Online Bible College DJC-005

Discovering Jesus Course

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What’s in a Name?
Everybody has a name. That name is part of one’s identity. It is what distin-
guishes a person from the masses and underscores his or her individuality. But of
all the names in the world, there is one name that consistently stands out, without
peer or comparison. It is the name of Jesus.
Is there any other name as hallowed or as blasphemed? Josh McDowell asks:
“Why is it that you can talk about God and nobody gets upset, but as soon as you
mention Jesus, people often want to stop the conversation? Why have men and
women down through the ages been divided over the question, Who is Jesus?”1
There is no other name that evokes such intense emotions, whether positive or
negative, whether love or hatred. On some lips, the name of Jesus is spoken with
great reverence; on other lips, it is used as a swear word and an object of profan-
ity. Why does the name of Jesus produce such passionate reactions?
Quite simply, the name of Jesus represents everything that Jesus is – his nature,
his purpose and the challenge he brings to people’s lives. What we need to re-
member is that the name of Jesus was not given by Christ’s parents. Normally, a
father and mother decide on the name of the child. In fact, the very naming of
that child is an attribute of the God-given authority that the parents have over
the child. But in Jesus’ case, neither Joseph (his foster father) nor Mary (his bio- DISCOVERING JESUS COURSE
logical mother) had any say in the naming of their child. For Jesus was named by
Copyright © 2001, The Online Bible College.

his true Father, God himself. This is underscored in Hebrews 1:4, which states:
“So [Jesus] became as much superior to the angels as the name he has inher-
ited is superior to theirs.”
How is the name that Jesus inherited superior to every other name, whether angelic
or human? After all, Jesus was an extremely common name in first-century Israel.
Why would Paul later declare, in Philippians 2:9-10, that “God exalted [Christ]
to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the
name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth”?

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 Online Bible College DJC-005

In Matthew 1:21, the angel Gabriel explains the significance of the name Jesus:
“[Mary] will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus,
because he will save his people from their sins.”
In English, of course, we do not see the immediate connection between the name
Jesus and the fact that “he will save his people from their sins,” but in the original
Hebrew the connection is clear. For Jesus is the Greek form of the Aramaic Yeshu,
which is a contraction of the Hebrew name Yeshua, itself a late form of the name
Yehoshua (or Joshua), which means, literally, “the Lord saves.”
Salvation is the central meaning of the name Jesus, but it is not just any kind of
salvation. In first century Israel, the word “salvation” was understood by the
masses to mean salvation from Roman imperialism. But when the angel announced
the connection between Jesus and salvation, he was very specific about what kind
of salvation would come through Jesus. It is salvation from sin.
This definition of salvation is clearly reflected in Peter’s declaration in Acts 4:12:
“Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven
given to men by which we must be saved.”
In Acts 10:43, Peter leaves no doubt as to what he means by salvation being found
by no other name but the name of Jesus:
“All the prophets testify about him that everyone who believes in him re-
ceives forgiveness of sins through his name.”
This redemptive dimension to the name of Jesus is found repeatedly throughout
the New Testament. In 1 John 2:12, we are told that “[our] sins have been for-
given on account of his name.”
Likewise, in Acts 22:16, Ananias brought this challenge to the newly-converted Saul:
“And now what are you waiting for? Get up, be baptized and wash your sins
away, calling on his name.”
The name of Jesus brings conviction of sin because it is connected with salvation
from sin. This explains the sometimes violent reaction that the name of Jesus
evokes, even today, twenty centuries later. For the same spiritual contempt that
DISCOVERING JESUS COURSE
crucified Jesus twenty centuries ago continues to scorn and blaspheme him to-
Copyright © 2001, The Online Bible College.

day. But today, as in the first century, John 1:12-13 still applies:
“Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the
right to become children of God...”

1
Josh McDowell, quoted by Edyth Draper, Draper’s Quotations for the Christian World, excerpted from QuickVerse 6.0,
Deluxe Edition.
Unless otherwise indicated, all quotations from the Bible are from the New International Version, copyright © 1973,
1978, 1984 International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Bible Publishers.
The Online Bible College can be accessed at www.online-bible-college.com

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