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HENRY T. MAHAN TAPE MINISTRY

 

 

The Person and Work of Jesus Christ

Sunday, September 15th, 1991

Isaiah 9:6

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, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.

 

I would like for you to open your Bible to the Book of Isaiah, Chapter 9: verses 6 and 7.

This is the subject:  “The Person and Work of Jesus Christ.” 

 

I have before me today, the greatest subject in which a man can attempt to preach.  There is no greater subject.  This is the gospel, this is the foundation and this is the testimony of God.  This is the person and work of our Lord Jesus Christ. 

 

This is not only the greatest subject, but it is the most difficult subject.  For who can tell the unsearchable riches of His person?  Who can describe the glory and greatness of His work?  What a mystery!  This is God incarnate.  What a mystery, God in human flesh.

 

That is what the apostle Paul wrote in First Timothy 3:  “Without controversy, (without debate), great is the mystery of godliness; God was manifest in the flesh, seen of the angels, justified in the Spirit, preached to the Gentiles, believed on in the world, and received up into glory.”

 

Years before that, Job wrote these words; “Can you by searching, find out God?  Can you find out the Almighty unto perfection?”  So, what an awesome task I have today.  What a difficult, difficult and great subject.  This is an important subject, a vital subject, but a difficult subject.  Paul wrote these words in Romans 11: “O the depths of the riches, both of the wisdom and knowledge of God.”  How unsearchable this subject is, and you expect me to speak on it?  “How unsearchable are His judgments, His ways past finding out.”  They are unspeakable, and unsearchable.

 

Well, here is the text.  Let’s try to declare the person and work of Christ.  I will preach if I can by God’s Spirit, so listen if you are able to hear.  In Isaiah 9:6, it says, “For unto us a child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government shall be on His shoulders and His name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace; and of the increase of His government and peace, there will be no end.”  There will be everlasting life, everlasting rule and reign, also everlasting glory and everlasting peace. 

 

Here, in the same breath that the prophet calls this person a child, he calls Him a Counselor.  “Unto us a child is born.  His name is Counselor.”  In the same breath, he calls Him the Son;  “The Son is given.”  He calls Him the Father, “The Everlasting Father.”  See if you can figure that one out!

 

He says in his writings; “His garments are rolled in blood.”  Yet, He’s the “Prince of Peace.”  How can He be both?  The scripture says; “He’s a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief.”  He’s a man of sorrows, yet He is the Mighty God.  He says; “He is despised and rejected of men.  Yet, the government is on His shoulders; He shall not fail.  The pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in His hands and He will bring in everlasting rule and everlasting peace.” 

 

There is no contradiction here.  There is a contradiction to the natural mind, but not to the regenerate heart.  This is all true of Christ our Lord.  He is talking about the same person, the child, the Counselor, the Son, the Father, the warrior, the Prince of Peace, the man of sorrows, and the Mighty God.  He is also talking about the rejected one and the exalted one.  All of these are the same person.

 

I will tell you this; this is a mystery.  This is not learned by reason and it is not learned by research.  This is learned by revelation.   “Eye hath not seen, ear hath not heard, neither hath it entered the heart of man, the things that God has prepared in Christ for them that love Him.  But, God hath revealed them unto us by His Spirit, for the Spirit searcheth the deep things of God.  Yea, the deep things of God.” 

 

There is no seeing Christ except in His own light.  This is a problem that folks have.  They are trying to compare Christ with thus, and thus and thus.  There’s only one way to know Christ and that is to see Him in His own light and His own glory and in His own revelation.  Scripture interprets Scripture.  He is the object of faith and He’s the light by which you see the object.  He’s the lesson and He’s the teacher.  He’s the sacrifice and He is the Priest who offers it.  Am I confusing you?  I hope not.  He’s the atonement of God and He is the God to whom the atonement is offered.

 

Our Lord said to the disciples; “Whom do men say that I the Son of Man, am?”  They began to give Him all of these answers that people were saying about Him.  He said; “Whom do you say that I am?”  The apostle Peter said, “You are the Christ.”  This carpenter is the Christ?  This child is the Counselor?  This man is God?  “You are Christ, you are the Son of the living God.”  Christ said, “Blessed are you Simon, flesh and blood didn’t reveal that to you.”  You didn’t learn that by reason and research; “My Father which is in heaven hath revealed this to you.  Blessed your eyes, they see and your ears, they hear.” 

