THE NAME OF JESUS CHRIST
“Wherefore God also hath highly exalted Him, and given Him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow… And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” — Philippians 2:9-11
Jesus Christ is the name that is above every name! A name greater than, and higher than the angels, the angels who are eternally the messengers of God. Jesus Christ is greater than Gabriel and Michael, the two highest angels of God. Even these great angels will bow to Jesus and call Him holy. His name is above, greater than, higher than all the great men of the past. George Washington was the first president of the United States. He truly was a great man. Abraham Lincoln was a very great president, who made great decisions that saved our nation. In the Bible days, there were great men as Moses, John the Baptist, and Paul. But the greatest man to be ever be born was Jesus Christ.
His Name Shall Be Called Jesus – “And she (Mary) shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call His name Jesus: for He shall save His people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21). The angel from God told Joseph to name the baby, Jesus. The verse explains that His name is Jesus because He shall save His people from sins. The name Jesus means Saviour. Jesus is His earthly name meaning He is the Saviour of all people. Christ is His heavenly name meaning the Anointed One. Christ is used over 300 times in the New Testament. Jesus is His human name, Christ is His holy Name and title. From Christ comes the name Christian. These two names, Jesus and Christ, mean that He is man (Jesus) and also God (The Christ). Jesus Christ, the Son of God!
Who Named Him? – In the Bible days the mother usually named the newborn babe. But Jesus was different from other babies. God sent His name by an angel. Jesus was named by His Heavenly Father, God. The angel spoke to Joseph in a dream saying, “…Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost. And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for He shall save His people from their sins” (Matthew 1:20, 21). Jesus Christ has been given over two hundred different names in the Bible. Can you name some more names?
Some of His names are: Lord, Saviour, Emmanuel, Master, Redeemer, Messiah, Prince of Peace, the King, the Judge, the Way, the Truth, the Light, the Life, the Word, the Door, the Lamb of God, and many more. Just a few names cannot describe or tell the true meaning of the name Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is a name above every name! (Acts 4:12).
THE BIRTH OF JESUS CHRIST
After Adam and Eve were cast out of the Garden, God gave a promise that one day another Adam would come who would not sin “Wherefore, as by one man (Adam) sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned… For if through the offense of one (Adam) many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many” (Romans 5:12-15).
God promised that one day the Devil would be defeated. “And I shall put enmity between thee (Devil) and the woman, and between thy seed (Devil) and her seed (Jesus); it (Jesus) shall bruise thy (Devil) head, and thou shalt bruise his heel (Jesus on Cross)” (Genesis 3:15). From that first promise, people began looking for a Saviour to be born who would forgive their sins. For thousands of years the people prayed that the promised One would be born in their lifetime. The prophets preached about the Son of God coming. The prophets were looking for the coming Messiah, King of Kings, and Saviour to soon come!
Isaiah preached that He would be born of a virgin “Therefore the Lord Himself shall give you a sign, Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call His name Immanuel” (Isaiah 7:14).
Micah preached that He would be born from the tribe of Judah in the city of Bethlehem. “But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall He come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting” (Micah 5:2).
The wise men studied the Scriptures and knew the place and time to look for the newborn King. The time finally arrived. Jesus Christ the Son of God was to be born. Everyone becomes excited and happy about the birth of a new baby. The most exciting birth ever known was the birth of Jesus Christ. His birth separated the dates of years. Before His birth the years were called BC (Before Christ). The present years are called AD Anna Domini (Greek) which means “in the year of our Lord”. The greatest birthday was the birth the Lord Jesus Christ.
His Birth Was Different – Jesus Christ is the only One ever to be born of a virgin “Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call His name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us” (Matthew 1:23). This means that Mary did not know a man as her husband. Joseph was the husband of Mary but not the father of Jesus. God was the father of Jesus Christ. “…she was found with child of the Holy Ghost” “…for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost” (Matthew 1: 18-20).
