“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)
This is part of the message of the angel in Joseph’s dream. He was ready to “put her away (divorce her),” but a message from the Lord through the angel in his dream was enough for Joseph to change his mind. The Scripture doesn’t tell us that he struggled with what God wanted him to do. The angel’s message assured him of Mary’s fidelity to the vows of marriage that she’d made to him. In Jewish tradition, the betrothal was as binding as the marriage. It was the legal marriage. The marriage celebration was when the woman would go to live with the husband which happened a year later.
Some of us have experienced changing our minds radically like Joseph’s complete change of mind. It may not have been through an angel in a dream, but somehow either through reading the Word of God, a word spoken in a sermon, or hearing through the Spirit in worship or reading the Bible, God has spoken to us in such a way that we know without a doubt it is God. It’s not only a changing of the mind, but of the heart. And it’s a supernatural change brought about by the Lord. “For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of His good pleasure.” (Philippians 2:13) This is what happened to Joseph. That word from the angel in his dream made a change in his heart, and his love and devotion to his wife was cemented regardless of the fact that she was pregnant with a baby that was not his. Knowing that it’s God’s will and purpose, changes our hearts radically when we hear from God.
Joseph was also told what he was to name the baby. Jesus, originally in Hebrew, Yeshua, means God is salvation, emphasizing the purpose and mission of Jesus, although it was a common name in those days. Through translations and transliterations from Hebrew to Greek to Latin to English, Yeshua became Jesus. Transliteration meaning representing the sounds of one language with the letters of another language. An example of that would be to take “taco” in Spanish and spell it “t-u-c-o” in English with the short ŭ sound. It has the same sound, but different spelling.
The importance of the name of Jesus comes from God. It’s the name above all names. God has exalted the name that at the mention of His name principalities and powers and all of creation bows at the name. And whether one is a believer of not, when the end comes, all will bow at His Name and say that Jesus is Lord. “Wherefore God also hath highly exalted Him and given Him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” (Philippians 2:9-11) There is power in the name of Jesus over all powers of the enemy. “And the seventy returned again with joy, saying, Lord, even the devils are subject unto us through Thy name.” (Luke 10:17) The name of Jesus is a refuge and protection. “The name of the LORD is a strong tower: the righteous runneth into it, and is safe.” (Proverbs 18:10) Whatever we ask in the name of Jesus, He does it. “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on Me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father. And whatsoever ye shall ask in My name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If ye shall ask any thing in My name, I will do it.” (John 14:12-14) He is present when we gather in His Name. “For where two or three are gathered together in My name, there am I in the midst of them.” (Matthew 18:20) It is the name that saves. “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” (Romans 10:13)
To us that are saved, the name of Jesus is precious and holy. “And blessed be His glorious name for ever: and let the whole earth be filled with His glory; Amen, and Amen.” (Psalms 72:19)
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