His Name Shall Be…

“For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”‭‭ – Isaiah‬ ‭9:6‬ ‭

I’ve been reflecting on this verse this Christmas season. It’s a very popular verse because it talks about the promised child – the long-awaited Messiah. But why is this verse so important, not just at Christmas but for everyday? Let’s dig a little deeper. 

• “A Child is born” – this speaks of Jesus’ humanity. He became a human being wrapped in flesh. “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.” -‭‭John‬ ‭1:14‬
• “A Son is given” – this speaks of Jesus’ deity. He is both God and man. “For in Christ lives all the fullness of God in a human body.” – Colossians‬ ‭2:9‬ 

The next list of names are not necessarily names of God but names that describe His character. 

• “Wonderful” – God’s character is full of wonder. We should never look at Jesus and be bored but be filled with wonder and amazement for all that He’s done and will do! “He has made His wonderful works to be remembered; the Lord is gracious, merciful, and full of loving compassion.” – Psalm 114:4
• “Counselor” – When we are confused and don’t know what to do, we have a God who will counsel us in our time of need. He uses the Holy Spirit, the Word, and fellow Christians to help counsel us when we are going through problems. “But the Helper (Comforter, Advocate, Intercessor–Counselor, Strengthener, Standby), the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name [in My place, to represent Me and act on My behalf], He will teach you all things. And He will help you remember everything that I have told you.” – John 14:26 AMP
• “Mighty God” – When you think of the word mighty, you think of power and strength. And that’s who our God is – our strong God (Psalm 46:1), powerful God (Psalm 21:13), and mighty God (Psalm 24:8)! He leads us into battle and fights for us. He does not leave us to take on the world on our own but He is right beside us. When we are weak, He is strong and mighty! “Each time he said, ‘My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.’ So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me.” – 2 Cor. 12:9
• “Everlasting Father” – Isaiah is not confusing the roles of the Trinity. Sam Storms explains further that the language behind Everlasting Father is “a descriptive analogy pointing to Christ’s character . . . he is fatherly, father-like, in his treatment of us.” Charles Spurgeon goes on to say, “There is no unfathering Christ, and there is no unchilding us. He is everlastingly a father to those who trust in him.” Truly, Jesus is the One who reveals God’s fatherly character to us (see John 10:30,38, 14:9-10). And since He reveals the Father to us, He shows us how a perfect father should be – one who leads, affirms, and stays close. Praise God that nothing can separate us from His eternal, fatherly love!
• “Prince of Peace” – This world is full of fear, anxiety, worry, chaos, sin and brokenness. Jesus came to bring us eternal peace with the Father but He also brings us peace in the midst of the storm. When we are uneasy, we can rest in the peace that Christ gives to us. “I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have [perfect] peace. In the world you have tribulation and distress and suffering, but be courageous [be confident, be undaunted, be filled with joy]; I have overcome the world.” [My conquest is accomplished, My victory abiding.]” – John 16:33 AMP 

The names of His character are a great thing to think and meditate upon not just during the Christmas season but throughout your lifetime.  

• Are you still in wonder at the beauty and amazement of Christ? Let the Messiah be your Wonderful. 
• Do you need counsel and guidance on a situation or circumstance? Let Christ be your Counselor.  
• Are you weak and need the strength and power of the Almighty? Let the Anointed One be your Mighty God. 
• Do you need to be love, affirmation and guidance? Let Immanuel be your Everlasting Father. 
• Do you seek peace in the midst of a broken and hurting circumstance? Let Jesus be your Prince of Peace.

Let us remember Jesus’ humanity for He is able to empathize with our human weaknesses (Heb. 4:15). Let us realize His divinity for He is able to save us from our sins and dwell within us. And let us rejoice because Jesus is truly our Immanuel – God with us (Is. 7:14).

John Calvin’s commentary on this passage concludes this study perfectly:

“Whenever, in short, it appears to us that everything is in a ruinous condition, let us recall to our remembrance that Christ is called Wonderful, because he has inconceivable methods of assisting us, and because his power is far beyond what we are able to conceive. When we need counsel, let us remember that he is the Counselor. When we need strength, let us remember that he is Mighty and Strong. When new terrors spring up suddenly every instant, and when many deaths threaten us from various quarters, let us rely on that eternity of which he is with good reason called the Father, and by the same comfort let us learn to soothe all temporal distresses. When we are inwardly tossed by various tempests, and when Satan attempts to disturb our consciences, let us remember that Christ is The Prince of Peace, and that it is easy for him quickly to allay all our uneasy feelings. This will these titles confirm us more and more in the faith of Christ, and fortify us against Satan and against hell itself.”

 Matt Redman – His Name Shall Be https://youtu.be/kQmi_FSfJKc