Today’s Reading: Matthew 1:18-25
Today’s Inspiration Speaks to: And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.
Our names hold our personal identity, our family history, and culture. It holds a deep connection to our identity and origins.
Names are important to us and God.
In the Bible, a name is that by which a person, place or thing is marked and known.
There are a lot of names for God in the Bible. They define and describe who He is, what He does, and what He is all about.
They give us insight into His nature, person, and character.
In the Bible, we can also find that people were often given names, sometimes at birth, sometimes later.
They were names that made a statement about the person or their character.
For example, the name Barnabas means “son of encouragement.” He continually encouraged those he met.
Jacob, whose name means “schemer,” repeatedly influenced the thoughts of others, their feelings and their actions in a way that was beneficial to him.
But no one has ever been more appropriately named than Jesus.
When the angel of the Lord spoke to Joseph about Mary’s soon to be born Son, he said, “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 KJV).
Jesus means “the Lord saves.” It defines both who Jesus is and why He came.
The reason for that name is clear. For those whom Christ saves, He saves from their sins. From the guilt of sin by the merit of His death. And from the power of sin by the Spirit of his grace.
The angel also told them, “They shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us” (Matthew 1:23 KJV).
No matter what we are going through, He is there for us.
The name of Jesus is at the heart of our faith.
His name reveals our eternal hope.
Call on Him any time of the day or night.
Trust and believe.
When we call, He will answer.
A WORD OF PRAYER
There is a name I love to hear. I love to sing its worth. It sounds like music in my ear. The sweetest name on earth. That name is Jesus. I love Him because He first loved me. He soothes my sorrows, heals my wounds, and drives away all my fears. Savior, You are wonderful. Thank You for the sacrifice You made, so we could live a good life. And an even more abundant life when we are called home to be with You. May Your name forever dwell in our hearts.
In Jesus Name We Pray, Amen