What’s in a Name?

It is so easy to get caught up in the hustle and bustle of the Christmas season and forget the true reason we celebrate at this time of year. I had the wonderful opportunity recently to hear a lesson from my pastor’s wife, Sandra Campbell, and with her permission, I have shared some of her thoughts mingled with mine about the beautiful name of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.

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There are many well-known individuals associated with Christmas and their names are so familiar. There’s Santa Claus, of course, and that cranky old miser Ebenezer Scrooge. There’s Frosty the Snowman, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, and even the Grinch. One of my favorite Christmas movies is It’s a Wonderful Life, which has its own memorable characters in George Bailey and Henry Potter!

One thing these all have in common is that they are fictional characters, but there is one special child in history whose name was angelically declared to his mother! That name was JESUS!

“And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God. And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shall call his name JESUS. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.”- Luke 1: 30-33

“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

“Then Joseph being raised from sleep did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, and took unto him his wife: And knew her not till she had brought forth her firstborn son: and he called his name JESUS.” – Matthew 1:24-25

The angel told both Mary and Joseph, “Thou shalt call His name JESUS.”  The gospel of John clarifies the miraculous conception and birth of Jesus as God coming to us in human form.

“And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.”.” – John 1:14

Consider these amazing truths about the name of JESUS.

1. By His name we have SALVATION. Sin separates us from God, and unfortunately, its end result is eternity in hell. To remediate that, we need deliverance from our sin and its consequences, but there is absolutely nothing that we can do about that ourselves. This is the reason that Jesus came.

“But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.” – John 20:31

“Neither is there salvation in any other, for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.” – Acts 4:12

“But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name.” – John 1:12

“For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” – Romans 10:13

Calling upon the name of Jesus for forgiveness of sins is the only way we can have eternal life with Him in heaven.

2. By His name we have SANCTIFICATION. Sanctification is the action of making or declaring something holy; the action or process of being freed from sin or purified.

“And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.” – 1 Corinthians 6:11

Through the name of Jesus alone can we be made acceptable to God. As saved sinners, we are no longer alienated from God, but we become His workmanship… able to be used by Him to bring glory to His name!

“Even every one that is called by my name: for I have created him for my glory, I have formed him; yea, I have made him.”- Isaiah 43:7

“For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.” – Ephesians 2:10

“If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master’s use, and prepared unto every good work.” – 2 Timothy 2:21

Once we are saved from our sins, we are sanctified (set apart as holy to God) to serve Him and bring glory to His wonderful name!

3. By His name we have ACCESS to the Father. Having access means we are able to approach or entering the presence of God. Jesus made this possible when he bore our sins upon His body on the cross. Once atonement was made for us by Jesus, the temple veil was torn in two revealing access to the most sacred place in the temple… the place where God dwelt. This was symbolic of what now was available to each person who accepts Christ as Saviour. Through the name of Jesus (in prayer) we have full access to God the Father.

“Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” – John 14:6

“And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.  If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it.” – John 14:13-14

His name is highly exalted! The name of Jesus is honored above all names in both heaven and earth. One future day, all mankind will grasp the enormity of the name of our Lord and Saviour!

“Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” – Philippians 2:9-11

Isaiah 9:6 tells us how highly esteemed the name of JESUS is:

“For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.”

4. By His name we have God’s PRESENCE.

Upon salvation, we have the indwelling of the Holy Spirit in our lives from that moment on throughout all eternity. That means never will be apart from God… NEVER! That is why Jesus has one other very special name: IMMANUEL.

“Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.” – Isaiah 7:14

“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.” – Matthew 1:23

Jesus Himself promised us that once we choose Him as our Saviour and Lord, He will never leave us or forsake us! God is with us for all eternity! The enormity of that promise is difficult to fully comprehend, but one day, we will be able to do just that, and we will rejoice forever! Praise the name of Jesus!

I know of a name, a beautiful name,
 that angels brought down to earth;

They whispered it low, one night long ago to a maiden of lowly birth.
That beautiful name, that beautiful name,
 from sin has power to free us!

That beautiful name, that wonderful name,
 that matchless name is Jesus!

(from “That Beautiful Name” by Jean Perry)

“For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” – Romans 10:13

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There’s just something about the name of JESUS!