Jesus was named before he had been conceived (Luke 2:21).
Remember, Jesus was named twice before he was born: once by the angel who appeared to Mary and again by the angel appearing to Joseph in a dream. Perhaps that is the secret name God has for each of us.
Perhaps we have been named in God’s heart of hearts, a name that begets other names, a name God hopes we’ll discover as we begin to live out our lives and begin to understand what a relationship with God might mean for us.
Perhaps in essence we have the same names as Jesus—peacemaker, compassionate counselor, messenger of God. And God’s desire is that we discover those names and act on them.
Ann Glover O'Dell 