The Name of Jesus - 1

 •  3 min. read  •  grade level: 9
The Significance of His Name
Meditating on the name of Jesus brings blessings to each believer, while drawing forth worship from our hearts. The name “Jesus” means “Jehovah the Saviour.” God named Him, telling Mary, through the angel Gabriel, what her child was to be named. Thus His name signified that Jehovah was in the midst of His people, in the person of the Lord Jesus, God’s Son (Luke 1:31-3531And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS. 32He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: 33And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end. 34Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man? 35And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God. (Luke 1:31‑35)). Though receiving this name as Man, God, as it were, tells us, “This is Jehovah the Saviour. Don’t ever look at My Son as a mere man, for He is God manifested in the flesh.” We see this truth in Luke 5:2424But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power upon earth to forgive sins, (he said unto the sick of the palsy,) I say unto thee, Arise, and take up thy couch, and go into thine house. (Luke 5:24) (JND): “That ye may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins, He said to the paralyzed man, I say to thee, Arise, and take up thy little couch and go to thine house.” We find Him there as the Jehovah “who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases” (Psa. 103:33Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases; (Psalm 103:3)).
Salvation Through His Name
The gospel was preached in the name of Jesus (Acts 4:1212Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved. (Acts 4:12)). What does it mean to preach in the name of Jesus? First, that the ones who preach are authorized to do so by the One in whose name they preach. It also shows the purpose of their preaching—to make Him, in whose name they preach, known.
To preach in the name of Jesus is not just to do something by His authority, but also to make Him known. When the Lord Jesus went to glory, after finishing the glorious work of redemption, the Spirit was sent down in the name of the Lord Jesus (John 14:2626But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you. (John 14:26)), and His purpose in coming is stated in John 16:1414He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall show it unto you. (John 16:14) (JND): “He shall glorify Me, for He shall receive of Mine and shall announce it to you.”
While this refers to His work in connection with saints, He also works in the world (John 16:9-119Of sin, because they believe not on me; 10Of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see me no more; 11Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged. (John 16:9‑11)). His very presence and work here on earth demonstrate to the world its sin in their unbelief and rejection of the Lord Jesus. The Holy Spirit also gives them a demonstration of righteousness in the resurrection and exaltation, by God, of the One they rejected and crucified. Thus the Spirit of God brings everything into connection with the One the world knows as Jesus of Nazareth, making Him known to both saint and sinner—though not to both in the same way.
Preaching the Gospel in His Name
It is a blessed occupation to preach the gospel in the name of the Lord Jesus—to make Him known in the power of the Spirit and to seek to lead souls to accept Him as Saviour.
“Salvation is in none other, for neither is there another name under heaven which is given among men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:11And as they spake unto the people, the priests, and the captain of the temple, and the Sadducees, came upon them, (Acts 4:1)2 JnD). “These [things] are written, that ye may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing ye might have life in His name” (John 20:33Peter therefore went forth, and that other disciple, and came to the sepulchre. (John 20:3)1 JnD).
H. Brinkmann (from a pamphlet)