“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.” Isaiah 9:6 ESV
True confession: when it comes to the Holiday season, I am a bit of a movie fanatic. I recently watched Netflix’s The Christmas Chronicles. Without spoiling the movie, Kurt Russell is Santa and no one believes him so he goes through great lengths to try and prove to people that he is the real deal. As I am watching this movie, it hits me “wow, Jesus goes to even greater lengths to prove to us that He is real and we sometimes doubt Him too!” Jesus is the One who always comes through for us and shows us He is real, yet in the stormy seasons and when life gets rough (or we get impatient or overwhelmed) we doubt His power and His care for us.
This Christmas season, I can only encourage you to remember the reason for the season. It’s a time to celebrate not only the birth of our Lord and Savior, but also who He is (and how we benefit from knowing Him). Debbie McDaniel wrote an article in 2016 about the 50 Names and Titles of Jesus. Here are some for us to reflect on this December:
Wonderful Counselor (Isaiah 9:6): When we think of the word “wonderful,” often “amazing,” “really good,” “ great,” or “delightful” come to mind. Just think the counseling and advice that we receive from Jesus both in His Word and personally are all of those things. There’s no problem we have that He won’t provide instruction. All the more reason to run to Him and seek His advice on all things in our life big and small so we can benefit from the advice that compares to none!
Mighty God (Isaiah 9:6): The word “mighty” often conveys power. An image of Hercules comes to mind for me. No matter what is happening in our lives, whether loss, testing, weariness, or despair we have an all-powerful God who is willing to carry us and our burdens if only we would give it all to Him.
Everlasting Father (Isaiah 9:6): If we breakdown the word “everlasting” it quite simply means last forever. There is no end. Some of us have great memories with our earthly fathers, others of us not so much. Because Jesus is described as “Everlasting Father” His role as Father is not like our earthly experiences whether good or bad. An everlasting Father means we are always protected from dangers seen and unseen. That’s reason to shout right there!
Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6): Jesus brings peace constantly. There’s no reason for us to be frazzled or out of sorts as long as we keep our minds focused on the right things. In Philippians 4:8, we are told that if we keep our minds on things that are “true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, or praiseworthy” we will be kept in peace. Guess what?!? Jesus is all of those things! If we keep our focus on Him, we will always experience peace in our lives.
Advocate (1 John 2:1): “My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.” There is nothing we can do that can separate us from the love of God. (Romans 8:38-39) Too often, when we fall short of the mark Jesus set for us, we run away. We hide and shy away from fellowshipping with other believers, reading the Bible, or even praying. Jesus advocates on our behalf constantly. This does not mean we can just do whatever we want and it’s all good. It does mean that Jesus advocates for us because He loves us and sees our full potential way before we do. He wants the best for us, which is why He fights for us and intercedes on our behalf. (Psalm 84:11, Romans 8:34)
Immanuel (Isaiah 7:14): “Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.” In Matthew 1:23, we learn that Immanuel means “God with us.” Jesus’ name literally means that He is with us always. No. Matter. What. Regardless of how we feel, regardless if we can sense Him. He. Is. There. Period.
Because God is with us, none of these attributes of Christ are outside of our reach. Though we have human bodies, we are spiritual beings with every supernatural resource at our disposal to overcome this life and live victoriously in Christ. Whether good or bad times, never forget that the same power in Jesus is within you.
Reflection
Which names of Jesus do I cling to easily? Which aspects of Jesus do I want to experience more fully in my life? How can I embrace all of Jesus’ gifts in every season of life?
Prayer
Lord, thank you for your Son Jesus and all that He is. Forgive me for not realizing all of His power that is within me. Continue to reveal to me all of the attributes and characteristics of Jesus, so I don’t just know them intellectually but carry them in my heart and my actions. In Jesus’ name I pray, amen.
Photo by Diana Vargas on Unsplash
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