In the summer of 1990, I discovered why Colorado residents share a general dislike for visitors from Texas. Tiffany and I borrowed a camp Jeep to travel the backcountry trail between Lake City and Ouray. The one-way Engineer Pass is beautiful but becomes very narrow in several places. As we exited the high-way and began our drive into the mountains, we passed several warnings signs, each one growing more serious. The first one read “Unpaved Road. Proceed With Caution.” The next one warned “Uneven Terrain. Four-Wheel Drive Required.” Several signs later, a skull and crossbones icon topped a sign alerting “Danger of Death: Absolutely No Vehicles Without Four-Wheel Drive Permitted Past This Point!” The parks department had my attention but had failed to get the attention of the vacationers in front of us. As we rounded one of the hairpin switchbacks, we came upon a camper stuck mid-turn. It was no ordinary vehicle, but a full-size, 35-foot RV with Texas license plates. While the husband was in the road picking up the bumper he had ripped off his vehicle trying to back up, his wife sat crying hysterically in the front seat.
They were out of their league. The couple had everything they needed to travel cross country. But they had apparently failed to pack a most essential skill for travelling through life: wisdom.
Wisdom is more than common sense or book smarts. It’s more than information; wisdom is insight. It’s the spiritual capacity to understand life from God’s perspective and thereby make decisions that are true, good, and glorifying to Him. The wise person doesn’t just ask, “Can I do this?” but “Should I do this?” Their wisdom gives them eyes to see beyond the facts to the potential life-impacting outcome of their choices.
Wisdom is “more precious than rubies, and nothing you desire can compare with her” (Proverbs 8:11). In fact, it’s so priceless that, when God offered to grant any wish of the king, Solomon asked for wisdom (1 Kings 3). For this reason, the Bible urges people to “Get wisdom!” (Proverbs 4:5).
WISDOM IS BORN
This brief introduction to wisdom is important for understanding something of Jesus’ identity. Seven hundred years before Jesus was born, the southern Kingdom of Judah could hear approaching hoofbeats from the east. The Babylonians were about to seize Jerusalem, and God’s people would soon find themselves in exile. However, the prophet Isaiah delivered a word of hope: A child would be born and a son would be given who would govern with justice and righteousness. And “he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:6-7). These titles, made famous in the majestic oratorio of Handel’s “Hallelujah Chorus,” point to none other than Jesus. Each will be considered in subsequent chapters, but Jesus is first called a “Wonderful Counselor.”
The word “wonderful” means “full of wonder,” that which is miraculous, marvelous or exceptional. When the Bible speaks of something wonderful, it almost always refers to God’s work in history. Moses asked, “Who among the gods is like you, O Lord? Who is like you—majestic in holiness, awesome in glory, working wonders?” (Exodus 15:11).
A counselor is an advisor or guide—someone who has greater understanding to bring others along. So, to say that Jesus is our “Wonderful Counselor” means that He is the embodiment of divine truth who has broken into history. Jesus is God’s wisdom born to us.
Indeed, when Jesus taught, people were amazed at His insight and authority (Matthew 7:28-19). Even as a young boy, Jesus conversed with Israel’s Law experts, impressing them with His answers. Jesus was wise beyond His years, so it seemed. And Paul wrote that “in [Christ] are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge” (Colossians 2:3).
But this means more than just Jesus was the smartest guy in the room. As our Wonderful Counselor, Jesus shows us the truest way to the good life with God. If we want to know the best way for life to work, we don’t search the internet, download podcasts, or listen to talk radio. You probably won’t find all the best answers scrolling through your friend’s social media feed. But, in Jesus, we find “the way, the truth and the life” (John 14:6). He alone holds the key to the secret vault of rich wisdom. When we follow Him, we discover the life which is truly life.
FOOLISH WISDOM
The thing about divine wisdom is that it is often counterintuitive to what we expect in the world. Jesus’ way can appear to be foolishness to those who are unacquainted with wisdom from above. For example, Jesus calls His followers to:
- Forgive and bless their enemies.
- Not assert their rights but be humble.
- Be the best by being last.
- Radically give away their resources.
- Invest in the coming Kingdom, not this one.
- Meet the needs of strangers, not just friends.
Your world will not think these principles are smart. But Jesus will tell you that they are wise and best. They are God’s way, revealed to us by our Wonderful Counselor, God’s Son. As you head out on the mountainous trails of life, you will need His wisdom to navigate the sharp turns ahead. Ask Jesus to give you His perspective on the decisions you must make today. Ask, seek, knock. He won’t withhold His counsel from those who seek it (James 1:5). The world doesn’t understand this kind of thinking. Only Jesus, who has come from heaven, can supply wisdom you need.