This is the time of year we focus on different names of Jesus, remembering who He is and why He came. We’ve been doing this with our 2 year old and 10 month old too. Every day we pull a new ornament out of our advent calendar that boasts a different name and verse. We’ve also been memorizing Isaiah 9:6 as a family. This is a familiar verse to many of us. Here’s what it says:

For unto us a Child is born,
Unto us a Son is given;
And the government will be upon His shoulder.
And His name will be called
Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

But what we don’t often focus on is the verses surrounding this profound prophecy that make these names of Jesus even more special.

Picture this: a prophet named Isaiah is given a message in the midst of deep darkness and oppression. Judah, the southern kingdom of Israel have been threatened on every side and feel hopeless. They are grasping for anything to make them feel secure. Here’s the message they received, beginning in Isaiah 9:3:

You have multiplied the nation
And increased its joy;
They rejoice before You
According to the joy of harvest,
As men rejoice when they divide the spoil.
For You have broken the yoke of his burden
And the staff of his shoulder,
The rod of his oppressor,
As in the day of Midian.
For every warrior’s sandal from the noisy battle,
And garments rolled in blood,
Will be used for burning and fuel of fire.

This probably seemed like the furthest thing from what they were feeling – joy, victory, deliverance. They couldn’t relate. Maybe some felt a twinge of hope that a military victor would soon rise up from among them. But the prophecy we just read was beyond anything they could imagine. In fact, it wouldn’t be fulfilled for another 600 years (that’s over 2.5X the existence of America as a country).

In a similar way, I think we all look to other sources of deliverance from our hopelessness, especially at Christmas. We distract with shopping, giving, baking, and traveling. And we certainly don’t meditate on the second coming of Christ. It seems too distant to us.

But let’s break down these verses and see who our Savior really is:

He has increased joy (v.3) – Jesus’ ministry would bring joy and celebration and harvest. This isn’t the kind of joy where you give a 2-year-old a lollypop. That is short-lived and based on something temporal. The Jews now and even we today need a lasting joy and that comes from Jesus.

He removed the burden and brought victory (v.4) – The kingdom of Judah, much like we today, felt burdened by the state of their nation and their own family struggles. They likely saw this prophecy as the hope that these things would soon dissipate. But the honest truth is, those challenges are always present this side of heaven and aren’t our biggest problem anyways. The “yoke of his burden” and “rod of his oppressor” that Jesus smashed into pieces is the weight and depravity of sin—our spiritual death. His coming and his death and resurrection tore the weight of that away from our lives just as the veil of the temple was torn for those who have accepted His gift of salvation. That is the kind of victory we get to boast in this Christmas.

This brings us focus on the glory of the Messiah who reigns. Here’s where those names of Jesus come into play. Who is this mysterious victor who was prophesied long ago?

He is the Son of God in flesh (v. 6)  – God came as a man. This qualified Him to be both our Savior and High Priest – the only way we can be properly justified. If you think about the implication of this – the state of weakness and poverty he was born into, it brings a different perspective to His love for us. This God-man, Jesus, would be the ruler of all things for all eternity. They were looking for a physical ruler, he was a spiritual and eternal one.

He is our Counselor, God, Father and Peace (v. 6) – It’s no coincidence to me that these 4 words are seemingly the 4 things missing from the lives of broken people on this earth. God created us to need Him, to need counsel and peace, and to need a Father. We try to fill our lives with imperfect versions of these things, but they will never fill the ultimate void created for His place in our lives.

There is one final prophecy in verse 7 we have yet to see the fulfillment of, and that’s because it is an infinite one.

His kingdom will have no end (v.7) – Jesus has no term limit. His character and sacrifice have qualified Him for an eternal reign. Meditating on that will truly change the way we celebrate Christmas this year.

Here’s your challenge: As you think about Jesus this Christmas season, remember how His plan and reign supersede the nativity scene or even Isaiah 9:6. The grandness of this story make the stresses of the season seem so much less significant. And aim to think and talk just as much about the future coming of Christ as you do about His first coming. Let’s be a people eager and waiting for His kingdom to come on this earth.