It is that time of year when many will remember the birth of our Savior. A time when we will remember the love God has for us by sending His Son to become a man. Because a man sinned, he owed the debt of sin. Therefore, a man had to pay the debt to redeem us from our sins and the qualifications had to be a sinless man. When the angel Gabriel visited Mary to tell her she would have a baby she was puzzled because she had never been with a man. The angel explains this miracle to her. Her purity, her lineage from the house of David, and her obedient life qualified her to become the one who would bear the Messiah. The Jews knew that one day God would send a Messiah. Messiah is the Hebrew name that means the Anointed. In Greek the word is Christ. Before God the Son became a man He was with the Father and the Holy Spirit, and he was Christ. While He is still 100% God, He would also take on a robe of flesh and become 100% man. Therefore, He would take a name that was like other men, yet because of who He is it gave a whole new meaning to the name. In Luke 1:31, the angel informs Mary of the name of the baby. This baby who would grow to be a man and our Savior would be called Jesus.
Luke 1:26-31 And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth, To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary. And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favored, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women. And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be. And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favor with God. And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS,”
Bible scholars tell us that Jesus means the same as Savior, it is also the same as Joshua. While Joshua would save them from the slavery they had experienced in Egypt, he would also lead them into the “promised land” of Cannan. Now, Jesus, our Savior, rescues us from the slavery of sin and leads us into the eternal promised land, Heaven. You would think that all the circumstances and correlations around His birth would have been noticed by the Jewish leaders and they would have welcomed Him, but it didn’t. In Matthew 1:21, the angel tells Joseph, just as He did Mary, what the child’s name was to be, and He tells Joseph the purpose of His coming. He was to save His people from their sins.
Matthew 1:18-21 “Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost. Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a public example, was minded to put her away privily. But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost. And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.”
Jesus is the sweetest name I know because of all that it brings to us. Not only does it bring salvation through the sacrificial death of the Son. It brings God to us. In Isaiah 43:11, God tells His people that He, the Lord, is their Savior. In Matthew 1:23 the dialog from the angel to Joseph tells him in verse 23 that Jesus is also Emmanuel. In the Hebrew, it means God with us. God was coming to live among us to experience all the things we experience. He would show us how a man could live a sinless life. He suffered temptation but never yielded. He experienced the pains of friends leaving Him, others mocking Him, and physical abuse beyond our comprehension. He also brought hope. Hope that has an expected end in Heaven. He brings peace, comfort, and joy that cannot be explained.
Matthew 1:23 “Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.”
When I think or say the word Jesus my entire spirit is lifted. No matter what circumstances I face I can call on His name. His name reminds me once again why I am living this life and who I am living it for.
