“You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus. He will be very great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David.” – Luke 1:31-32
One of the songs I remember when I first became a Christian was a song by the Gaithers, “There’s Just Something About That Name.” It’s lyrics were simple but stunning. It goes like this:
Jesus, Jesus, Jesus! There’s just something about that name!
Master, Savior, Jesus, Like the fragrance after the rain.
Jesus, Jesus, Jesus! Let all heaven and earth proclaim:
Kings and kingdoms will all pass away, But there’s something about that name!
Literally, the name Jesus is a combination of two Hebrew words meaning, “Yahweh the Savior.” Yahweh is the personal name of God revealed to Moses. He is the “I AM WHO I AM” (Exodus 3:14). Jesus was God in the flesh, the Savior of the world.
Let me tell you something I’ve noticed about the use of that name. Nothing can get a reaction like the name, Jesus. You can say “God loves you” and people will smile and often say thank you. You can say, “Jesus loves you” and they will often look at you like you’re weird. The name Jesus evokes emotion – because it is “the name that is above every name (Philippians 2:8), and the devil hates it and so do those who are indifferent to God.
And there’s something else about that name. Jesus is the only name that can save a person from their sins. His is the only name by which a person can find God. In the person of Jesus Christ we find salvation because he is “Yahweh the Savior.” Only by faith in Jesus alone can we find redemption. There is no other name (John 14:6; Acts 4:12).
Jesus’ birth was foretold and promised by the prophets of God and recorded by the gospel writers to proclaim the fulfillment of that promise. God entered into our time and space to invite us to share in the kingdom of His dear Son.
Will you share His invitation with others? I will. Just start by saying, “Jesus loves you,” and see what happens. You may win a new friend and have a great conversation. Maranatha!
