The Name

What's in a name? When it comes to Jesus, absolutely everything. This powerful exploration of Matthew 1:21 reveals that the name Jesus—the Greek form of Joshua, meaning 'God saves'—is not just a label but a complete mission statement. We discover that Jesus was actually a common name in first-century Palestine, shared by roughly one in twenty Jewish males. Yet this particular Jesus bears a name with cosmic significance: He is God with us in the flesh, come on the most ambitious rescue mission in history. The message cuts through our comfortable Christmas sentiments to confront an uncomfortable truth—we have a sin problem we cannot solve ourselves. We're not merely in need of a life coach or role model; we're drowning in a condition that enslaves us, destroys our relationships, and separates us from God. Like sailors capsizing in overwhelming waves, we need a rescuer who will dive into the chaos to save us. This is what Christmas celebrates: God's Son entering our broken world not to congratulate us on our goodness, but to save us from our sin. The wrath of God against sin is real—not because God is cruel, but because He loves us too much to let the disease of sin continue destroying His image-bearers. Just as loving parents hate the disease ravaging their child, God hates what sin does to us. And in His great love, He poured out that wrath on Jesus at the cross, offering us freedom through repentance and faith.