The name of Jesus is important. Jesus means “Jehovah saves.” His name reveals his mission; He came to save us from our sins. The angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream saying “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.” (Matthew 1:20-21).
Jesus is not His only name. He was also called the Christ or Messiah. Christ means “anointed one.” As such, He is the promised King, Prophet, and Priest. He is also called the Lamb of God. John 1:29 “The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, ‘Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!’” As a lamb was sacrificed for the sins of the people, He is the perfect sacrifice to the Father to pay for our sins.
Jesus is called the Son of God. John writes near the end of his gospel account: “And truly Jesus did many other signs in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name.” (John 20:30-31). Son of God declares His divine nature; He shares the essence, power, authority and glory of the Father. Jesus was called Immanuel which means “God with us.” The prophet Isaiah foretold of His coming in Isaiah 7:14 “Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel.” Jesus often called Himself the Son of Man. This emphasized that He was human and experienced life as we experience life. He was both God and Man.
There are additional names of Jesus. He is called “The Good Shepherd”, “The Word”, “The Light of the World”, “The Bread of Life”, “The Door”, “The True Vine”, “The King of Kings and Lord of Lords”, “The Rock”, “The Great Physician”, “The Prince of Peace”, “The Lion of the Tribe of Judah”, “The Root and Offspring of David”, “The Bright and Morning Star”, and “Our Advocate or Mediator”. Jesus has many descriptive names.
There is power in the name of Jesus. The early disciples did miracles in the name of Jesus. He sent out the seventy disciples to preach to the people and do miracles. Luke 10:17 “Then the seventy returned with joy, saying, ‘Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name.’” The lame beggar was healed by Peter and John. Acts 3:1-6 “Now Peter and John went up together to the temple at the hour of prayer, the ninth hour. And a certain man lame from his mother’s womb was carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple which is called Beautiful, to ask alms from those who entered the temple; who, seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple, asked for alms. And fixing his eyes on him, with John, Peter said, ‘Look at us.’ So he gave them his attention, expecting to receive something from them. Then Peter said, ‘Silver and gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk.’” Later, Peter reinforced where the power to heal came from. Acts 4:10 “Let it be known to you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead, by Him this man stands here before you whole.”
Jesus taught us to make our requests to the Father in His name. He told His disciples in John 14:12-14 “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father. And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask anything in My name, I will do it.” Because of this promise, it is a common practice today to end our prayers “in Jesus’ name. Amen.”
The early disciples taught in the name of Jesus, even when the Jewish leaders commanded them not to do so. Act 5:40b-41 “They commanded that they should not speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go. So they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for His name.” The disciples rejoiced that they could suffer shame for the name of Jesus.
We are to be baptized in the name of Jesus. We have the example on the day of Pentecost in Acts 2:38 “Then Peter said to them, ‘Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.’” Jesus worded it somewhat differently when He gave the great commission. He directed them to baptize in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Matthew 28:18-20 “And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, ‘All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.’ Amen.”
When we are gathered together in the name of Jesus, He has promised to be among us. Jesus said in Matthew 18:20 “For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them.”
Today, every knee should bow in submission and worship to the name of Jesus because Jesus has now been exalted. Philippians 2:9-11 “Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”
I encourage you to never take the name of Jesus in vain. The name of Jesus should hold special meaning to us all today.