What’s in a Name?
Selected Passages
December 2, 2007
Morning Service
Introduction
When Elizabeth was pregnant with Abigail, she was due in early December. As we approached the holidays, there was a great anticipation. I will never forget the conversation that Elizabeth and I had about naming Abigail. Both her first and middle names were chosen not because they sounded nice or anything like that. We chose those names because of what they meant.
The name Abigail means my father is joyful. In the Old Testament, Abigail was described as a beautiful and intelligent woman. Abigail’s middle name literally means the Lord is my teacher. Samuel means God has heard. Names do have meaning if you look hard enough.
In our culture names are what we use to identify ourselves. Names carried a great deal of importance in biblical times. People were named with great thought and meaning. Names were seen as a symbol of divine destiny. Here are just a few examples:
Nehemiah: consoled by God
Jeremiah: Exalted by God
Isaiah: God is salvation
Jacob: Supplanter
Delilah: small, poor or head of hair
When God sent His Son, He chose the perfect name, Jesus but God also gave other names and titles to describe Jesus to the world. If you have your Bibles, please open them to Matthew 1:18-25
18 This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit. 19 Because Joseph her husband was a righteous man and did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly. 20 But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, "Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21 She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins." 22 All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: 23 "The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel" --which means, "God with us." 24 When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. 25 But he had no union with her until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus.
Matthew 1:18-25
Names reveal the person of Jesus
Jesus: The name Jesus in the Greek form of the Hebrew name Joshua which literally means God is our salvation or God saves. Jesus is the source of God’s salvation. Without Jesus there is no salvation, no one would be saved. The word salvation means to deliver from terrible disaster that causes death.
Notice the message of the angel to Joseph in verse 21. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins. The angel makes it clear that the name Jesus is given because He will save His people from their sins. There is nothing good that comes from the power of sin. Sin creates a separation in our lives. It separates us from God, other people and from the person we are meant to be. Paul tells us that the reward for sin is death. Jesus came to bring deliverance from the power of death.
In saving the people from their sin, Jesus strips sin of its power. Jesus removes the chains of sins bondage. Jesus frees believers from the guilt of sin. Jesus took the consequences of sin upon Himself.
Son of God: Mark does not give a birth narrative in his gospel but he opens it with a statement of faith calling Jesus the Son of God. The gospels use this term for Jesus 26 different times to describe who Jesus is. Even more importantly, is the diversity of those who call Jesus the Son of God
• Satan
• Demons
• John the Baptist
• Simon Peter
• The disciples
• The angels
• The Roman Centurion
Names reveal the Power of Jesus
Notice what Paul says about Jesus the Philippian church.
9 Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Philippians 2:9-11
The name Jesus represents all of who God is and all that God wants to accomplish through His people. Jesus is the name of salvation and of power. Jesus is the one who brings the plans of God to completion. Jesus is the most exalted over all creation. There never has been and never will be anyone or anything greater than Jesus.
Christ, King of the Jews, and Son of David: All of these titles refer to the fact that Jesus is the promised Messiah. Each of these titles uses a different description for the same reality.
Lord: In the Old Testament, the Hebrews would not say the name of God because it was too holy. Instead they would say Lord. In many English translations the word Lord appears in all capital letters throughout the Old Testament. This means that the word there is actually the name of God.
This reverence for the name of God carries through to the New Testament and the use of Lord to describe Jesus. Not only does Lord refer to Jesus being the Messiah but also it refers to Jesus being God.
Names that Reveal the presence of Jesus
Immanuel: The Hebrew Immanuel literally means God with us. In the Old Testament, the presence of God was described through His personal presence in both the tabernacle and the temple. God made His presence known to Israel through the holy of holies, the most sacred place in the temple.
The message that the angel brings to Joseph marks a change in the experience of God’s presence. God would allow Himself to become part of creation through Jesus. The message of the angel to is a vivid description of the wonder that God did in the incarnation. Jesus was the perfection of God’s presence with His people. He is the embodiment of all that God is wrapped inside injured flesh. Jesus was the completion of Isaiah’s prophecy and the end to the promise of God.
Jesus did not come to judge the world; even though He could have and we deserved it. Jesus did not come into the world to show us all of our wrongs; even though He could have and we deserved it. Jesus did not come to condemn the world; even though He could have and we deserved it. The mission of Jesus was simple to be with us, so He could save us.
Holy one: The Hebrews used this name to describe God. It was used to describe the separate nature of God Himself. The message of the angel makes it clear that there is equality between God and Jesus. Not only is Jesus the Son of God, He is God.
Savior: The message of the gospels is more than clear that Jesus came to be the savior of the world.
Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved." Acts 4:12
Peter makes it clear that the only name that brings this salvation to us is Jesus. It seems fitting that the name that means God saves brings eternal salvation. The name of Jesus carries with it the understanding of salvation. A careful study of the New Testament reveals the power of Jesus’ name.
The name Jesus is the source of salvation
The name Jesus is the place to put faith
The name Jesus is for justification
The name Jesus is the source of life
The name Jesus is the reason for thanksgiving
The name Jesus is the source of glory
Conclusion
Jesus came for one purpose, to save His people from sin. As believers we have been given the gift of salvation. This means that we are meant to live a saved life. Our life should be different now because we know Jesus. We have been redeemed, bought back from the power of sin, we need to live like redeemed people. The salvation that Jesus gives us also requires a name change. We are given the right to be called by our new identity, Christian.
Can you honestly say that you are indeed a follower of Jesus? Can you claim the name Christian for your new life?
Salvation is Christ’s gift to us and how we live in our new life, is our gift to Christ.
This Christmas season, if you have not already accepted Christ as your savior, the time has come to accept the gift that God has given to us through Jesus.
If you have already accepted Christ, this Christmas season is the time to live like it. The words of Proverbs apply beautifully here: My child, give me your heart and let your eyes keep to my ways. Proverbs 23:26 Make the commitment to give the gift of yourself back to Christ.
