He Shall be Called
When we think of a person’s name, we see it as a tag or a label, or a designation. It is an identifier. Today, we rarely attach any special significance beyond a way to distinguish one person from the next. The biblical, especially the Old Testament, perspective is different. A name was thought to express a person’s essence. It spoke about their character, their nature, and even, at times, their mission or purpose.
Therefore, when we read “His name shall be called…” we aren’t supposed to be thinking in terms of a mere identifying tag. We, therefore, shouldn’t be surprised when Jesus is named Jesus and not any of the names listed here in Isaiah chapter 9, or even that He isn’t named “Immanuel” as Isaiah chapter 7 says the Son of the virgin would be called.
The point is not that these names were the official ones placed on a birth certificate (I know they didn’t have birth certificates, but you get the point). Jesus was never, as far as we know, actually called by any of the four names listed here in Isaiah 9:6. None of His disciples ever addressed Him with any of these names. They called Him “Master and Lord,” and things like that.
That is not to suggest that they didn’t think of Him and see in Him the character, essence, and nature that is described by these names. And when they spoke about Him they spoke about Him as the God/man whose character was like the names Isaiah uses here.
He was and is the Wonderful Counselor, the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, and the Prince of Peace.
Worship Him accordingly.
Thank you for sharing this. A bit of nostalgia related to the picture of the chair you posted. I can see in my mind my grandfather sitting in a chair like that, no green just bare wood, under a tree with Bible in lap reading, not sure how well if much of any he could read, but he did it daily! I was sitting beside him in church the night the Holy Spirit awakened me to my lostness and convinced me to trust Jesus! The bit of nostalgia and the four designations of JESUS has brought joy to my heart today! Much gratitude!!