Scripture

Luke 1:31-33

“Now listen: You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give Him the throne of his father, David. He will reign over the house of Jacob forever and His kingdom shall have no end.”

Muse

Why the name, Jesus? Jesus was a common name in first century Judea, like Bob or Jennifer is today, but as we know, God has a purpose and plan in everything He does. God sent His only son to earth to reveal His plan (John 3:16). In Matthew 1:21, the angel told Joseph that he should “call his name Jesus for he will save His people from their sins.” The name Jesus means “Yahweh saves,” or “The Lord is salvation.” God sent Jesus to earth to save us “from God’s wrath” (Rom. 2:5) and to give us salvation in Him. “When the fullness of time had come, God sent His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons.” (Galatians 4:4). Indeed, “there is no other name under heaven given among men whereby we can be saved” (Acts 4:12).

Jesus' name is powerful! Do you believe there is power in the name of Jesus? The name Jesus is not a magical word. Had Jesus not come to earth as God in the flesh and lived a perfect life, died for the sins of all who would believe in Him, and rose again, there would not be power in the name of Jesus. The power in Jesus' name comes from true belief and faith in who Jesus is and what He did for sinners. “But God proves His love for us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). The power in Jesus’ name comes from the power of salvation and victory over sin and death.

Jesus' name is holy! It is proclaimed in Revelation 4:8, “Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord God Almighty who was and is and is to come!” We are commanded to not take the Lord’s name in vain (Exodus 20:7). Taking the Lord’s name in vain is to speak of God with irreverence or disrespect. Jesus tells us in John 10:30 that “I and the Father are one.” Are you careless with your words or actions? What do you think about saying “Oh my God”? As followers of Jesus Christ, we should make sure we are honoring and glorifying God in all that we say and do. “And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus , giving thanks to God the Father through Him” (Colossians 3:17).

Jesus' name is life! Jesus is more than just a name. He is our only comfort in life and death, our only hope in a hopeless world. He is more than our refuge, protector and strength in times of trouble; Jesus is our Savior and Lord! Jesus died for our sins so that we can have eternal life. It is so amazing and humbling to realize how great Jesus’ love is for us that He would suffer for our sins on the cross so that we could live with Him forever. “And being in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on the cross” (Philippians 2:8).

Our World

Jesus. What does His name mean in our lives? His name is the backbone of our lives: “God saves.” His name embodies His perfection. His wondrous love. His mercy. His forgiveness. His gentleness. His meekness. His acceptance. His patience. His joy. His holiness. And He, above all, wants us! He corrects lovingly and for our benefit—never in anger or brutality. From Him all blessings flow. He is beauty in all of its entirety. He settles our spirit, calming our hearts and emotions. He has an understanding of our humanness. After all, He lived and walked among us experiencing all of His creation as a human being. He calls us holy and is always at work in our lives to bring us to completion (1 Peter 1:15-16). Jesus is our living hope.

“How great the chasm that lay between us

How high the mountain I could not climb

In desperation, I turned to heaven

And spoke your name into the night

Then through the darkness

Your loving kindness

Tore through the shadows of my soul

The work is finished, the end is written

Jesus Christ, my living hope!” (Phil Wickham)

“For this reason God highly exalted Him and gave Him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow-in heaven and on earth and under the earth-and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Philippians 2:9-11).

• Do you highly exalt the name of Jesus?
  
• Are you doing all things to the glory of God or for the glory of others?
  
• Do you take the Lord’s name in vain by your words or actions?
  

Prayer

Lord Jesus,

How beautiful is your name. We are so humbled that you would choose us to be part of your kingdom. Forgive us when we take your name for granted and carelessly use your name. Help us to walk worthy of your name in all we say and do. Show us how to share your name in love with everyone we meet. We pray we will honor and glorify you by our words and actions. Thank you for suffering for us on the cross so that we could live with you for all eternity. We pray in the all-powerful name of Jesus Christ our King!

Amen