What's in a Name?

Twenty-first century Christians often get euphoric about the name Jesus. Certainly, the Bible exalts the name of Jesus, but the name of Jesus as the Bible intends is much more than Jesus. The love affair that many have with the word Jesus is a very shallow understanding.

First of all his mother never called him Jesus. He was a Jew named Yeshua. Translated into Greek that is Jesus (pronounced ha sus). The English transliteration of the Greek is Jesus, but the English transliteration of what his mother called him is Joshua. Christ, meaning the Anointed One, also is from the Greek. Therefore to the Greek he was the Christ Jesus the Lord. Translating or transliterating his name from the Hebrew that he and his family spoke, he would be called the Messiah Joshua the Lord.

I point out that his mother called him Joshua, not Jesus, because most Christians get so silly about the word Jesus as if there were magic in that one word. There is power in the name of Jesus and power in the Word of God, but we need to contemplate the whole name. To the Hebrew a man is what his name is. I could not give an exhaustive exposition of the name of Jesus, but we should study it out as far as we are able.

I already mentioned that he is Jesus or Joshua. That is the lowliest part of his name. It names the humanity to which he condescended. I also mentioned that he is Messiah or Christ, pointing to his being the Anointed One. When he condescended to be a man, he gave up his divinity. He did not need to be anointed with the Holy Spirit before he came as a man. He was already God before time began.

Also mentioned above is that he is Lord (Adonai). That is part of his name. Yet, when we get beyond a silly, shallow love affair with the one part of his name Jesus and see that he is Christ Jesus the Lord, we still have just started to see his whole name. There is much more to it.

His name is Wonderful. His name is Councilor. He is Mighty Warrior God (El Gibbor). He is Everlasting Father. He is Prince of Peace. He is Truth. He is Life. He is the Way. He is Love. He is righteousness. He is Salvation. He is Redemption. He is the Resurrection. He is the Sabbath Rest. He is the Beginning and the End.

He is Elohim (God of Israel). He is El Shaddai (God Almighty). He is El Elyon (God Most High). At this point many would wonder if I am mixing up the name of Jesus with the name of God the Father. There is no difference. We serve one God--Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. It helps to realize that before God decided that they would make man in their own image, there was not God the Father or God the Son. One part of the trinity assumed the position of Son and another part assumed the position of Father in order to carry out their plan of redemption. It is at that point when the Son is begotten--that is, he has Sonship conferred upon him. It is not that the Father gave birth to a Son, causing him to begin to exist. The part of God who assumed Sonship existed as God before he became the Son. Although our minds cannot fathom it, Jesus existed forever with no beginning.

Jesus is Jehovah, Yahweh, (I am). He is Jehovah-Jireh (God will provide). He is Jehovah-Nissi (God is my banner). He is Jehovah-Shalom (God is peace). He is Jehovah-Shamma (God is there). He is Jehovah-Tsidkenu (God is our righteousness). He is Jehovah-Roi (God is my shepherd). He is Jehovah-Raphah (God is my healer).

Searching out the name of Jesus is a life-long Bible study. It is important that we meditate on all we know of his name so that when we sing "Jesus, Name Above All Names" we are seeing more than the Greek translation of the name of his humanity. Then we can sincerely pray, "Hallowed be your name."