HIS name...
“’She will bear a son, and you shall call His name Jesus,
for He will save His people from their sins.’
All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet:
‘Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son,
and they shall call His name Immanuel’ (which means, God with us).”
—Matthew 1:21-23 (ESV)
This Christmas season is even more special for my family this year. In the next couple of days, we are expecting our first son. We are eagerly anticipating his arrival, preparing his room, putting the last minute items in place, making sure that every last detail is put together. But one area in which my wife and I are struggling for agreement is what to name the child. Anyone who has had a child knows how difficult it can be to find just the right name. Names mean a lot to the parents who give it—and for the child that has to bear it. In the Bible, a name will often carry great significance. It could represent circumstances around one’s birth, one’s lineage, or a prayer of what God would do through that child’s life. Sometimes, God would change an individual’s name in order to convey a change that occurred in that person’s life, or to encourage the development of a certain character trait or point to a future role for that person in God’s plan.
Joseph was sleeping when an angel appeared to him in a dream and encouraged him to go ahead and marry Mary. She was pregnant, but the child to come was no ordinary child. He was God’s Son. And Joseph was to give Him a very unique name, “Jesus.” Why? Because the name means “God saves” or “savior” and therefore was appropriate to what He would be and do. He would save His people from their sins. From the time there was a little heartbeat in Mary’s womb the child was being nourished for one thing, to save us. Beating through that little heart flowed the most precious blood time has ever known, able to save all of humanity with one drop. But God would give more than one drop; it would flow from Calvary in the greatest display of love that history could imagine, dreams could make, or time could envision. So great is His love for us.
There is one small strange part of this passage. There wasn’t just one name for the child, but two. Though the angel told Joseph what to name the child, he also indicated that this child was the fulfillment of an ancient prophecy, “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call His name Immanuel’ (which means, God with us).” This child would save men and women drowning in their sin, but there was something even greater about Him. The name the prophet gave Him indicated that He would be…GOD. God would come to visit His creation through the child in his young betrothed’s womb!
It’s amazing to think that God would put on flesh for our sins. It’s mind-bending. From before the Garden of Eden God had determined to enter the world through the manger. This child had one purpose, to save us. We are incapable of saving ourselves, so God Himself would do it. Emmanuel. Jesus. God with us, to save us.
What a God! What a Savior! Today, let’s magnify the precious name of Jesus! As we prepare our hearts to remember His birth all over again, let’s bow at His feet in humble adoration and worship! He is the God who came near us to save us! Praise His precious and glorious name! Amen.
for He will save His people from their sins.’
All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet:
‘Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son,
and they shall call His name Immanuel’ (which means, God with us).”
—Matthew 1:21-23 (ESV)
This Christmas season is even more special for my family this year. In the next couple of days, we are expecting our first son. We are eagerly anticipating his arrival, preparing his room, putting the last minute items in place, making sure that every last detail is put together. But one area in which my wife and I are struggling for agreement is what to name the child. Anyone who has had a child knows how difficult it can be to find just the right name. Names mean a lot to the parents who give it—and for the child that has to bear it. In the Bible, a name will often carry great significance. It could represent circumstances around one’s birth, one’s lineage, or a prayer of what God would do through that child’s life. Sometimes, God would change an individual’s name in order to convey a change that occurred in that person’s life, or to encourage the development of a certain character trait or point to a future role for that person in God’s plan.
Joseph was sleeping when an angel appeared to him in a dream and encouraged him to go ahead and marry Mary. She was pregnant, but the child to come was no ordinary child. He was God’s Son. And Joseph was to give Him a very unique name, “Jesus.” Why? Because the name means “God saves” or “savior” and therefore was appropriate to what He would be and do. He would save His people from their sins. From the time there was a little heartbeat in Mary’s womb the child was being nourished for one thing, to save us. Beating through that little heart flowed the most precious blood time has ever known, able to save all of humanity with one drop. But God would give more than one drop; it would flow from Calvary in the greatest display of love that history could imagine, dreams could make, or time could envision. So great is His love for us.
There is one small strange part of this passage. There wasn’t just one name for the child, but two. Though the angel told Joseph what to name the child, he also indicated that this child was the fulfillment of an ancient prophecy, “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call His name Immanuel’ (which means, God with us).” This child would save men and women drowning in their sin, but there was something even greater about Him. The name the prophet gave Him indicated that He would be…GOD. God would come to visit His creation through the child in his young betrothed’s womb!
It’s amazing to think that God would put on flesh for our sins. It’s mind-bending. From before the Garden of Eden God had determined to enter the world through the manger. This child had one purpose, to save us. We are incapable of saving ourselves, so God Himself would do it. Emmanuel. Jesus. God with us, to save us.
What a God! What a Savior! Today, let’s magnify the precious name of Jesus! As we prepare our hearts to remember His birth all over again, let’s bow at His feet in humble adoration and worship! He is the God who came near us to save us! Praise His precious and glorious name! Amen.
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