I’ve always been fascinated by names. If I see someone with a unique name, I’ll ask them what it means. I find names interesting.
My name is not unique. In fact, Matt is one of the most common names for men born in the 1980s. However, I do like my name.
My full name is Matthew Curtis McCraw.
Matthew is of Hebrew origin, and it means “Gift of God.”
Curtis is of French origin, and it means “courteous.” McCraw is of Scottish origin, and it means “Son of the Prosperous One.”
If you don’t know what your name means, I encourage you to research that a bit when you get home.
Names are important. In fact, some of us are known by multiple names.
My step-dad was known by some as “Harold” and others as “Wayne.”
My grandfather’s legal name was “Charles,” but most called him “Everette.” At work, he was known as “Cuzz.”
I’m always open to ideas for a Christmas sermon (since I’ve taught it a lot of different ways). My wife, Jennifer, suggested that I teach a sermon on the names of Jesus at Christmas. She sent me some pictures of names of Jesus that are on ornaments on one of the Christmas trees here in our church buildings.
Here’s a picture of these ornaments that our social media team put on Facebook.
I thought Jennifer had a great idea, so I’m going to teach about the different names of Jesus.
One of the ways we can celebrate Jesus this Christmas is by learning about and celebrating all the names that refer to Him.
Jesus has many names given to Him that are in connection with His coming to the earth. This morning, I wanted to dive into those. Before we do, let’s go to God in prayer and ask for His blessings.
(prayer)
Ok, let’s look now at some names given to Jesus, particularly concerning His coming to the earth.
What are the names of Jesus associated with Christmas? What are the names of Christmas?
Let’s look at two major times when names were given to Jesus concerning His birth.
First, . . .
I. What do the prophets say?
The prophets were those in the Old Testament who were miraculously gifted by God to proclaim a message to God’s people.
One of the main messages that the prophets proclaimed was the coming of Jesus.
So, as the prophets predicted the coming of Jesus, they would often use a name to refer to Him that would tell God’s people who Jesus would be.
Let’s learn some of these names.
First, let’s look at the name Immanuel.
The prophet Isaiah prophesied this name (sometimes spelled with an E) in Isaiah 7:14:
“Therefore, the Lord himself will give you a sign: See, the virgin will conceive, have a son, and name him Immanuel.”
This is a very specific prophecy, and we see it fulfilled when Jesus came.
We see this fulfillment in Matthew 1:22–23:
“Now all this took place to fulfill what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet: See, the virgin will become pregnant and give birth to a son, and they will name him Immanuel, which is translated ‘God is with us.’”
This name, Immanuel, is so significant because it means that God came to dwell with humanity once again.
You see, God was with the very first humans, Adam and Eve. However, sin separated them from God.
In fact, all of us have been separated from God because of our sin. However, God chose to fix that separation by coming to be with us.
Immanuel reminds us that in Jesus, God is with us!
Second, Jesus is called Wonderful Counselor.
What does a counselor do? A counselor helps you, right? A counselor helps you see the right way to go with your decision-making.
Isaiah 9:6 gives us many names. We’ll look at it a little bit at a time. It says:
“For a child will be born for us, a son will be given to us, and the government will be on his shoulders. He will be named Wonderful Counselor . . . ”
Jesus came to counsel us to a better way of life. He came to help us.
The road of sin is brokenness. The result of sin is death. Christmas reminds us that Jesus can show us a better way. He is our Wonderful Counselor!
Jesus is prophesied to have another name in this verse: Mighty God.
Isaiah 9:6 goes on to say:
“He will be named Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God . . . ”
Jesus is not just a good teacher. He is not just a prophet. He’s not just the Son of God. Jesus Himself is the Mighty God!
The Mighty God of the universe came to this world as a human being so that we might know Him and receive forgiveness of our sins.
The third name Jesus is given in Isaiah 9:6 is Eternal Father.
The prophecy continues:
He will be named Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father . . .
How can Jesus be the Son of God and Eternal Father also?
What Isaiah is prophesying is that God the Son and God the Father are eternally connected in a union that goes beyond anything we can understand.
They are distinct, yet they are united. It’s a miracle.
Jesus confirmed this when He said in John 10:30:
“I and the Father are one.”
The Names of Christmas remind us that Jesus came down in oneness with God the Father, so that we might experience the love of the Father as well.
Finally, in this verse, Jesus is called Prince of Peace.
Isaiah 9:6 concludes this way:
“He will be named Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.”
Our world needs peace, Amen? Sin brought trouble. Sin brought sorrow. Sin brought hostility between us and God. We need some peace.
Jesus brings that peace. He is the Prince of Peace.
Jesus is also prophesied to be The Branch.
Jeremiah 23:5 says:
“‘Look, the days are coming’—this is the Lord’s declaration— ‘when I will raise up a Righteous Branch for David. He will reign wisely as king and administer justice and righteousness in the land.’”
Also, Isaiah 11:1 says:
“Then a shoot will grow from the stump of Jesse, and a branch from his roots will bear fruit.”
Well, who are these guys? Who are David and Jesse?
