His Name Shall Be: Wonderful

In this captivating episode of The Heartbeat of Faith Podcast, viewers are transported into the realm of ancient prophecies and timeless wonder. The episode begins with a poetic and compelling narrative, setting the stage with the promise of hope emerging from the ashes of disobedience. Our host, Dr. Andrew Farley, will take us on a profound journey into the heart of Christmas prophecy, Isaiah 9, unveiling the names ascribed to Jesus and their deeper significance.

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Dr. Farley delves into the meaning behind the names attributed to Jesus, emphasizing their role as descriptors of His nature and purpose, making the audience pause and consider the essence of Jesus, beyond mere facts. Through a fascinating connection to the story of Manoah and the Angel of the Lord, the name "Wonderful" takes on a deeper dimension, offering a glimpse into the majesty and incomparable beauty of Jesus. This episode draws parallels between these stories and the gospels, where people were awestruck by the presence and miracles of Jesus, reinforcing the idea that encountering Christ should inspire a sense of wonder.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:01):
Let us pray, who is like unto THEE, O Lord
among the gods, who is like thee glorious in holiness,
fearful in praises, doing wonders. Exodus, chapter fifteen, Verse eleven.
Mighty God, you are powerful and worthy of all praise.

(00:24):
Your wonders are shown in the grand miracles and the
passing moments of hidden grace. From morning until night. You
sustain me with your power, love and truth. I can
get so distracted, discouraged, and discontent that I sometimes lose
awareness of your presence within me. But then I remember

(00:46):
it's not about my feelings or even my awareness. It's
about the fact the truth that you live in me
and are in union with me forever. Remind me of
how awesome you are and incur courage me to fix
my eyes back on you. When I am distracted. In Jesus' name,
I pray, Amen, Thank you for praying with me today.

(01:12):
Now discover the profound intricacies of scripture through prey dot
COM's podcast The Heartbeat of Faith with doctor Andrew Farley.

Speaker 2 (01:27):
From Ashes of Disobedience and Destruction, a prophecy arose in
Israel like light cascading down from darkened storm clouds. God
promised hope to his people.

Speaker 3 (01:43):
The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light.
They that dwell in the land of the shadow of death.
Upon them hath the light shined. Thou hast multiplied the
nation and not increased the joy. They joy before thee
according to the joy in harvest, and as men rejoice

(02:04):
when they divide the spoil. Isaiah nine two through three.

Speaker 2 (02:11):
Long ago from the pan of Isaiah, a Christmas prophecy
broke forth and filled our hearts with joy.

Speaker 3 (02:20):
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. Of the increase
of his government and peace. There shall be no end

(02:42):
upon the throne of David and upon his kingdom, to
order it and to establish it with judgment and with justice.
From henceforth ever forever, the zeal of the Lord of
Hosts will perform this Isaiah nine six through seven.

Speaker 2 (03:00):
And welcome to the Heartbeat of Faith podcast. I'm your host,
doctor Andrew Farley, and it's a joy to be with
you today. We're exploring Christmas themes in the Bible. Today
we begin looking at the most iconic prophecy of Christ's birth,
Isaiah chapter nine. This passage was written to the people

(03:23):
of Israel who were about to endure an intense trial.
Isaiah spoke of a child that would be born whose
name would be Wonderful counselor Mighty God, Everlasting Father, and
Prince of Peace. We'll spend the next few days unpacking

(03:43):
each name to understand who Jesus is. To us even better,
these names are attributes used to describe him and the
roles he plays in our lives. In Semitic thought, a
name encapsulates the very nature of a being. Focusing on
these names of Jesus inspires us to pause and consider

(04:08):
the very essence of who he is, not just facts
about him. What does it mean for Jesus to be wonderful?
There was another time in our stories when we came
across that name, when a visitor came to Manoah and
his wife, the parents of Samson. This stranger came with

(04:29):
the power of God and changed their lives forever.

Speaker 3 (04:38):
Please stay with us, Awhile. Manoah asked he will have
a feast and make a burnt offering to you, And
the Angel of the Lord refused the food, but remained
for the sacrifice made to the Lord. Manoah did not
know he was speaking to God himself, so he asked
the angel a simple question with profound implications. What is

(04:59):
your name?

Speaker 1 (05:00):
Noah asked.

Speaker 3 (05:01):
God looked upon Manoah as a father would a child.
Why do you ask me my name? God asked, It
is wonderful. He said the name wonderful would be prophesied
as the name of the Messiah hundreds of years later.

Speaker 2 (05:16):
Many believe this Angel of the Lord was a christophany,
a word referring to Jesus' visiting people in the Old Testament.
He says, his name is wonderful, and he is wonderful.
The beauty and majesty of Jesus are incomparable. His glorious
presence should fill us with a sense of awe and

(05:39):
wonder It's impossible to comprehend the full extent of who
he is, the miracle worker, redeemer, healer, defender and friend
without being all struck. The Gospels are filled with stories
of people being awe struck at the majesty of Jesus.

Speaker 3 (06:03):
Then Jesus fixed his gaze on the cave and yelled,
Lazarus arise. Jesus spoke with a voice like the wind,
the same breath that breathed life, and a mankind spoke
into the cave, and, like the atom so many generations ago,
Lazarus emerged from the dust. He was covered in cloth

(06:23):
and bound at his arms. Jesus ordered for him to
be untied, and the sisters ran towards him in joy.
As Peter was surrounded by waves and gasping for air,
he looked up and shouted, Jesus, save me. Peter was
hit by another wave and felt himself sinking deeper into
the dark belly of the sea. His mind began to

(06:45):
fog and his strength failed. Then two arms reached down
and grabbed Peter from the depths. He emerged out of
the water in the arms of Jesus. The Lord walked
Peter back into the boat, and the waves subsided. Peter
lay on his back, catching his breath. All the disciples
looked at Jesus. The winds calmed and the sea was

(07:07):
as still as glass. The stars shone brightly above them,
illuminating Jesus's face. They looked up to him and said, truly,
you are the son of God.

Speaker 2 (07:21):
Isaiah didn't know much when he prophesied about the Messiah,
but he did know that Jesus would inspire awe among
those who met him. There would be no way for
someone to come in contact with the glory of Christ
and not be changed in some way. Let's close with
an uplifting reflection. Consider the magnificent wonder of Christ within you,

(07:48):
a treasure in your earthen vessel, illuminating your life with
His glory as you embraced this holiday season. May it
serve as a beacon to rediscover the awe inspiring nature
of Jesus, who in dwells you. Think of the unity
you share with him, a reflection of the glory He

(08:10):
bestowed upon you so that you could be one with
him as He is one with the Father. Consider the
fragrant aroma of Christ. You carry, a life giving essence,
from glory to glory. This is the splendor of Christ
in you, a miraculous and transforming presence, stirring your heart

(08:37):
to endless wonder and ceaseless praise. Thank you for listening
to today's heartbeat of Faith episode. If you enjoyed today's
episode or learn something new about the Bible, share it
with a friend or family member. Download Theprey dot com app,
and for more encouragement in God's grace, visit Andrew Farley

(09:01):
dot org. That's Andrew Farley dot o r G.