An angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and told him to name Mary’s son Jesus. She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins (Matthew 1:21).
“Jesus” is an English rendering of the Greek name which is a translation of the ancient Hebrew Yehoshua. This name is formed from Hebrew roots signifying “Jehovah is salvation” and is translated in our English Old Testament as “Joshua.” The Greek version of this name also refers to Joshua, the leader of the Israelite tribes after the death of Moses, once in the New Testament (Hebrews 4:8).
Why did the angel tell Mary and Joseph to name the baby “Jesus”? Is there some holy significance to this particular sequence of letters or sounds? No, these letters and sounds are different in every language into which the name of Jesus is translated. The name of Jesus is not phonetically unique; it was a fairly common Jewish name and is still used today, though not necessarily in English. Jesús is a fairly common name in many Hispanic countries.
In the New Testament, the name of Jesus is significant because of who it represents—it means “God our Savior.” Jesus Christ is Immanuel, “God with us” (Matthew 1:22–23). He came to earth as a man in order to die in our place and become our Savior. This is why the angel said, “You shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.”
Immanuel or Emmanuel (Hebrew: עִמָּנוּאֵל, romanized: ʿĪmmānūʾēl, meaning, “God with us” or “God is with us”; also romanized: Imanu’el; and Emmanouël or Ἐμμανουήλ in Koine Greek of the New Testament) is a Hebrew name that appears in the Book of Isaiah (7:14) as a sign that God will protect the House of David.[1]
The name of Jesus reminds us about the amazing humility of the Son of God when he came as a man to die. As his followers, we must also strive to show the same selfless humility that Jesus demonstrated while on earth:
However, Jesus is not just a name of unmatched humility; it is also a name of infinite exaltation. His name is glorified far above every other name:
Praise the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, our awesome Savior! 5 In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:
6 Who, being in very nature God,
did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;
7 rather, he made himself nothing
by taking the very nature of a servant,
being made in human likeness.
8 And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself
by becoming obedient to death—
even death on a cross!
9 Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
and gave him the name that is above every name,
10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
11 and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father. (Philippians 2:4-11).
Disciples of Jesus, Peter and John, in their early ministry, had healed a lame man on the Sabbath, allegedly breaking the law of the Sabbath, and were seized by the Sadducees and thrown into jail until the next day, when they were brought before the Sanhedrin to be questioned.
8 Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them: “Rulers and elders of the people! 9 If we are being called to account today for an act of kindness shown to a man who was lame and are being asked how he was healed, 10 then know this, you and all the people of Israel: It is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead, that this man stands before you healed. 11 Jesus is:
“‘the stone you builders rejected, which has become the cornerstone.’ 12 Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.” (Acts 4:12)
The name of Jesus is significant because of who it represents—it means, “God our Savior.” Jesus Christ is Immanuel, “God with us” (Matthew 1:22–23). Name above all names! Amen!
Blessings, Sandra
[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Immanuel#
Song: Jesus, Name Above All Names, sung by The Maranatha! Singers https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wk4zVZq6Ojw