David was the greatest human king that Israel ever had. Jesse was David’s father.
Many prophecies said that a great king would come from the line of David, which is also the line of Jesse. That King is Jesus: the branch from the family tree of David and Jesse!
Finally, long before Jesus came to the earth as a baby, we hear of Him being prophesied to be a Ruler/Shepherd.
We learn of this prophecy in Micah 5:2 and 4:
“Bethlehem Ephrathah, you are small among the clans of Judah; one will come from you to be ruler over Israel for me. His origin is from antiquity, from ancient times . . . He will stand and shepherd them in the strength of the LORD.”
We as humans need someone to lead and care for us. We need a shepherd.
Jesus helped His followers see that He was, indeed, the shepherd we needed. He said in John 10:11:
“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.”
The names of Christmas, given through the prophets, remind us that Jesus came to this earth as our shepherd and so much more.
Well, let’s ask now . . .
II. What do the Gospels say?
The Gospels are the stories of the life and ministry of Jesus while He was on the earth.
The word gospel means “good news.”
There are four books of the Bible, in the New Testament, that are four accounts of the good news of Jesus Christ.
These books are The Gospel According to Matthew, The Gospel According to Mark, The Gospel According to Luke, and The Gospel According to John. These books are more commonly known simply as Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.
So, let’s hear what the Gospels say about the name of Christmas.
First of all, Jesus is called Jesus.
Matthew 1:21 says:
“She will give birth to a son, and you are to name him Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”
Jesus is the English translation from the Greek translation of the Hebrew name Yehoshua or Yeshua, which means “The LORD saves” or “Yahweh is salvation.”
By the way, the English form of “Yehoshua” is “Joshua.” So, “Jesus” is the same name as “Joshua.”
Other cultures use different forms of the name, such as Jesús (Spanish), Jesus (Portuguese), Yēsū (Mandarin Chinese), and more.
All these names point to the beauty that the Lord God saves, and that salvation is found in the man we call Jesus.
Another time, in the story of His birth in the Gospels, Jesus is called Savior.
Luke 2:11 says:
“Today in the city of David a Savior was born for you . . . ”
In our sin, we are in bondage. We are in darkness. We are in danger. We need to be saved!
Jesus is the Savior whom we need. He lived a holy life, died on the cross, and rose from the dead so that we could be saved from our sins.
Also, in that same verse, Jesus is called Messiah.
Luke 2:11 says:
“Today in the city of David a Savior was born for you, who is the Messiah . . . ”
Messiah, which in the Greek is Christ, means “Anointed One.”
To be anointed means to be chosen and set aside by God for a special purpose.
Jesus was the one anointed by God to come to this world and redeem us from our sins.
He is the Christ! He is the Messiah! He is the Anointed One!
Let’s look at that same passage a third time, as Jesus is referred to as The Lord.
Again, look at Luke 2:11:
“Today in the city of David a Savior was born for you, who is the Messiah, the Lord.”
The Greek word used here is kyrios, which can mean “master,” “owner,” or “lord.”
However, what’s significant with this word is that it is often used in the New Testament in the place of the Old Testament word Yahweh, which always refers to the name of the Lord God.
So, Jesus is referred to at His birth as the Messiah and the Lord God.
He is, indeed, our Lord and God.
Jesus is also called King.
In Matthew 2:2, the wise men say:
“Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star at its rising and have come to worship him.”
Listen, friends: We need a king. Not just any ol’ king. We need a good king. We need a holy king. We need a victorious king. We need King Jesus!
When Jesus came to the earth as a little infant child, He was acknowledged and honored as king.
Jesus is also called the Son of the Most High.
Luke 1:32 says:
“He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give him the throne of his father David.”
All the Jewish people of that day would know that the Most High was referring to the One True God of Israel.
This child was not only the Messiah; He was not only King; He was and is the Son of the Most High.
In that same passage, Jesus is also called the Son of David.
Luke 1:32 says:
“He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give him the throne of his father David.”
The Jewish people knew that the Messiah would be the Son of David; they knew the Old Testament prophecies.
Now, in the Gospels, we see it fulfilled. This baby, born of Mary, would be from the line of King David.
Just a few verses later, Jesus is directly referred to as the Son of God.
Check out Luke 1:35:
“The angel replied to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore, the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God.”
So, He’s called the Son of the Most High, He’s called the Son of David, and here, He’s directly called the Son of God.
By the way, in this verse, Jesus is also referred to as the Holy One.
Jesus was, indeed, holy. He was holy when we were not holy. He was faithful when we were not faithful. He was obedient when we were not obedient.
While we were yet sinners, Jesus was the Holy One who died in our place.
The Christmas names remind us of how wonderful Jesus is.
That takes us to our bottom line:
Bottom Line: The names of Christmas describe the greatness of Jesus.
All these names cannot do enough to describe how wonderful Jesus truly is.
The world had no idea how special a gift they would receive when that baby boy came into this world.
God loves us so much that He sent His only Son, that whoever believes in that Son, should not die, but will have everlasting life.
He is all that the names of Christmas describe and so much more.
(Gospel presentation)
(closing prayer)
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