When Christina was pregnant with our first child, we spent a good deal of the nine months thinking about if it would be a boy or girl, what we would name the baby, what he/she would be like, and what he/she would end up doing with their life. We were thrilled when our daughter was born, we named her Taylor, she was strong-willed and beautiful from the beginning, and she is now all grown up with a child of her own.
As I read the words of the prophet Isaiah regarding the coming birth of Jesus, I am overwhelmed by the gravity of the boy’s responsibilities and the importance of his life mission. He has many names, and he lived up to them all. Most importantly, he did not live for himself or for his own fame…he lived and DIED for you and me.
Isaiah writes that Jesus will be called the Prince of Peace and that there will be no end to the greatness of peace. While most of our children bring us joy, “peace” may not be the descriptor many of us use for their presence in our lives. Yet that is what makes Jesus unique; he was born so that we might experience true peace.