Matthew 1 18-21 2007
Advent 4
Matthew 1:18–21
December 23, 2007
“The Name of Jesus”
after L. Poppe,
What is in a name? I guess most of us understand that with a name comes an identity. I guess that is why people that try to sell us things work very hard at finding the right name. That name may very well determine the success or failure of their product. What is in a name? All of us have names. Well, why were you named the name you have? Was there a reason? Maybe during the holidays you can ask your parents why they gave you the name you have. Some names have meanings. Here are some…
It was eight days after his birth, the day of circumcision, and Joseph named the child Jesus. The name “Jesus” was not unusual. It was a variation of “Joshua,” a common name among the Jews. But the meaning behind the name is very significant, for it means “God saves.” And this Jesus, this Joshua, was not common. He was extraordinary. Yes, he was Mary’s son, fully human. While He was fully human, He was also divine. He was truly and fully God. He was God’s own Son, come into the world to save us from our sins. He did so by his death on the cross and his resurrection from the dead. His name was Jesus, “God Saves.” So he was rightly named.
In catechism class we associate the birth of Christ with his humiliation. Usually when we think of the word humiliation we think of a time when we were utterly embarrassed, like having our pants fall down while playing a game on the play ground, or making some human sound at the wrong time. Humiliation comes from the word humility, that is… the quality or condition of being humble; modest opinion or estimate of one's own importance, rank, etc. Humility comes from the word humble. So when we speak of the humiliation of Jesus Christ we understand that it is when God humbled Himself. He became man. Humiliation………
The humiliation of Christ, the eternally begotten Son of God, is that for a time he did not use all of his divine power. He looked common—a plain infant, child and man, a plain carpenter—yet what he spoke was as precious as gold. The authority by which he spoke was that of the only Son of God who was with the Father in the beginning and through whom all things were made. There was power in his words—power to save. He confirmed his divine authority with works of divine power. His miracles attested to his divinity.
His name is Jesus. It is a very special name. It is a name that you also have been given as this was the holy name you were baptized into. There’s a story about a 13-year-old orphan who was about to be adopted. He had been abandoned as an infant, and no one knew who his parents were. All his life he was known only as Mark because he had no last name of his own. He was nobody’s. But now he was going to be Mark Somebody - Mark Jones or Mark Smith. He would have a name. Having a name meant that he was wanted, chosen, somebody—and somebody’s.
In your Baptism you were brought into a name. In Baptism you were chosen, wanted, somebody, somebody’s. You are the Lord’s. Do you remember who you were? Before you were baptized, you were a slave to sin. Jesus said, “Everyone who sins is a slave to sin.” But Jesus didn’t stop there. “Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever. So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.” Jesus has set you free from the guilt of your sin—not just as a freed slave, but freed with the freedom of son-ship. You belong to God forever, not as a slave, but as a beloved son. “How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!”
The name of God is on you. Remember in the movie Toy Story how the little boy wrote his name on his favorite toy, and this became a badge of honor among all the toys? God has baptized you into his name. You are his, a precious possession. And he is not ashamed for everyone to know that you belong to him. Isaiah says God has also written your name on the palm of his hand. He chose you before the creation of the world and called you by name. You are his. You are more than an adopted child.
There has been a great exchange. You have been given the name of Jesus. You are Christian. When God looks at you He sees His son. He see you as holy because Christ lived for us and gave us His holiness. We on the other hand have given Him our sin. For this He was crucified and died. Your sins were given to him, placed in him. He died for them. In Jesus, at the cross, our sinful ugliness was crucified with Him. Paul states, “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me” (Gal 2:20). Through Christ’s death God gives you gives you life. He gives you his living name; he gives you his Spirit; he gives you himself.
What does all this mean for you. Well, as you remember the Lord’s birth remember also his special name. The Name of Jesus— a name at which every knee shall bow, in heaven, on earth, and under the earth - a name that goes before us so that we can praise Him and give Him thanks - a name that is on us so that on Judgment Day there can be no argument as to whom we belong. A name that is in us that has the power of life and victory over all evil. Indeed, if God is for us, who can prevail against us?
As Christmas approaches we Christians gladly rejoice. We know what the Lord has done. It is true. “God saves” and Jesus name gives us meaning for our lives. Amen.