Jesus is Wonderful - Judges 12-16

Judges 13:17-18 (ESV Strong's)
And Manoah said to the angel of the Lord, “What is your name, so that, when your words come true, we may honor you?” And the angel of the Lord said to him, “Why do you ask my name, seeing it is wonderful?”

Jesus is Wonderful!!

The above verse is pulled right out of the story of Manoah and his wife as God promises them a baby boy, who will eventually be named, “Samson.”   Manoah’s wife has been approached by this “angel” and the “angel” promises that in her old age she will give birth to a son that will deliver Israel from the hands of the Philistines.   The story of Samson has been told many times, but the above verses might get lost in the escapades of Samson.  Before his birth, his parents had an encounter with an “angel” who said his name was “wonderful.”   The prophecy Isaiah gives us a clue as to who this might be. In speaking about the coming Messiah, we read the following in Isaiah:

Isaiah 9:6 (ESV Strong's)
For to us a child is born,
to us a son is given;
and the government shall be upon his shoulder,
and his name shall be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

The prophet is speaking about the virgin birth of Christ.   One of His names, we seldom use, is Wonderful.   What Manoah and his wife saw that day was a “Theophany” of Christ ... an appearance of Christ in the Old Testament.    Manoah realized, later, that they had actually been face to face with God.  Note his response:

Judges 13:21-22 (ESV Strong's)
The angel of the Lord appeared no more to Manoah and to his wife. Then Manoah knew that he was the angel of the Lord. And Manoah said to his wife, “We shall surely die, for we have seen God.”

They key in this passage is to realize that Jesus is “wonderful.”   The word means, “exceptional.”   When we say something is “wonderful” we are showing it has a distinction of being special.  But, it also caries the meaning of being beneficial, useful, or gratifying.    Jesus is all of this.   God is blessing Manoah and his wife with a child in their old age and nothing short of Jesus, the Wonderful Savior, announces it.  Now that is an amazing “reveal party.”   Jesus is WONDERFUL.  He brings us Good News of redemption.    He IS our inheritance.    Jesus is the Wonderful thing we all desire in our hearts.   He is satisfying to us.   Jesus name is Wonderful!!!