THE NAME OF JESUS ======================================================= “And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins “ (Matthew 1:21). Of the more than 700 names and titles of the Lord Jesus Christ in Scripture, none is perhaps more venerated by Christians than the name “Jesus” itself. A contemporary songwriter acknowledges simply, “Theres just something about that name.” The very sound of that name is precious in the ears of Christians worldwide. That name has brought about a sense of overwhelming comfort to many in their darkest hours. It is that name most often verbalized in prayer and preaching, in testimony and witnessing. Many relate dramatic, even miraculous experiences of life to the significance of that name. The name “Jesus” was, at the time of our Lords earthly sojourn, among the most popular of names selected by parents of Hebrew boys. In the writings of the Jewish historian Josephus, the name identifies at least twenty different men, ten of whom were contemporaries of Jesus Christ. Its popularity was probably to a large extent due to its relationship with one of Israels great leaders, Joshua, the son of Nun and successor to Moses. In the Egyptian papyri, the name occurs frequently right through the early part of the second century. Then abruptly, both Jews and Christians stopped using “Jesus” as a name for their boys. The Jews did so because it was so closely related to Christianity, which they rigorously opposed and hated. The Christians refused to use the name for opposite reasons. To them, the name was special and held in veneration. It was almost thought sacrilegious that anyone but Jesus should bear that name. When one reads the New Testament, he must be impressed with how often this name appears. It is by far the most often used name in the Gospels; and, even in the book of Acts, where we see the title “Lord” so often, the use of “Jesus” outnumbers “Lord” three to one. In the Epistles, the name of Jesus continues to occur, though not so often. It formed an intrinsic part of the great Pauline formula by which the apostle often referred to the “Lord” (His Title), “Jesus” (His Name), and “Christ” (His Office). What is perhaps most surprising about the name “Jesus” is not its use but the absence of its use. With the possible exception of the thief on the cross (Luke 23:42), there is no record of anyone ever addressing Jesus directly by the name “Jesus” during His earthly life and ministry. Further, Jesus Himself apparently used this name to identify Himself only twice, both occasions to persons after His ascension to and glorification in Heaven (cf. Acts 9:5; Revelation 22:16). ====================================================== THE MEANING OF HIS IDENTIFICATION In all likelihood, when Mary and Joseph talked to their son, they used their native language and called Him “Yeshua” or “Joshua.” If they used the Greek trade language, then they called Him “Jesus,” for as we noted previously, “Jesus” is the Greek form of the Hebrew name “Joshua.” The name “Joshua” was a contraction of “Jehoshua,” meaning “Jehovah the Saviour.” It was used to identify several men in the Old Testament, the best known being Joshua the son of Nun, who led Israel into the land of Canaan. Actually, Joshuas given name was “Hoshea,” meaning “salvation,” and was changed to “Jehoshua” or “Joshua” by Moses, probably when he sent him to spy out the land at Kadesh-barnea (Numbers 13:16). The name “Jesus/Joshua” is built on the Hebrew verb stem yasha meaning “saved.” The first use of this verb in Scripture is also the embryonic first mention of the doctrine of salvation (Exodus 14:30). The salvation of Israel is there defined in terms of the destruction of the army of Egypt in the Red Sea. This miracle, so often referred to in the Old Testament, is also a type of the salvation from sin provided by Jesus on the cross. As borne by Joshua, the name was an expression of faith in what Jehovah could and would do for His people and a testimony to the effect that he, Joshua, was willing to be a part of it. No doubt a major aspect of that salvation was viewed in a military light as the nation went out to destroy the inhabitants of the land and settle it as their own. Still, the spiritual salvation of the nation and its families, individually or corporately, was not overlooked. Several Bible commentators have noted the typical significance of Joshua which goes far beyond a mere similarity of names. Joshua was the shadow of what Jesus is in reality. This is particularly true in His name. When Jesus was so named by the angel, it was more than simply an expression of the Messianic hope of Israel. It was an affirmation of His real identity and primary concern. “Jesus” means “Jehovah the Saviour,” but when applied to our Lord, it is a declaration that He is Jehovah the Saviour. It both enshrines and expresses the mystery of His Person and the marvels of His work. ===================================================== THE MYSTERY OF HIS INCARNATION In the first