The Holy Name
"She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins" (Matthew 1:21).
"After eight days had passed, it was time to circumcise the child; and he was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before he was conceived in the womb" (Luke 2:21).
During my first sermon at Christ Church, I shared the significance of our daughter's name, Haleth (pronounced: hall-eth). JRR Tolkien (our favorite author) is best known for his classic novel, The Lord of the Rings. But he also wrote a prequel for that book, which narrated its lore and mythological background. Haleth, one of the characters in the prequel, showcased courage and care as she fought against evil and led her people to safety. Since we liked the sound of the name and the character it was associated with, we decided it would be a good name for our daughter.
In this day and age, a name doesn't necessarily need to have literary, historical or biblical significance to be a good name. But in ancient Jewish culture a name was not just a label but a profound expression of one's identity, character and even destiny. Now, how would parents know all of those things when naming the child at eight-days-old? Well, of course, they wouldn't, but the name was chosen based on blessings and hopes for the child and perhaps even as a result of prophetic insight or proclamation.
And it's that last point that was certainly the case when it came to the naming of Jesus. In fact, it was an angel who told Joseph and Mary their son's name and its significance.
"You are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins."
Can you imagine what they were thinking when they heard that? What could that even mean? What was God up to in this child whom he had given them, who would save his people from their very sins?
Of course, we know the story and what that means now. Jesus' name signified his ministry and his passion when he would deal with our sin by offering himself up as a sacrifice on our behalf. That was what his name pointed to.
And now because he has fulfilled the angel's prophecy and defeated the powers of sin, Satan and death, it is through his name — the holy name of Jesus — that we are saved. Peter makes this very clear in the book of Acts: "Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved" (Acts 4:12).
What wonderful news! News worth remembering, rejoicing in, and sharing on this New Years Day, which happens to be the feast day in the liturgical calendar for the Holy Name.
So friends, may we take refuge in the name of Jesus. May it be a banner of life, love, comfort, protection, power, joy and peace as we make our way into this new year that the Lord has graciously given us.
Eternal Father, you gave to your incarnate Son the holy name of Jesus to be the sign of our salvation: Plant in every heart, we pray, the love of him who is the Savior of the world, our Lord Jesus Christ; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, in glory everlasting. Amen. (BCP, 213)
Darin+