“And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name JESUS.” Luke 1:31
The Hebrews devised names for their children as a memorial to some circumstance connected with the family or some hope entertained by the parents for the child when the child should grow up. Here in America, we used to follow that custom when we were more Godly. We named our daughters Charity, but they were not always charitable. We named them Peace and then they were sometime keen to fight. And so we let the custom go.
The name of Jesus was not a new name then or now. In the Old Testament to find the equivalent of Jesus we turn to the book of Numbers and read, “And Moses called ‘Oshea’ the Son of Nun.” That is the root of Joshua, which means “Jehovah is salvation”. Joshua in the Old Testament and Jesus in the New Testament are one and the same name.
Joshua was the name of a great national leader, the one who brought the people out of the desert, back into the quietness of green pastures. He was that mighty man who had led them back to their lost inheritance. The significance now begins to be apparent. "Call His name Jesus"... for He has come to lead us back to our lost inheritance. He has come to bring us out of the barrenness of the wilderness into the green pastures and on beside the still waters. He has come where we are, to do for us that which we cannot do for ourselves. He is the deliverer. He is the Savior.
Think how enduring this very significant name has been. When Pilate stood up that day and washed his cowardly hands he thought he was washing Jesus off the pages of history, but one hundred years from then nobody ever thought of Pilate except as he appeared in the presence of Jesus. Whatever the flood, whatever the famine, whatever the storm or revolution, Jesus goes on in power. His name lives on in spite of the Hitlers, the Stalins, Khrushchevs, Marx, and all the rest. And Jesus and His name will prevail against future figures in history who rail against God and His people. Yes, count on it, there will always be such figures in the history of man. The name of Jesus will last, they will not.
Do not be afraid. Do not run around propping up His church. It is neither dead nor dying, for He is Lord and leader of it and He is alive. The only reason we fear the Stalin’s and the Khrushchev’s is that we forget Jesus. “Do not be afraid” He has said. “I am alive forevermore and I have the keys of Hades and of death.” Also, He proclaims in Matthew, “I will build my church and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.”
Think how gracious is the name of Jesus. It is the first name we teach our children while they are still in our arms. It is the name that weaves like a scarlet thread in all our prayers and praise. How divine is the name of the Babe announced by the heavenly host. So divine that upon that authority we sanctify the couple joined in marriage, dedicate the baby, and commit our dead to His care. All rites are given under the authority of that name.
Jesus is the one given and named by God Himself. Fold Him into your life and all the faith, courage, joy and authority of His name will fold into your life as well. It is the very first “Merry Christmas” ever conferred.
Father, in this Christmas season, help me to remember the Name above all names and the One that name represents. Time is short, circumstances might be frazzling, but let me always remember the focus is Jesus. Amen.
The Hebrews devised names for their children as a memorial to some circumstance connected with the family or some hope entertained by the parents for the child when the child should grow up. Here in America, we used to follow that custom when we were more Godly. We named our daughters Charity, but they were not always charitable. We named them Peace and then they were sometime keen to fight. And so we let the custom go.
The name of Jesus was not a new name then or now. In the Old Testament to find the equivalent of Jesus we turn to the book of Numbers and read, “And Moses called ‘Oshea’ the Son of Nun.” That is the root of Joshua, which means “Jehovah is salvation”. Joshua in the Old Testament and Jesus in the New Testament are one and the same name.
Joshua was the name of a great national leader, the one who brought the people out of the desert, back into the quietness of green pastures. He was that mighty man who had led them back to their lost inheritance. The significance now begins to be apparent. "Call His name Jesus"... for He has come to lead us back to our lost inheritance. He has come to bring us out of the barrenness of the wilderness into the green pastures and on beside the still waters. He has come where we are, to do for us that which we cannot do for ourselves. He is the deliverer. He is the Savior.
Think how enduring this very significant name has been. When Pilate stood up that day and washed his cowardly hands he thought he was washing Jesus off the pages of history, but one hundred years from then nobody ever thought of Pilate except as he appeared in the presence of Jesus. Whatever the flood, whatever the famine, whatever the storm or revolution, Jesus goes on in power. His name lives on in spite of the Hitlers, the Stalins, Khrushchevs, Marx, and all the rest. And Jesus and His name will prevail against future figures in history who rail against God and His people. Yes, count on it, there will always be such figures in the history of man. The name of Jesus will last, they will not.
Do not be afraid. Do not run around propping up His church. It is neither dead nor dying, for He is Lord and leader of it and He is alive. The only reason we fear the Stalin’s and the Khrushchev’s is that we forget Jesus. “Do not be afraid” He has said. “I am alive forevermore and I have the keys of Hades and of death.” Also, He proclaims in Matthew, “I will build my church and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.”
Think how gracious is the name of Jesus. It is the first name we teach our children while they are still in our arms. It is the name that weaves like a scarlet thread in all our prayers and praise. How divine is the name of the Babe announced by the heavenly host. So divine that upon that authority we sanctify the couple joined in marriage, dedicate the baby, and commit our dead to His care. All rites are given under the authority of that name.
Jesus is the one given and named by God Himself. Fold Him into your life and all the faith, courage, joy and authority of His name will fold into your life as well. It is the very first “Merry Christmas” ever conferred.
Father, in this Christmas season, help me to remember the Name above all names and the One that name represents. Time is short, circumstances might be frazzling, but let me always remember the focus is Jesus. Amen.
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