The Most Wonderful Time of the Year: His Name

Isaiah 9:6

For a Child will be born to us, a Son will be given to us; And the government will rest on His shoulders; And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.

It was the playwright William Shakespeare who posed the question, “What is in a name?” in the play Romeo and Juliet. That now famous line provides the perfect question for us about the Lord Jesus Christ. It is in His name and His titles, that we see it truly is the most wonderful time of the year.

There are many names and titles given to Jesus found in the pages of Scripture. In Matthew 1:18 - 25, we find the birth account of Jesus revealed to Joseph. In those verses, the angel reveals two important names for us to remember.

First, the angel says that the child is to be called Jesus and that name means salvation, specifically according to Matthew, salvation from sin. Another name is also found in these verses and it is the name Immanuel, meaning God with us. Both of these names are good news to us and both tell us of our wonderful Savior, the Lord Jesus.

But long before Jesus was born the prophet Isaiah foretold the coming of the Messiah and he did so by telling us some additional names that would belong to Jesus. Isaiah 9:6 says,

“For a Child will be born to us, a Son will be given to us; And the government will rest on His shoulders; And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.”

For a few minutes, let’s consider His names.

Wonderful Counselor

Isaiah first calls the coming Messiah the Wonderful Counselor. What do you do when you don’t know what to do? Every one of us, at some point in our lives, needs guidance, wisdom, instruction, and insight. I am so grateful to be surrounded by friends and family who I can turn to who listen and advise. But let’s be honest- sometimes even those closest to us are unsure of how to help. But there is a friend who always has the answer. His name is Jesus and He is our Wonderful Counselor. If you find yourself today needing help, encouragement, and guidance, turn to Jesus for wonderful counsel.

Mighty God

Isaiah also calls Jesus the Mighty God. Have you ever found yourself looking at life’s circumstances as bleak and impossible? Each of us has faced what seemed like impossibilities. During those times we remind ourselves that Jesus is the Mighty God. There is nothing beyond His power, His ability, or His reach. There is no circumstance greater than Jesus. And because of that, we are never hopeless. He is our Mighty God.

Eternal (Everlasting) Father

From the pen of Isaiah, we also see Jesus called the Eternal or Everlasting Father. Did you know that your Father is always available to you? Of course, I mean your Father, God. My dad passed away 35 years ago and I confess to you that there are times that I badly wish I could talk to my dad, to get his counsel and to discuss life’s challenges. I miss him dearly. However, our Everlasting Father never leaves our side. He is with us today, tomorrow, and eternally. I can always turn to my Father with full confidence in His presence and His care. Whatever difficulty you are facing today, you can turn to your Heavenly Father.

Prince of Peace

Finally, Jesus is called the Prince of Peace. Sometimes we look around at the state of our world and we see anything but peace. Even at the writing of this blog, two wars are occurring on our planet, specifically in Ukraine and Israel. The reference to Jesus being our Prince of Peace doesn’t necessarily mean life without war or conflict, at least today. However, there is a day coming when Jesus will rule and reign and there will be no more war.

But peace here has two greater meanings. Because we know Jesus to be our Wonderful Counselor, our Mighty God, and our Everlasting Father, we know that Jesus will give His followers a deep, internal peace. We have this peace not because of the absence of war and conflict but despite war and conflict.

But there is another dimension of this peace that makes this the most wonderful time of the year. It is the peace we have when we place our faith, that is our trust, in Jesus alone to save us. Before we were saved, we were called enemies of God. But then salvation came; we turned from our sin and trusted the drawing hand of God to save us. Then we were no longer enemies of God but became friends of God. And with HIm, we have peace.

This REALLY IS the most wonderful time of the year, because Jesus has come to bring us salvation. His names and His titles mean so much for this world and they mean so much to me!

Have a very Merry Christmas!