Name of All Names
Matthew 1:18–25
You shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins. Matthew 1:21
What a name this was!
Jesus is the Greek form of the Hebrew name Jehoshua, Jeshua, or Joshua, and it means literally “Jehovah is Salvation.” So the message to Joseph centered primarily on the great work Jesus was to do. Jesus was to be the agent of God’s salvation, and his work was to “save his people from their sins,” as the angel explained clearly.
But there is more in the name Jesus even than this. The name also means that Jesus is the Savior-God himself, as indicated by Matthew’s reference to Isaiah’s prophecy of the virgin birth and to the name Immanuel, which means “God with us” (see vv. 22–23). It is as the incarnate Son of God that Jesus achieved our salvation, and it is as the eternal God-man that he now represents us and intercedes for us before the Father.
The Bible lists many names for Jesus.
He is the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End, the Alpha and the Omega, the Ancient of Days.
He is King of Kings and Lord of Lords. He is the Anointed One, the Messiah.
He is the Prophet and the Priest.
He is the Savior, the Only Wise God our Savior.
He is our Wonderful Counselor, the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace.
He is the Almighty.
He is the Door of the Sheep, the Good Shepherd, the Great Shepherd, the Chief Shepherd, the Shepherd and Bishop of our souls.
He is the Lamb, the Lamb without Spot or Blemish, the Lamb Slain from before the Foundation of the World.
He is the Logos, the Light, the Light of the World, the Light of Life, the Tree of Life, the Word of Life, the Bread That Came Down from Heaven, the Spring—if a person drink of it, he will never thirst again.
He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life.
He is the Resurrection, the Resurrection and the Life.
He is our Rock, our Bridegroom, our Beloved.
He is our Redeemer.
He is the One Who Is Altogether Lovely.
He is the Head over all things which is his body, the church.
He is God with Us, Immanuel.
But above all, he is Jesus. Jesus. We love him for that name, because he came to save his people from their sins.
Taken from Come to the Waters by James Boice ISBN 9798887790954 used with permission from P&R Publishing, Phillipsburg NJ 08865
Scripture quotations are from the ESV (the Holy Bible English Standard Version) copyright 2001 by Crossway a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. All rights reserved.