mentions of the name of Jesus in Scripture, it is clear that Jesus was more than just another baby boy born to a young Jewish mother. The first to hear His name was Mary who was informed not only that she would bear a son but that she should “call his name JESUS” and that He would also “be called the Son of the Highest” (Luke 1:31,32). When Joseph first heard the name, he was told “that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost” (Matthew 1:20). The name “Jesus,” when applied to the virgin-born child of Bethlehem, was an affirmation of who He is, “Jehovah the Saviour.” “Jehovah” was the most venerated name of God in the Old Testament. So careful were the Jews not to violate the fourth commandment that they refused to verbalize this name lest, unknowingly, they were to use it in vain. When they came to read it in their Scriptures, by habit they substituted the name Adonai, another name for God in the Old Testament. Because the Hebrew language lacks vowels, words are pronounced as they are learned. But when the pious Jews refused to pronounce the name “Jehovah,” people were soon unsure as to the actual pronunciation of it. Most evangelicals apply the vowels of Adonai to it and pronounce the name “Jehovah.” More critical scholars have chosen to pronounce the name “Yahweh. “ Actually, because accents and dialects of a language change as that language is used over the years, it is impossible to be certain how Moses first pronounced this name of God when he introduced it to Israel. To think, that greatly respected “Jehovah” of the Old Testament was “Jesus” in the New Testament! Jehovah Himself became a man. That mystery concerning the incarnation has baffled theologians and Bible students for years, yet it remains a part of human history that one day, the One who made this world and created all things, including the human race, voluntarily chose to become a man without compromising in any way who He was. No wonder that name has such a special significance for Christians. Certainly, if the unsaved Jews were so concerned about using Jehovahs name in vain that they avoided any possibility of doing so, Christians today ought also to reverence and respect the name of Jehovah incarnate, Jesus, and never use it in vain as a curse. When we realize the true nature of Jesus, we have no problem understanding the necessity of the virgin birth. It is not simply an early Christian legend which found its way into the Bible or a novel little miracle to give us yet something else to believe. The virgin birth was the only possible way in which Jehovah could become a man and at the same time remain Jehovah. Jesus needed a human mother to have a human nature, but if He had had a human father, He also would have received the sin nature of His father. With a pair of sinful human parents, it would have been impossible for Him to be the Son of God. When God created man, He made man holy-that is, without sin. But mans holiness was conditional and ended when Adam fell. Since then, men have been born sinners by nature because they inherited that nature from their father, Adam. “Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned” (Romans 5:12). That would also have been the fate of Jesus had He been the physical son of Joseph. In contrast, the Scriptures teach that Christ knew no sin (II Corinthians 5:21), was without sin (Hebrews 4:15), and did no sin (I Peter 2:22). ====================================================== THE MARVELS OF HIS OCCUPATION When Joseph learned his legal son would be named “Jesus,” he was also told the nature of His work, “For he shall save his people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21). He was the salvation which would also provide salvation for His people. It is not clear that the full nature or extent of that salvation was fully understood at first. Initially, it was widely believed that the salvation provided by Jesus was exclusively for the Jews. This view is evident even in the book of Acts, where Peter is reluctant to go to Cornelius household and later where the Jerusalem Conference becomes a necessity. Surprisingly, it was the Samaritans who first recognized the broader extent of the salvation that Jesus would effect. Their understanding of Jesus as “the Christ, the Saviour of the world” (John 4:42), was unheard of in Jewish circles and largely ignored in the early days of the church. One might argue that the extent of the work of Christ was never fully realized in practice even by the church until the Moravian and later Methodist movements, with the possible exception of the evangelistic outreach of the church following the Jerusalem Conference (Acts15). ====================================================== THE MAJESTY OF HIS REPUTATION A name is a reputation. Sometimes one gains a reputation from a name, and at other times a person gives his name a reputation. When I was growing up in Savannah, Georgia, my mother would frequently remind me to live up to my name. “Remember, youre a Towns,” she would