 

That is what I am saying; He is the lesson and He is the teacher.  He is the sacrifice and He is the Priest that offers it.  There is no seeing Christ except seeing Christ by His own light.  He’s the object of faith and the light by which He is seen. 

 

I want you to look at this text.  Let’s look at it.  The text starts out this way; “Unto us a child is born, a Son is given.”  There is no repetition here.  This is not saying the same thing. 

 

In the Book of Romans, it says; “All things work together for good to them who love God, to them who are called according to His purpose.”  This is speaking of the same person.  Those who are called love God and those who love God are called.  This is not saying the same thing here in Isaiah chapter 9.  There is no repetition here.  A careful student will discover that the Holy Spirit does not waste words.

 

 “A child is born, unto us, (a gift to us, is coming for us) and unto us a child is born.”  He is born naturally.  He is born of a woman, not of a man.  The reason is because He is the Son of God, and the Holy Ghost conceived Him.  He is a human and He is a man of flesh.  “In the fullness of time, God sent His Son into this world, made of a woman, made under the law.  Call His name Jesus; He will save His people from their sins.  Call His name Jesus, Emmanuel, God with us.”  A child is born, in every sense of the word. He is “A tender branch, a root out of a dry ground,” a child.

 

Wait a minute!  “A Son is given.”  He is not born; He is given.  You see; this Son is given.  He came down from heaven.  He occupied the body of this child.  That is what He said in Hebrews; “A body hast Thou prepared Me.”  In John Chapter 1:1, it says; “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God and the Word was God.”  In verse 14, it says; “And the Word was made flesh.  In the beginning was the Word and the Word was made flesh.  The Word was with God and He dwelt among us.  And the Word was God and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten, full of grace and truth.  He was in the world and He made the world and the world knew Him not.”

 

I know Him and some of you know Him.  “He is a child born and He is a Son given.”  This baby, this body, this flesh had never existed before.  He came and occupied this body that God prepared.  But, the Son from all eternity, the Son of God, the only begotten, well-beloved Son of the Almighty Father, came down and occupied this body.

 

I have three questions.  Is this true?  Did God come to earth as a man?  Did God come to earth to redeem sinners in a human body?  The prophets said that He did.  “Behold, the Lord Himself shall give you a sign, a virgin shall be with child and thou shalt call His name Emmanuel God with us.” 

 

God the Father said that He did.  The scripture says; “This is My beloved Son in whom I am well pleased.”  The angels said that He did.  They sat on the Judean hillside and said; “Unto you is born, this day, in the city of David, a Saviour, Christ the Lord.”  It is true! 

 

Well, if it is true, what does it mean?  This means that we have a Mediator, my friend.  We have someone to plead our cause.  We have a Mediator with the Father.  We have a righteousness produced, performed, and accomplished by this God-man. We have atonement.  We have a ransom.  “Turn him loose, I have found a ransom!” 

 

We have a hope of the resurrection because He lives, we live.  “He came that we might have life.”  That is good news!

 

What if it is not true?  Is it true that God came to earth as a man?  Yes, I believe it, do you?  What if it is not true?  If it is not true, I don’t have a Mediator.  I stand alone before God.  I don’t have a ransom.  I have to go to the judgment and face that which I deserve.  I don’t have righteousness.  I will stand naked.  I don’t have a hope.  “Of all men I am most miserable,” if this is not true.  This is my only hope. 

 

These buildings that are called churches, cannot save my soul.  All of these demonstrations, celebrations, and whoopee services cannot put away my sin.  I need a Substitute; I need a Mediator; I need a Saviour.  I need one that will die in my place and live for me before the Holy, perfect law of God.  I have to have this God-man.  “Unto you is born a Saviour, unto us a child is born, a Son is given.”

 

 All right, “The government shall be on His shoulders.”  Our Lord is no rejected reformer.  When did this happen?  I hear preachers preach and I read these articles and see all of these motion picture shows and television shows about this poor, rejected reformer named Jesus.  He is portrayed as a poor, impotent idol, this poor defeated idealist.  Where did this come from?  “He is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.”  He’s never been anything less.  He rules the Kingdom of God.

