His Name Is Jesus

For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; and the government will rest on His shoulders.
–Isaiah 9:6

During this season, we celebrate the birth of our Savior, the one whom the New Testament calls the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus was a common name in Israel, meaning “Savior.” “Christ” is the Greek translation of the Hebrew word for Messiah, the one who was prophesied about in the Old Testament. “Lord” is from the Greek word “Kyrios,” meaning “Master.” The New Testament calls Him the Lord Jesus Christ. But there are other titles for the Lord in the Old Testament. This week, we are going to look at four of the most popular names that were given to the Messiah–names that foretold what He would do for you and for me.

There are 109 unique prophecies in the Old Testament about the coming Lord Jesus Christ. Perhaps one of the most well known is the prophecy that we find in Isaiah 9:6. When Isaiah wrote this prophecy, seven hundred years before the coming of Christ, Judah stood on the brink of a war against Samaria and Syria. Yet, as the country stood on the brink of destruction, God through the prophet Isaiah sent this word of hope. He said, “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.”

“A child will be born to us.” Isaiah was telling us that this long-awaited Savior was going to be born. Jesus’s role in coming was not just to teach us how to live a good life; He did not just give us platitudes about ethical living. He came to save us from our sins, and that meant He would die a sacrificial death on the cross for us. Here’s the problem with that: God cannot die. He is eternal. So for the Savior to fulfill His atonement for our sins, He had to come in human flesh. That is why Isaiah said, “This child, this Savior who is coming, will be born to us.”

“A son will be given to us.” Yes, He was a baby born in a feeding trough, but He was also the Son of God whom God gave to the world for the satisfaction, the propitiation, of our sins. “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life” (John 3:16).

“And the government will rest upon his shoulders.” When Jesus came the first time, He was born in a world that lived under the oppression of Rome. But when He comes the second time, He will be the King of kings and Lord of lords. “Every knee will bow, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and . . . every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Philippians 2:10-11).

“His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.” We are so familiar with this passage that sometimes we skip over it without understanding the significance of these names that would characterize the Messiah and what meaning each of those titles implies for you and for me. This week, we will look at these titles given to the Lord Jesus Christ.

Today’s devotion is excerpted from “His Name Is Jesus” by Dr. Robert Jeffress, 2011.

Scripture quotations are taken from the New American Standard Bible®, copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by the Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.