“Therefore God exalted Him to the highest place and gave Him the name that is above every name…”
– Philippians 2:9
The story of redemption begins in the first book of the Bible. In the early part of Genesis, after Adam and Eve had disobeyed God through the temptation of the serpent, God promised that a Redeemer would come who would crush the head of that serpent (Genesis 3). This was the first offering of the “good news” of God’s saving grace. As the years went by, God meticulously arranged people and events in such a way that brought about the coming of this serpent crusher.
When the time was right God united two ordinary people, Mary and Joseph, who would become the last pieces of the redemption puzzle. When these two were betrothed, an angel came and announced that God was about to take on flesh and become like the ones who needed salvation (Luke 1). This angel gave very specific instruction as to the name this child must have.
“Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.” – Matthew 1:20-21
Jesus—for He will save His people.
This name should be the most precious of names to us. In this name, we are forgiven of sin and reconciled to God.
Throughout the Scriptures, we see the importance of names. Names often say something about a person’s character. Take Jacob, for example, whose name means “deceiver”. Other times a name reflects a person’s calling, like when Abram’s name was changed to Abraham, meaning “the father of nations”.
When it comes to God, one name just isn’t adequate enough to tell of His great character and mighty power. One name simply cannot contain our Savior.
This Christmas season, join us as we look at four names that reveal to us the greatness of Jesus.
His name is…
The Alpha and Omega. Though Jesus was born like all humans are born, He actually has no beginning or end. He is the One in whom all things have their beginning and their ending.
The Bright Morning Star. The Christmas star guided the wise men to the Savior of the nations, but it is Jesus Himself who is our Bright Morning Star, who guides us to the Kingdom of God where we may find value, life, and freedom from sin.
The Good Shepherd. The job of a shepherd was hard. You had to be watchful and you had to be willing to risk your life for the sheep. Jesus is the Great Shepherd. His care for His people is constant. He not only watches over His sheep continually, but He went so far as to give His life so His sheep would be safe.
The Prince of Peace. In the world and in our own hearts, peace is not something that is found very easily. When we do seem to have a measure of it, it can be unstable and easily lost. But Jesus tells us that He is the Prince of Peace. In Him, we can possess a peace that surpasses all understanding (Phil. 4:7).
Our prayer is that this Christmas you will look deeper into the person of Jesus through a closer examination of His names. May God cause us to grow in faith and adoration through a true knowledge of His Son.
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Friends, join us on Monday as we begin our His Name Is... a 4 week Christmas study! Grab your journal here and join us!
Looking for our His Name Is… translations? You can find them here!
Wanting to get prepared for our upcoming His Name Is… study? Find our materials and resources here.
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