What’s in a name?

Abigail is meeting up with her best friend, Chetana, over lunch in one of the kid-friendly cafés in Chicago. Chetana, her husband and their 4 year-old son had just moved to Chicago to start a new life. Abigail and Chetana had been in contact ever since they became friends during a workshop they both attended in Sydney. Now, they met again!

The two friends were busy catching up on events in their lives when a young boy ran towards their direction from a play area across where they were seated.

“Mom, can I have another ice-cream please?”
“Yes, and say hello to Abigail”, replied Chetana
He seemed a bit shy and hesitant….
“Hello, my name is Abigail. What’s your name?” That should get him talking, right?
“My name is Dresselhaus Samayamantri Robert Ethan…” Before he could finish, Chetana was grinning while Abigail wondered about how to address him.
“Awesome. What do you prefer I call you?”, Abigail asked, hoping to get a shorter version of his name.
“Ethan”, he simply replied and turned to his mother.
Ethan had a lot of names he definitely loved, and didn’t hold back any of them when asked.

The same holds true for Jesus when in Isaiah 9:6, the Bible says of Him: ‘….and his name will be called Wonderful, Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace’.

Wonderful – God is extraordinarily great, and cannot be compared to anyone or thing. What’s more? He does extraordinary things. Job 9:10 says ‘He does great things past finding out, Yes, wonders without number’

Counsellor – God is always ready to guide us into making the right choices if we ask Him. Psalm 16:7 says ‘I will bless the Lord who has given me counsel; my heart also instructs me in the night seasons”

Mighty God – God is strong, powerful and the Conqueror. Job 36:5 says ‘Behold, God is mighty, but despises no one; He is mighty in strength of understanding’

Everlasting Father – God lives forever! Psalm 93:2 says ‘Your throne is established from of old; You are from everlasting’ and Deuteronomy 32:40 says ‘For I raise My hand to heaven, and say, ‘as I live forever”

Prince of Peace – God rules with peace, gives peace and He is the source of true and lasting peace. John 14:27 says ‘Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid’. How comforting!

Did you also know that ‘the name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are safe’ (Proverbs 18:10)?

Who is Jesus to you? What does His name mean to you? Have you called on Him lately?

Remember, He asked us to ‘call to me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know’ (Jeremiah 33:3).