When we started planning for children, I got really funny about the names. Rose had some names she liked, but I had one serious stipulation: they had to mean something.

There is meaning that we ascribe to names and our experiences with people. This is a huge part of the decision. You can’t use a name already being used by someone you don’t like. Or one a sibling chose for their child, for instance.

Similarly, for those going through a gender transition, choosing a name for themselves involves a similar process.

The reason we all get so worked up about names is precisely because we know they are significant. They ascribe meaning as much as they describe the person.

We ought to apply this same vision to Jesus’s name. It isn’t simply that the holy name, has meaning, but that it gives out meaning into our lives.