The Meaning and Giving of His Name.
And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call His name Jesus, for He shall save His people from their sins. Matthew 1:21. From the very first mention of His name, Scripture makes it perfectly, unmistakably clear that this name of Jesus is not a title chosen by men.
It is a divine declaration of His mission. Yeshua means “the Lord saves,” or “salvation is of the Lord,” and that is precisely what Jesus came to do. For the Son of man is come to save that which was lost. Matthew 18:11. Jesus’s identity and His purpose being intricately linked together reveals that to call on His name is to call on the saving work of Almighty God Himself.
Before Jesus ever took His first breath, His name was settled in heaven. Behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name Jesus. The angel did not ask Mary to choose a name from her family line; the Father named the Son. That divine act reveals that redemption was not a reaction but a plan. Jesus Christ is the Lamb of God, who was foreordained before the foundation of the world.
His name embodies that eternal plan. When Gabriel spoke those words, all of heaven agreed. The Saviour had a name, and that name would one day be exalted above every other. And when eight days were accomplished for the circumcising of the child, His name was called Jesus. Luke 2:6. At His circumcision, Jesus was formally marked as part of Israel’s covenant, and His name publicly declared. What had been whispered to Mary in private was now spoken in the hearing of witnesses.
The name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, who would one day cause demons to flee, began its earthly journey in humility, wrapped in swaddling clothes. It is a reminder that the power of the name of Jesus is not dependent on earthly recognition.
Heaven’s authority can dwell in the most ordinary settings, because the Word made flesh carries His own validation. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted Him, and given Him a name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, every knee should bow. The name given in obedience becomes the name exalted in glory. His exaltation is not merely personal reward, but divine affirmation.
The Father Himself lifts the Son, and places His name over all others. Every knee, whether it be angelic, human, or demonic, will bow to that name. It is not superstition; it is spiritual law. The universe recognises the authority of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, because He conquered where all others fell.