say. Our family history went back several generations in Georgia and included several prominent medical doctors, one of whom served for a time as governor of our state. As children, my brother, sister, and I were encouraged to live up to the historical reputation of our name. Just as my mother reminded me to live up to the reputation of my family name, we all need to be reminded to live up to the reputation of the name of Jesus. The Apostle Paul reminded the Jews in Rome that “the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles through you” as a result of their inconsistent living (Romans 2:23,24). The same could be said of Christians today. When you behave in a manner inconsistent with the name of Jesus, the unsaved world takes note of your hypocrisy and lowers its estimate of Jesus and Christianity. How many Christians have been reminded of “hypocrites in the church” as they have tried to win their unsaved friends, relatives, associates, and neighbors? Regardless of the nobility of the name or title ascribed to Jesus in Scripture, He always added something to the reputation of the name. Many Christians today conclude their prayers with the phrase, “in Jesus name. “ Sometimes they will cite John 14:13,14 or 16:23 as Biblical authority for that practice. In those texts Jesus encouraged His disciples to “ask in my name.” Actually, to ask in Jesus name means to ask in His Person and does not mean that every prayer must end with the words “in Jesus name.” Some who pray this way do so wrongly, viewing the mention of Jesus name as a kind of magical incantation that will guarantee an answer to their prayers. Others use the expression as a constant reminder that when they pray, they do so on the merits of Jesus and not of themselves. There is a certain power in Jesus name, however, that transcends our ability to understand it fully. It is a power over demons themselves. Even the Jewish exorcists of the first century recognized this spiritual power and sought to harness it by addressing and commanding demons in Jesus name (Acts 19:13). The failure of the sons of Sceva to overcome the demons on that occasion emphasized the fact that the name that possesses the power is not the mere recital of a formula but the Person of Jesus Himself. The sons of Sceva did not have a personal relationship with Jesus and, therefore, could not effectively use His name in prayer in order to cast out demons. Jesus encouraged His disciples to ask for “anything” (John 14:14), including the salvation of unsaved friends, relatives, associates and neighbors, problems in your family or finances, difficult responsibilities, or relationships. The name of Jesus is the “name which is above every name” (Philippians 2:9). Jesus is powerful to save and powerful to keep those who are saved. He alone is powerful enough both to control demons and influence God. We should speak, sing, meditate on, and glory in the name of Jesus. It is even proper to fall in adoration and worship at the name of Jesus (Philippians 2:10). ===================================================== CONCLUSION Have you ever noticed how many of your favorite hymns make specific reference to the name of Jesus? Leaf through the average church hymnal, and you will agree that this name has certainly inspired its share of songs. Many of the most familiar hymns referring to our Lord use the name “Jesus.” And this is not only a phenomenon among English-speaking Christians. Though pronounced differently in other parts of the world, the name “Jesus” has found a prominent place in the expression of Biblical Christianity, regardless of the linguistic or cultural background of the Christian. Constantly it is sung and preached by those who have come to love the One who first loved them and demonstrated that love from a cross. Is it any wonder the name of Jesus is so deeply loved by Christians around the world? It is the name that brings us salvation and provides all the assistance we need in facing the struggles of life. It bears witness to the fact that Jehovah the Saviour became a man at a point in history that we might spend eternity with Him in Heaven. It challenges us to come with boldness to the throne of grace in prayer, knowing before we pray that He is there to give the grace we need even before we recognize our need. The songwriter was right: “There is something about that name”! ========================================================================================//////////////////////[[[]] For Discussion: 1. What does the name Jesus mean? Why was it popular when Joseph and Mary gave it to their Son? 2. Why did parents discontinue naming their sons Jesus? What does this teach us about our attitude toward the name of Jesus? 3. What does it mean to “live up to the name of Jesus”? 4. Should we end our prayers by saying “in Jesus name”? Why or why not? 5. Name your favorite hymn about Jesus. Why is it your favorite hymn?
Posted on: Sat, 19 Oct 2013 14:46:25 +0000
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