There's Something About That Name

THERE’S SOMETHING ABOUT THAT NAME

Matt 1:21 (Read 1:18-21)

And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.

Naming children in biblical times was important business. Names were not given to children just because they sounded good or was a popular name of the day. Names for children in past days had great significance and strong meaning. The names placed upon children had power to set a child’s character or even his future. Some names were a result of explanation of an event at the time of the child=s birth. ...name her child Ichabod signifying God=s Spirit had departed. Jacob meant deceiver and a prophecy of his deceiving personality. Later, his name was changed to Israel meaning prince of God.

The name for the young Mary’s child also carried great significance. His name would be called Jesus. And isn’t it amazing how a person grows into their name. I mean that after a while even a little boy named Rosco (and who would ever name their child Rosco?), it eventually seems to just fit. Let us examine just how perfectly the name of Jesus fit this child to be born.

THE GIVER OF THE NAME (1:18-20)

Of the 2400 individuals named in the Old Testament in some 46 cases, the OT mentions the part the parents played in naming the child. In 28 of those instances, the child received its name from the mother, and in 18 of the cases the father participated. There are only isolated cases where someone other than the parents gave the name to a child. Therefore, obviously in the Jewish culture as well as in our culture today, it is parents who have the right to name their child.

Now in Jesus’ case the bible teaches us "...the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream..." An angel is nothing more than a messenger. Actually, the word "angel" means messenger. And the bearer of the name was a messenger of the Lord. Therefore, clearly it was God who gave the name "Jesus." Man or woman did not come up with the name, but God himself. Now why would God involve Himself in naming this child?

Actually this child it was no different than any other Hebrew child. This child was named by His father. No, Joseph was not the child’s father, but God Himself.

Jesus was not just any child, He was the Son of God. Wow! What a lineage.

THE MEANING OF THE NAME (1:21a)

Jesus is the Greek equivalent of the Hebrew name Joshua. This Hebrew name was full of meaning. The Jews knew exactly the meaning of Joshua.... "Jehovah the Savior or "Jehovah Saves His People"

Jehovah was the personal name of God to His people.

Savior in Hebrew thought carried the meaning of "deliverer" and was used in many ways: Deliverer from one’s enemies, personal infirmities, .....

THE FOCUS OF THE NAME (1:21b) "Salvation from sin"

"for He shall save His people from their sin"

(Acts 4:12) Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.

Of all the problems that has faced mankind throughout the ages, there has been no greater problem that sin.

- Sin destroys our Relationship with God

God created man with a spirit to have a vertical relationship with the Almighty. Yet, when sin entered the world man=s relationship with a Holy God was broken.

(Isa 59:2) But your iniquities have separated between you and your God and your sins have hid His face from you, that He will not hear.

(Romans 3:23) For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.

- Sin has driven a wedge between God and man and until that wedge is removed man remains eternally separated.

- Sin destroys our Relationship with Others

Any broken or strained relationship is a result of sin on one or usually both parties. And nothing hurts worse than a strained relationship. I want you to be honest with me now, How many in this sanctuary this morning is living with a strained relationship with another person or in the past has experienced a strained or broken relationship with another person? Each of us. What caused these problems? We can make as many excuses as we want, but when we boil it all down, we will always find that sin is the main ingredient.

Just think about, the child Jesus came to save us from the pain of broken relationships with others.

- Sin destroys our Relationship with Ourselves

The more I study people, the more I understand that how a person thinks about him/her self is a major factor of how that person relates to the world around.