Names of Jesus: Jesus Christ

STP Devotional for the Week of 3/24/25

Through the year, we’ve looked at many names of Jesus: Son of God, Savior, True Prophet, Lord, Great High Priest, Teacher, Messiah, Conquering King, Emmanuel, Son of Man, Lion of Judah, Suffering Servant, Living Water, and Cornerstone. But how about the most well known name? Today we are looking at the very foundation of His Name: JESUS. Let’s take a look at the meaning of the name, Jesus.

Let’s start by looking at Matthew 1:21 where the angel of the Lord visits Joseph to tell him that his fiancé, Mary, is going to have a child. The angel says,

“She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their

sins."

The name Jesus is a combination of two words “Ya” which was short for Yahweh and the verb yasha, meaning “rescue,” “deliver,” or “save.” (Do you remember from our studies of God’s name what Yahweh means? It’s the sacred personal name for God that means “I AM who I AM.”) When you put those two words together you get the Hebrew word: Yeshua (or Joshua) which means “Yahweh saves” or “the Lord is salvation.”

What was Jesus’ mission here on earth? Why did He come? Look at Philippians 2:6-8:

[Jesus], though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.

Do you see it? Jesus, who is God, came from heaven to serve and to save us by dying on the cross! How obedient was He? You’ve read that correctly, He was obedient unto death. Jesus’ obedience shows us His great love for us and His name illustrates that He is God who saves.

In the fall we learned that Christ means “the Chosen One” that He was the Messiah that God’s people had been waiting for. When we add the names together, Jesus + Christ, we aren’t giving Jesus a last name but the title showing that He was sent by God to be the Savior. The gospel writer, John, sums up why he wrote his account of Jesus’ life by saying in John 20:31:

“but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.”

There is great power in the name of Jesus Christ! He came to bring God to humanity and through His sacrifice bring humans to God. Because of this we can be bold to pray in His name.

“Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If

you ask me anything in my name, I will do it.” John 14:13-14

In every way Jesus lives up to His glorious name! He loves you, He sees you, He knows your hurts and your heart. He has come to forgive you and give you His peace that you can live fully each day. His name reminds us of the power, presence, and purpose of the risen Christ.

So, as I write this final devotion as your Executive Director, I want to encourage you that whatever you do, in word or deed, do EVERYTHING in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him and by doing so bring glory to God: “I pray this so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in Him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.” To God be the glory. Amen