Jesus the Wonderful Counselor

The season of Christmas is here once again. We often talk about the manger, the star, the shepherds, the gifts, and the angels. But today, I want to draw our hearts to one powerful truth about the Child who was born that night. Isaiah 9:6 tells us, "For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace." This name, wonderful counselor, holds deep meaning. A counselor listens, empathises, understands, guides, and heals.

The reason I chose to focus on this name today is because Christmas means different things to different people. For children, Christmas is often a time of merry-making, buying and wearing new clothes, meeting families and friends, enjoying cakes, food, lights, and decorations. Even for many adults, as long as life is sailing smoothly, the Christmas season becomes a time of joy, celebration, and recreation.

However, there are also people who do not experience this season with the same excitement. Some may have lost loved ones in this month- maybe this year, or even years before and this season brings back painful memories and grief. Someone may be battling a terminal illness.

Another may be fighting a mental struggle that no one sees. Some are weighed down by debts, by a dying business, or by deep worry about the future. For people like this, Christmas does not feel bright or cheerful.

This is why they need Jesus as the counselor. Not just a baby in a manger, but a Savior who understands human pain, who listens when no one else does, who comforts the grieving, and who guides the confused. And even if you are someone who is in a better place today, understanding Jesus as the wonderful counselor helps you become more Christ-like: to be a better listener, to empathize, to understand, to guide, and to bring healing to those around you.

Jesus listens, empathises and understands

In the Bible, whenever people reached out to Jesus, He did not rush to fix their problems.

One of the striking things about Jesus is that He let them speak. He listened to their pain, their questions and their fears. Hebrews 4:15 reads “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are yet he did not sin.” This reminds us that Jesus is able to empathise with us and understand us. Jesus understands poverty because He was born in humble circumstances; He knows grief because He wept at Lazarus’s death; He faced temptation as fully human. Whatever you are feeling- loneliness, fear, rejection, disappointment, exhaustion Jesus understands.