Daily Devotional

Neither Joseph nor Mary had anything to do with the naming of their Son. Jesus was chosen by God, Himself. This is significant.
“Jesus” was an indication of ownership. The fact that God named this Child means that He establishes Himself as the true Father of what was to come into the world. This Child was so much God’s possession that He was God (John 1:1).
“Jesus” was a statement of His purpose. Jesus is the Greek form of the Hebrew name, Jehoshua (Joshua), and it means Salvation or Deliverer. With this name, God was declaring to the world that Salvation had arrived. We celebrate Advent, for it serves as evidence that God has met our greatest need. Jesus came to be our salvation. Jesus is our expiation and our propitiation.
About “Jesus,” Paul would write, “He was given a Name that is above every name.” He said, “At the name of Jesus, every knee shall bow, of things in heaven and things in earth and things under the earth, and every tongue shall confess that Christ is Lord of all (Philippians 2:9-11).” And it’s in that Name, it’s in that Promise of Salvation that we may place our hope and trust.
“Jesus” came because we had a problem we couldn’t resolve on our own: “All have sinned and come short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23).” But the same “Jesus” that identified our problem also prescribed our solution: “The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life (Romans 6:23)…God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but shall have everlasting life (John 3:16)…I am the Resurrection and the Life; he that believes in Me shall live, even though he dies; and the one who believes in Me shall never die (John 11:25, 26).”

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