One Name = Jesus

Reflection: So far in our ‘One Name’ devotion, we’ve learned that the name of Jesus is higher than any other, that it declares him to be Lord and Saviour, and that the New Testament teaches that the name of Jesus aligns with Yahweh – that is, Jesus is God.

But what about the name Jesus? Why was this first-century baby born in Roman-occupied Judea named Jesus, and not one of many other powerful religious names available?

As our reading today shows, the name Jesus was a specific command from the angel Gabriel to Joseph, the earthly father. But Jesus is probably not the form of the name Joseph heard from the angel. As a first-century carpenter from Galilee, Joseph most likely spoke Hebrew and/or Aramaic, and so the name he was commanded to give Mary’s son was Yehoshua or Yeshua for short. In English – Joshua. The name means ‘Yahweh saves’ or ‘the Lord is salvation’.

But the New Testament was handed down to us in the Greek language, which was the predominant language of the Roman empire, In Greek, Yeshua is Iēsous, which became Jesus in English.

So, we can see that it’s not necessarily the pronunciation of the name that is important but its meaning and its purpose. Jesus’ main purpose was to save people, a purpose for which he gave his life. He didn’t come to judge, he didn’t come to punish, he didn’t come to destroy. He came to save anyone who would put their trust in him. (John 3:16).

When we pray, preach, or act in Jesus’ name, what we are really saying is that our prayers, words, and actions flow from Jesus’ authority, align with his character, are produced by relationship, and reflect Jesus’ heart. The power we might have as believers comes from our deep, trusting, humble dependency on Jesus, and not from invoking a label or making a wish.

One Name today: Before we are quick to speak out in Jesus’ name, let’s sit at Jesus’ feet and learn from him, abide in him, and rest in him, allowing his forgiveness and grace to change us so our words more closely align with the authority of his name.