Scripture: Matthew 1:18-21
Series – Names of God
Title: My name is Yeshua (Salvation)
Sermon looks at the name God gave Himself as He came to Earth as God in Flesh – Jesus – Yeshua.
INTRO:
Grace and peace from God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
Good morning!
Over the last few weeks, we have looked at three different names that people over time have used to describe the LORD GOD ALMIGHTY, the Good God of Creation:
a. Jehovah Jireh – The LORD is Our Provider
b. Jehovah Rapha – The Lord is Our Healer
c. Abba/Pater – The Lord is Our Father
This morning, I would like for us to look at another name and one that God has used to reference himself – and it is the name of Yeshua – the name that God in flesh used while He was here on God’s Good Earth – the name that we say as Jesus.
The name Jesus (Yeshua) was probably not the name that Mary nor Joseph would have picked out for their child. If you look through their genealogies, you might think that they would have picked out any of the following names:
Issac David Hezekiah Josiah Eleazar
Levi Joseph Boaz Enoch Adam
But then again, the decision was not up to them. It was God’s choice Himself.
Of all the names in the world and by the way it is estimated that there are over 650 million various names that have been used through the centuries, the one that God choice for Himself is the name – JESUS (Yeshua).
We need to take a moment and let that sink in. God could have used any number of names to be called while He was on our earth in the flesh. But He purposely choose the name Jesus.
Just as a side note it is interesting that giving Jesus’ name was another one of God’s little revelations. At that time people didn’t know if they were having a boy or a girl. There were no ultrasounds. So being told to name the child Jesus was another sign of just how special he would be to the world.
Let’s look this morning at some reasons why God in flesh wanted to be called Jesus – Yeshua.
I. The root of the name
Have you ever looked up your name to see what it means?
For example, the name Wilson – it comes from Will and has at its deepest meaning – One who Protects.
The name Margaret and Rita mean Pearl or Truth.
The name June means “Young”.
The name Mark – has as one of its meanings - “Large Hammer”
Now, I don’t know how many people today spend a great deal of time thinking about what they will name their children, but it was one of the things that Jewish families in Jesus’ time were particularly concerned about. It was felt that many times whatever name you gave someone would help shape their future.
The root of the name Jesus (Yeshua) is very simple – It means “THE LORD IS SALVATION” and so the name Jesus means “SAVIOR” (Salvation).
Remember for a moment what the Angel revealed to the Shepherds the night that Jesus was born. Luke 2:11 –
“For unto you is born this day in the city of David, a Savior (a Jesus) who is Christ (The Anointed One) the LORD (Jehovah/YHWH).”
Now, that is a mouthful and full of all kinds of truths, revelations and Good News.
Think about that for a moment. Let all take some time to filter all of this down into our hearts and minds.
When people meet Jesus – when they found out His name – they were to know who He was – He was Savior – He was Salvation – He was God in flesh.
It’s interesting today that so many people don’t know who Jesus is and yet all they have to do is to look at the name that God took upon Himself and they would fully understand it – I am Jesus – I am Savior – I am Salvation.
John 3:16-17 tells us:
16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.
So, the next time you use the word – Jesus – it is not to be used lightly and certainly not to used like it is so many times in TV shows and movies. Each time you hear the name or use the name Jesus we need to understand that we are saying who God in flesh is at His deepest – He is Savior – He is Redeemer – He is Salvation.
But what does all of this mean? Who does Jesus save and from what does Jesus save?
II. Jesus saves Us from our SIN
One of the interesting encounters that we read about in the New Testament is the one that happened between John the Baptist and Jesus at the Jordan River.
John the Apostle records these words –
The next day John the Baptist saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! – John 1:12
John the Baptist’s statement is fundamentally profound.
Here is this priest’s son turned prophet baptizing people in the Jordan River and recognizes and reveals to all who will listen the One who bears the name – Salvation (Jesus).
John doesn’t look up to heaven and declare that in the name of Yahweh or El Shaddai that the sin of the world will be taken away but looks at this person – Jesus – this person who John the Baptist knows is God in Flesh and declares that this person – this person named Salvation is in fact Salvation.
It would not be through Israel, nor through Israel’s greatest kings, priests or prophets that the sin of the world would be removed. It would not be through the actions of the holiest of men like Enoch, Noah or Elijah that it would happen. It would not be the result of the teaching of a great theology or philosophy of life.
John declares to all that would listen and hear him – This person – this person whom the angel told Mary, Joseph, the shepherds and the wise men about – this person who bears the very name – Salvation – is in effect the embodiment of salvation.
Jesus – God in Flesh came to do what no one else could do and that was to break the curse of sin that happened in the Garden of Eden and make it possible for creation and for humanity to be free of both sin and sins.
