Pastor Tom Johnson, January 1, 2023
Jesus. The Greek is Iesous which is a transliteration of the Aramaic Yeshua. The Aramaic Yeshua is a later form of the name Yehoshua or Joshua. We pronounce the first letter as a hard consonant “J” because of our Germanic roots. All this to say that Jesus is the same name as Joshua. And Joshua means “The Lord is salvation” or “Yahweh delivers.” You will remember that Joshua is the one who delivers God’s people out of the wilderness into the Promised Land. God raises up Joshua because he was one of the spies who trusted God to bring them safely to their ancestral home.
If Joshua had a heavenly counterpart it would be the Archangel Michael. Joshua led God’s people through war with flesh and blood. Michael leads the heavenly host in the strength and power of the Blood of the Lamb. They know what it is to battle in the strength of Yehoshua. The angel tells Joseph his father to name him Jesus. And so he does at the time when fathers would officially name their children—at circumcision. On the eighth day, all male Hebrews would receive this sign that they are the people of God. The eternal Son of God takes on our flesh and blood. At his circumcision he spills his first drop of blood and receives the mighty name of Jesus. This foreshadows the day when Jesus will deliver the world through his precious blood.
And so we are called to pray in the name of Jesus, to confront sin in the name of Jesus, to battle our demons in the name of Jesus, to greet one another in the strong name of Jesus, to serve—even a cold glass of water—in the name of Jesus. Scripture says, “And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” And “there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given…by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12). And again, “at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth” (Philippians 2:10). Even in Jesus’ earthly ministry there were many opinions. Jesus asked his own disciples “Who do you say that I am?” We should pause and reflect when we hear the name Jesus. “Who is Jesus to you?”
Even Mary, the mother of Jesus, reflects on all that Jesus means to her. Our Scripture says, “Mary treasured all these words and pondered them in her heart.” Mary is our model. She cherishes what she witnessed. She lives in the moment. She contemplates. She nurtures the truth of who Jesus is in her core being. She remembers the Word of God spoken to her. She holds the Word made flesh dear and sacred in her arms. Jesus will not only grow in wisdom and stature beside her. Jesus the Christ will grow and dwell richly in her heart. Mary will write a song—what we often call the song of Mary or the Magnificat. She expands on the meaning of Jesus—the Lord delivers: “The Mighty One has done great things for me, and holy is his name.” Jesus’ name authenticates. His name empowers. His name delivers. His name transforms lives. His name carries the full authority of the Kingdom over which he reigns. That is who Jesus is to Mary. “Who is Jesus to you?”
What a powerful way to begin this new year—to fill our minds and hearts with the name above all names—the name of Jesus—the one who delivers us. Jesus delivers us from meaningless living. He delivers us from self-centered living and self-absorption. He delivers us from harming ourselves and others. He delivers us from shame and guilt. He delivers us from the power of death, evil, and our sin by the Cross of Calvary. He delivers us from hopelessness. He delivers us from the power of death to eternal life by his rising from the dead. He delivers us from the old to the new. Just as the Word made Flesh receives the name Jesus at his circumcision, so we receive the family name at our new birth at Baptism. We now bear the name of Jesus—and the triune name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit by the water, Word, and same Holy Spirit. We are Christened and reborn royal daughters and sons. We are now co-heirs with him. We are now full and true citizens of the Kingdom of Yehoshua. Jesus is our King. He is our Great Deliverer. He is the Lord of our salvation. He is our Brother. He is our friend.
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