 

The scripture says; “The Father loveth the Son and hath given all things into His hands.”  That is what He said; “I have all authority in heaven and in earth.  The Son quickens whom He will.”  That is what He prayed in John 17; “Father, the hour is come; glorify thy Son, that thy Son also may glorify thee: As thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him.”

 

 He is the head of the church; He has all preeminence.  “God Almighty hath highly exalted Him.  He thought it not robbery to be equal with God. He made Himself of no reputation.  He took upon Himself the form of a servant.  He was made in the likeness of men.  He suffered death, yea, even the death of the cross.  God hath highly exalted Him and given Him a name which is above every name that at the name of Jesus, every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that He is Lord.”  He is Lord by design, by decree and by death; He is Lord!

 

You don’t have to feel sorry for Jesus Christ.  When He was on His way to Calvary, carrying His cross, the women wept and lamented.  He turned to them and said, “Don’t you weep for Me.”  He was implying that if you have any tears to shed, weep them for yourselves and for your children.  Our Lord is a King.  “He has the keys of hell and death.” 

 

You don’t do anything for Him.  There is a whole lot that He can do for you and for me.  You don’t accept Him.  He is not up for your acceptance or rejection.  He has been rejected once and nailed to a cross.  God put Him in the hands of sinful men, one time.  They spit on Him and nailed Him to a cross.  They accomplished the determinate council and foreknowledge of God.  They crucified Him, slew Him, and buried Him.  After that, there was nothing else they could do.  Now, this whole shooting match is in His hands. “He will give eternal life to whom He will.”  That’s right!

 

I hear preachers tell people, “Let Jesus save you.”  You don’t let Jesus do anything.  There is not a thing in this world He can’t do.  You will come to Him like the leper of old.  He said; “Lord, if you will.”  It is not your will, my will or free will or anybody else’s will; it is God’s will.  “Lord, if you will, you can make me whole.”  That is the way you have to come.

 

I preached on the thief of the cross last week.  He said, “Lord, remember me.”  You see; we don’t accept Him; God the Father accepts us in the Beloved.  “The government is on His shoulders.”  It always has been.  It is now.  I wish I could get that across to folks.  Everyone seems to be trying to play on the pity of people and they try to get you to feel sorry for Jesus.  They want you to let Him do something or have something or go somewhere.  He reigns and He is on the throne.

 

Watch this next line:  “His name shall be called Wonderful.”  We carelessly call a whole lot of things wonderful, but that is His name, Wonderful.  He is wonderful in His eternality, “Glorify Me with the glory which I had with Thee before the world was.”  He is wonderful in His person; “I and My Father are one.”  He is wonderful in His love; “Greater love hath no man than this.”  He is wonderful in His life; “He knew no sin.”  He’s wonderful in His death; “He died the just for the unjust to bring us to God.”

 

 He’s wonderful in His resurrection, “Why seek ye the living among the dead?”  He’s wonderful in His power; “He is able to save and able to keep and able to present you faultless before His throne of glory with exceeding joy.”  I heard years ago, when I was a boy, I will never forget it.  A preacher said, “Since I found out who wonderful is, I haven’t called anyone else wonderful.”  “His name is Wonderful.” 

 

Look at the next line:  “His name is Counselor.”  Would you know God, would you really?  A lot of people think they know God.  “No man has seen God.”  Don’t you believe anybody who tells you that they have seen God in front of their bed.  They are lying, and they know they’re lying.  “No man hath seen God save the Son and He to whom the Son will reveal Him.  No man knoweth the Father.  No man knows God accept the Son and the Son declares Him.”  Isn’t that what He said?

 

Philip said to Him; “Show us the Father.”   He said, “If you have seen Me, you have seen the Father.”  I am the revelation of the Father.  Would you know God?  Would you look into the mysteries of God’s purpose?  Would you know God’s wisdom?  “Christ is the wisdom of God.”  All the way through the Proverbs, its says; “Christ is the wisdom of God.”  He said, “I have manifested your name and your purpose.”  He’s our Counselor, would you know God?  Would you have the wisdom of God?  Would you come to God?  “Christ is the Counselor.”

