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THE GLORIOUS, PRECIOUS AND AMAZING NAME OF preached by C. John Steer Autumn Ridge December 16-17, 2017

Scripture: Matthew 1:18-25

The names we give our children usually require a great deal of thought and sometimes cause a few arguments along the way. Although I found that the choice gets easier as you have more children.

The name of the first child is chosen with enormous care over nine months. By the time you come to number four you are happy to call them the first name that pops into your mind as you drive to the hospital.

When Gretchen and I were selecting the name for our first child, we were going on a vacation which involved a long drive from Los Angeles to Eugene, Oregon. I bought half a dozen books on children’s names and Gretchen read them out as we went along. We started with the A’s.

Agnes, no. Allegra, no. Annuska, no. Arial, no. Artemis, no. We made our way through to the Z’s and by the time we reached our destination we still hadn’t found a mutually acceptable name.

I liked Elspeth, if it was a girl, but Gretchen said “We can’t call a child Elspeth Steer. She will be 12 before she can say her own name and will probably need speech therapy.”

My parents had a much simpler system. They called me Christopher after my father and John after my grandfather. I think the whole process took about two minutes.

But God took plenty of time to think about the name he would call his Son. And when the time for the birth arrived God was very specific. He didn’t leave it to Joseph to choose the name as would normally have been the custom. The reason was that Joseph was not the real father. It was the privilege of the father to name the child and God was exercising his rights as a father.

So God sent an angel to make sure Joseph got it right. The angel informs Joseph, “You are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” (Matthew 1:21)

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Why did God choose the name Jesus? There are five reasons why the name Jesus is so powerful and perfect and how it helps us to understand the true meaning of Christmas.

First, Jesus is a JOYFUL name. Christians love to say it. It brings joy to our hearts. Did you know there was a king in the called Evil-Merodach (Evil Mare-oh-dock)?

Aren’t you glad God didn’t call his Son that? Can you imagine trying to sing praise songs about that name? Instead God called his Son Jesus. Only two syllables, five letters. It is pronounced the same in almost every language.

The name Jesus appears in the 1,274 times. It is the favorite term for our Lord. Of all the names and titles that are given to the one most loved by his followers is the joyful name of Jesus.

A thousand years ago Bernard of Clairvaux wrote a song about the name of Jesus. One verse says: No voice can sing No heart can frame Nor can the memory find A sweeter sound than your blest name O, Savior of mankind.

Our children can say the name of Jesus almost as soon as they can say mommy and daddy. Jesus is a joyful name that fits this joyful season.

Second, Jesus is an ENDURING name. Even though our Lord was born in obscurity over 2000 years ago and died like a criminal at the age of 33 his name is the most well-known in world history.

The Roman government tried to stamp it out. The communists tried to obliterate it. Back in October a number of us were in Leipzig. We visited the university. We were told there used to be an exquisitely beautiful medieval university church built in 1231.

However, in the days when the country was called East Germany the Communist authorities were so antagonistic to they blew it up. The townspeople wept in sorrow because they were so proud of their beautiful church.

But then in 1989 Communism fell. The Berlin Wall came down and the people of Leipzig said “We have to rebuild our church.” The new church was about to open the week we were there. It is a dramatic illustration of the enduring nature of Christ over Communism.

Scripture tells us that rather than fading away the name of Jesus will increase in influence until every tribe on earth has heard about it and there is not a people group on the planet that do not have a church dedicated to Jesus.

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The book of Revelation describes our future in heaven when it says “They will see Jesus’ face, and his name will be on their foreheads." (Revelation 22:4) Heaven is an eternal place so the name of Jesus will last forever. Yes, Jesus is an enduring name.

Third, Jesus is a SIGNIFICANT name. The name Jesus describes the purpose of his coming. The New Testament name Jesus is equivalent to the name Joshua, which means “God saves.” The Jewish way of saying Jesus is Yeshua, which sounds very like Joshua.

Sometimes when parents name their child it is just a pious hope. But when God had a son he knew exactly how he would turn out so God could choose the perfect name. The name that would fit everything his Son would do so he instructed Joseph, “You are to give him the name Jesus.” (Matthew 1:21)

It was the first time God’s Son had that name. He didn’t own it when he was in heaven. It was given to him when he came to earth because what he would do here would precisely fit that name.

Jesus was a common name in the first century, rather like the name John is today. Josephus, the Jewish historian, mentions 12 people called Jesus. It is rather wonderful that God would choose an ordinary name and fill it with extraordinary meaning.

There are five other people called Jesus in the New Testament. One of them had the surname Barabbas, which means “son of the father”. But Jesus Barabbas didn’t live up to the name his father had given him.

Instead of telling people that God saves, Jesus Barabbas grew up to be robber and a murderer. But Jesus the Son of God was different and his life shows the significance of his name.

Fourth, Jesus is an UNEQUALED name. The book of Philippians contains a great passage about the name of Jesus when it says: “God exalted Jesus to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of .” (Philippians 2:9-11)

It is because Jesus is an unequaled name that we need to treat it with enormous respect. The Third Commandment says, “You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God, for the Lord will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name." (Exodus 20:7)

Christians are not to use Jesus’ name as an expression of surprise or as a curse word. The technical name for doing that is blasphemy which means we take something holy and treat it as if it is common. That is like dragging Jesus through the mud. 4

I think we can learn something from our Muslim friends. Every time they say the name Mohammed they add the expression “Praise be his name.” In a similar way we are to treat the name of our Lord with tremendous respect and reverence. For Jesus is an unequaled name.