It is easy for us to take all of this for granted. We know the truth of such things but because we live some 2,000 years later and still live in a world that seems like it is dominated by sin its easy for us to lessen who Jesus is and what Jesus did.
Let me explain.
It is one thing to break the curse, and it is quite another for human beings to grab ahold of that truth and live out that truth.
Jesus broke the power of sin. Jesus reversed the curse of sin. Jesus defeated sin, death, Hell and the grave. Jesus came to make a way for all of us who would accept Him as Savior and LORD to no longer be bound by sin.
That is a reality. That is what happened and what Jesus did when He came to our earth some 2,000 years ago. God in Flesh visited us, lived amongst us and died for us on the cross of Calvary.
That is how the curse of sin was broken. The Apostle Paul talks about Jesus being the Second Adam in Romans 5:12-21 and 1 Corinthians 15:45. Paul explains how that sin came into the world through Adam but through Jesus (the Second Adam) salvation has come into the world.
We are to understand that we live in a world where the curse and power of sin has been broken.
The question we must ask ourselves is do we actually believe it?
Do we truly believe that the power of sin has been broken?
All of this leads us to our final point this morning:
III. Jesus saves us to Live a New Life
A fair question we must ask is:
If Jesus did defeat Sin, Death and the Grave and break the curse of sin in our world then why does it still look so hellish around us today?
Why do we see so much evil around us today?
When Jesus came out of that tomb and declared that we live in a New Age then why does it seem as if nothing has changed?
All of those are valid questions and the answers to those questions rests in the hearts of men, women, boys and girls all over our world.
When Israel left Egypt, it took them a couple of generations to fully understand that they were no longer an oppressed people living under the rules of Egypt, but they were new people, a free people. They were given the opportunity to build a new society; a new way of life.
It took the Early Church some time to understand that although the curse of sin was broken, they too would have to create a society that lived according to God’s way of life.
This is where we have St. Paul explaining such things as:
There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. – Galatians 3:28
Paul and others go on to talk about how we are to walk in the Spirit and we will look more at that next week – but understand this – we can be free from a curse and yet not enjoy that freedom.
One of the things that John Wesley was adamant about teaching those that would listen was this reality that we could live a life above sin(s). John Wesley understood that in Jesus – in Salvation we are not bound to sin. We can in effect live a holy life. People of old called it Full Salvation.
Now, in the Church this is where we have made some serious mistakes, especially in the modern-day church.
There is a false idea that even though we have been rescued and redeemed in Christ Jesus that we are predestined and bound to sin in word, thought or deed every day of our lives.
The Apostle John in his little letter called 1 John talks a great deal about this matter.
John wants to make it clear that all of us have sinned. As Paul would say we have all come short of the glory of God in our lives.
But both men and the whole Bible reveals that we do not have to live a life of perpetual sinning. We are not condemned to live a life where we purposely must sin in either a thought, a word or a deed every day of our lives.
In fact, as you read the Bible the opposite is promoted. The idea of living as close to God as you can and living the way that He wants us to live is the ideal life.
It’s the life that Enoch lived, that Noah lived, that Elijah lived and that the Apostle’s lived.
Now, of course none of them were perfect. But all of them and billions more have lived a life that is pleasing to the LORD and a life that is pleasing to the LORD is a life that is determined and dedicated to living as close to God as humanly possible.
If we believe that we must sin in word, thought and deed everyday of our lives then not only do we water down what Jesus did on the cross, but we create an atmosphere of defeat and despair.
What we must grab ahold of this morning is what Jesus did on the cross was not some kind of spiritual band-aid or stop gap measure.
Jesus broke the power of sin.
Jesus made a way for us to be rescued and redeem.
Jesus made a way for us to live above a life of sin.
Will we fail – we may but as 1 John tells us we don’t have to.
That is to be our goal.
Our goal is to live the best life away from sin as possible.
And why do we do that?
Because we follow the One called Salvation and we strive to be like Him and to be like Him means that we are determined to become a better person every day of our lives. It means that we are dedicated and determined to deny ourselves, take up our cross and follow the One who can lead us to a victorious life in Him.
His Name is Salvation. He is Salvation. He provides us a way to live a life of Salvation.
He challenges us to no longer live under the power and curse of sin but to live the life that He has made possible – the life of freedom, the life of salvation.
Next week, we will look more at what we need to do to make that possible – to live a life of true freedom, joy, peace and love.
This morning, we are invited to come to His Table. It is a table of grace and mercy. It is a table that we come as His People. It is a table that reflects the fact that He gave His body and His blood (His Life) so that we could enjoy everlasting life.
Before we come to the table – I would like for us to listen to a little video that shares with us all the wonderful things about Jesus.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yg2l46Ny1yk
