Jesus is the human name by which God the Son is known. Nowadays, numbers seem to be the chief way of identifying people (passport numbers, driving licences, NHS numbers, Unique Learner Numbers for pupils and so on), but in the Bible, we see the significance of names in so many places.
Abram (whose name meant ‘exalted father’) is told by God that he will be called Abraham (meaning ‘father of many’, Gen 17:5), a sign that God’s promise to him that he, a childless man, would have a son and become the father of many nations would be fulfilled. When Isaac (whose name meant ‘laughter’, a reminder of how Sarah received the news that she would have a son) had twin sons, they were named Esau (because he was hairy and red) and Jacob (because he came out of the womb grasping his brother’s heel). (Gen 25:24-26) Jacob, apart from literally meaning ‘to grasp the heel’ also came to mean figuratively ‘one who deceives’, and this was certainly the description he lived by for so many years; yet after his wrestling match with God (Gen 32:22-32), he is given a new name, Israel: ‘because you have struggled with God and with humans and have overcome.’ (Gen 32:28) All throughout the Old Testament, we see the significance of names. Hosea gives his children prophetic names to illustrate the country’s struggling relationship with God: Lo-Ruhamah (which means “not loved”) and Lo-Ammi (which means “not my people”) (Hos 1:6,9), for example. Names definitely mean something when we are thinking about spiritual matters!
The name JESUS means ‘Yahweh (God) is Salvation’. Joseph was told to give Jesus this name even before He was born by the angel who appeared to him in a dream, who said, ‘Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.’ (Matt 1:20-21) Mary and Joseph had no choice in naming their son Jesus, because even His name was to signify His role and function in life. Jesus came into the world to save us from our sins. That’s what Christmas is all about; that’s what Easter is all about – God coming into the world in human form – and therefore taking a human name – so that the gulf between God and man can be bridged and we can be reconciled to God. Paul says ‘everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved’ (Rom 10:13) and reminds the Philippians ‘at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.’ (Phil 2:10-11)
Billy Sunday once said, ‘There are 256 names given in the Bible for the Lord Jesus Christ, and I suppose this was because He was infinitely beyond all that any one name could express.’ Each of the names given to Jesus are significant, revealing more of His nature and purpose. Just looking at the ‘I am’ names used by Jesus in John’s Gospel is a Bible study in itself!
- ‘I am the Way, the Truth and the Life’ (Jn 14:6),
- ‘I am the Bread of Life’ (Jn 6:35, 48)
- ‘I am the light of the world’ (Jn 8:12)
- ‘I am the door/ gate’ (Jn 10:9)
- ‘I am the Good Shepherd’ (Jn 10:11)
- ‘I am the Resurrection and the Life’ (Jn 11:25)
- ‘I am the true vine’ (Jn 15:1)
Meditating on the names given to Jesus make us even more aware than usual of His essential role in our faith. Spend time this week thinking about the names of Jesus. There’s a lot in a name!