Fifth, Jesus is a SAVING name. When the angel said to Joseph, “You are to give him the name Jesus” he added a qualifying explanation. “Because he will save his people from their sins.” (Matthew 1:21)

Why did Jesus come at Christmas? He did not come primarily to save us from our loneliness, fears or troubles. Being delivered from these is a byproduct of his coming. Rather Jesus came to save us from our sins. But the tragedy is we want to be saved from everything else but our sins.

Yet that is why Jesus came. It was not an almighty experiment. It was not a trial. Rather it was a venture that was bound to succeed.

“He will save his people from their sins.” It was not something Jesus may do. It was not something Jesus is hoping to achieve. Jesus is going to do it.

“He will” is the first promise of the New Testament so let’s claim it. We can do so by using the Jesus’ prayer. This comes from the Eastern church in the 7th century.

It is brief but it is powerful. It is a prayer we can use any time. Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me a sinner. That’s a prayer that God will always answer because his Son came to save sinners.

Notice one letter that is very important. It is the little letter “s” at the end of the word sins. Most of us are guilty of ignoring that letter. We want to be saved from the penalty of sin but we do not want to be saved from our sins.

But if we are going to take the meaning of Jesus’ coming seriously we have to take a pen and paper and make a list of the sins from which we want to be saved. We need to be specific because it is very easy to talk in generalizations about sin.

Calvin Coolidge was one of the quietest Presidents we have ever had. He was not one for small talk. One Sunday he went to church. His wife was unwell and unable to accompany him. When he returned home after the service his wife asked him what the talked about. Coolidge gave the one word reply “Sin.” Not satisfied with this she asked, “What did he say?” “He was against it.”

Well we are all against sin. We denounce crime, violence, and the breakdown of society. As long as we keep it general no one is offended. But what particular sins are we against in our own lives that we want Jesus to save us from? Gluttony, lust, envy, materialism, lying, hatred?

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Whatever they are we can write them down and say “Lord, will you save me from this one and that one?” For that’s what Jesus came to do.

This promise that he will save his people from their sins does not mean primarily that Jesus will save us from hell in the future. It means Jesus wants to deliver us from our besetting sins now.

Every Christian should be able to provide a list of sins from which Jesus has already saved us. And if Jesus hasn’t saved us from any particular sin then he is not our Savior. How could he be?

It is no use going around saying “I’ve been saved” if I’ve not been saved from a single sin. If I am exactly the same person I always was. The name of Jesus becomes glorious, precious and amazing to those who can point to certain areas of their lives and say “God freed me from that.”

Now let’s make this very personal and practical. What sins has Jesus saved us from since last Christmas? If the answer is “none”, if the same habits, problems and sins are still there, what right do we have to celebrate Christmas?

Notice Jesus doesn’t save his people by his birth. There is a Christmas carol that has the line “Man shall live forevermore because of Christmas Day.” That’s utter nonsense.

Jesus did not save us by being born. That only makes it possible. Jesus doesn’t save us by his life. That only makes it demonstrable. Rather Jesus saves us by his death, by his resurrection and by his ascension.

The reason why so many people can celebrate Christ’s birth and not be saved from their sins is because they stop at Christmas. They do not go on to Calvary and .

Notice Jesus will “save his people”. Not the world. There’s the mystery of election here. Jesus came to save a people for himself. Whether Christmas makes any difference in our life depends on whether we are one of his people.

So how do we become one of his people? The same way Mary and Joseph did. Mary became one of his people when she said to the angel, “May your word to me be fulfilled.” (Luke 1:38)

Joseph became one of his people when he awoke from a dream and did as the Lord commanded. The people who will be saved from their sins are those who do what God tells them. We become part of the story ourselves when we are willing to be used by God.

Isn’t it good news that Jesus is a saving name? Peter tells us that “ 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)

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The Bible says there is only one way to God and that’s through Jesus Christ. That may not be a popular thing to say in these days when approval of the teaching of every has been raised to a national virtue. I don’t like to be called narrow-minded any more than you do, but I do want to be as narrow-minded as the Bible is.

Let us remember that Jesus said “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it." (:13-14) Having a broad mind could get us to the wrong place.

When people hear and open their hearts to Jesus their lives are changed. It is interesting to see how this change works. Jesus doesn’t change us from the outside in. He changes us from the inside out. Jesus came so that his salvation could be in us and when he left the earth he promised that his Spirit would come and dwell within us.

If I could I would like to go down every one of these aisles and up to every seat and put my hand on your shoulder and ask you “Do you know Jesus? Are you certain today that Christ lives within you?” It is a vital question because the answer determines what kind of life we will live on this earth and where we will spend eternity.

I cannot do that so I am going to ask the Holy Spirit to do what I cannot do. May the Holy Spirit tap you on the shoulder and ask “Do you know Jesus?” If you don’t, the Holy Spirit can help you to know him.

If you have never received Jesus Christ as your Savior will you let me lead you in a prayer? I don’t want to put words in your mouth but I would like to help you express what may be in your heart. If you don’t know Jesus as your Savior you can know him. You can receive him as your Lord in this service. So as we talk to God pray silently in your heart with me.

Dear God, I know that I do not measure up to your standards because your standards are perfection and I am imperfect. Something had to happen for me to be able to know you. So thank you for sending your Son Jesus into the world.

Jesus, please come into my life today. Please forgive my sin and become my Savior. I want this Christmas not to be an empty celebration but a full celebration that the one who is born in Bethlehem also has been born in my heart. .

That simple prayer prayed in is the most important moment of your life. If you meant that prayer I welcome you into God’s family. Now to help you grow in your faith I would like to invite you to be part of a Life Group. This is a group of other Christians who meet to encourage each other and study the Bible and pray together.

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If you would like to join a Life Group just write Life Group on your Connection Card and drop it in the offering bucket and we will get back to you.