JESUS

‘Thou shalt call his name Jesus: for he shall save his people from their sins’. His name came from above. The angel of the Lord told Mary and then Joseph. Not only in the first chapter of the New Testament are we introduced to the name of Jesus but the New Testament closes in its last chapter with His name, Rev. 22. 16. And, in between, it mentions it almost one thousand times. It is safe to say that the central subject of the new covenant is God’s beloved Son.

Jesus, our Lord’s human name, means ‘Jehovah is salvation’. His name describes the purpose of God’s mission - to save. To save from what? Our text says ‘from … sins’. Some believe our world needs to be saved from certain political ideologies, others from poverty, or war, or disease. Others from psychological depression and still others from environmental abuse. While our Lord’s coming kingdom will address all these issues, His present plan for earth is revealed in His earthly name, salvation from sins. Those in their sins cannot enter into the kingdom of God, Matt. 5. 20; John 8. 21; 1 Cor. 6. 9-11.

Jesus’ eternal name is the ‘Word of God’, the verbal expression of God’s heart, John 1. 1; Rev. 19. 13. His title is ‘the Christ’, Messiah, the anointed One of God. His name of honour in resurrection is ‘Lord’, an acknowledgement that He is God. The title of Lord is overwhelmingly used by believers after His resurrection in agreeing with His rightful exaltation. Thus in resurrection glory, to the church, He is the ‘Lord Jesus Christ’ as the last verse of the Bible states. As Lord, our future is in the hand of the one creator God. As Christ, our future will be to reign with the Anointed One - God’s elect. As Jesus, we acknowledge the marvel of marvels that God was manifest in flesh and has provided salvation for us from future wrath by His sacrifice and blood.

It is interesting to note that Joseph was obedient in naming the babe at his birth; ‘he called his name Jesus’, Matt. 1. 21, 25. Do we now obey, and call Him Lord - the One who bears a name above every name given to Him by God the Father, Phil. 2. 9-11?