Easter: Because God Called Him Jesus

The names given to Jesus are of great importance. 

• We wish to emphasize the importance of the name “Jesus,” 
• for the name of Jesus serves as a guarantee of our salvation. 
• His Name means “Savior.” 

Actually, it is not the name but the giving of the name, which serves as a guarantee that Jesus is really our Savior. 

• We say this because other men were given the name Jesus. 
• The name Jesus is the Greek form of the Jewish name Joshua. 

In the Old Testament we read of four persons who were given this name. 

• There was Joshua, the son of Nun, who led the people of Israel after the death of Moses (cf. Exodus 17:9). 
• There was also Joshua of Beth-Shemesh, in whose field the cart bearing the ark of the LORD came when it was sent back to Israel by the Philistines (cf. 1 Samuel 6:14). 
• The third Joshua whom we meet in Scripture was the son of Jehozadak, the high priest who led the exiles home from the captivity, along with Zerubbabel (cf. Haggai 1:1). 
• The fourth Joshua was the governor of Jerusalem in the days of King Josiah (cf. 2 Kings 23:8). 

That Jesus bore this name is in itself no guarantee that He is truly the Savior of His people. 

• The guarantee is in the giving of this name. 
• The other men who bore the same name were given this name by their parents. 
• Yet Mary and Joseph did not choose this name for their Son. 
• They were commanded by God to give Him this name. 
• The angel Gabriel said, “You shall call His name Jesus,” (cf. Matthew 1:21). 

God gave this name to His Son. 

• And because God called Him Jesus, 
• we are assured that He is what His name indicates. 
• God gave this name to His Son for our sake, 
• that we might be assured that Jesus is really our Savior.

From what would Jesus save us? 

• This was made clear in the birth announcement which the angel Gabriel proclaimed to Joseph. 
• “He will save His people from their sins” (cf. Matthew 1:21). 

It was necessary for the angel to point this out, 

• for the Jews looked for a political redeemer to save them from the power of the Romans. 
• Yet that was not Jesus’ work. 

To be continued...

Adapted Excerpt From

Only By True Faith

A. VanDelden