Gospel in the Name of "Jesus" (Matt. 1:21)

I was asked to write a devotional for the Christmas issue of the RTS Leadership & Ministry magazine. As I prayed about what to share, I remembered a small portion of a lecture by Dr. Bob Strimple, where he explained the often under-appreciated meaning of the name of "Jesus." Dr. Strimple was my professor of Systematic Theology at Westminster Seminary in California. This article was inspired by that small lesson from my great teacher.


Introduction
Choosing a name for children is a special and meaningful tradition for Christian parents. Recently, a student at RTS/DC celebrated the birth of their newest child, Christopher. The parents chose this name because of its meaning, “Christ Bearer.” The father shared that he and his wife chose the name for their oldest daughter, Cora Bella, because in Italian it means “beautiful maiden.” Their desire was that she would grow to be a “beautiful maiden” for the Lord. One of the earliest things that a child learns in life is his or her own name. Christian parents hope that the meaning of their child’s name will provide a godly first step on the path of a life dedicated in faithful service to our Savior.
In Matthew 1:18-23, we see that Christ is given the name Jesus. There is no doubt that this name was common amongst the Jews; as much as the name “Peter” is in our day. Having said that, for the Gospel writer, this name provided a deep insight to understanding the true identity of this child and His divine mission. Sadly, the celebration and reading of this passage is limited to the Christmas holidays. It is placed on the cover of greeting cards along with superficial and generic statements of good will, such as “Happy Holidays,” that empties it of its Christological and redemptive focus. It is a passage of Scripture that has become commercialized with little impact on the human heart. For the original audience of this text, this name is nothing short of the revelation of the message of the Christian Gospel. That is what this brief article hopes to demonstrate.

The Giving of the NameThe name given to the child of this passage is “Jesus.” The first point of note is the fact that the parents, Joseph and Mary, are not given the freedom to choose the name of this child. One could rightly argue that the child, because he was conceived supernaturally by the Holy Spirit, was named by His rightful Father. The name is divinely chosen by God who reveals it to Joseph and Mary through His angelic messenger. We see this pattern often in Scripture where the name of either individuals or locations is given to communicate a divine message. Think of the children of the prophet Hosea in Hosea 1:2-2:1. In these divinely chosen names, God reveals the sanctions for covenant violation upon the Israelites. They are “Lo-Ammi,” “not my people.” They are “Lo-Ruhammah,” “no mercy.” Interestingly, the apostle Peter alludes to these very names in 1 Peter 2:10 in describing the Christians before and after the redeeming work of Christ. “You were once ‘Not my People,’ but now you are the ‘people of God.’” In so doing, the apostle suggests that the people of God, in their redemption, received a new name; we were once “not my people,” but our new name as a new creation is now “My people” and “Mercy.”
In Matthew 1:21 God takes the divine initiative to reveal His message of salvation and hope, and He does this in the giving of this name. He does not wait for the child to communicate the message of salvation; the Gospel message is declared by the divine messenger in the provision of the name.


The Meaning of the NameThis leads us to the next point, the meaning of the name “Jesus.” Jesus, the name that God provides, is the Greek form of the Hebrew name “Joshua,” which means “Yahweh is salvation.” Yet according to our passage, this name was chosen because this child would be the one to “save his people from their sins.” How can this child be the one who saves when his name specifically states that “Yahweh is salvation,” meaning Yahweh will save? Can both in fact be true? One can see how the Divine provision of this name connects the identity of the child with that of the covenantal God of the Jews. If it is true that this child will save his people and if indeed his name means “Yahweh is salvation,” or possibly “Yahweh will save,” then this child must be Yahweh! That is the message that Matthew communicates by recording this event in the life of our Savior. The child will save His people because this child is Yahweh! His Divine identity is revealed even further when Matthew cites Isaiah 7:14 in Matthew 1:22 as fulfilled in his birth. In that regard, his name is not only Jesus, “Yahweh is salvation,” but also Immanuel, “God is with us.”
Genesis 3:15 prophesied the birth of a child from a woman who would “crush the head of the serpent,” namely Satan. From that point on, the Old Testament progressively reveals the identity of this child. He would be the son of Abraham (Gen. 12:1-3), the great king in the line of David (2 Samuel 7:14), the suffering servant (Isaiah 53: 2-12), even the anointed one, Messiah the prince (Daniel 9:26-27). The Old Testament began with God as the Alpha-Prophet who uttered that inaugural, nativity prophecy of life, and the New Testament begins with the same exact image: the nativity of a child, the child. As we read Scripture, we, along with the original ancient audience, could only imagine that this Messiah would come with the pomp and pageantry that is worthy of His presence. We are awed, however, by the fact that the climax of redemptive history is one of such humility and meekness. All prior divine acts and messages of redemption culminate in this birth. Matthew tells us that this was no ordinary child. This was the Yahweh-child, the God-man: this child was the fulfillment of a promise made ages ago and He came to save His people by crushing the head of Satan (Rom. 16:20).


The Significance of the Name
We are first awed that this child is Yahweh. Then we realize that this child, Yahweh himself, was born to “save His people from their sins.” We know that He accomplishes this by giving His own life on the cross and also in His subsequent, glorious resurrection. Before we can even celebrate that the Lord has come in the birth of the child, we are called to meditate on His eventual sacrifice on the cross because the message of the Gospel is that in His death is our salvation. Looming over this newly born child, then, is the shadow of the cross. One day, this child will come to the “hill of the skulls” and fulfill His promise of life to His people, but this will only be accomplished at the expense of His own. One must always, always, always remember that this supernatural birth was one with a clear and decisive redemptive goal, one which was revealed in His name at His birth. We live because the child would die! This name above all names not only shows the revelation of the Divine Person of Christ, but also His Work of atonement on behalf of His people.
As I write this, even now my heart is filled with thanksgiving and joy for this blessed child and the message of the Gospel so embedded in His name. The Christmas message gives hope to those who are burdened with dread, darkness, and death. In this child is LIFE for Yahweh has come to save His people. The guilt of sins, the burden of circumstances, even the fear of the unknown future cannot overcome the salvation of Yahweh so graciously revealed in the name of “Jesus.” So often in the history of redemption, praise follows great redemptive acts of God. When the Israelites saw the salvation of God in the parting of the Red Sea and His judgment against the soldiers of Pharaoh, the Israelites celebrated with praise: Exodus 15, the Song by the Sea that praises Yahweh as the Divine warrior. After the birth of Samuel in 1 Samuel 1, Hannah praises the Lord in song: Hannah’s prayer in 1 Samuel 2. We see this pattern also in the Gospels. To announce the birth of this child, the Gospel writer Luke records the appearance of a myriad of angels. As this divine, heavenly counsel finally witness what they anticipated from eternity, they erupt in boisterous praise “Glory to God in the Highest” (Luke 2:10-14)! As we recollect this Divine birth, so we also are called to praise our Savior for the blessedness of His coming. In so doing, we join with this angelic choir in this majestic anthem of praise, declaring aloud throughout all the created cosmos, truly “Glory to God in the Highest!” God bless all of us as we remember the birth of the Yahweh-child.