“Then you will ask in My Name. I’m not saying I will ask the Father on your behalf, for the Father himself loves you dearly because you love Me and believe that I came from God. Yes, I came from the Father into the world, and now I will leave the world and return to the Father.” — John 16:26-28
The Bible is well-known for presenting personal names of people that have a particular meaning. For example, the first two humans named in the Bible are Adam and Eve. The name Adam means “earthy or red,” as he was “formed out of the dust of earth” (Genesis 2:7). Eve in turn means, “living” because “she would be the mother of all living” (Genesis 3:20). The name Moses means, “taken out or drawn forth.” He was named by Pharaoh’s daughter, “who adopted him as her own son. The princess named him Moses, for she explained, “I lifted him out of the water” (Exodus 2:10).
The name Jesus is no exception and has a very interesting and revealing etymology that begins in the Old Testament. Follow me to the book of Numbers. One of the ten spies sent by Moses into the promised land was “a son of Nun named Hoshea” (Numbers 13:8). Hoshea means, “salvation.” However, before sending him out Moses changed his name to Joshua which means, “Yahweh saves” (Numbers 3:16).
You will recall that when Moses approached the burning bush in the wilderness, God revealed for the first time His personal name as Yahweh (Exodus 3:14). Joshua in turn is the same spelling in Hebrew for Yeshua or Jesus. The name Jesus literally means “Yahweh saves” or “Yahweh the Savior.” Joshua and Jesus are two forms of the same name.
The New Testament is filled with the resulting assurances and attributes of our Lord’s name. Here are a few examples:
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Love and compassion will be shown in His Name: And whoever welcomes a little child like this in MY Name welcomes Me (Matthew 18:5).
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There is authority in His Name: For where two or three come together in My Name, there am I with them (Matthew 18:20).
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We can ask for anything in His Name: And I will do whatever you ask in My Name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father. You may ask Me for anything in My Name, and I will do it (John 14:13-14).
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The Holy Spirit was sent in His Name: But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, Whom the Father will send in My Name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you (John 14:26-27).
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The Gospel will be preached in His Name: And repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached in His Name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. (Luke 24:47).
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Forgiveness is in His Name: All the prophets testify about Him that everyone who believes in Him receives forgiveness of sins through His name (Acts 10:43).
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Salvation is in His Name and in His Name alone: Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other Name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved (Acts 4:12).
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All praise is in His Name: Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that confess His Name (Hebrews 13:5).
TAKEAWAY:
The apostle Paul gave the Name of Jesus the highest acclaim of all when he wrote these words to the church at Philippi: “Therefore, God elevated Him to the place of highest honor and gave Him the Name above all other names, that at the Name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue declare that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Philippians 2:9-11).
Coming Up:
Principle Number Five: “Forgiving As We Pray —Uh Oh!”
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