Knowing your name is important. It helps you to know when someone needs or wants your attention. It indicates to others to whom they refer. A name brings clarity beyond the generic pronouns of they, him, or her.
For Jesus, His name also spoke of His purpose and destiny.
Joseph is instructed in Matthew 1:21 to name the baby that sits miraculously in Mary’s womb, Jesus. The angel says, “he will save his people from their sins.”
In this moment, the purpose and destiny of Jesus is revealed to Joseph and to us as readers of God’s Word. But, there is one more name of interest for Jesus.
Matthew 1:23 references the prophesy about Jesus in Isaiah 7:14 saying: “they shall call his name Immanuel (which means God with us).”
This name proves interesting as there is no historical indication that anyone called Jesus Immanuel at any point. Scholars believe that the name Immanuel stood as a promise of all that was to be fulfilled in Him. Indeed, Matthew ends his Gospel in Matthew 28:20 with the echoing words of Jesus: “behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
God has given you a name. It speaks into your purpose and destiny. The world may attempt to put labels and names on you that sound like failure, weakness, shame, or worthlessness. God has given you a name that speaks a better word.
God has given you a name, though no one may use it in words, that describes all that He desires to fulfill in you.
Today, take just one step.
Maybe today you need to take a step of asking God what His name is for you. Maybe you need to take the step of rejecting the names given to you from any source other than God. Your name may be Jason, Amanda, Lindsey, Patrice, or Michael. Maybe your name is Jennifer or Benjamin. No matter your name, there are names like stupid, unreliable, weak, and insufficient that need to fall away.
Traditional Jewish custom tells us that when Joseph named the baby growing in Mary, Jesus, he officially adopted Jesus as his own. God has adopted you as His own through the work of Jesus Christ. Ask God the name He gave you to do that. That one step could change a lot in your story.
Whatever the step, ask God to direct it. Invite Him to speak. He will.
Life is a long road. Walk it with Jesus. Take a step today… just one is fine.
sign up just below for a daily reminder of the one step devotional. click here to return to devotional list.
*Insights on the names of Jesus from: Morris, Leon. The Gospel According to Matthew. Pillar New Testament Commentary. Wm. B. Eerdmans, 1992.