Advent – JESUS ~ 20111224 ~ Pastor Rodney Zedicher ~ Ephraim Church of the Bible ~ www.ephraimbible.org

12/24 Christmas Eve - his name shall be called Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.

Jesus [Ihsouv] Greek translation of Hebrew name [ ewvwhy yeh-ho-shoo'- ah or evwhy yeh - shoo'- ah] translated in our English bibles as Joshua; from [hwhy YHWH] The I AM, the self-existent one, and [ evy yasha` yaw-shah'] to save or deliver – YHWH is salvation

Of all the names of Jesus; Immanuel – God with us; Alpha and Omega – the beginning and the end; Prince of Peace, Mighty God, Wonderful Counselor, Son of Man, the Son of God, Lamb of God, the Christ, and so many more; of all his many names, we know him best as Jesus.

In Matthew 1:21, the angel told Joseph of his pregnant bride-to-be,

Matthew 1:21 She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.”

Jesus. You shall call his name Jesus. Jesus is the Greek translation of the Hebrew name Yeshua or Jehoshua; In the Old Testament of our English bibles it is translated as 'Joshua'. It was a very common name in that day. There are several other men named 'Jesus' referred to in the New Testament. The name is a compound that comes from the Hebrew name of God YHWH, the I AM, the self-existent one; and the Hebrew word yasha – to save or deliver. Joshua, or Jesus, means YHWH is salvation. The angel told Joseph “You shall call his name Jesus” (YHWH is Salvation), because “he will save his people from their sins.” Listen to what Spurgeon has to say about this:

“It is a gracious but very startling fact that our Lord’s connection with His people lies in the direction of their sins. This is amazing condescension. He is called Savior in connection with His people, but it is in reference to their sins, because it is from their sins that they need to be saved. If they had never sinned, they would never have required a Savior, and there would have been no Name of Jesus known upon earth. That is a wonderful, text in Galatians 1:4, did you ever meditate upon it?. “Who gave Himself for our sins, that He might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father.” It is true, as Martin Luther says, He never gave Himself for our righteousness, but He did give Himself for our sins. Sin is a horrible evil, a deadly poison, yet it is this which gives Jesus His title when He overcomes it. What a wonder this is! The first link between my soul and Christ is, not my goodness, but my badness; not my merit, but my misery; not my standing, but my falling; not my riches, but my need. He comes to visit His people, yet not to admire their beauties, but to remove their deformities; not to reward their virtues, but to forgive their sins. O ye sinners, I mean you real sinners, not you who call yourselves by that name simply because you are told that is what you are, but you who really feel yourselves to be guilty before God, here is good news for you! O you self condemned sinners, who feel that, if you are ever to get salvation, Jesus must bring it to you, and be the beginning and the end of it, I pray you to rejoice in this dear, this precious, this blessed Name, for Jesus has come to save you, even you! Go to Him as sinners, call Him “Jesus,” and say to Him, “O Lord Jesus, be Jesus to me, save me, for I need Thy salvation!” Doubt not that He will fulfill His own Name, and exhibit His saving power in you. Only confess to Him your sin, and He will save you from it. Only believe in Him, and He will be your salvation.” C.H. Spurgeon, Christ's Incarnation, p.15-16