This name "Jesus"

Mark, David, Matthew, Bill… all are good names of course. Do know why you were named what you were? What's in a name anyway? Maybe it carries on a family line, as in a Junior or a Third. Perhaps it was to honor a friend or even represent a major player in the Bible. But what of this name Jesus? For the next few minutes I'd like to look at some simple facts of this name and the power within it.

"You shall call his name Yeshua (Jesus)", spoke the Angel of the Lord to Joseph in Matthew 1:21 and Gabriel to Mary in Luke 1:31. (Imagine for a moment the angel Gabriel coming to YOU and saying, "Hail, favored one!" – wow.) Thanks to my vivid imagination, I like to play out what must have been taking place in realms unseen when these words were spoken upon the earth for the first time. The redeemer of all mankind was here, absolutely everything was about to change. And don't think for a moment that the devil didn't know it. After all, he and his demons were likely more aware of the prophecies foretold than anyone else because they knew that it would mean their demise. (Matt. 8:29) Do you realize that they had had a 100% success rate of deceiving mankind since that day in the Garden? Sin had run rampant in each man since creation, until now.

Years passed and men came and went. "Is this the Messiah?" I assume satan wondered as Elijah declared, with great confidence, the word of the Lord. "What about this guy Noah that has such great faith?" Then the zealous one called David appeared on the scene who worshipped like no other. Even John the Baptist, conceived full of the Holy Spirit must have worried the devil to no end. Time after time, with fear and trembling, he was well aware of the reality of God's redemption that was coming to earth. Then the name Yeshua was spoken, born of a virgin, Son of God, Son of Man. Can you see it? All of the powers of darkness (Eph. 6:12) shaking in fear at the name of Yeshua! "This is it! He is the One!" they must have shrieked - the One that Heaven and Earth would declare The Christ, the Anointed One. The second Adam, come to Earth victorious to redeem the failures and sins of the first!

The greatest reality of this name Yeshua is that it is as alive and powerful today as it was the day He first appeared on that third day. This almighty Son, the Messiah is even NOW Immanuel (God with us) – a seemingly long-forgotten name that we need to be more conscious of. In this very name is the power to bind, to loose, to declare, to save. In this name hope has come to reconcile that which was lost. Because of this name, I, a mere man can be transformed into a citizen of Heaven – a new creation, an heir and a son of the living God. So what's in a name? The entire Kingdom of God, if this name is Jesus, Yeshua - The Incarnation of God.

"For there is one God and one Mediator also between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself as a ransom for all, the testimony born at the proper time." 1 Timothy 2:5&6