When you’re having a baby, one of the great tasks before you is choosing the name.
My wife and I knew that names are often very significant. When we adopted our children, we gave them the opportunity to take whatever name they wished. One changed their first name, one changed their middle name, and one asked if he could become a “Junior” taking both my first and middle names.
Each time my wife became pregnant, we determined to ask the Lord what name He had for the child in her womb. He was always faithful, and provided a clear choice. It caused a bit of consternation with our relatives and friends, since most people who are uncertain of the gender of the new baby will typically choose two names – one in case it is a boy and another in case it is a girl. Even though we had no medical idea regarding gender, we only chose one name.
The verse we have for today tells us:
SHE WILL HAVE A SON, AND YOU ARE TO NAME HIM ‘JESUS’ FOR HE WILL SAVE HIS PEOPLE FROM THEIR SINS
The angel spells it out for Joseph. It’s a boy, here’s the name, here’s why. Period. No questions, no discussion. Done.
People come up with some cute ideas for names. I’ve always thought that when you hear a parent tell you the name they’ve selected for the baby, your initial internal reaction ought to be more “That’s Nice” than “Say WHAT?” But people also have come up with some doozies. For reasons that defy explanation, some parents give their girls names like Tempest, Moon, Posey, Daisey Boo, and even Tymber. Boys get saddled with some weird ones too. Names like Kenzo, Axel, Crew, or Nile.
Jesus’ name actually means SALVATION, or YAHWEH SAVES. In Hebrew it is a combination of two words. The first is “Yehu” which is the shortened form of the proper name of God and “Sh’ah” which is the verb “to save.” Jesus is the God who saves us. Or, as Isaiah put it, “Immanuel” — God with us.
Jesus was literally God come in the flesh. He was fully God and fully man at the same time. Our human minds have a very difficult time understanding how that can possibly be. and so this truth, like many others revealed in the scripture, is called a “mystery” – something we cannot fully comprehend now. Paul the Apostle promises that, even though we only see dimly now, the time will come when we do understand fully. Until then, we accept what God says by faith.
This ought not cause you any grave concern. There are many things here in the natural realm of earth that we can observe, but not fully understand. For example, science has clearly demonstrated that the foundational atomic structure is composed of protons, neutrons and electrons. Protons and electrons are held in proximity to neutrons by their electrical charges, and bonded to one another in the same way. But there is a large amount of space between the elements.
So, in fact, there is NO SUCH THING as a solid object; every one of them has a great amount of space between the particles. We are only beginning to comprehend what we can observe, and the more we observe the more we learn that we have yet to fully understand. That same tension exists in the spiritual realm, not just the physical one.
But the word of the angel – YOU ARE TO NAME HIM ‘JESUS’ FOR HE WILL SAVE HIS PEOPLE FROM THEIR SINS – is clear. HOW the entire process works is actually more complicated than I can begin to explain. THAT Jesus will save His people from their sins is evident. Understanding the WHY is the only easy part — He loves us so much. But precious little else in the realm of salvation “makes sense” except for the love Jesus displayed for us.
SHE WILL HAVE A SON, AND YOU ARE TO NAME HIM ‘JESUS’ FOR HE WILL SAVE HIS PEOPLE FROM THEIR SINS
Jesus didn’t come to overturn a government, not even the heavy-handed Roman Empire. Jesus didn’t come to establish a new school of philosophy or theology. Jesus came to save His people from their sins.
The angel said SHE WILL HAVE A SON – and she did.
The angel told Joseph YOU ARE TO NAME HIM ‘JESUS’ – and he did.
Only the final part of the verse remains.
The angel announced that HE WILL SAVE HIS PEOPLE FROM THEIR SINS – and He did. The cross and the empty tomb bear witness to that fact.
The only question that remains to be answered is this :
WHO ARE “HIS PEOPLE” ??
Who are the ones He will save from their sins?
Thankfully, Paul the Apostle makes that quite clear. Everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord WILL BE SAVED.
This Christmas …
Make sure that you are among the ones who are CALLING UPON HIS NAME.
Make sure that you are one of HIS PEOPLE.
SHE WILL HAVE A SON, AND YOU ARE TO NAME HIM ‘JESUS’ FOR HE WILL SAVE HIS PEOPLE FROM THEIR SINS
