Jesus
I believe it was Shakespeare that asked, “What’s in a name?” In the name, “Jesus” there is incredible depth. In the ancient world, people were given names describing traits their parents wished them to have. Even in modern culture, there are many books listing baby names and their meanings.
The name, “Jesus”, in the ancient Hebrew means “God Saves”. His name was declared by God through the angel Gabriel to Mary. His name was a description of both the man and his mission. That God had come from heaven to be one of us to save us from our sins.
In Israel from the time of Moses until the time of Jesus, atonement for sin only happened once a year. One time a year, the people would bring two goats to the high priest. One would have the sins of the people confessed over it by the high priest and be sent out from the people into the wilderness. The other would be slaughtered. Its blood would be taken behind the veil into the holy of holies and sprinkled on the mercy seat which was the cover of the Ark of the Covenant. And on the alter of the Lord. Then the nation would be clean. And God would save the people from their sins.
Then Jesus came. As his name declares, he was God. God saves. He came to save the people from their sins. At the time of the Passover, the memorial feast of the Israelites deliverance from their bondage in Egypt, Jesus bore our sins into the wilderness outside the city of Jerusalem. There, on the cross, the Lamb of God, without spot or blemish, shed his blood. There he was slaughtered. And at his death, the veil of the temple was torn in two, opening the way for all people to the holy of holies. No longer would we have to wait an entire year. No longer would we have to find two goats. No longer would only the high priest have access to the mercy seat.
That was the mission of Jesus. When from the cross, he breathed his last words, “It is finished,” he was declaring the end of his mission on earth. All that was left was his resurrection, some final instruction to his apostles and disciples, and his ascension into heaven, where he sits at the right hand of the father. Through his name, forgiveness is available to all now. Not just the Israelites. Not just once a year. Everyone, every day.
What’s in a name? In the name of Jesus there is life. And life everlasting.
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