What a Beautiful Name
On the eighth day, when it was time to circumcise the child, he was named Jesus, the name the angel had given him before he was conceived.
Luke 2:21 NIV
“Ha ha, what is his real name?”
This was my mum’s first response when I rang her just after my son was born to tell her we were calling him Digby. To be fair to her, Digby is not a common name and I have a habit of teasing her. I am also not much better. When I met my wife Sinead as a teenager, I spent a lot of time trying to work out how to spell her name (I didn’t get it right).
Interestingly our love for a name often grows with our love for the person. Even names that we strongly dislike from our past can grow on us with a new positive association.
Joseph was told by an angel to name Mary’s child, his adopted son, Jesus. The name is an adaptation of the Hebrew name Joshua which means ‘God saves’. In so many ways it is a fitting name for the Son of God as it is through him that we have been saved from our sins. Yet the name means so much more to us as we grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ.
Psalm 8 begins and ends with the line “LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!” (Psalm 8:1 NIV). The psalmist, King David, wanted the whole world to know the name of God. This is a theme in many of the psalms – that the whole world would see and acknowledge the greatness of God – of his love for us, his unfailing goodness, his never-ending mercy, and his limitless grace.
For those who are perishing, the name of Jesus may seem like any other. They may laugh at how differently it is pronounced from one language to another. But for those of us who are being saved, it is the power of God. It is the beautiful name. The name above all other names. It is the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
Prayer
Heavenly Father, you alone are worthy of praise. Let me declare your glories to the world. Let me be a witness to your beautiful name – sharing your goodness and love with all those that I meet. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
Study by Gavin Henderson
About the writer:
Gavin Henderson is the National Ministry Leader for GCI UK and Ireland
Local congregation:
GCI Northampton Ecton
Village Hall
78A High Street
Ecton
NORTHAMPTON
NN6 0QB
Meeting time: Saturday 11am
Local congregational contact: Email: northampton@gracecom.church
Word of Life contact: wordoflife@gracecom.church