You Shall Call His Name Jesus

Opening Remarks

Our passage this afternoon takes us back once again to the town of Nazareth. We turn back the clock on last weeks passage by some 30 years and ponder together the visitation of the angel Gabriel to a young virgin named Mary.

On this, the second Sunday in Advent our focus is on love. And when I read this passage I can’t help but wonder at the magnitude of what happened all those centuries ago in a dusty backwater town called Nazareth. I can’t help but think of the words of John 3:16 - “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

Today we marvel and celebrate this moment in history when God manifested His love to us all by choosing to send His son into the world.

Jesus came in the flesh as a love gift to us from the Godhead.

It is through Jesus and through Him alone that we fully experience God’s love for us.

English Standard Version Chapter 1

26 In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, 27 to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. And the virgin’s name was Mary. 28 And he came to her and said, “Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!”

In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy God sends the angel Gabriel to Nazareth to visit Mary. So what do we know about this character Gabriel?

His name in Hebrew means ‘man of God’ or strength of God.

He is an angel, or messenger of God. He isn’t named specifically as an archaengel in the Bible but is in extra biblical sources and is generally considered to be an archangel along with Michael.

He only visits three people in the Bible, Mary, Zechariah (the father of John the Baptist) and Daniel. On each occassion His appearance has something to do with the coming of the Messiah.

His appearance generally seems to make people scared, he has to reassure Mary not to be afraid, Daniel falls on his face and Zechariah is gripped by fear. Daniel says that he has the appearance of a man. Though we often see angels depicted with wings, we don’t have any reason to believe that Gabriel appeared with wings. However he looked he certainly made a striking impression.

Gabriel tells Mary that she is favoured and that the Lord is with her.

Through what God was about to do in Mary these things would also be true of whoever would put their trust in Jesus Christ her son.

English Standard Version Chapter 1

29 But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be. 30 And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31 And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, 33 and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.”

Gabriel tells Mary that she will conceive in her womb and bear a son, yet also that this boy will also be God’s Son. He will be the son of Mary and the Son of the Most high.

She is to call Him Jesus, יהושע in Hebrew, which is the same as Joshua. It literally means ‘YHWH will save.’

Here in these two short verses are two deep ravines of truth about Jesus Christ, concerning His nature; who He is. And His mission; what He does.

In terms of His nature, we see that He will be born of Mary and be her son but also be God’s Son. He will be both human and divine; truly man and truly God. Not that Jesus was part man, part God, but both God and man in one person without division.

The Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit Sermons, Vol. XXX “He Shall Be Great” (No. 1,760)

He is God. He is man. He is all that God is, and all that man is as God created him. He is as truly God as if he were not man, and yet as completely and perfectly man as if he were not God. Think of this wondrous combination!

Only one who was truly human could stand as substitute and pay the penalty for human sin, and only one who was truly God could bear in themself the full weight of God’s wrath against sin.

In terms of His mission, we are told that His name will be Jesus, meaning The LORD will save. His mission is to rescue, to save a people. He came to show mercy, to show love, to save people from sin and judgement. And we’re told that He will be great:

He will be the greatest saviour!

Hebrews 7:22-25 - This makes Jesus the guarantor of a better covenant. The former priests were many in number, because they were prevented by death from continuing in office, but he holds his priesthood permanently, because he continues forever. Consequently, he is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them.

English Standard Version Chapter 1

34 And Mary said to the angel, “How will this be, since I am a virgin?”

35 And the angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God. 36 And behold, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren. 37 For nothing will be impossible with God.”

When Mary hears this she asks ‘How will this be, since I have never been with a man’. Her question seems very similar to the question that Zacharias asks Gabriel in the temple for which Gabriel strikes him dumb. But Mary asks ‘How will this happen?’ Zacharias asks ‘How will I know for certain this will happen.’ Her question was one of genuine curiosity about how she would become pregnant since she wasn’t married, Zacharias wanted to do a Gideon and ‘put out the fleece’ to make sure.

The angel tells her that the Holy Spirit will come upon her and that the Most High will overshadow her, this is how she will conceive. The word for overshadow is the same word used for when the glory cloud of God’s presence would settle upon the tabernacle.

Just as the shekinah presence of God overshadowed Mary and she conceived, the Spirit of God will cause you to conceive new life today. When He overshadows a sinner He causes a new heart to grow in place of the old one. Whenever we choose to live and walk under the cloud of God’s presence every day we are inviting Him to birth new things in us; new vision, fresh courage, renewed strength, deeper encounters with Him.

For nothing will be impossible with God!

The Greek includes an extra two words often not translated ‘every word.’ That is to say that every word God speaks, every promise, every prophecy will come to pass. Nothing can stand in the way of Him bringing His will to pass. What is impossible with man is possible for God. Are you facing impossible situations? Difficulties that seem unsolvable? Take heart, nothing is impossible with God.

English Standard Version Chapter 1

38 And Mary said, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.

Mary at this point doesn’t ask any more questions; but what about Joseph? What about my parents? When will this happen? She just says ‘let it be to me according to your word. There’s no worry or fear in her tone, but just a calm resignation to the will of God for her life. How often have I struggled with providence, that is the things of life. God, what now? How will this get done now that this has happened? What shall I do now? How will I cope if this happens? Oh to be like Mary and simply say ‘Oh Lord, let it be to me according to your word.’

This Christmas season lets remember the things that this short passage teaches us

God sent Jesus because He loves you.

He came to save you.

All in Christ are highly favoured of God.

Through Christ God is with us.

Wherever the Spirit is, new life follows.

Nothing will be impossible with God.

Rest into God’s plan for your life, accept it, embrace it, love it.

Pray