 

I get so unhappy when I see all of these people on the television programs, trying to play like they are counselors with telephones up to their ears.  There are poor, sinful men and women calling these human counselors to get some spiritual wisdom about the mystery of the grace and glory of God.  What a waste of time!

 

 Every religious person that thinks he is a counselor is foolishness.  “Christ is the Counselor!”  If you want to know God, you come to Christ.  He said; “You take My yoke upon you and learn of Me.”  Go to His Word.  Go to His truth.  Let Christ be your Counselor.  Learn of Christ.  Do you see what I am saying?  “He is the Counselor.”

 

I can give you all of the wisdom that I have and you will still be just like me.  You want His wisdom.  “Of God are you in Christ Jesus who is made unto us wisdom.”  You see; He is the key that opens the Old Testament.  He is the key that opens all of the patterns and pictures.  He is the key that opens up the Levitical Law.  He is the key that opens all of the promises of God.  He is!  He is the key of knowledge.  “Christ is our wisdom.” 

 

He is the Mighty God!  Who is Jesus Christ?  He is the “Mighty God.”  Every attribute of God is revealed in Him.  Only God is good; yet they said, “we find no fault in Him.”  Only God can give life; yet He stood before the grave of Lazarus and said, “Come forth.”  The dead, four days dead, came forth. 

 

Only God can forgive sin, and yet He said; without hesitation, “Thy sins be forgiven Thee.  Today shalt Thou be with Me in paradise.”  Only God can still the winds; “The wind bloweth where it listeth.”  Christ can stop it and Christ can send it.  Christ can stand on the bow of a ship and say, “Be still.” The boisterous wind will lie down at His feet like a shepherd’s dog at the feet of His Master. 

 

Only God knows which fish has the coin.  Do you remember that?  Only God knows men’s hearts and thoughts.  Christ knew their thoughts.  Only God knows the future, He said, “Destroy this temple; for in three days, I will raise it up.”

 

Thomas made the right declaration, He said; “My Lord and My God.”  I am not making any apologies, my friends.  Jesus Christ is not a Son of God.  There is a sense in which He is the Son of God but Jesus Christ is the “Mighty God.”  He is God Almighty.  He’s the only revelation of God that you will ever see. 

 

“He is the Everlasting Father.”  What name did he give to Moses at the burning bush?  Who spoke to Moses at the burning bush?  Moses said; “When I go down to Egypt and tell them to let the people go, the people will ask me, Who sent you or what’s your name?”  As the bush burned and was not consumed, God spake to Moses and Moses said; “What’s your name?”  God spoke; “I am that I am.”  He came to Jesus Christ and He said; “Before Abraham was, (that same voice), I am.”  He said; “I am the bread, the water, the door, the good shepherd, the way, the truth and the life; I am.” He said; “If you believe not that I am; you will die in your sins.” 

 

When they came to the Garden with their swords and spears, He said; “Whom seek ye?”  They said; “Jesus of Nazareth.” That voice spake again and said, “I am. They all fell backward.”  Christ said; “He that hath seen Me, hath seen the Father.”  Do you see how awesome this is? 

 

I don’t profess to explain all of this.  “I know in part, I prophesy in part, I see through a glass dimly.”  I am waiting for a full revelation of His glory, only in a new body, so that I can stand it.  I will be standing with a new body so that I can stand it.  This much I do know; I do know some things.  The God-Man has the government on His shoulders.  “His name is Wonderful, the Counselor, the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father and He is the Prince of Peace.”

 

Everybody is talking about peace.  There is not going to be peace on this earth.  I know that we all get excited because Russia is disarming and breaking up.  I will tell you this; the enemy of enemies, the archenemy, the great anti-Christ is Satan.  Until he is bound and cast into the bottomless pit, natural men are not going to have any peace.

 

“There will be wars and rumors of wars,” Christ said, to the end of time.  I will tell you this; there is peace in Christ; there is peace with God.  “Therefore being justified by faith; we have peace with God.”  There is peace of heart; “My peace I give unto you; let not your heart be troubled.”  There is peace with one another; we have peace among ourselves because we are in Christ Jesus.  “He is the Prince of Peace.”  If there is any peace to be found with God, in the heart or with one another, it will be found through a living relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ.