What's In a Name?
Notes
Transcript
It is that time of year again when we look to and anticipate the special gatherings of family and friends, the holiday season. In this uncommon year, we may be even more eager for the arrival of Christmas. Some sense of normalcy is desired by all, yet the pandemic is there, hovering in the background, bringing disruption and fear into the joy and wonder of this time. We have all at times been frustrated by the limitations that have been placed on us and how that has impacted our lives, and wonder what will come in the future, some with some trepidation.
Into this, I want to speak about Jesus, our Savior and how His birth was also during an unsettled time, especially for Joseph. More importantly, the birth of Jesus made possible our salvation from sin and its destroying work in our lives. You see, even from before the birth of this special child, God already had decided that He would provide a redeemer for man, and He had a Name for His Redeemer. Let’s start by looking at what Joseph was experiencing, written down for us in Matthew 1:18-25.
The Setting for the Name
The Setting for the Name
For Joseph, the time had arrived; he was finally betrothed to Mary, the woman that he loved. In the culture of that time, marriage was arranged for individuals by parents and contracts were signed. Upon completion, the individuals were considered married and were called husband and wife, even though the wife continued to live with her parents, and the man with his for one year. Scholars have told us that this was to demonstrate the faithfulness of the pledge of purity that was given concerning the bride. If she was found to be with child during this betrothal period, she was considered unpure, having been involved in an unfaithful sexual relationship. On this basis, the marriage could be annulled.
This was the period Joseph and Mary were in, but one day Joseph’s dreams about a life with Mary came crashing down around him—Mary is found to be with child! They had never had sexual intercourse and though Joseph didn’t know it yet, Mary herself had been faithful (Matthew 1:20, 23). We can only imagine how Joseph’s heart must have broken. Joseph genuinely loved Mary, but what should he do now? His love for Mary is demonstrated by his actions. He could expose her condition before the judges at the city gate, creating a public scandal and possibly resulting in Mary’s death by stoning, according to Deut. 22:23-24.
“If there is a girl who is a virgin engaged to a man, and another man finds her in the city and lies with her,
then you shall bring them both out to the gate of that city and you shall stone them to death; the girl, because she did not cry out in the city, and the man, because he has violated his neighbor’s wife. Thus you shall purge the evil from among you.
There was another option for Joseph, who was careful in his observance of the law, which was to divorce secretly by giving her “a bill of divorce” before two witnesses and then sending her away, from Deut. 24:1.
“When a man takes a wife and marries her, and it happens that she finds no favor in his eyes because he has found some indecency in her, and he writes her a certificate of divorce and puts it in her hand and sends her out from his house,
This is what he planned to do until the appearance of the angel appeared with the message: “Fear not … you shall call His name Jesus for He will save His people from their sins.”
Matthew fills us in that the events of this time were foretold by the prophet Isaiah, making clear that this was a unique, supernatural birth, a real virgin birth, that God had planned long before and that Joseph would, by virtue of marrying Mary and naming the child, become His earthly father.
Joseph no longer feared. There would be misunderstanding in the community along with all the gossip, but Joseph knew the true story of Mary’s pregnancy and God’s will for his life.
Joseph’s obedience was complete. In obeying God, he violated all custom by taking Mary into his home rather than wait for the completion of the one year betrothal. Probably thinking of Mary and her needs, he brought her to himself and began to provide and care for her. Matthew makes a point of telling us that Joseph himself had no sexual relationship with Mary until after the birth of this special child. But why this name?
Origin of the Name
Origin of the Name
Where did this name come from? Maybe through Moses. In Numbers 13:8-16, we see a listing of those men who would go out and spy the promised land. Mentioned in verse 8 is one “from the tribe of Ephraim, Hoshea, the sun of Nun.” The name “Hoshea” means “salvation.” Now look at verse 16:
These are the names of the men whom Moses sent to spy out the land; but Moses called Hoshea the son of Nun, Joshua.
Moses changed the name by adding part of Yahweh’s name to Hoshea: Yehoshua or Joshua, meaning “Yahweh (is) salvation.” The name “Joshua” in the OT is in the NT, “Jesus.”
Joshua is seen by many as an OT type of Jesus. Look at the similarities:
Born in humility (Joshua born as a slave) ; later exalted to be ruler of his people.
Joshua is successor of Moses; Jesus succeeded Moses and the Law, John 1:17.
For the Law was given through Moses; grace and truth were realized through Jesus Christ.
Joshua, like Jesus, won a victory where Moses had failed (Rom. 8:3-4).
For what the Law could not do, weak as it was through the flesh, God did: sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and as an offering for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh,
so that the requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.
In the time of conflict and defeat both Joshua and Jesus interceded for their own (Joshua 7:5-9; Luke 22:32; 1 John 2:10).
Portions of Israel alloted by Joshua even as Jesus gives gifts and rewards to His own.
Impact of the Name Then and Now
Impact of the Name Then and Now
The name “Jesus” was a common name in the first century. Many copied the name of the great leader of Israel, Joshua.
But it was God’s Messiah that made the common name uncommon. From the time the babe of Mary was called Jesus it was no longer common:
It meant salvation to the shepherds,
It meant healing to the helpless,
It meant destruction to the forces of darkness,
It meant life to the lepers,
it meant resurrection to the dead.
“And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved.”
Today, I would remind you that there is a danger during this time of year. The danger of Christmas is settling for tradition. We must get beyond all the trappings of this season to the truth.
Impact of the Name in the Future
Impact of the Name in the Future
The name of Jesus is associated with coming resurrection, 1 Thess. 4:13-14
But we do not want you to be uninformed, brethren, about those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve as do the rest who have no hope.
For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus.
The name of Jesus is associated with judgment, Philippians 2:10
so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
The name of Jesus is associated with the future events, Revelation 1:1
The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show to His bond-servants, the things which must soon take place; and He sent and communicated it by His angel to His bond-servant John,
“I, Jesus, have sent My angel to testify to you these things for the churches. I am the root and the descendant of David, the bright morning star.”
And Jesus is the Name that will help you today.
The babe was to be called Jesus because He would save His people from their sins. With this news, Joseph must have been overwhelmed. His own Son would provide cleansing from sin, God’s salvation, for Joseph, others, and us.
He can and will save you from your sins when you call upon His Name—Jesus!