He Shall Be Called Wonderful

In his prediction of the Messiah’s birth, the prophet Isaiah announced that the child would be called “Wonderful.” Today, R.C. Sproul marvels at the awe-inspiring character of the Son of God.

His name will be called “Wonderful” (Isa. 9:6). Now, there’s a question here. Since most of these titles in this list here are in couplets, many people interpret the text to say that His first name by which He will be known is the title, “Wonderful Counselor.” I think that actually the word, the way it is used here and elsewhere in the New Testament, is not an adjective but a noun. And it’s one that is used elsewhere to describe people. And so, I’m taking the position, not dogmatically but at least tentatively, that what Isaiah meant here is that the first thing about this Child who was born and the Son who was given is that He will be called Wonderful. His name is Wonderful.

Now the meaning of that is much closer to the English language in the Elizabethan period than it is today. Today we think something that is nice or it’s cool. We may say, “Oh, that’s wonderful.” But here the word means literally, “He will be called One who is full of wonder.”

If you ever had the misfortune of having to study New Testament Greek, you know that one of the first words that you learn in Greek is the word thambeō, which means “to be astonished or to be amazed.” Because what happened in the earthly ministry of Jesus was that He left a wake of miracles. Everywhere He went, people were amazed at His power. They were in a spirit of awe. They were in a spirit of wonder before the power that was displayed by the incarnate Son of God. And so, it is said of Him hundreds and hundreds of years before He is even born, He will be called “full of wonder.” His name will be “Wonderful.”