What's in a Name? The Meaning Behind Jesus and Emmanuel

What's in a Name?

Has anyone ever asked you what your name means? When mum and dad found out they were going to have a baby, they most likely spent a lot of time choosing your name. They may have discussed this with other family members. They may have looked through a book or used the internet to discover the meaning of names.

We have three sons. The eldest is Matthew, which means "gift of God." Then there's Timothy, which means "honouring God." And finally James, which means either "holder of the heel" — which is a very strange meaning — or "may God protect." That's a better meaning! Read about Jacob in Genesis and you'll learn why.

I looked up a few names to see what they meant. The most popular boy's name for some past years is Oliver, which means "olive tree" — that's straightforward. The most popular girl's name is Charlotte, which means "free woman." It has French origins and is related to the boy's name Charles.

A Name Chosen by God

When Mary and Joseph found out that they were going to have a baby, they didn't go to a library or get a book to choose his name and what it would mean. They didn't consult family and friends. In fact, they didn't choose his name at all.

God sent an angel to tell Mary and Joseph:

You'll have a son and you'll call his name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sin.

You see, the name Jesus means "the Lord saves." God loved us so much that he sent his only Son to save us from sin. The Bible tells us that we are to call upon the name of the friend that we have in Jesus.

Emmanuel — God Is with Us

In our Bible reading today, we also read that another name for Jesus is Emmanuel. Matthew tells us that Emmanuel means "God is with us." God is with us always and in every circumstance.

What's in a Name?

• The name Jesus means sins forgiven.
• The name Emmanuel means God is with us.

We can call upon Jesus in every situation. During this holiday season, let's remember that it's Jesus' birthday that we celebrate — and Jesus' name is above all other names.

Happy Christmas.