What Isaiah’s Names for the Savior Teach Us
You probably have several names connected to you.
There is your first name.
Your last name.
Maybe a middle name.
Maybe a nickname.
And if your friends are creative enough, you may have one or two names you would prefer never be spoken in public.
But names can carry more than sound.
Sometimes they carry history.
Maybe you were named after a grandparent.
Maybe your last name immediately connects you to your family.
Maybe your parents chose your name because it meant something to them.
Names can remind us where we came from and sometimes even something about who we hope to become.
That is one reason the names Isaiah gives Jesus Christ are so powerful.
Isaiah writes:
“His name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.”
—Isaiah 9:6
A few chapters earlier, Isaiah gives another name:
“They shall call his name Immanuel.”
—Isaiah 7:14
Immanuel means “God with us.”
Those are not just impressive titles for a Christmas song.
Every one of those names teaches us something about who Jesus Christ is.
And maybe even more importantly, they teach us something about what He can be for us.
Think about Immanuel.
God with us.
Not God watching us from a distance.
Not God waiting at the finish line to see whether we make it.
God with us.
There may be days when that is the name of Jesus Christ you need most.
Maybe you walk into school feeling like nobody really understands what is happening in your life.
Maybe something is difficult at home.
Maybe your friend group has changed.
Maybe you feel spiritually distant and are wondering whether God even notices.
Immanuel reminds you:
He is with you.
Then there is Counsellor.
Think about how often teenagers are expected to make decisions about things they have never done before.
What classes should I take?
Who should I spend time with?
Should I date this person?
What do I do after high school?
Should I serve a mission?
How do I handle this friendship?
How do I know if this thought is a prompting or just my own idea?
Wouldn’t it be nice to have someone who could actually see what is ahead?
Isaiah says Jesus Christ is Counsellor.
That does not mean God will always hand you a detailed map of the next ten years.
Usually He does not.
But it does mean you never have to make important decisions without access to His direction.
Then Isaiah calls Him The Mighty God.
There are times in life when you are going to face something that feels stronger than you are.
A temptation.
An addiction.
Anxiety.
Grief.
A family situation.
A weakness you have tried to overcome more than once.
When you only measure the problem against your own strength, it may seem impossible.
But Christianity has never been the story of what human beings can accomplish by themselves.
We follow The Mighty God.
Your weakness may be real.
His strength is real too.
And then there is the name I think almost everyone needs at some point:
The Prince of Peace.
Notice Isaiah does not call Jesus Christ the Prince of “Everything Always Goes Smoothly.”
Peace is different from that.
Jesus Christ can give peace even when the situation has not been fixed yet.
He can steady you while the answer is still coming.
He can soften anger before the other person apologizes.
He can quiet your heart while the future is still uncertain.
He can help you sleep on a night when nothing around you has actually changed.
That is a different kind of peace.
It comes from Him.
Here is something else I find interesting about names.
In the Book of Mormon, Helaman explained that he named his sons Nephi and Lehi so they would remember the faithful men who had carried those names before them.
Their names were meant to remind them how to live.
And that connects to something we promise every week when we take the sacrament.
We covenant to take upon ourselves the name of Jesus Christ.
Think about that.
We do not just learn His names.
We take His name upon us.
If He is the Prince of Peace, perhaps taking His name should gradually make us more peaceful.
If He is compassionate, maybe His name should make us more compassionate.
If He forgives, maybe carrying His name should make us a little more willing to forgive.
If He notices the lonely, maybe people who carry His name should start noticing them too.
His names teach us who He is.
Taking His name teaches us who we are trying to become.
So maybe a good question for today is not simply:
What are the names of Jesus Christ?
Maybe it is:
Which name of Jesus Christ do I need today?
If you feel alone, remember Immanuel.
If you are confused, remember Counsellor.
If you feel weak, remember The Mighty God.
If your life feels noisy, angry, uncertain, or anxious, remember The Prince of Peace.
These are not just names Isaiah gave Him thousands of years ago.
They are invitations to know Him now.
Scripture
“For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given … and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.”
—Isaiah 9:6
“Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.”
—Isaiah 7:14
Reflection
Which name or title of Jesus Christ stands out to you most right now?
Why do you think that particular name matters to you?
When have you experienced Jesus Christ as your Counsellor, your strength, your peace, or simply as God with you?
If someone watched the way you lived this week, what might help them recognize that you have taken the name of Jesus Christ upon you?
Today’s Challenge
Choose one name of Jesus Christ from Isaiah to carry with you today.
Write it somewhere you will see it.
Maybe in your phone.
On a sticky note.
At the top of a journal page.
Then, whenever you face something difficult, ask:
“If Jesus Christ really is this for me, what should I do next?”
If He is Counsellor, ask for direction.
If He is The Mighty God, stop assuming you have to overcome everything alone.
If He is The Prince of Peace, choose one action that creates peace instead of more conflict.
If He is Immanuel, remember that being lonely is not the same thing as being abandoned.
Let one of His names become more than a title today.
Let it become something you experience.
Christ-Centered Thought
Jesus Christ has many names because no single title can completely describe who He is.
He is Savior.
Redeemer.
Shepherd.
Light.
Bread of Life.
Living Water.
Counsellor.
Mighty God.
Prince of Peace.
And Immanuel—God with us.
But maybe one of the most important things to remember is this:
Jesus Christ does not merely want you to know His names.
He wants you to know Him.
There may come a moment when “Prince of Peace” stops being a title you have read and becomes the best description you know for what He did inside your heart.
There may be a day when “Counsellor” becomes personal because you know He guided you.
There may be a season when “Immanuel” becomes sacred because you discovered that He really was with you when you thought you were alone.
That is how testimony grows.
His names begin as words on a page.
Then life gives us opportunities to discover that every one of them is true.
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