How would you like to have an angel of the Lord appear to you in a dream? That’s what happened to Joseph right in the middle of his most trying time. He did not know what to do about Mary.
The angel gave him the news he needed. This baby in Mary’s womb was going to be special, the One who would save His people from their sins. It was God’s nudge to Joseph to hang in there. And he did. He named the baby Jesus, just as the angel instructed.
In Joseph’s dream, it was revealed that all this was to fulfill God’s word through the prophet Isaiah that a virgin would conceive a child and give birth to a son who would be called Immanuel.
Another name for Jesus. What does this one mean?
The name Jesus gives us insight into His mission to save His people from their sins. Immanuel tells us who He is. The name means God is with us. This babe was God in human flesh.
Jesus grew, carried out His mission, was raised from the dead and then ascended into heaven to take up His rightful place at the right hand of God the Father.
But He also takes up residence in us through the Holy Spirit. As Paul wrote to the Galatians, “…Christ lives in me…” As believers, God is with us everyday, living in and through us. Let that sink in. It is truly mind-boggling.
What’s in a name. When it comes to Jesus, our Immanuel, it is good news!
Month: December 2013
What's in a Name?
Joseph was conflicted. What should he do about Mary?
She was pregnant, and he wasn’t the father. After looking at all the options, he decided to divorce her quietly.
But that wasn’t God’s plan.
An angel appeared to Joseph with this message: “She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus…”
Why that name?
Because that name has meaning. It speaks of Jesus’ mission — “he will save his people from their sins.”
But how? Consider these three points.
- Jesus frees us from the punishment of sin.
- Jesus delivers us from the power of sin.
- Jesus will eventually remove us from the presence of sin.
Jesus Christ is our savior in every sense of the word. He saves us completely from our sins.
That’s what is in His name.