Isaiah 9:6 (Evangelical Heritage Edition) “For to us a child is born. To us a son is given. The authority to rule will rest on his shoulders. He will be named: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”
We often use the word “wonderful” simply as a synonym for “great” or “terrific.” But this season, I’d like us to hear this name for Jesus in its original sense: “full of wonder,” surprising us into astonishment and awe. Think of the shepherds tending their sheep on one ordinary night, perhaps a little weary, perhaps a little bored … and then the heavens open and the angels sing, and they hasten to a stable in Bethlehem, and then nothing will ever be the same for them again. Think of Peter and Andrew, casting their nets into the Sea of Galilee, perhaps thinking of nothing but how many fish they might catch that day if they are lucky … and then a stranger walks by the lakeshore and tells them to follow him, that he will make them fishers of men. They follow, and nothing will ever be the same for them again, either. Jesus surprises. Jesus shows up, and miracles start to happen: the blind see, the lame walk. But even more wondrous: hearts change—soften, expand, swell with new or greater love for God and for neighbor, even for one’s redeemed self. Advent is the season of wonder as we progress toward celebrating that holiest of nights. Let us open all our senses to savor this expected and yet unexpected miracle wrought in our hearts anew.
—Claudia Mills
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