The names of Jesus — Faith — Stylin' Granny Mama

Last week we took a look at the last name of Jesus mentioned in Isaiah 9:6. Next month I plan on getting back to my monthly columns, but I thought this idea of the Prince of Peace something we need to sit on for a spell. Peace is a commodity that is hard to come by. Even as Christ followers we struggle with anxiety and worry, just like many people. If Jesus is the Prince of Peace, then why do we, who call Him our Savior, have such a hard time finding peace?

Finding peace is directly related to knowing the Prince of Peace; Jesus. It isn’t just a head nod to whether Jesus was a real, historical figure, but an understanding and acceptance of why He came to earth and what He did while He was here. Even that understanding can be on an intellectual level rather than a heart level. Truth faith is committing ourselves to what God says in His word, the Bible, about who Christ is, who the Holy Spirit is, and our part in the faith process.

“Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,
2 through whom also we have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand; and we exult in hope of the glory of God.”

— Romans 5:1-2 (NASB 1995)

Once we have that relationship with our Prince of Peace we begin to grow in our walk with Him. As we read His word our understanding of His movement in our lives and our responsibilities to Him become more clear. However, we are still walking in this world, daily affected by our flesh and all of its struggles and appetites. Peace comes more easily as we walk by the Spirit rather than the flesh.

“16 But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh.
17 For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please. ”

— Galatians 5:16-17 (NASB 1995)

What is it, then, that destroys our peace? What keeps us from having that peace from Prince of Peace? Why do we so often strive when we are facing difficulty, rather than just having the peace that passes all understanding. Let’s look at a few thoughts.

1 - Anxiety

“No amount of regretting can change the past, and no amount of worrying can change the future.”

— Roy T. Bennett - The Light in the Heart

“Worrying is carrying tomorrow’s load with today’s strength- carrying two days at once. It is moving into tomorrow ahead of time. Worrying doesn’t empty tomorrow of its sorrow, it empties today of its strength.”

— Corrie Ten Boom

Here is an interesting article from Psychology Today on the difference between worry and anxiety. For this post today we are going to look at the two as one. Certainly worry can lead to anxiety, and it would be rare to have anxiety without some sort of worry.

Obviously anxiety/worry can take away our peace. If we live life in the realm of the “what if’s” we will never know the beauty of a life of peace or contentment. God’s word is very specific about worry and anxiety. Our great Creator knew we would struggle with this, so He gave us tools to use when we are in the anxious state. We’ll look at those next week, but for now, this is what the Bible says about worry and anxiety.

““For this reason I say to you, do not be worried about your life, as to what you will eat or what you will drink; nor for your body, as to what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?
26 Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they? 27 And who of you by being worried can add a single hour to his life?
28 And why are you worried about clothing? Observe how the lilies of the field grow; they do not toil nor do they spin,
29 yet I say to you that not even Solomon in all his glory clothed himself like one of these.”

— Matthew 6:25-29 (NASB 1995)

“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.”

— Philippians 4:6 (NASB 1995)

2 - Unresolved Emotions

You might wonder what I mean by unresolved emotions. I am referring to emotions that have come about due to difficult circumstances or relationships. Anger, sadness, or fear when left to fester will consume us and take away our peace.

Emotions are God’s gift to us. They give us the ability to live a full and productive life. Fear enables us to keep ourselves secure and away from harm. Sadness allows us to see that which is really important to us. Desire motivates us to do things. Anger itself can be a useful emotion if it moves us to take good action like lobbying for change or protecting someone who is being harmed. However, these emotions can also be the pathway for anxiety, bitterness, addiction, and wrath. What does the Bible say about our emotions?

“The Lord is my light and my salvation; Whom shall I fear? The Lord is the defense of my life; Whom shall I dread?”

— Psalm 27:1 (NASB 1995)

“Why are you in despair, O my soul? And why have you become disturbed within me? Hope in God, for I shall again praise Him For the help of His presence.”

— Psalm 42:5 (NASB 1995)

“You open Your hand And satisfy the desire of every living thing.”

— Psalm 145:16 (NASB 1995)

“Be angry, and yet do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger,”

— Ephesians 4:26 (NASB 1995)

God knows our emotions better than we know them ourselves and we were created with them to use them as a way to worship and draw closer to Him. Allowing those emotions to take over will take away our peace and cause further problems. Counseling offices are full with people who are trying to figure out how to manage their run away emotions.

3 - Pride

How does pride get in the way of having God’s perfect peace? What does the Bible say?

“Pride goes before destruction, And a haughty spirit before stumbling.”

— Proverbs 16:8 (NASB 1995)

That one verse sums up God’s opinion on pride. The Bible is actually full of examples of men whose very kingdom’s fell due to their pride. Let’s not forget Satan, our enemy whose pride led to his being banished from heaven. See Ezekiel 28:13-19. Pride is the exact opposite of humility and humility is essential in our relationship with God.

