SHEPHERD
TO SHEEP
THE NAME OF JESUS
(Matthew 1:21) … and you shall call His
name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.”
What do you call the Messiah, the Savior of the world? It would have to be an important name to fit
His noble character. Even today the
world waits anxiously when royal children are named in England. When the angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph
he told him the Child within Mary was of divine origin and to call his name
Jesus. What can we learn from the name
of Jesus?
HISTORICAL – Actually the name of Jesus was a very common name in
Israel. In the Old Testament the Hebrew
name for Jesus was Joshua. There were
two popular Joshuas in the Jew’s history:
Joshua the assistant of Moses who led the Hebrews into the Promised Land
and Joshua the post-exilic high priest.
So to name your child Joshua was a special thing to do.
PROPHETICAL – The angel said to call the baby’s name Jesus because He
would save His people from their sins.
Jesus (or Joshua) means “Jehovah is salvation”. How fitting because that is what Jesus would
do on the cross and through the resurrection.
He would save mankind from their sins and give them eternal salvation as
they placed their faith in Him.
PRACTICAL – But the name of Jesus is not only historical and
prophetical, but also practical. Jesus
is the:
- NAME ABOVE ALL NAMES: (Phil
2:9) Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is
above every name.
- ONLY NAME BY WHICH A PERSON MAY BE SAVED: (Acts 4:12) Nor is there
salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men
by which we must be saved.”
- NAME THAT CAN BRING DELIVERANCE:
(Joel 2:32) … whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.
- NAME THAT BRINGS HEALING: (Acts 4:30) by stretching out Your hand to
heal, and that signs and wonders may be done through the name of Your holy
Servant Jesus.”
My good friend and pastor Mark was up for cancer surgery and was in the
hospital calling on the name of the Lord for peace and healing. He asked the Lord to give him some kind of
sign that He was with him. Just then a
male nurse walked in and said he was the one who would be with him by his side
and that everything would be alright.
When Mark looked at his name badge it said Jesus! (Obviously of Latino
origin) What a peace came over him as he
relaxed back onto his pillow and called on the name of Jesus!!
Louie
No comments:
Post a Comment