Talking Points with Pastor Lucas | What's in a name?
She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins. (Matthew 1:21, ESV)
Names are important. Names carry meaning. They give identity, designate reputation, and locate things like accomplishments and achievements, shame and fame, appeal and scorn. Names can evoke such power, emotion, and meaning that they move people to action:
Walt Disney (“Vacation here we come!”)
Martin Luther King Jr. (inspiration and civil rights champion)
Osama Bin Laden (terrorist extraordinaire)
Names carry emotion. Names carry power.
The name of our Savior is quite extraordinary. “Jesus” is “Yeshua” in the Hebrew, which when put into English is Joshua. Joshua means “the Lord saves”—hence Scripture records: “You shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.”
Jesus is also called:
Immanuel, which means “God with us”
Christ, which is Greek for Messiah and means “the anointed”
Alpha and Omega, which means “the beginning and the end”
What’s extraordinary about the names of Jesus is their divine meaning and how they point to who He is and what He would do.
The Son of God (there’s another of His names!) took on flesh to dwell among us and with us in order to save us from our sins. He is the Holy One of God (another name!) who willingly suffered in our place.
He became sin.
It was on the cross that Jesus took on yet another name: sinner.
He who had no sin became sin “so that in him we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Corinthians 5:21). This is a profound comfort—particularly when we consider all the hurtful names and words we’ve both been called and called others. Four eyes, fatty, metal mouth, weirdo, loser—these are just a few of the PG names kids use. The R-rated names I won’t say, but we all know how bad they hurt and how easily they can roll off of our tongues. Names can destroy us inside. They can be brutal.
This is why the name of Jesus Christ is so powerful. There is no other name under heaven given to humankind by which we must be saved (Acts 4:12). In fact, baptized in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, we have the name of Jesus Christ placed upon us. Our guilt and sin are washed away by the power of this name and replaced with everlasting righteousness, innocence, and blessedness.
We are renamed.
Sinners are now called saints!
Where His name is, you see, there Jesus is with us. He is Immanuel—God with us. Where we go, He goes. Where we live, He lives. Washed by the water and the Word of God, Jesus pledges Himself to us. He does not leave us on our own to bear up amid the temptations of the evil one and the brokenness of this fallen world. He will never leave us nor forsake us. He stands with us, fights for us, and sends His Holy Spirit to help us.
His name has power. His name is full of strength. Jesus is the name that is above all names. By this name, He binds up our broken hearts and soothes our weary souls. By this name, He calls us His very own. We are His and He is ours. Now we go by the name beloved. He calls us precious. Right here and right now, we bear the name child of God.
No other name.
By faith, we call upon His name in every trouble. By faith, we pray, praise, and give thanks in the name of Jesus Christ. His name is Immanuel. He is God with us on the good days, the bad days, and every day in between. Crucified, died, risen from the dead and ascended on High, His name goes out as Savior of the world. His name is Jesus because He saves us from our sins. By no other name is salvation found.
In fact, at the end of all things, everyone—past and present—will know this name and bow before this name. As Scripture says:
Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (Philippians 2:9-11)
In other words, those who love Jesus and gladly confess His name will enter into everlasting life, while those who despise Him and His name will enter into everlasting death, but no one will be left ignorant about the name of Jesus.
We are bold to confess the name of Jesus.
We are intentional about sharing the love of Christ here and now—in our words, in our actions, and in our everyday stations of life, especially to those who do not yet confess Jesus as Lord. Our desire is with God’s desire, that all people would be saved and come to the knowledge of salvation (1 Timothy 2:4). And that comes by confessing the name Jesus to any and all who will listen.
You shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.
Your brother in Christ,
Pastor Lucas
Rev. Dr. Lucas V. Woodford
President
Minnesota South District, LCMS
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