The Name of Jesus

 

I began thinking the other day about all the different names that people call me. I’m “Doctor” in the office and “Mister” outside the office. I’m “Daddy” to our daughter, “Dear” to my wife, and “Jim” to most of my family and friends. I’m the youngest in my family so I’m still “Jimmy” to some of my relatives, which goes to show that you are always the baby in the family no matter how old you get! There are even a few people who call me “James”. I’m comfortable with all these names because they are representative of my relationships with the people who call me by them.

 

When we read the Bible, we see many different names and titles that are given to Jesus. They each represent some part of His nature. We’re all familiar with these terms, but, in that familiarity, we run the risk of not fully appreciating what they mean to us. Today, let’s stop and reflect on our relationship with Jesus and what He means to us. Make some time for a ten minute retreat with the Lord.

 

Jesus.  “She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21). The name Jesus means, “The Lord saves”.  He is our Savior and Redeemer, obtaining eternal life for us through His death and resurrection. This is the greatest gift that we will ever receive.

 

Immanuel. “The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel – which means ‘God with us’ “ (Matthew 1:23, Isaiah 7:14). Jesus did not abandon us when He returned to heaven. He sent His Spirit to always be with us. No matter what may happen to us, we are never alone, our help is always near at hand. And, just as God is with us now, someday we will be with Him for eternity.

 

Son of Man.  “Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life” (John 3:15). Jesus humbled Himself to become a man. He walked this earth just as we do now. He understands what our life is like. He has given us an example of how we should live each day.

 

Lamb of God. “John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, ‘Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world’ “ (John 1:29). The Israelites sacrificed a lamb as a sin offering.  Jesus offered Himself as the perfect sacrifice. He suffered and died to obtain forgiveness for our sins. Remembering that He is the Lamb of God reminds us of the great price He paid to set us free.

 

Good Shepherd. “I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me – just as the Father knows me and I know the Father – and I lay down my life for the sheep” (John 10:14). Jesus cares deeply about us. He protects us from harm and calls us to greater closeness with Him. He treats us gently and lovingly. He seeks us out when we stray from Him. We have our best life when we follow Him.

 

The Light of the World. “(Jesus) said, ‘I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life’ “ (John 8:12).  When we follow Jesus and trust in Him, He lights the way before us. His light dispels the darkness of the world and keeps us safe from it. When we allow His light to penetrate to the depths of our being, it illuminates those areas that need healing or changing.

 

The Bread of Life. “Jesus declared, ‘I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty’ “ (John 6:35). We need food in order to survive physically. We also need spiritual food in order to sustain us. Jesus provides all that we need if we will only come and partake. Just as the Israelites had to gather manna in the desert each day, we need to daily place our trust in Him to provide for us.

 

The Vine. “I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing” (John 15:5). Jesus never exaggerates or lies. He says that we can do nothing apart from Him. He must be at the center of all we do. We must remain in Him if we are to accomplish anything for the Kingdom, which is the only work that survives. We are nourished by the Vine when we are attached to it. The fruit we produce will be holy because the Vine is holy.

 

Prince of Peace. “For to us a child is born…..and he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:6). Jesus is the source of our peace. We have peace with God through His atoning sacrifice. We have peace with the world through  His Spirit dwelling within us. We can know His peace in the middle of our trials. He can bring peace to our relationships.

 

Cornerstone. “You are…..fellow citizens with God’s people…..built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone”  (Ephesians 2:20). The cornerstone sets the foundation on which everything else is built. Jesus should be the cornerstone of our lives, upon which we base all that we do. Every aspect of our lives should be in accordance with Jesus’ direction.

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The individual posts in this blog have been collected into a book, Reflections From the Basic Truths Blog.  It is available for free as an ebook through Barnes and Noble, https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/reflections-from-the-basic-truths-blog-james-yarmchuk/1147055811?ean=2940181202702, Apple Books, and multiple other book websites. It is available for a minimal charge on Amazon and can also be purchased as a paperback through them.