every time we write a date, we acknowledge His birth. Even those who deny Him cannot escape the mark He left on history.

Wonderful in His Life

Jesus lived a sinless life. Not only did He never sin, He could not sin. He is the spotless Son of God.

The accusations brought against Him reveal His perfection:

• He claimed God as His Father truthfully.

• He received sinners lovingly.

• He did good on the Sabbath mercifully.

That was the best His enemies could do.

Wonderful in His Works

Jesus healed the sick, raised the dead, opened blind eyes, fed the hungry, forgave sinners, and comforted the brokenhearted. And Scripture tells us that even what we have recorded is only a fraction of what He did.

“If they should be written every one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books…” (John 21:25)

Wonderful in His Words

No one ever spoke like Jesus.

“Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”

“I am the resurrection and the life.”

His words called Lazarus from the grave and they still call dead sinners to life today.

Wonderful in His Death and Resurrection

Jesus was not martyred. He willingly laid down His life.

The sky grew dark. The earth shook. The veil was torn. He bore our sin alone.

And then He rose again.

The tomb was empty, just as He promised. Because He lives, death has been defeated, salvation is secure, and peace is possible.

His Name Shall Be Called Counselor

Life presses us into decisions we cannot make alone. We need counsel in the form of divine guidance.

Jesus is that Counselor.

He is:

• Close – “Lo, I am with you always.”

• Confidential – He invites us to pray in secret.

• Compassionate – He sees the crowd as sheep without a shepherd.

• Capable – His counsel is never wrong.

God speaks to us through His Word, His Spirit, godly authority, and even creation itself. The issue is rarely whether God is speaking but whether we are listening.

Following His counsel begins with salvation, continues through Scripture, prayer, submission, and requires us to avoid ungodly influence. His ways often defy human logic but they never fail.

His Name Shall Be Called The Mighty God

Jesus is not merely gentle, He is powerful.

The child born in Bethlehem holds the universe together. Eternity entered time through a manger. He is El Gabor. The strong God, the divine champion.

He is strong enough to:

• Save your soul

• Heal your heart

• Keep you eternally secure

• Defeat death itself

And one day, He is coming again riding on a white horse, crowned with glory, ruling in righteousness. And the redeemed will ride with Him.

His Name Shall Be Called The Everlasting Father

Everlasting means eternal. Permanent. Unchanging.

He was there before time began. He will be there when time ends. He never leaves or forsakes His children.

He protects us in ways we may never fully understand. He orders our steps. He shepherds our lives.

The story of Ira Sankey reminds us of this truth. God used one faithful moment decades earlier to bring salvation to a soul years later. Nothing is accidental when God is Father.

His Name Shall Be Called The Prince of Peace

The world longs for peace but cannot create it. Nations war. Hearts remain restless.

True peace comes only through Jesus Christ.

Through Him, we have:

• Peace with God – Our sins forgiven

• Peace with others – Through forgiveness and grace

• Peace within – Freedom from guilt and fear

Many carry their past like a suitcase, dragging it through life. Jesus invites us to lay it down. He made peace through the cross.

A Final Question

Who reigns in your life?

Worry? Anxiety? Fear?

Or the Wonderful Counselor, the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace?

He does not want harm for you. Only good. He desires to guide you, help you, and bring peace to your soul.

Isaiah 9:6 is not just a prophecy. It is an invitation.