His Name is 'Jesus'!

Jesus means ‘Yahweh saves.’ In the man from Nazareth, the Salvation and Kingdom promised by the God of Israel had arrived in all their glory.

The angel informed Joseph that the child carried by Mary was “begotten of the Holy Spirit” and instructed him to name the child ‘Jesus’ - “Call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” This name pointed to the saving act of God for humanity that He was about to reveal. Not only so, but the man from Nazareth was also the Messiah of Israel who would become the “Ruler of the Kings of the Earth” and establish the sovereignty of God over the Earth.

The first verse of Matthew identifies the child as the “Son of Abraham.” This is more than another name on a genealogical chart. Not only was he the biological descendant of Abraham, but he also came to fulfill the promises made to the Patriarch, and Matthew demonstrates this in several ways. Those promises included the commitment to include the nations of the Earth in the covenant blessings - (Genesis 12:1-9, 17:4, Matthew 1:20-21).

[Photo by Myriam Zilles on Unsplash]

The announcement to Joseph parallels the prediction made to Abraham about his firstborn son, which occurred when Sarah was ninety years old and beyond childbearing age, making her pregnancy miraculous. Abraham also received his son’s name through Divine appointment, thus God commanded Abraham to name his son “Isaac” - (Genesis 17:19).

The name ‘Jesus’ or Joshua first appears in the Book of Exodus. Joshua’s name originally was Hoshea, the Son of Nun. Moses changed it from Hoshea to Joshua or ‘Ye-hoshua’ - (Numbers 13:1-8, Exodus 17:9).

Hoshea means “salvation, deliverance, help.” It is from the Hebrew verb meaning “save, help, deliver,” or yasha (Strong’s Concordance - #H3467). For example, “Yahweh saved Israel that day from the hand of the Egyptians” - (Exodus 14:30. Compare Deuteronomy 20:4).

By prefixing the first syllable of the Hebrew name Yahweh to Hoshea (YHWH {יהוה}), his name became Ye-hoshua. In several of the later books of the Hebrew Bible, the second syllable is eliminated, and the name is shortened to Yeshua - (Nehemiah 8:17, Ezra 2:2).

The form ‘Jesus’ is the anglicized spelling of ‘Yeshua.’ It means more than “savior.” It combines the name Yahweh with the Hebrew verb for “save.” Thus, it means “YAHWEH SAVES” or “salvation of Yahweh.” The promised salvation of God arrived in this man, Jesus of Nazareth.

The angel’s announcement to Joseph echoes key themes from the ‘Servant’s Song’ in the Book of Isaiah. For example:

• (Isaiah 53:10-11) – “Yet it pleased Yahweh to bruise him; he has put him to grief: when you will make his soul an offering for sin, he will see his seed, he will prolong his days, and the pleasure of Yahweh will prosper in his hand. He will see of the travail of his soul and be satisfied; by the knowledge of himself, My righteous Servant will justify many, and he will carry their sins.”

The genealogy of Jesus in Matthew begins with Abraham, the Great Patriarch, and the Progenitor of Israel. Jesus is the “Son of Abraham,” the promised “Seed” who fulfills the covenant promises. He is also the “Son of David,” the Messiah and King who reigns from David’s Throne and inaugurates the Kingdom of God.

Jesus is the Greater Joshua, the Ruler of God’s people who delivers them from bondage to Satan and shepherds them to the true Promised Land, namely, the Kingdom of God. In the truest sense, he is the one who “saves his people from their sins.”

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SEE ALSO:

• The Age of Salvation - (The Gospel of the Kingdom announced by Jesus offers salvation and life to all men and women of every nation and people)

• Jesus Reigns - (Jesus triumphed over his enemies through his Death and Resurrection, therefore, he now reigns from the Messianic Throne)

• The Shepherd King - (The Lamb’s reign commenced with his Death and Resurrection. Since then, he has shepherded the nations toward New Jerusalem)