Peace in our lives requires dependence on the Prince of Peace. Dependence requires a humble heart.

Next week I will share with you ways to combat these three thieves of peace. I hope you will come back again.

Have a great weekend!

Last week I started looking at an Old Testament passage that is considered part of the Messianic prophecy. Scripture passages in the Old Testament that point to the coming Messiah are not unusual and Isaiah 9;6-7 is one of the more famous pieces.

“For to us a child is born,
to us a son is given;
and the government shall be upon[d] his shoulder,
and his name shall be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
7 Of the increase of his government and of peace
there will be no end,
on the throne of David and over his kingdom,
to establish it and to uphold it
with justice and with righteousness
from this time forth and forevermore.
The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.”

— Isaiah 9:6-7 (ESV)

Last week I focused on the first three lines of verse 6 talking about the Child of Mary and the Son of God. I also mentioned how the phrase, “…and the government shall be upon His shoulder…” referred to the authority Jesus was given by the Father and how, when at last, all others have come under that authority, Christ Himself will then subject Himself to the Father, so that God can be all in all.

This week i want to continue by looking at the rest of verse 6. When it comes to the names of God, we could easily spend a long time, looking at what each one means and how those names apply to us as His created beings. For today, I just want to look at two of the four mentioned in this verse.

“…and His name shall be called…”

The thing that struck me about this phrase is that it has a forward look to it. Isn’t Christ already called these names? Since Christ has been with the Father from the beginning of our time and most likely from times time before that, wouldn’t all of these names already apply to Him? I think the answer lies in understanding what becoming human did to Christ.

Taking on human form, was a choice to limit Christ’s Godly abilities. Think about his very birth. This God-Man, became embryonic cells inside His mother’s womb. He spent nine months in the darkness of that womb and at the end of His life He spend three days in the darkness of a tomb. During His earthly life He knew hunger, fatigue, sadness and pain. He felt the hurt of betrayal and the stab of thorns and nails. When He was with His Father in the Heavenly realm He was perfect, powerful and a present part of the triune God. When he became a man he suddenly felt dirty and distant from His holy family.

This dichotomy of being fully God and fully man leads us right into the list of names given in the passage. I want to look at two of these this week and two next week.

“…Wonderful Counselor…”

The word wonderful is an adjective. It describes something, such as when I say, “That was a wonderful performance.” According to Webster’s dictionary wonderful means, “…marvelous, astonishing, staggering, stunning, unusually good..” How perfect are these words to describe our God. There is no one as marvelous or good as the Creator. There is no beauty on this earth that can compare to the staggering and stunning beauty of a Holy, Perfect being like Jehovah.

When we use the word counselor, it brings two ideas to mind. The first, is that of a mental health professional who helps people work through their emotional and relational issues. The second image is a lawyer, or a person who gives legal advice and aid. These both convey human professions, yet they fully apply to the God-Man.

Jesus is one we can turn to when life is beating on us. He always listens with an attentive ear and sound advice. He truly understands the human condition and knows that all things are meant to bring us back to center…His center. He is the marvelous counselor.

Jesus is also the perfect lawyer. He knows exactly what our sentence is and He also knows how to totally abolish our punishment. He knows when we are standing before that jury of demonic beings, he need only say, “She is washed in my blood,” and the judgment is done. There is no prosecutor who will be able to argue against us, when we have Jesus in our corner. He is the astonishing counselor.

The summary then is this; Jesus is wonderful, because He is fully God. He is a counselor, because He is fully man.

“…Mighty God…”

Here again we have two words. One is a descriptor and the other is the object being described, or in this case the who. Mighty, according to Webster’s means, “…possessing might, powerful, accomplished or characterized by might, imposing in extent or extraordinary.” While it is true that men and women can be described as mighty, it is more likely the word would be used in tandem with a being beyond our infinite human understanding.

The word God is described in the dictionary as, “…a Being perfect in power, wisdom, and goodness who is worshipped as creator and ruler of the universe.”

“Turn to Me and be saved, all the ends of the earth;
For I am God, and there is no other.”

— Isaiah 45:22 (NASB)

We can see how the name, Mighty God, fully reveals Christ’s Godliness, but how does it describe His humanity? I believe the revelation lies in the contrast. Only a being who is mighty, could transform Himself into that which is not. It is only a Mighty God, who could change into a fully human man and still be fully God.

This may seem a bit confusing, but it is in the mystery of those things we do not understand, that the beauty of faith and belief truly reveals itself.

Next week we will look at the names, Everlasting Father and Prince of Peace. Until then, I hope that this will help to remind you of our blessed Savior’s birth and why it is so important to keep that focus not just at Christmas, but all year long.

Have a great weekend!

A Further Look at Peace

Thinking About Christmas - A Closer Look at Scripture: Part 2