And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6). It was Shakespeare’s Juliet who pondered the question, "What's in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet."* With those words, she was making the point that what matters most is what something is, rather than what it is called. But conversely,
what something is called may be indicative of
what it is.
Take Christmas, for example
Traced back to the 11
th century, in the English of the day it was
Cristes mæsse, or “Christ’s mass” when mass indicated a religious feast day of celebration and worship.
And what about Xmas?
Although many are loathe to use the term, it is not dishonourable; the
Greek letter
? (chi), is the first letter of the word Christ. It’s simply short-hand.
Through much of history – and particularly in Bible times – names possessed greater meaning telling something of the person, background, family occupation, or foreshadowing something of their hoped-for destiny.
Seven centuries before His birth, the most titled Person to ever live was given names and designations prefiguring His vocation and ultimate destiny: Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Takeaway: meditate on each of the Names of Christ from Isaiah 9:6, understanding how they apply – and what they teach – about the Second Person of the Trinity. He is Emmanuel, God with us!
*Romeo & Juliet, Act II
~this post originally appeared December 15, 2012.
